Living on Social Security in the US

Beautiful meadows and charming towns
are available near retirement communities!

Are there places in the United States where a couple can live a middle class lifestyle on their Social Security, alone?  According to U.S. News, there are actually a number of communities scattered throughout this country where couples can afford a home and live comfortably on the average amount of Social Security. 

In order for U.S. News to come up with their list, they based their income assumption on an average Social Security Benefit of $1,179 per retired person in the United States as of March, 2011.  For two people, this comes to a household income of $28,296 a year.  (Since 2011, Social Security benefits have increased by a few percent and the average retiree is actually earning a little over $1,200 per month.  The communities on this list continue to be affordable for those retirees, on an inflation adjusted basis).

The researchers looked for communities in the United States where the median household income was lower than $28,000.  The cost of living in these communities has increased a few percent over the past few years, but so have Social Security benefits. 

Below is their list of towns from coast to coast that would be affordable for the average couple living on Social Security alone.

Where to Retire on Social Security Alone

Auburn, Alabama (median household income of $21,630)
Blacksburg, Virginia (median household income of $26,792)
Boone, North Carolina
Cheney, Washington
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan ($27,621)
Murray, Kentucky ($27,842)
State College, Pennsylvania ($23,800)
Sunland Park, New Mexico ($23,225)
Syracuse, New York ($27,475)
West Lafayette, Indiana ($26,000)

I listed the median household income for these communities, when it was included in the article. Several of these communities are college towns, including charming Blacksburg, Virgina, which is the home of Virginia Tech. They are also dispersed throughout the United States, so it is possible you could find one that is not too far from your friends and other members of your family.  If you expect to be living on the typical amount of Social Security, and you are worried about where you can afford to buy real estate and retire, you may want to do more research on some of these communities and select one that is best for you.

In addition, you may want to read  "Finding the Best Places to Retire" http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2011/09/finding-best-places-to-retire.html, "Cheap Places to Retire" http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2011/09/cheap-places-to-retire.html, or any of the other articles listed in the archive section in the sidebar, or under Popular Posts at the bottom of the page.

If you are interested in more retirement ideas, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this article to find links to hundreds of additional articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

(Photo of meadows taken by Author, Deborah-Diane, near Laguna Woods Village, California)

Baby Boomers Spur Job Growth

Care Givers & Medical Careers
are increasingly in high demand.
Photo by morguefile.com

Baby Boomers are spurring job growth in the economy, whether we realize it or not.  Although many Baby Boomers are having a difficult time deciding on new careers to pursue in our 50's and 60's, we are beginning to create jobs for young adults.

According to research using Bureau of Labor Statistics data and completed by the website "Main Street," the careers where job growth is expected to be greatest between now and 2018 are primarily connected to health care ... and which group is going to need health care more than retirees?

The anticipated top career of the future is Biomedical Engineer, followed by Network Systems Analysts, Home Health Aides, Personal & Home Care Aides, Financial Examiners, Medical Examiners, and Physician Assistants.  Some of these careers are expected to have high job and income growth in the next decade. Of these seven fast growing career opportunities, five are connected to the medical field.

Two of these careers, in particular, have to do with assisting senior citizens ... Home Health Aides and Personal & Home Care Aides.  These aides are the people who will make it possible for many of us Baby Boomers to remain in our own homes as we age.  Home health aides earn money by helping people take care of their daily living needs and handle basic medical care.  These careers are expected to see substantial job growth over the next 10 years.

In addition, as we give up our jobs, Baby Boomers who leave the business world create job openings for future generations in a wide variety of careers.  Who knows? Perhaps we Baby Boomers will provide the engine to stimulate the economy as we begin to retire during the coming years ... both by giving up our current jobs and creating demand for assistance in the future.

For more information about retirement and Baby Boomers, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of additional articles about where to retire, retirement careers, medical issues, financial planning and more.

