The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

How will you be spending your $40 for Saint Patrick’s Day? That’s the average amount that people are spending on today’s holiday.

I’m a quarter Irish, so I’m thinking today about the marvelous trip my daughter and I had several years ago visiting Ireland. We were able to meet with modern-day members of the Baylee family, now spelled Bailey. It was a thrilling experience. They live in Kilkishen, County Clare.

We learned about them because the Anglican church, no longer in use, was being converted to a community center. The community was reaching out to descendants in the United States for support. I received an email from a woman who had researched her family tree. We had a common ancestor, Henry Baylee. She’d visited Kilkishen and put us in touch with the Bailey family.

The photo is of Laura Baylee Slingsby, my paternal grandmother.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day and sláinte.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Personal Finance Writer

Baby boomers and the art of self-care

Winter is drawing to a close, and spring is coming. It seems people are worn out from the cold weather and lack of sunshine, and maybe even suffering from SAD. So it’s a good time to think self-care . . . and maybe even self-preservation.

This week our baby boomer bloggers offer articles on self-care: using self-compassion, reframing for a different perspective, learning to say no for self-care, processing grief, and sleeping soundly long and often without guilt. Then, there’s information on self-preservation, too: placing a freeze on your credit reports.

Tom Sightings of Sightings Over Sixty reports on these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #586. Click here to get the links to the articles. And be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Happy Valentine’s Day

It’s the big day for sweethearts.

Fewer people are celebrating Valentine’s Day this year, 50 percent which is down from 55 percent last year.

Of those celebrating, 18 percent are giving the gift of jewelry; 34 percent, an evening out; 18 percent, clothing; 35 percent, flowers; 52 percent, candy; 15 percent, gift cards; 44 percent, greeting cards; and 25 percent, a gift of experience, such as an event or a trip to a spa.

As Valentine’s Day approaches and throughout the year, watch out for romance scams

Romance scams are different from other scams. Fraudsters prey on lonely people looking to connect with someone, and the scam can often take months to develop to the point where money changes hands. The emotional harm to the victim can be even more painful than the money lost. 

The use of online dating sites and apps has made romance fraud easier. Victims in the United States and Canada report losing nearly $1 billion over the last three years, and the Better Business Bureau estimates there may be more than a million victims in the U.S. Because most people don’t file complaints about romance scams with the BBB or law enforcement, this may a small number of those affected.

The BBB’s study, “Online Romance Scams: How Scammers Use Impersonation, Blackmail, and Trickery to Steal from Unsuspecting Daters,” looks at how romance scams work, who the scammers are, and what’s being done to combat them.

Facts and figures for Valentine's Day 2019

Source: WalletHub

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

When having enough is a feast

By Marc Barlow, Educator and Author of “Redesign the Reality in Your Finances: Understand the Why to Change the How of Your Spending”

Guest Blogger

Whether you’re 15, 25, 45, 65, or 85 years old or older, throughout time and place, there are many trappings in the world which try to rob us of our peace, joy, contentment, and money.

Materialism is one such culprit. Materialism and comparing one’s Monday-through-Friday life with other people’s highlight reels is fertile ground for living beyond one’s means. As a result, to combat this debt-producing spending, people need to learn to practice gratitude.

The core of gratitude is that it allows us to celebrate the good in our lives in the present moment. By identifying and affirming all the good, people are able to focus more on what they have, and less on what they don’t have.

As baby boomers age, are they getting wiser?

There’s lots of debate these days about baby boomers. Are they strong, effective Americas to be looked up to and emulated? Or, are they the most selfish generation ever?  

Our baby boomer group takes a look at boomers this week.

They write about:

• Medical tests older women should have.
• How to let in positive support.
• How to work around a creative block.
• The benefits of being an ex-pat in Costa Rica.
• How much money do you need for an emergency fund.
• What people’s family motto is.
• The importance of picking out a word to guide you for the year like a GPS.

One thing for sure, many baby boomers are retired, but they’re not done yet, says Tom Sightings, blogging at Sightings Over Sixty. Sightings reviews these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #580. Click here to get links to the articles. And be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Micromotivators: The guardrails for healthy behavior

By Louis Bezich, Health Care Executive and Author of “Crack the Code”

Guest blogger

What exactly are micromotivators and how do they help people sustain healthy behavior?

Micromotivators are those tiny strategies, feelings, and approaches that keep you on track every day, the guardrails of healthy behavior.

How can micromotivators help us baby boomers get and stay healthy at this stage of our lives?

Boomers cope as the holidays are upon us

The holiday season is here. My daughter and I have been shopping and we’re planning the Christmas Eve dinner. We’ll be having roast beef again, my son-in-law’s favorite, and making pumpkin and chocolate cream pie. The twins, now teens, like pie – finally. In years past, we’ve made birthday cake-style Christmas cakes because they didn’t like pies.

But sometimes, the holidays are tough, Carol Cassara tell us on Heart·Mind·Soul. Cassara said four of her loved ones died over this holiday and so, for her, it’s always tinged with grief. If you’re having a tough holiday, she offers some advice at “If You Don’t Feel That Holiday Sparkle.”

Cassara reports other boomer bloggers in our group are writing about:

Baby boomers focus on the holidays and life’s ups and downs

Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting went to her town’s official party to usher in the holiday season, a Saturday evening with a holiday parade and block party. It rained early in the day, but by the 5 p.m. start, no rain fell and the temperature was almost balmy. Fire engines, school bands, home-made floats, and enthusiastic spectators created a festive atmosphere. 

Other boomer bloggers are writing about:

• Creating a calendar for the holidays to help you enjoy the time and stress less over it.
• Researching whether a charity you’ve heard about it a good choice.
• Recounting stories of holidays past.
• Contemplating our life’s journey.
• Being a caregiver to someone who is chronically ill.

Baer writes about these articles for the Best of Boomer Blogs #575. Click here to get the links to the articles. And, be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist