Eleven Important Retirement Stories from the Past

Before we begin to research the news stories that will affect the retirement plans of Baby Boomers in the future, I thought you would all be interested in seeing the eleven important retirement stories from the past, in case you missed any of them. 

Not surprisingly, most of these stories dealt with finding good places to retire, maintaining our health, inter-generational relationships, and our retirement finances.  One significant difference I noticed during the past year was that more of our readers seemed to be giving serious consideration to retiring abroad. 



Important Retirement Stories You May Have Missed

Best Places to Retire Outside the US 

This is one of the top ten most read articles since this blog has been in existence. It includes the AARP list of the best places to retire abroad, along with a small amount of information about each location.  You can also find more detailed articles on this blog about some of these locals.

Best Sunny Places to Retire 

This list brings us back to the United States to review the communities here that have at least 250 sunny days a year, a low crime rate, strong local economies and plenty of fun activities for retirees.  The surprising news in this article was that not all of these communities are in the south.  In fact, both Oregon and Utah are represented on the list!

Why Retire in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands or Guam

Moving to one of the U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, America Samoa or Guam, is a great choice for those who want the feeling of living abroad without actually living in a foreign country.  You do not need a passport, learn a new language, or obtain foreign health insurance.  If you are contemplating moving to another country, you may want to read this article first.

Do You Need a Million Dollars to Retire? 

Many people fear they will never be able to retire because they will never be able to save enough money.  However, you may not need as much money as you think.  Learn how you can stretch your Social Security benefits as much as possible so you will only have to supplement your income a little.  You may be closer to retirement than you think!

Healing Relationships with Your Adult Children 

This article was based on some sad facts I read in an AARP magazine about the increasing number of Baby Boomers who have become estranged from their adult children.  While there are many reasons why this may happen, with a little help this situation can sometimes be reversed.  If you are in a stressful relationship with any of your adult children, this article could help.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases After Age 50 

Our adult children may not want to think about it, but many divorced or widowed Baby Boomers are actively dating again.  While they no longer need to worry about birth control, unfortunately STD's are a serious problem.  In fact, one quarter of the people in the US who are living with HIV/AIDS are over the age of 50!  Learn how you can protect yourself. 

Retiring Former Hippies Spark a New Generation Gap 

This article was actually at the top of my list for several months.  Now that the Baby Boomer generation is reaching retirement age, we rarely think about the differences between our values and those of our still-living parents.  However, the generation gap that existed in the 1960's is making a comeback, as our generation becomes active in existing retirement communities where we once again find ourselves living with "the generation before us."

Finding Niche Retirement Communities 

What activities are important to you when you retire?  Several retirement community developers are building niche retirement communities that cater to the needs of special groups, including Asian-Americans, gays and lesbians, RVers, nudists and artists.  If you are interested in finding a niche retirement community, this article will give you resources to help with your search.

Retiring in Luxury to Hua Hin, Thailand 

This lovely, beachside town in Thailand is extremely affordable, with apartment rentals running from $400 to $1000 a month and a full-time housekeeper available for as little as $250 a month.  Consequently, some American ex-patriots are finding that a couple can live there comfortably on their Social Security benefits alone.

Americans Retiring in Panama 

Another country that has become popular with American retirees is Panama.  One advantage of moving to this Central American country is the fact that the U.S. dollar is the official currency of Panama.  Although the major cities in Panama have become expensive, many smaller communities are much more affordable.

Coping with Divorce after 50 

Because this issue is so important to many Baby Boomers, I expanded the list of articles from ten to eleven important stories to be sure to include this one.  While the divorce rate for other age groups has decreased in the United States during the past 20 years, it has actually doubled for people over the age of 50.  Getting divorced at this age can have serious consequences, so it could be helpful for those who find themselves in this situation to read this article if they missed it earlier this year.

If you are looking for additional retirement information, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of other helpful articles on where to retire, financial planning, health concerns, family relationships and more.

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

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Eight Popular Retirement Stories from the Past

This article is intended to promote popular retirement stories from a few years ago.  Most of them are still relevant today.  Since this site has gained so many new followers since these articles were written, some of these timely stories may have been overlooked by our newer readers.

