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Beth S

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Posts posted by Beth S

    Help me think through what I need to do for my mom

    in The Chat Board

    Posted · Edited by Beth S

    IMO this is quite a setback for your Mom. 
    I would look into options where she can move to live in your town, or your brother's town.
    Sometimes the Independent Living Village has a "next step" when the resident as a decline like this.
    It could be that after the holidays are over, more staff will be available for advice & help.

    And also = No senior EVER wants to move.  It will nearly always be against their will (or preference).
    Our current strategy is to give the parent 2 options to choose from.

    ETA - when my elderly father got covid during the lockdown, my cousin loaned him a Pulse Ox monitor.
    I called every morning, & talked with him on the phone while he checked his levels (twice).
    It gave us some peace of mind, when we couldn't visit in person.

    ETAA - if your relationship with your Mom is not healthy, then I would reconsider moving her to your town.

    Sharing photos

    in The Chat Board

    Posted · Edited by Beth S

    You can buy more space on Google Photos, part of a family plan called Google One.
    FAQ = https://one.google.com/faq/plan-sharing


    My brother happily pays the annual cost ($100) while I do all the scanning.
    Our family now creates a Google Photo Album for each get-together, so it's easy to keep track.
    Having a protected way of sharing your photos is really a delight.

    Financial books/articles/website for investment planning

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    We just DIY with Stock Index Funds and a decent buffer of cash in a (currently) high interest rate online savings account.

    There's a large Personal Finance Blogging community, and I've just slowly learned how to invest, calculate our retirement needs and projected income, as my dh and I approach retirement in a few years.

    My wonderful brother is a very ethical financial planner. 
    I would trust him 100% with my accounts, but I really do not want to pay the 1% annual AUM ("Assets Under Management") fee that financial planners charge for overseeing your portfolio.

    My dh and I will likely shift to a managed portfolio at about age 75yo, but I enjoy overseeing our funds myself right now.
    (I have an accounting degree and am fairly Risk Averse.)

    The Personal Finance community has basically 2 pieces of advice: 
    Earn more than you Spend.
    The amount you Save determines your portfolio growth more than the actual manner you choose to Invest.

    • Like 1

    If you have improved your life (and particularly your health) significantly through a diet/exercise/lifestyle reset, please come inspire me

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I started eating broccoli with melted cheese & BBQ sauce every night for supper.
    I'm still able to moderately snack, & lost about 8 pounds. 
    Now an "average" BMI, but I also just feel better & have better mental health.

    I exercise about 20 min with a Youtube routine 5 times per week.
    It's enough for me to sweat & again helps with my mental outlook.
    I've recently gone thru menopause, & could deal with the changes.

    Basically, I saw myself aging, & I didn't want to lose my agility & health.

    And basically, I have internally committed to doing the broccoli & exercise for the rest of my life.

    • Like 3

    Help with tropical vacation spot

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    25 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

    It has been many years, so research to confirm, but we absolutely love the British Virgin Islands. They're less populous than the American ones. We avoided the main island (Tortola) and enjoyed Virgin Gorda, which is smaller but still with plenty to do. Unique snorkeling at The Baths, nifty restaurants, gorgeous hiking, gorgeous beaches. 

    We honeymooned on Peter Island (BVI) many years ago.
    Sadly 2 hurricanes in 2017 devastated the cabins.
    (I would highly highly recommend the BVIs, though!)
    The American Virgin Islands are busier, but likely easy to find an affordable resort.

    • Like 1

    Sewing Machine - question

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Agreeing with PPs' advice, but it may be difficult for her to learn how to use a new machine.

    My vote is for you to try to repair her old machine, or buy a refurbished version (same model).

    Our sewing machine store offers free classes on machines purchased in their store . . . so that may be sufficient.
    But if she feels like it's an obstacle to sewing, the new machine may just gather dust.

     

    • Thanks 1

    Photo storage (physical copies)- boxes vs albums

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Photo Storage was one of my big projects when our Nest emptied.
    I did scan all the photos in my photo albums, then reinserted them back into the photo albums.

    I love having them both digitally and physically.

    If I didn't have them in photo albums already, I would likely use photo boxes--so much easier to sort.

    Here's a blog post about organizing photos. 
    Link = How To Organize Photos & Negatives To Preserve Your Memories (home-storage-solutions-101.com)

     

    • Thanks 1

    Stocking stuffers that are actually affordable

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    2 hours ago, EmilyGF said:

    I always put a container of Pringles in every stocking.

    This is what I do---it makes the stocking stand up. 
    Honestly, I ask my young adult kids what kind of candy they like, & spend $5. 
    They only are gifted candy on their birthday & at Cmas.
    Put an orange or apple in the bottom, and some quarters. 
    (For us, stockings are fun, but not a big spendy part of Cmas morning.)

    • Like 2
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