Get Good With Money Review

by sssmahh303, posted in Taking Care of Business

Mary Ann

During Covid, my good friend L and I did a non-fiction book club. We lived in different states, so this was a way to connect during our confinements.  It was only the two of us, and each Saturday morning, we talk for two or three hours about the reading assignments and life in general.  Even though we could have stopped when the pandemic ended, we have continued reading 60 plus books over the last four years. We focused on nonfiction that included topics on money, health, happiness, self-actualizing, retirement, getting ready to retire, etc.  We wanted to learn about topics that would help us in our lives.

One of the first books we read centered on finance.  I had retired, and L is going to retire at the end of 2024. We needed to get a handle on our money and know how to best support ourselves in the years to come.  The first finance book was How to Make Your Money Last – The indispensable Retirement Guide by Jane Bryant Quinn and is the bible of finance as far as I am concerned.  I frequently refer to this book.  Another finance book that I love is a gem of a little book called How to Retire with Enough Money and How to Know What is Enough Is by Teresa Ghilarducci.  It is the Cliff Notes of finance.  Both are excellent books and very well-written.

Recently, we have added a new book to our All-Star Finance List.  It is Get Good with Money – 10 Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole by Tiffany Aliche.  She is known as the Budgetnista.  Ms. Aliche breaks down money into categories and in simple terms explains how a budget works, how to invest, how to buy insurance, and how exactly is your credit score determined.  These elements among others add up to 100% and in the end gives individuals a blueprint to get their finances in order.  Topics are clearly explained, good examples are given for understanding concepts, and most importantly, Ms. Aliche has personally lived through most of what she recommends. She has made all the mistakes and knows what it is like to be penniless. Her firsthand experiences gives everyone hope. She also offers finance worksheets and the like in her book and on her website, getgoodwithmoney.com.

This book is a good gift to give your children and/or grandchildren. L and I have done just that.  I wish that Ms. Aliche would write a finance book for little old ladies like me that would advise elders about medical costs and a guide for signing up for Medicare- the ABCD programs can be so confusing and then you have the supplement alphabet!  Investments for someone retired is different from building retirement funds. I am sure that Ms. Aliche could help investors to help themselves. I gained so much information from Aliche’s book, but I could use some help with my retirement finances. 

All three of these books were written by women.  They all offer good financial advice regardless of gender; however, it is so nice to see women lead on finance.  I can remember years ago when that wasn’t the case.  Thank you, Ms. Bryant, Ms. Ghilarducci, and most recently Ms. Aliche!  You are making all the difference! 

Greetings

by sssmahh303, posted in Lifestyle

Mary Ann

When you open your mailbox and fight your way through the charity requests, monthly bills, and endless catalogs, you find a colorful envelop nestled amid the jumble of paper.  You pull it out and find that a dear friend or special relative had sent you a card. Then a smile crosses your face and for a moment you experience pure bliss.  Someone remembered you with a greeting card.  

Few things can give you such joy as a birthday card or thinking of you card. Holiday wishes are captured in a rainbow of colors throughout the year.  There isn’t a digital card, text, or email that can capture the same feelings that a splash of color discovered in your mailbox.  Someone had to go out of their way to write to you.  They had to find a card, address the envelop, locate a stamp, and sign the card possibly adding a few thoughts. And all of this done using real handwriting. Remember handwriting?  It all seems like a lost art. 

I love to shop for cards selecting just the right one for the person I intend to write to.  The browsing is such fun and reading the text is uplifting for me.  However, it can be an expensive endeavor, especially if you frequently send cards.  Some cards can cost as much as $5-$10 dollars each. That really can add up if you send several cards.  When you are on a fixed income, it is something you must consider. However, there are some options that makes this all affordable. 

I have a friend who is in a card-making club, and at the monthly meeting, they make various cards.  They are cute, colorful, and clever. What a great way to get together with friends and create cards to bring joy to others. It brings joy to you as well.  I have another friend who is a talented photographer, and she make cards from the photos she takes.  I love getting a card from her.  You can get blank cards at craft stores like Michaels or online from Amazon.  You can even print your own photos.  I like doing this as well and have put collections together of travels or flowers as a gift of note cards.  

