The two most costly budget items for older adults are housing and health care. Health care takes a $3 trillion dollar hit on the U.S. budget. Deloitte reports that we spend more on medical expenditures over many countries in the world. In 2013 alone, our nation paid 117% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and in …more

It’s amazing how much stuff we accumulate throughout our lives. Furniture, clothes, books, pictures, electrical goods, photographs, pictures drawn by our children that just cannot be thrown away, not to mention cuddly toys! As a boy we had very little in the way of possessions (stuff). Dad was a farm labourer and, at times, Mum …more

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Green! That is what I remember most about that day; the vastness of the empty space, the long trudge to the grave site, and the green lawn sprawling out in all directions. What a lonely place, I remember thinking, for my grandfather to be laid to rest. I was seventeen years old and had just …more

The wheels started turning in our patio one evening after my wife Jane and I returned from a trip to Atlantic City. Sitting there enjoying the August evening in Wausau, Wisconsin, my thoughts were about the next week when I had to return to work. After awhile I broke the peaceful silence and announced “I …more

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My 17 year old son, Max, came home from school one day a couple of years ago, and announced, “My social studies teacher is really old.” He emphasized the word really. My curiosity piqued, I asked just how old he thought she was. His reply: “Your age, Mom!” I was 51 at the time. *** …more

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In the past I’ve written about how as a child I ate cottage cheese and peas with sugar sprinkled on the top. I learned how tasty sugar was early in my lifetime. Another strange tale from my childhood: It was during the same era when we colored margarine which came from the grocery store looking …more

Retirement in and of itself is a dichotomy of sorts. On the one hand, it’s something that most retirees-to-be can’t wait for. Their final day at their workplace could not come fast enough. On the other hand, when the reality of what typically is the final era of the lives manifests, they feel more daunted …more

What’s important to you? As we age, our priorities change. In our 20’s and 30’s, many of us wanted adventure or to boost our careers and start our families. In our 40’s and 50’s, we tended to focus more on stability and planning for the future. So what do 60-somethings care about? The lucky ones …more

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