Generally, the most popular topics on this blog deal with finding a place to retire, making the most of our retirement income, maintaining our health and reaching out to our extended family. 

With these thoughts in mind, here are the most popular stories from 2011.  I thought this would be a good time of year to bring these articles to the attention of any readers who may have missed them.

Popular Retirement Stories

Cheap Places to Retire

Looking for an affordable location for your retirement years?  Here is a list of ten of the cheapest places to live in the United States.  While the prices may have risen slightly since this article was originally written, these communities are still less expensive than many places in our country.

Finding the Best Places to Retire

What are your criteria for good places to retire?  Are you looking for a low crime rate and a reasonable cost of living?  CNN produced a list of ten spots they thought were great retirement locations based on criteria they thought were important.  See if their list matches yours.

Prevent a Broken Bone or Hip Fractures

Every year about 300,000 people over the age of 65 fall and break their hips.  More than 20% of them will die as a result of these preventable accidents.  Learn what you can do to stay safe in your home.  This article could save your life or the life of someone you love.

Living on Social Security in the US

Don't have any retirement savings to supplement your Social Security benefits?  Don't despair.  Here is a list of ten communities where the average household income is about the equivalent of the amount the typical couple receives in Social Security benefits.  With a little planning, it is possible to survive on you Social Security.

Crafts to do with Your Grandkids

Looking for some fun activities to do with your grandkids?  One website I have found is http://www.domestic-divaonline.com which is full of easy to do projects such as homemade ornaments, jewelry and t-shirts.  Time you spend with your grandkids is time well spent, and this article is a good place to start.

Work From Home and Make Money

A number of Baby Boomers are facing retirement with less retirement income than they had anticipated.  Many of the retirees I know are supplementing their retirement income with little businesses they can manage from home.  For many people, earning anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to a thousand dollars a month can make a huge difference in the quality of their retirement.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

Have a Long Life and Live to 100

How long are you likely to live?  Did you know that there are specific factors that seem to make a real difference in your life expectancy?  Check this article out and see if simple life changes could extend your life.  You will find other articles on people who live to be over 90 in the Medical section of this blog.

Copy a Photo Album for a Unique Gift

Trying to think of a special gift that will be treasured by your adult children or grandchildren?  This article contains instructions on how to put together copies of your favorite albums and share them with other members of your family.  Our daughters have cherished the photo albums we have shared with them.

The archives of this blog are full of other articles that you may find interesting and useful.  I hope you will take the time to browse through them and explore other topics of benefit to you.

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

Photo of fireworks courtesy of www.morguefile.com

The Downside of Downsizing your Home

For anyone who has been planning their retirement very long, you know the importance of having a balanced budget after you stop working.  For many people, an important part of their financial planning involves downsizing their home so they are better able to balance their income and expenses.  Frequently, this is referred to as simplifying your life.  Some people, however, have difficulty creating this simpler lifestyle for themselves, and this can cause serious financial problems.

Five Pitfalls to Consider when Downsizing Your Home

Here are some of the most common problems that people experience when they decide to downsize.  By being aware of them, you may be able to avoid them.

1.  Does moving to a smaller home mean that you will be renting storage space for all those items that will not fit in your home or garage?  When my husband and I first downsized from a large home to a small condo, we rented two storage units that were 10 x 20 feet in size.  We filled those storage units with extra bedroom furniture, formal living room furniture, boxes of books, old toys left behind by our children, lawn equipment and tools we no longer needed.  We stored those items for two years until we finally dispersed them among our adult children or gave them them away.  We spent over $350 a month in storage fees for those two years, which means we spent over $8400 to store things we neither wanted nor needed.  I hope that other people will avoid our mistake. Make sure you get rid of everything you no longer want before you move to a smaller residence!

2.  Are you planning to recreate the quality of your former house in your new home?  This is another common problem.  Many retirees are purchasing smaller, less expensive homes, and then spending tens of thousands of dollars more to decorate them with luxurious drapes and plantation shutters, or remodel them so they feature granite counters, custom cabinets, designer wallpapers, and upgraded flooring.  By the time they have recreated their old home, the retirees discover they are living in less space but spending almost as much money.

