tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post7049043346615268447..comments2024-03-13T03:29:57.849-04:00Comments on Simple and Serene Living: SOCIAL SECURITY AND WOMEN RETIRING POOR IN AMERICASImple and Serene Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08390085017238133076noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-91120358661244683442021-09-30T18:17:53.068-04:002021-09-30T18:17:53.068-04:00My sister is also trapped in this - dependent on a...My sister is also trapped in this - dependent on a social pension. An early marriage ended with no financial support. Some years of volunteer work. A few more looking after our parents. I can help her a bit. But her years of employment don't equal a livable pension.<br /><br />So convenient for old males to presume that women's unpaid work will keep society going.<br /><br />Glad to see my niece's children have been raised to actively plan for their future. It took me at least another 20 years to do so. Diana Studerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12286066768376135880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-53381492604013612002021-09-13T16:57:23.069-04:002021-09-13T16:57:23.069-04:00Very important information about women over 60 liv...Very important information about women over 60 living in poverty. What can be done to rectify this horrific situation? Kippi O'Hernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04892291267989806965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-47268902284970690372021-09-13T09:44:31.968-04:002021-09-13T09:44:31.968-04:00Great article Laura. My sister is experiencing age...Great article Laura. My sister is experiencing ageism now and it's heartbreaking to see her go through. She quit her job to take care of our mother full time (she had alzheimers). My sister's been told countless times that she's not 'marketable' because she was out of the workforce so long. It's a sad testament to the society we live in that raising kids and caring for parent is not valued as work. I wish you every success with LTK! Birdz of a Featherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05621658433331154459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-454417909120603442021-09-13T09:19:30.586-04:002021-09-13T09:19:30.586-04:00Loved your article, I also spent much of my marria...Loved your article, I also spent much of my marriage life taking care of the kids and working part time. Thankfully with my hubndad income I don’t have this problem. But I would if we got divorced which we almost did. Since we worked out our marriage I am one of the lucky ones. Women get the short end of the stick Its hard to work full time when day care is so expensive. Women are caught between a rock in a hard place.Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12392997875564299913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-48302012793143215582021-09-13T08:56:18.348-04:002021-09-13T08:56:18.348-04:00Thanks for this informative article. It is the n...Thanks for this informative article. It is the nudge I need to get more informed about what my personal situation will be. Momcrieff.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02382792257433783915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-7926632653084111332021-09-13T08:38:11.201-04:002021-09-13T08:38:11.201-04:00Women do end up being penalized for working as a S...Women do end up being penalized for working as a SAHM. Couples should be aware of this and plan accordingly. if I had to live on my SSN only, I would be part of the poverty ranks. I'm thankfulLindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13437136186202378092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-20735108336847959522021-09-12T14:53:10.057-04:002021-09-12T14:53:10.057-04:00Oh, and I have a 20-year old car with 178,000 mile...Oh, and I have a 20-year old car with 178,000 miles on it, so I understand that as well.Quilter77https://www.blogger.com/profile/08492905239158210842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-32770804355262475762021-09-10T15:26:39.173-04:002021-09-10T15:26:39.173-04:00This was an excellent, and important post, Laura. ...This was an excellent, and important post, Laura. So many people are uninformed, or misinformed. As you rightly point out, it's crucial to know that our elected officials represent our best interests and needs. Yes, you are just one person calling government officials, but you've hopefully just enlightened a lot of other women who can do the same. Then there's letter writing and phone-banking at election times to help explain to people one on one what's at stake when they vote for certain people. Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11474198992341706776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-30738929939295540172021-09-09T20:59:18.817-04:002021-09-09T20:59:18.817-04:00It's quite frightening to know about SS. I re...It's quite frightening to know about SS. I remember a few years ago my husband looked at what I would get in case something happened to him.<br /><br />Thank goodness he has a fantastic life insurance. Also when we were first married he took a disability plan.<br /><br />If he tried at age 40 he would have been turned down at that age.<br /><br />We have in home nursing and things like that.