My best kept secret for greeting cards is Dollar Tree.  They have American Greetings and Hallmark cards for a $1.00, and Hallmark has created a line for Dollar Tree which is the best bargain yet – two cards for a $1.00. They offer holiday cards, standard birthday cards or get-well cards, and unique cards for new grandparents, retirement, bride-to be cards, and on and on.  I leave with a stack of cards, and my bill is often under $10.00. The cards are made of high-quality paper, often are sprinkled with glitter, and the envelops are colorful. At times, you need to give the envelops a good lick.   Now, there is no reason not to bring joy to close friends or beloved grandchildren and not break the bank. You will bring joy to loved ones, and in the end you will bring joy to yourself.  

I Didn’t Know I Needed Girlfriends

by Cynthia, posted in Friends and Family

Cynthia

Several years ago I realized I spent most of my time working and did not have friends I could call upon in my “off” time. I had always heard, “to have friends, you have to be a friend.” As is customary, I took up the charge.

I made a list of women whom I had met at chamber of Commerce meetings, Rotary, and other such organizations and sent invitations to twenty women, asking if they would be willing to spend one evening a month with me and a group of others for one year. Ten responded.  I set a theme and a date and launched my goddess group.

The night before the first gathering I became nervous. Many of these women had beautiful homes, husbands, were visible in the community, and were involved in a lot of activities.  Was I an equal? Self-doubt kicked in. Yet, it was too late to back out.  The evening arrived. I welcomed the ladies with heavy hor d’oeuvres, wine, and a non-alcoholic option. We played a game I found at the Bullseye Boutique (Target) called Go Goddess! The game, as many others, encourages each player to answer questions, allowing the group to get to know one another. The night was a huge success!

Everyone gone, I was wound up and very excited, pleased that evening went so well. Beyond that I was extremely grateful that these women came and each said she looked forward to the next month.  I sat down and wrote each woman a personal note, indicating why I had invited her, what I admired about her, and thanking her for joining the group of girlfriends.

Fast forward several year. Last week I had coffee with one of those lovely ladies. Well into her seventies, she is still a practicing attorney.  She mentioned how delightful “the goddess group” was and suggested I pull together the group for a reunion. She said she never knew how much she needed female friends. She shared the note I had written was especially meaningful to her and she had carried it in her purse for years.

We simply never know the impact we make on others – both positive and negative. Yet one thing is certain. If we want to have friends, we must make the effort to be a friend.

Baby Shots

by sssmahh303, posted in Wellness

Mary Ann

When I was a little girl, I was not allowed to go to the community pool in the summer or participate in other activities where large groups gathered.  My mother was scared that I would contract Polio.  The fear was a nightmare at the time for our parents – death and withered limbs loomed large for them.  Then Salk and later Sabin developed vaccines that eventually eradicated polio from the United States and for the most part, the world. 

I can remember going to the local high school gym for a shot.  The lines were long and both adults and children got the shots. For most parents, they could at last exhale.  A few years later, we lined up again for a sugar cube that Sabin developed – so much better than a needle.  

Time passed and hardly anyone spoke of polio again.   We grew up and had children.  Our children and later grandchildren got a whole host of vaccinations.  They didn’t have to endure measles, mumps, or rubella and on and on.  I sat in a dark room when I had measles to protect my eyes – it may have been a wives’ tales, but my mother was not taking any chances.  There was a girl in my hometown who lost her hearing at the age of two from measles. There was danger. 

Then we became senior citizens and suddenly we have a whole new set of shots, our baby shots.  There is the annual Flu and Covid shots, RSV, Shingles, Pneumonia, Hep A Hep B, and you still need Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) every ten years.  If you travel, you may need Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Cholera, and so on.  On a trip to Africa, I had to get another Polio shot – they had had a recent outbreak.   At times, you feel like a human pin cushion.   

However, regardless of how uncomfortable the vaccinations may be, the alternative of getting the disease and possibly dying from it, is far worse.  With each shot, I can see my mother smiling at me for protecting myself with the new baby shots, just as she once protected me from polio.   I am thankful for these life-saving shots. They can make all the difference in my old age.      

Bag Lady

by sssmahh303, posted in Taking Care of Business

Mary Ann        

When I was a young woman, I was a single mother living on a teacher’s salary and supplementing it with tutoring and summer work.  There wasn’t much left over to save for retirement.  I was just trying to get by.  What little saving I did have was precious.  At the time a friend of mine suggested I move the money to a fund that was getting around 8% which was much better than the return I was currently getting so I moved the money.  As the months passed, the fund kept losing money, and I kept calling the firm asking why this was occurring. No one could tell me why, and after losing half my money, I returned to the original company.  With a little research, I found the fund was junk bonds and the bottom was falling out of them. 

