Unprepared means unbelief.
We believed - so we prepared!
My husband and I believed that we could not keep going the way we were going - so we made changes! One typically can't retire and then live like a wage-earner spending the same amount of money as if you are still working, unless of course, your pension is almost equal to your previous salary. We retired with a decent pension and had a decent amount of savings also, but we realized that our retirement money had to last our lifetime. We soon observed that our bank account balances were not going up, only down. For nearly the first two years following retirement, we paid two mortgages, until our empty 'income-home' sold. Whew! Glad it did! Finances certainly freed up when that 'money-drain' sold!
When we retired, I was not Medicare age yet, and my health insurance was no longer paid by my employer. The monthly premium for my health insurance was akin to robbery. What a shame it has to be that way for retirees! Anyway, we decided to end the madness of forking over so much money, just to live in a big home! Bye-bye 2,800 sq. ft. home! Up for sale you go! We officially became minimalists, full-time RVers, footloose and fancy-free bikers, workcampers, out-of-debt, and out of the constant home-improvement "I want it. I need it!" trap! We traded all that for having some fun and adventures!
We chose to have money in our pockets instead of daily yard work and housework, and home-ownership bills to pay! (Home phone, lawn care, home security service, new plants and annuals for the garden, upgraded patio furnishings, internet service, cable TV service, home maintenance and upgrades, and home decor misc. that we always seemed to want or need!) (Bye bye convenient shopping plazas and malls! I don't need all your "stuff" anymore!) We had no room in our 40 ft. RV to keep bringing home "stuff," so it became natural to just say, "NO!" - or stick to our saying, 'Bring one thing in, take one thing out!'
This change of direction and lifestyle was no small task! It took us a little over 2 months to pull this off, working every day, all day long! We sold all of our furniture and "stuff" except the things we needed to keep, for whatever reason ie: (clothes, health and beauty items, some paper receipts and records, kitchen tools and gadgets . . . ) We rented an A/C'd 5' x 5' storage space and stacked what we kept to the ceiling!
Next, we booked 2 state park camp hosting jobs through the next four months. We always looked so forward to every new adventure. Even on the non-adventure days, we looked forward to the peace and tranquility we found in our experiences.
The hardest part of all this "letting go" change, was the 'good-byes' to our loved ones - our family and friends! But we knew we would see our loved ones many times again! We always made a way! Additionally, we used 'Facetime' and phone calls to keep us close.
You too can make necessary changes in your life if you need to. God will provide a way! Of that I am certain!
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