<br /><br />I don't like to talk or think about something happening to him<br /><br />We have been together most of my life cloches and lavenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15364674775069599236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-38155264359279305092021-09-09T17:08:01.492-04:002021-09-09T17:08:01.492-04:00This is why I advise all the younger women I know ...This is why I advise all the younger women I know to keep a toe in the employment pool. Keep those skills up. Keep your networks active. Protect yourself financially. You just never know. <br /><br />I had put my husband through law school early in our marriage and became a SAHM. Years later he left and I discovered he had a lying, cheating double life with various addictions, and divorced him. He fought me with dirty tricks and tried to impoverish me and the kids. But he was court-ordered to pay me spousal support until Social Security starts. Unfortunately for me, a few years after the divorce he got sick, stopped practicing and stopped paying me support, let everything he had go into foreclosure, and moved 1000 miles away. I hear he's in an assisted living facility now, and I will never see the $$$$$ he owes me. But I have freedom and peace of mind with him and his abusiveness gone. I eventually found employment with benefits, raised my kids to be responsible adults, and have been very, very frugal. I discovered the ex wasn't paying taxes either (self-employed) so half of his SS probably won't even be equal to my piddly SS now. I will work at least until FRA - full retirement age, and continue to be very frugal. <br /><br />My lesson: kind, empathetic, giving people need to be smart and make sure they take care of themselves - there are too many users and takers out there who have no morals, and see you as their victim. When you were raised by good people, you don't realize how bad some people really are. You can't get your years of life back. Hang in there, fellow 60-somethings!Quilter77https://www.blogger.com/profile/08492905239158210842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-14566045422519259092021-09-08T19:25:46.021-04:002021-09-08T19:25:46.021-04:00Great topic, Laura and thank you for sharing your ...Great topic, Laura and thank you for sharing your story. I was one of those who stayed home to raise children, too, though I did work PT off and on during those years. <br /><br />My mother is 81 years old and is still having to work PT just to make ends meet. She became a widow at the young age of 58. Her townhome is paid off but between the HOA fees, property taxes and the general cost of living, her retirement income isn't enough to keep her afloat. She never complains about still having to work though - she actually likes it! She works PT as a receptionist at the company she retired from. She's in fantastic health, so it all works out, but still...there's a part of me who still thinks an 81 year old should not have to be working just to make ends meet. Melaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08659968511488397366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-76177584710374490152021-09-08T17:27:13.357-04:002021-09-08T17:27:13.357-04:00Well, after this Texas fiasco, we know that women ...Well, after this Texas fiasco, we know that women are nothing but vessels to have children in the eyes of the old white men currently running things.Brenda Pruitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14544794729410559072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-1850258191826028662021-09-08T16:55:51.500-04:002021-09-08T16:55:51.500-04:00Hi,
I am new to your blog, thru, Diane of Lavender...Hi,<br />I am new to your blog, thru, Diane of Lavender Dreams.<br />Thank you so much for sharing this information with me. I too have been a stay at home mom and a homeschool mom. This is something I will need to sit down and discuss with my husband.<br />Carla<br /><br />Carla from The Riverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12107829617899979937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-72127510848316922272021-09-08T11:44:31.122-04:002021-09-08T11:44:31.122-04:00Hi Laura. This was very well written and so telli...Hi Laura. This was very well written and so telling how sad it is we live in this wealthy country and yet many women in retirement years are living at a poverty level. I stayed home and raised my two girls and if I was not married and had to rely on SS alone I would not be able to even make rent. I know of another blogger that lives on $750 a month and barely has enough to eat and get her medications. I send her gift cards anonymously when I can to help her out. That should not be the answer!!! There should be credit for the years women spent in the home raising children. Wishing you the best with advertising and selling on Etsy. I am so sorry you are in this place Laura. Just so sad. xoxo KrisJunkchiccottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13312068546640480844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1791860108829806850.post-71141537543063730052021-09-08T11:18:01.383-04:002021-09-08T11:18:01.383-04:00Very good information, Laura. You are so right. Wo...Very good information, Laura. You are so right. Women tend to get stiffed by the government because of staying home with children. And in your cause, a very sick child. I'm sorry this has happened. I wish I knew what to do.<br />BrendaBrenda Pruitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14544794729410559072noreply@blogger.com