Archive for August, 2009

Clip Coupons and Save . . . a lot

Hi Folks,

COUPONS: After a 16 year of decline in use, coupons are back in vogue again. How about that? It’s cool to use coupons again, especially for the 18 – 35 year old crowd.

Are you wondering why coupon use fell out of popularity?

1. People were embarrassed to use them.
2. They didn’t really need to save the money.
3. It was a lot of trouble clipping and saving them.

Read more…

A Last Will & Testament But No Plan For Living

Hello Neighbor,

I have got to get outside and weed my flower beds, but first I have a thought I want to share with you.

Yesterday I posted an article about how everyone should have a Durable Power of Attorney and that maybe a Durable Power of Attorney is more important than a Will. Of course almost everyone our age has a Last Will And Testament. But then later in the day I was reading a book that took all of that one step farther. The writer pointed out that most of us write a Will telling folks what we want to happen after we die but few of us write a plan for what we want to happen while we are still alive. 

Now isn’t that a kick in the head . . . And a bit sad!  This writer and most people reading this blog are 55 years old or older and most of us don’t have a plan for how we want to live the rest of our lives. Worse yet, we didn’t have a plan for getting where we are now! We just sort of left everything to chance.

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Durable Power of Attorney – Why This Form May Be More Important Than Your Will

Hi Neighbors,

I talked about Durable Power of Attorneys a few month back but because it is so important, I thought it would be good if we revisited the subject again.  

Today’s author, Kathy Lane, does an excellent job of explaining why a Durable Power of Attorney is so important. Please, for your families sake and your piece of mind, read this article and if you do not have a Durable Power of Attorney, get one right away.

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Making You Car Last Longer

Hi Folks,

Of all the articles I have publishd in Retirement On A Budget over the past year, one of the most visited pages is Proven Ways to Make Your Car Last 300,000 Miles, published March 30, 2009.  Apparently helping your car last 200,000 miles is fairly easy as I read lots of articles that mention cars that have over 200,000 miles on the odometer. AAA Car Care Centers even have a 200K Club which can help you with your maintenance costs. I recently purchased an annual package for $99.95 which includes 4 oil changes, 2 tire rotations and balance and all sorts of checks plus discounts on major maintenance items such as transmission flush, coolant flush, fuel injection service, etc.

Problem is,  lots of us are not very good at remembering to maintain things (you aught to see my gutters), we need reminders. Today’s article is a good reminder of just how important car maintenance is.

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Retired – Now What?

Hi Folks,

Retired and beginning to wonder what’s next. Welcome to the club. There are lots of others just like you.

Retirement will be a wonderful thing if you get your act together but sometimes you need some help and direction. Gordon Newman, today’s contributing author has some suggestions of where to start.

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Surviving the economic roller coaster: 10+ tips

Hi Folks,

Well, it’s possible that we are coming out of this latest economic meltdown. How many of these things have we lived through? Seven, I think. 

I am not the negative type, but I am realistic enough to know that this will not be our last financial crisis. No matter what the politicians say, there will be another downturn. Will you be ready? Or will you be joining the other millions saying that the world is going to hell in a handbasket.  Let’s considering puting our finances and our lives in order so that we are better prepared for the next financial flop.

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Saving Money

Hi Folks,

Today I have another money saving website for you to check out, http://www.consumerworld.org/pages/bargains.htm .

I’ve been poking around in this site a bit and it appears you can shave a few dollars off your online purchases if you know what you are looking for and are willing to spend a little more time shopping. But remember, “Let the buyer beware”.

Why not take a few minutes and go to http://www.consumerworld.org/ and look the site over, then go to their bargan pages by clicking on the Bargans header in the left sidebar or just go direct from here http://www.consumerworld.org/pages/bargains.htm

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Enjoy Retirement by Recreating a New Mental Outlook

Hi Folks,

I hope you are having a fine day and, if you are retired, a really great day.

It seems that, for whatever reason, many retirees have trouble transitioning into retirement. And, for those who do have a bit of trouble coping with their “third age”, take heart, there is an answer. It may take some time and a lot of self searching. But it is all worth it. For many people retirement is the best time of their lives.

Today’s author, Shane Flait, has some good advice about where to start redefining your retirement life.

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Great Advice from Dr. Oz

Hi Folks,

The September, 2009 issue of Reader’s Digest includes an interview with Dr Mehmet Oz, the regular & immensely popular guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show and author of You: The Owner’s Manual. One of the questions interviewer Camille Peri asked Dr Oz was what the two most important things people should do to keep themselves young. Here is his response:

“Walk. When you can’t walk a quarter mile in five minutes, your chance of dying within three years goes up dramatically. Second most important is building a community – avoiding isolation.  Because if your heart doesn’t have a reason to keep beating, it wont.”

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How to Survive a Retired Husband

Hi Folks,

I have an article by Cathy Severson for you today. Cathy has brightened our pages several times, always with insight and wisdom.

Today’s article may touch a few raw nerves.  If so, good! We can all learn from our own and other peoples mistakes.

Read more…