If you are interested in retirement information, read http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

(Source: "The Cities with the Jobs of the Future" by Seth Fiegerman on Main St.  Provided by Yahoo Finance.  10/9/11)

High Dose Flu Shot for Seniors

Don't Forget Your Flu Shot!
Syringe photo from photoxpress.com

Have you received your flu shot yet this year?  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone who is 6 months of age or older should get the basic flu shot in order to increase their chances of staying healthy during the coming year.

However, if you are over 65 and have not yet gotten the basic shot, you may be interested to know that in the past few years they have introduced a stronger version for senior citizens.  The shot is called Fluzone High-Dose and it has four times the immune triggering virus proteins than are contained in the regular influenza shot.

In addition to providing seniors with a stronger shot, Medicare covers the cost.  They feel that it is important for senior citizens to be inoculated, since they are more likely to have serious medical complications from the flu. 

If you would like to read more information designed to help senior citizens, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of additional articles about health issues, where to retire, financial planning and more.

For more retirement information, read http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

When Grandkids Live Far Away

Facetime on your iPhone is one
way to stay in touch!
Photo from www.morguefile.com

When your grandchildren live far away from you, how can you stay in touch?  How can you feel like you are still a part of their lives?  How can you help your grandkids know how much you care about them?

These are some of the questions that my husband and I have faced.  We have six grandchildren ranging from age 1 to age 21, with another one on the way.  They are quite spread out, living in Northern California, Southern California, New York and Delaware.  Although we make an effort to travel and see them all at least once a year, we realize that is not nearly enough to be part of their lives.  Although it is not the same as having your grandkids live next door, we discovered there are some things we could do to stay in touch and feel close to our grandkids.

The first thing we do is send them all greeting cards and a few dollars on all those little holidays that kids enjoy so much.  We mail out cards for Halloween, Valentine's Day, and Easter.  If they lived nearby, we know we would give them treats on those occasions.  Since they don't live close, we still enjoy recognizing those days as special for the kids and sending them a little money.  It is fun for them and us.

The next thing we do is put the internet to work.  My husband and I are both on Facebook.  Although my husband and I have very few Facebook friends who are not relatives, we have discovered that this site is a great way to stay in touch with our family and close friends.  Our daughters are all wonderful about updating their Facebook pictures and videos often, so we get to see our grandkids getting awards at school, competing in sports, and wearing their Halloween costumes.  Some of our grandkids also have their own Facebook pictures and will post their own comments and pictures to share with us.  We cherish every little thought and comment they share!

Another way we use the internet is by using Skype.  One Christmas morning, one of our daughters set her laptop on the coffee table in the living room and we contacted her using Skype.  We fixed our breakfast and relaxed in front of our computer.  Then we spent a couple of hours watching our grandkids open their presents, and they watched us open ours.  It wasn't quite as good as getting a warm hug, but it was much better than a phone call.  It was hilarious watching them laugh as they opened their gifts and held them up to the computer for us to see!  We have also Skyped on Halloween to see their costumes, and on other special occasions.  We've found that young kids, in particular, will stay on the phone much longer when they can see us and show us things.  Technology has made it so much easier for our family to stay in touch!

In addition to Skype on our computers, we also have it on our Android phones.  We love being able to see our kids and grandkids whenever we chat.  Having Skype on our phones is like having our grandkids in our purse or pocket!

Recently, one of our daughters, and her two kids, moved just seven  miles from our home.  We are delighted to have some of our grandkids living close by, once again.  However, we still have four other grandkids who live far away and the new baby will also be living on the other side of the country.  One thing we have learned is that, while it is not always possible to have our grandkids nearby, that is no excuse for losing touch with them.  We hope we are always part of their lives, whether they live nearby or not.

If you haven't yet used some of these services, you may want to give them a try.  They are a cheap and easy way to keep your grandkids close.

If you are interested in learning more about retirement and aging topics, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this article to find links to hundreds of additional articles on where to retire, health issues, family relationships, financial planning and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com