Bob and I just returned from the grocery store and had a rude shock. We bought just a few things and only one meat. The meat was chicken and guess what? It was $5.99 a pound. Unbelievable! Besides that...that little bit of groceries cost $62.00....25% of our August food budget.
This economy is getting to be a major problem for us. Bob retired in 1985..early at 55. He really had no choice. His company was downsizing. He might have lost his job altogether if he had not taken early retirement. He has worked at something ever since. First it was real estate. That wasn't a good choice since he has no real sales skills.
He stayed with it three years before taking a hearing aide specialist course and selling Beltone hearing aids. That lasted another three years. I was still working until 1997 so it wasn't a large problem except for one thing. Inflation was eating up our retirement. Following the Beltone hearing aid work, he volunteered for the Red Cross for twelve years. Certainly no money in that. Just a lot of good feelings. He went as a SAIR chaplain to 9/11 twice.
Then FEMA approached him about four years ago and he went to work for them. After that began, we slowly paid off all our debt except our house payment. He is 78 now and getting pretty feeble. I don't know how much longer he will be able to work for FEMA. He hasn't worked now since April. He has had cataract surgery and is recovering from that.
I could go to work, I suppose, but doing what at my age? I have been in media sales for most of my career but how many radio stations or newspapers will want to hire a 72 year old woman?
This is going to be a dilemma for the younger generation too. They won't have social security like we have and many of them are loaded with debt and act like they will live forever. They don't save a thing but live right up to their income.
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3 comments:
Margie, I enjoyed reading about your life and all our hard times at the grocery store. One day when we go the shelves will be empty and it will not matter how many dollars we have in our pocket.
Patsy's Sister
You may be right, sister--three. But right now I'm just trying to stretch our grocery dollar as far as it will go.
I can't believe the cost of groceries. Everytime I go they have marked everything up again! The first time I saw that 10 lbs. of potatoes was $6.99 at Kroger I could not believe my eyes. I have never seen potatoes that high in my life. Then, a pizza I had been paying $5.00 for was $6.99. I sometimes pick up things at Big Lots and Dollar Store or Save-a-Lot if I am near one. I like fresh fruits and veggies though and those have to be bought usually at Kroger or Walmart. You are so right about the kids today not saving any money, too. I don't think the younger generation knows how to live within their means.
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