3.  Another temptation some retirees need to avoid is the idea that they are saving so much money on their primary residence that they can now afford to buy a second home, an RV or a timeshare.  Their monthly obligations can quickly grow to the point where the retirees are actually spending more in monthly living expenses than they had been spending prior to "downsizing!"

4.  One adjustment that may be difficult for many couples is the crowded living space.  Couples may become irritable with each other if they feel they no longer have their own space to pursue hobbies or just get away from each other to read, nap or relax.  When you downsize, make sure that each of you will still have some private space ... a home office, basement game room, or a bedroom that has been converted to a sewing or hobby room.

5.  Finally, before you move to a new neighborhood you need to give careful thought to what you will be leaving behind.  Will you miss your neighbors?  Will the move require you to change your church, find a new book club, or switch doctors and dentists?  Would it be possible for you to avoid some of these changes by downsizing to a nearby community rather than one in another town or state?  Make sure you are emotionally ready for any changes that will result from your move so you can avoid depression and similar psychological effects.  It may help if you choose a new location that is actually closer to some dear friends or family members.  This will lessen the pain of leaving other friends and family members behind.

Before you decide to sell your current home and move someplace smaller, you will need to plan carefully and have realistic expectations.  If your goal is to save money, make sure that the changes you make will achieve that goal, while minimizing the amount of disruption you will experience.   You want to have a balanced budget, but you will also want to have a satisfying life.  This has always been important to Baby Boomers and those two goals do not need to be mutually exclusive.

Downsizing or simplifying your life prior to retirement can make a lot of sense, if it is done right. Take your time, write out a budget and make sure that both of you are comfortable with the decision and the changes you will be making.

If you are preparing to retire, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of additional help articles on a wide variety of topics.

You may also be interested in reading:

The Best Sunny Places to Retire
Do You Need a Million Dollars to Retire?
Cheap Places to Retire

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

Photo of house courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Choose Optimism for a Happier, Healthier Life

There are many reasons to get bogged down by negativity and pessimism, especially during the mid-winter months or on the anniversary of family tragedies.  Finances may make your life more difficult.  Travel or life changes can be stressful.  Hosting relatives or extra people in your home may feel overwhelming.  Added to all this is the fact that many people suffer from SADD or Seasonal Affectedness Depressive Disorder, a type of seasonal depression that is more common when people spend a lot of time indoors in the winter.

As we have gotten older, many of us succumb to minor despondency, especially in the winter and during the holidays.  However, we can shake ourselves out of it.  Despite the fact that there are so many reasons to be negative and pessimistic, it is still possible to choose to be optimistic.  Yes, optimism is a choice.


How to be Optimistic

Many of the steps we need to take in order to be more optimistic seem simplistic.  Despite that fact, research shows that they really do work.  Below are some basic actions anyone can take in order to improve their lives ... and their health.

Use positive affirmations.  Start your day by telling yourself that something good is going to happen.  There may be problems but, overall, this day will be a good one.

Do something for someone else.  Studies show that we get as much pleasure out of giving something to someone else as the pleasure we experience from getting something.  Hold the door open for someone.  Let someone get ahead of you in line at the grocery store.  Give your change to a homeless person.  Not only will you make their day better, but these actions will make your own day better, too!

Smile.  Laugh often.  Read funny stories.  Watch comedies on television or at the movies.  Play a silly game with your grandchildren.  Laughter really is the best medicine!

Finally, end the day with gratitude.  As you close your eyes, think of at least one reason you have to be grateful. 

Benefits of Optimism for Our Health

As we grow older, many of us have lost both our sense of optimism and our sense of humor.  Perhaps those two things go together.  By regaining one, we may also be able to regain the other.

Some studies have shown that happy, optimistic people seem to have better health and live longer.  Whether that is true or not, they are more likely to feel less stress, engage in less binge eating and have lower blood pressure.  They also have fewer headaches and experience less overall pain. 

As you can see, the older we get the more reasons we should want to be optimistic.  Why let pessimism cause us unnecessary pain, discomfort and other health problems?

As you go through the end of this year and the beginning of next year, no matter what problems you are experiencing, choose to be optimistic.  It may be one of the best things you can do for yourself!

If you are interested in learning more about maintaining our health after retirement, finding good places to retire, financial planning and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of other useful articles.

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

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