The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Baby boomers deal with life in today’s world

 

The midterm elections are Tuesday and some of our baby boomer writers are getting excited about the outcome. America could be on the cusp of political change. It all depends on who comes out to vote.

This week, boomer bloggers are writing about:

• A 50^th high school reunion.

• A family’s immigrant past.

• Bullet journals.

• The child-like part of us.

• The deferred credit card trick.

• How Congress is out of step with the rest of us.

Rebecca Forstadt-Olkowski of BabyBoomster is the host for this week’s Best of Boomer Blog 571. Click here to get links to this week’s boomer articles. And be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How are your finances as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the holidays approach?

 

Are you in good shape financially? Many Americans don’t think they are, according to WalletHub’s  “2018 Halloween Spending and Financial Fears Survey.” Its results show:

• 75 million Americans say their finances have reached “horror show” status, including 30 percent of millennials and 16 percent of baby boomers.
   
• Two in three people think the economy will get scarier in the next 12 months.
   
• 54 percent of people think credit cards are a trick, not a treat. The worst credit cards charge annual fees as high as $995 and APRs up to 36 percent.
   
• 21 million people think a Halloween costume is worth going into debt for.
   
• 29 percent of people say money leads the list of things that scare/stress them out the most, followed by politics at 25 percent.
   
• 23 percent of people say their biggest financial fear is an unplanned emergency, followed by not having enough retirement savings, 22 percent.

The most expensive time of year is coming, when consumers traditionally rack up billions of dollars in credit card debt, investors shuffle their holdings, and people try to enjoy themselves before making resolutions

Things could turn out well, or not so good.

Boomers offer tips for living

Baby boomers are interested in variety of topics ranging from enjoying retirement to health to fitness. Boomers don’t take life lying down. They’re out there doing things even if they’re just watching the sunset. No matter what, they’re staying active, taking charge of their mental and physical health, and living their best lives.

Rebecca Forstadt-Olkowski of Baby Boomster reports this week’s tips from boomer bloggers. They include:

Baby boomer bloggers help people prepare

Boomers are helping us get prepared for just about anything, including bad weather, which is coming for some of us as fall begins.

Tips include how to prepare for severe weather or a natural disaster, the value of creating a relaxation room in your home or office, how to put “me” back into mental health, new trends in retirement, how to use the breath of kindness to maintain peace and tranquility, and ambivalence about fall and the coming winter.

Carol Cassara of Heart•Mind•Soul reports on these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs 563. 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

Boomer bloggers inspired by end-of-summer activities and transitions

It’s hard to believe we now speak of summer – not the official astronomical season but our human timetable – in the past tense.

In my community, the Harbor Day celebration on Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer. This year, the weather was beautiful, as you can see from the photo above. Some years, I’m taking photos in the cold, wind, and rain.

• Tips for how to buy a used car on Labor Day weekend, which also are useful anytime.

• A guide for self-improvement during September, which is Self-Improvement Month.

• The fashion rules we grew up with, including don’t wear white after Labor Day.

Boomer bloggers are enjoying summer and writing about important topics

 

Summer is one of my favorite seasons of the year. In addition to sun and nice weather, it brings vacations and get-togethers with family and friends.

Recently we had a mini-family reunion at my house. When my daughter and her kids visit from Madrid, her cousins and aunt like to spend time with them. We had a great time, although bees and yellowjackets kept us from using as much of my beautiful yard as I would have liked.

In addition to get-togethers and travels, this August boomer bloggers are writing about a variety of topics. They include:

• living life without regrets.
• overcoming the fear of trying new things.
• pondering the “Ten Commandments of Retirement.”
• enjoying traveling through Alaska and Canada’s Yukon territory.
• disturbing news of human trafficking.
• keeping up with the latest consumer news.

Sue Loncaric of Sizzling Towards 60 and Beyond reports on these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #559. 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

Boomer bloggers continuing onward as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our nation

It’s July already, and Wednesday we’ll be celebrating the 242^nd Independence Day in the United States.

Democracy is so important to this country, and since President Donald Trump was elected in 2016, our democracy has been under attack. Each day Trump and his cronies seem to come out with some new way to tromp on consumers and the environment.

Despite these challenges, baby boomer bloggers are keeping keeping on. They’re writing about the pros and cons of apartment living in retirement, how to make decisions that let you keep growing, the difficulties working with an internet service provider, how to change ourselves, and jewelry for the private parts.

Sue Loncaric of Sizzling Towards 60 and Beyond reports on these articles for the Best of Boomer Blogs 553.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s edition of our boomer writings.  Don’t forget to leave us a comment and also share the love.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomers offer tips on grief, retirement, survival tools, and gratitude

Getting ready to retire? Recently retired and facing challenges? Sorting travel options?

This week, our boomer blogging group offer articles on addressing suicide, creating a vision board, continuing to work rather than retiring, deciding where to live in retirement, adopting survival tools for the coming decades, and walking with gratitude.

Rebecca Olkowski blogging at Baby Boomster writes about these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #551. 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

Top 11 occupations held by American’s 65 and older

Baby boomers are retiring in record numbers and with higher life expectancy and better healthcare. But, a record number of people 65 and older are continuing to work

Higher education teachers 65 and older make up 11.3 percent of the workforce, and despite universities trying to buy out older professors, retirement offers are being declined, and 15 percent plan to keep teaching until they’re 80.

The top 11 occupations held by American’s 65 and over, according to SeniorLiving.org, are:

Baby boomers remember their moms and contemplate the future

On Mother’s Day, I wrote about memories of my mom, then set about entertaining myself because I wasn’t able to be with my daughter in Madrid as is my usual May routine

I managed to get a free meal, then bought an impulse item – a bird bath – because my mom loved them. I wonder if any birds will come and drink out of it?

Three other boomer bloggers in our blogging group wrote about moms and important women in their lives:

Since it's Mother's Day, Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin took a look at all that posts that she’s written about her mom. "My Mom Is the Best Mom" says it all.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting looks back on her childhood and remembers some of the women who influenced her life. She focuses on one aspect of the many things learned from her childhood heroines. Read about her nostalgic accounts in “Happy Mother’s Day Heroines of My Past.” 

This Mother's Day Laura Lee Carter, blogging at the Adventures of the New Old Farts, is feeling gratitude for all of the women who have made her life better. Help her celebrate care giving in a culture that doesn’t necessarily appreciate it.

Travel, mindfulness, and the future captured the attention of the rest of our blogging group:

Tom Sightings of Sightings Over Sixty has admitted many times that he really doesn't like to travel. So why is he about to embark on a 3,000-mile journey across the country? Maybe it's the lure of the road. Maybe it's the travel bug, from which no retiree seems to be immune. Maybe it's just a stupid idea. Take a trip over to “Go West, Young Man” and maybe you can decide.

Sue Loncaric from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond has taken up the Mindful in May Challenge. It’s 31 days of guided meditation and learnings. The challenge is also helping a worthwhile cause raising funds to provide clean drinking water to underprivileged villages, so read her wrap of Week 1 and her progress in the “Mindful in May Challenge – Week 1 Update.”

Rebecca Olkowski of Babyboomster.com interviews an intuitive business coach and has her palm read. It's pretty revealing. You can see it on video.

This is the Best of Boomer Blogs #546. Click on the links to read the articles. And, be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist