As it has for months, the coronavirus affects my life daily. I mostly stay home, picking up groceries weekly. Today, I mailed my last package to my sister along with my holiday cards. Read more →

Although the world may seem dark right now with covid-19 now infecting even the president of the United States, we need to keep using caution and protecting ourselves. Stay home as much as possible, order groceries for pickup, and wear a mask. For the bloggers in our writing group, life goes on. Read more →

America is in turmoil. Millions of Americans are pouring out into the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man who was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when a police office pressed his knee on his neck until he died. All this in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic.  I'm stressed. I don't know what's going to happen next. Police reform? I hope so. Millions more getting the coronavirus and thousands more dying? I hope not.  I've decided what I'm going to do in these challenging times is make a large contribution on an organization that works to improve my community, including working on homeless issues. Read more →

Happy New Year. I spent most of yesterday working on an article about the top consumer stories of 2019. Today, I'll be working on the top consumer stories of the decade. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. The United States of America has such potential. It's a big, diverse country with tremendous resources. But, time and time again, we miss the mark. The opioid crisis. Mass shootings. Climate change inaction. Barriers for minorities and women. Ongoing wars. But, as a consumer writer, the thing that bothers me the most is the continual favoring of corporate interests over the public interest. One of the biggest stories of the decade, in my opinion, is the increase in income inequality. I read about it on social media every day. Families struggling to get by, living paycheck to paycheck. Read more →

It’s the holiday season. The New Year will be here soon with new beginnings and old challenges yet unresolved. To inspire you, here are the latest thought-provoking articles and practical advice from our boomer bloggers, as reported by Laurie Stone of Musings, Rants & Scribbles in Best of the Boomer Blogs #628. The articles include: How to appreciate those who are different and ourselves more fully. How to buy gift cards and the return policies for 48 retailers.  Why the holiday celebrations are so nice before the somber, cold and quiet of the rest of winter settles in. How to plan your goals better by exploring five-, three-, and one-year goals. Aging isn’t so bad because we’re happier, smarter, and sexier than we’ve ever been. How to have the money talk. How to have the perfect Christmas tree. Read more →

Burr. An early chill descended across the county, and Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin said they were even feeling it in Florida. One day, the daytime temps didn’t get out of the ’50s. Sigh. Although we don’t often have snow here in the Seattle area, it’s been cold, cold, cold. However, the cold isn’t stopping boomer bloggers from their work. Last week’s articles include: Favorite recipes for Thanksgiving. The number of retirees with mortgages dramatically increasing. Thrift shop shopping. How to change your life when you have obligations. A mini-vacation to get out from under the November gloom. How to get rid of a ladybug infestation. A way to support someone who’s grieving or facing a health challenge. Read more →

Retirement is different than it used to be. Many more retirees are still trying to pay off their homes. One of four homeowners 30 years ago who were in their late 60s and 70s still had a mortgage. These days, nearly half have one. When people turned 80, mortgages used to be unusual, with just 3 percent being mortgage holders. These days, one in four of these older seniors have mortgages, according to “Housing America’s Older Adults 2019,” a report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.  Seniors who have paid off their homes have more money to spend, which improves their standard of living in retirement. Read more →

It’s that time of year again. Advertisements for Medicare Advantage plans are flooding my mailbox and email. I’m even getting phone calls about the plans. And, every time I turn on the TV, there’s another ad about Medicare advantage, with infomercials to be tolerated, too. From Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, people on Medicare can switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan or vice versa; join, drop, or switch a Part D prescription drug plan if they are on Original Medicare; or switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan if they are already on one. Read more →

Fall is well underway and I’m eating the last few items from my garden – cucumbers, lettuce I planted in August, and kale. Meanwhile, baby boomer bloggers are writing about retirement, health, and responsibility. Read more →

It’s officially fall and time for leaves to turn golden and the weather to become brisk. Our Best of Boomer Blogs writers are settling in and getting ready for pumpkins, spiced lattes, and apple cider. They’re thinking and doing a variety of things and writing about what’s on their minds. Articles include information on health, vegetable gardens, when to retire, creativity, and different expectations for men and women. Read more →