I was so mad at myself that I said never again would I be “fooled.” I had my Scarlett O’Hara moment yelling in my head I will never be hungry again or rather I will learn about money, investments, and retirement.  I spent the next 40 years doing just that reading about investments, talking to advisers, starting investment clubs, and being awake. I did not have much money to invest in the early years, but I would always match what the schools were offering in their retirement programs.  After my children were on their own, I began to max out my annual contributions, and then you turn 50 and you get to make up for lost time with even bigger contributions.  I did just that.  Then there is the magic of compound interest which is the gift that keeps on giving.  

As I was moving with career advancement, I would move my money from the 403bs (the non-profit retirement programs) to IRAs with Vanguard. It was there that my investments really grew.  I also decided to work until I was 70 to max out my Social Security.  The extra years allowed me to grow my retirement savings as well and have more Social Security quarters at a higher rate thus giving me a higher Social Security payment.  I had put my learning to use setting me up for a comfortable retirement. 

Now, that I am retired those early decisions have given me financial security.  I developed a plan, stuck to it, and have reaped the benefits from it all.  When you work in the Independent School world, you must create your own pension from your savings. There is no state pension.  

I feel confident about all my decisions until I start reading the articles online about finance and retirement then I panic.  Inflation, taxes, life expectancy, medical expenses, and low investment growth dominate the headlines.  Will you outlive your money?  What!  I thought I had that all taken care of.  These articles are mind-blowing causing sheer terror and constant anxiety.  If I did everything right, why am I going to be a Bag Lady in a few years.  I read somewhere that women all think that they are going to be Bag Ladies. It makes sense, doesn’t it?

I have recently decided that I need to just enjoy the day.  None of us know how long we have.  It is time to stop reading the articles.  I am going to be Scarlett O’Hara and think about all this tomorrow.  To worry now, doesn’t solve anything.  You need to enjoy life and not fret all the time. You still must be wise about money and watch your investments, but there is more to life than constant worry.  If you remember, Scarlett O’Hara was a bag lady in her lovely green velvet curtains and had lost most of her family fortune.  She would just say fiddle-dee-dee and go about living!  

Smoothie Recipes

by Cynthia, posted in Reviews

Cynthia

Smoothies and smoothie bowls are taking center stage in the health and wellness specter. Smoothies incorporate multiple servings of fruits and/or vegetables in one serving as they reduce the ingredients nearly to liquid form. Having a smoothie is a satisfying way to ensure you get your daily dose.

Last year, I gave my aunt a smoothie basket for her birthday. Included were two books and the alternate ingredients needed for the recipes. The two books, The Art of the Smoothie Bowl by Nicole Gaffney, and Healthy Smoothie Recipe Book by Jennifer Koslo, appeared to be colorful and easy to follow. Of course as I do whenever I buy a cookbook for someone else, I bought myself copies so I could scrutinize the recipes.

Perusing each book, I made an ingredient list by category – pantry, fresh, frozen, nuts-seeds-spices, toppings, juices, milks, refrigerator. My purpose was to discover which ingredients are used only once and which are used multiple times. My aunt, being a smoothie novice, may not have all the ingredients in her pantry. Items such as blue spirulina, psyllium husk, bee pollen, and maca powder probably are not everyday staples in many kitchens.

Of the two recipe books, I found the Art of the Smoothie Bowl to lean more towards the occasional smoothie chef due to the ingredients included. Pictures are included for each recipe with suggestions for toppings. Most of the recipes include ingredients you are likely to have on hand.

Healthy Smoothie Recipe Book provides mix and match smoothie recipes categorized by the health issue the recipe supports. Issues such as detox and cleanse; inflammation fighters; weight loss and diabetes; and more. The author provides ten reasons smoothies support good health and an ingredient list to “spice things up”. She provides a mix-and-match flavors and texture chart to help you try out your creative side. While this book does not include pictures of the actual smoothies, Koslo does include a color swatch that indicates the primary benefit of the recipe – high protein, high fiber, meal replacement, veggie lover, and others.

Using both books as the foundation for my smoothie basket, I bought the unique items and separated them into small jars and labeled each appropriately. Because some of the ingredients can be quite expensive and only a teaspoon or tablespoon is used in a recipe, I thought sharing the items among family members made sense. The basket was quite full of goodies with a few extras like reusable straws, bowls, glasses, and spoons. A healthy and fun gift for someone who has almost everything!

Meanwhile, I am having fun trying new smoothies and smoothie bowls using the recipes in these books. Many books are available which have equally delicious options. Smoothies and smoothie bowls are easy ways to pack a lot of nutrition into a small space! They are delicious, nutritious, and make you feel ambitious (or so the saying goes!). Enjoy!

Dostadning

by sssmahh303, posted in Lifestyle

Mary Ann 

You may have heard of Swedish Death Cleaning, Dostadnning.  It was a popular book by Margareta Magnusson a few years back, and there is a TV show on Peacock about it.  Death Cleaning is the weeding through of all your stuff before you die so that your family will not have to do it.  It may sound morbid, but really it is a kindness, a gift to your family.  We will all have to death clean someone in our lives at some time. It is not an easy process, but if the person has done their own death cleaning, the job will be easier.

My brother and I had to death clean our parents’ home.  Our parents both lived into their nineties, so we had lots of time to know their wishes, determine who got what, and disseminate items. Once our mother passed as she predeceased our father, we were able to start the cleaning.  Our mother was the collector, and our father was more than happy to simplify his life which simplified our lives.  

The hardest part of the process for us was the cards and pictures that my mother had kept for 70 years of marriage. It took a long time to go through it all.  There were shoeboxes full of all the cards our family had ever sent our parents over the years. They had all the photographs of us through the years as well as the pictures of their grand- and great-grandchildren. I am the family photographer, so I had duplicates made for them of their family’s lives.  I already had the original pictures, so I didn’t need more copies.  We did make packets of pictures for family members, so they had a record of their lives preserved.  However, in the end there were still a huge number of duplicates.  

What do you do with all the cards and photos?  It didn’t seem right to just bag them and toss, all that love to just disappear in a puff!  So, I came up with the idea to burn them in some kind of goodbye ceremony that would honor our parents and the love represented in the cards and photos.  We would send them to our parents in heaven.  My brother planned to have all the cards and photos shredded, and he then found a place where we could burn everything.  There was a patio/firepit at the local Audubon Society that could be rented.  He bagged all the shredded materials into paper grocery bags – we had 28 bags – so we could place one bag at a time in the firepit to burn.

We had a beautiful fall day with leaves falling all around us, and the family gathered to watch the cards and photos ascent into the heavens.  We brought a picnic lunch and drinks to enjoy while we watched everything burn.  It was a lovely, peaceful time to talk about our parents, say a prayer in honor of them, and recall wonderful family memories.  It took us two half days to complete the task.  My brother and I decided this informal ceremony was the best way to say goodbye to this part of our lives – true closure.  We only had to dispose of the ashes, and my brother had an idea that the ashes could be made into soap for the family.  Nice idea but we didn’t do it.  However, our family’s death cleaning had a happy ending with this goodbye ceremony. I know our parents were smiling down at us for taking this step for them.  

PS – Burning is an environmental concern so disposable of the photos will either go into the atmosphere or into landfills. There is no easy choice.

At Her Pace

by Cynthia, posted in Friends and Family

Cynthia

An imperative to providing the right level of care for one’s loved one – mom, in this case – is to understand where she is and what drives her. At times I want to blurt “it’s not always about you,” but in reality, it is. It is always about the person for whom you are caring.

My mother has always been a narcissistic extrovert. She loves being the center of attention wherever she goes. And she always wants to go.  Yet as her ailment progresses, she finds it more and more difficult to do and to enjoy the things she loves.

We were invited to my aunt’s home for lunch. Prior to leaving I had a webinar. I ensured mom was completely dressed and ready to go, except for putting on shoes. We wait until the last minute to put on shoes as her feet swell. I reminded her to keep her feet up in her recliner and I would help her put on her shoes just prior to leaving.

After the webinar I went to help her. She was completely worn out … from attempting to put on socks and her shoes. Finally, she got her shoes on without socks. She was so tired she wasn’t certain she would make it to the car. Still, she wanted to go. So we went.

We had a lovely lunch at my aunt’s. I signaled to my aunt that I needed to take mom home, but my aunt had made a beautiful coconut cream pie and insisted we have dessert before we leave.  Mom graciously ate the dessert. Then we hurried off, expressing our apologies.

Once home, mom immediately plopped into her chair, barely able to move. She caught her breath and said, “I just get too tired.  I want to go, but it makes me exhausted.” After helping her into bed, I pondered, “how could I have made this easier for her?”

The answer. I cannot. The best I can do is allow her to operate at her own pace.

Comfy Box

by sssmahh303, posted in Wellness

Mary Ann

When I was a young girl, it was the custom to have a Hope Chest. It usually was a cedar chest often from the Lane Company to store your future linens and household items to set up housekeeping after you married.  Did any of you get a miniature cedar chest from a local furniture store for your graduation?  I did, and it too was from the Lane Company.  I have had it my whole adult life, and it is where I save my quarters.  It is a happy, little box. It makes me smile when I see it as it represents my youth.

As my generation has gotten older, I have taken the concept of a Hope Chest to create a Comfy Box.  There will a time when we will be going to need assistance in caring for ourselves. The caregivers may know nothing about us, our likes and dislikes, our wants, and needs. So, as we prepped for marriage with Hope Chests, we can now prep for our old age with a Comfy Box. 

 At this time of life, we can still shop for ourselves, and we know what we want to wear so this is the time to buy pretty night gowns, bed jackets, robes, and slippers.  I would think you need a night gown for every day of the week plus one or two extra ones for the just in cases.  We are probably going to be messy in our old age; however, we want to be clean. I have mine stored in a plastic tub but there are wonderful soft-sides storage containers for clothes now.  I like soft socks, and my cold feet like the warmth they provide.  It helps me sleep better as well.  I have slippers for the day and have found boiled wool ones that support my feet and keep them warm.  

I have prepared a small notebook with information to help make me comfortable.  I have included where to buy certain products and have included pictures from the internet just to clarify the item.  I included my favorite kind of tea – Harney and Son’s Paris blend, a fancy Earl Gray. I put a teacup/tea pot combo in the Comfy Box so I can enjoy a pretty cup of tea!  I have a particular hand and foot lotion that I like from Sabon. Candles would be nice but probably too dangerous for an old lady.  An atomizer with an auto turnoff would be safer, and I can put my favorite essential oils in the water such as Shinrin-Yoku or Serenty by DoTerra Essential Oils. It would help with sleep and cover any odors.  I plan on adding to the little notebook as I find items.

One thing that I want to make sure that I have either on my phone or iPad is my Calm App.  I bought a lifetime subscription, but I am putting all the info about the account in my notebook. I listen to the meditations each day and fall asleep to the Sleep Stories each night.  I need to figure out audio books. I love stories so I want that in my life.  It does scare me a bit that most technology may beyond me regarding the TV and streaming services.  I find it hard at times now to figure out what I need for the various services. Maybe I will be able to just tell the TV what to do.  One can only hope!  

We do not have control over aging, but we do have some control now how we might want to live later. The quality of our life can be somewhat up to us. A Comfy Box is a way to make this happen.  I can see myself now sitting in bed in a pretty night gown wrapped in a soft bedjacket sipping a cup tea in my soft socks with toasty toes. How about you? 

Mama Bear

by sssmahh303, posted in Taking Care of Business

 Mary Ann

Mama Bears are fierce mothers.  They would defend their babies with their lives.  As they rear their cubs, the mamas teach them how to take care of themselves.  Then one day, Mama Bears send their cubs up a tree and walk away.  Suddenly, the cubs are on their own and eventually climb down the tree and begin their lives.   

I think there are real lessons that the Mama Bears could teach all parents.  Of course, we aren’t sending our children up trees and are not going to walk away from them.  However, learning to be independent is a real gift for life.  Over my 40 years as an educator, I wrote several articles about letting children fail, and afterwards, learning to pick themselves up and begin again.  When children make mistakes, they need to know that they can recover from them.  Each small lesson builds on one another, so they learn how to handle bigger challenges later in life. 

Every time we swoop in to save our children, we are telling them that they cannot help themselves.  Life is hard, and children need to learn how to manage those tough times.  When you start small, it builds self-confidence for children.  As a parent, I picked my children up way too many times. Guilty, Guilty, Guilty!  I tried to make a perfect world for them.  Guilty, Guilty, Guilty!   As I look back, I should have made them figure out their own problems and save them less.I realize that once you become a parent, you are a parent forever.  However, you are not responsible to take care of your children when they become adults.  Statistically, 65% of parents are supporting their adult children and grandchildren in some way.  Many cannot afford this and pay for their own retirement.  As older adults, we don’t know how long we will live and will we have enough money to last for the whole retirement.  Life is indeed hard, and if you can underwrite your children’s lifestyle, more power to you.  Nevertheless, many retirees cannot fund their children’s lives.  It is a hard decision, but we need to be independent and take care of ourselves.  Most financial advisors will tell you to do this.  It is time to be Mam