🤑 Yikes, Surviving Financially This Year!!!

[SummerOnTheWay1]

NO matter what age we are, handling our finances can be a challenge at times!!!

[1] Do you have a budget? If yes, lol - do you stick to it?

[2] What has/is helping you to keep your head above water each year?

Hope to hear from you!!!

Thanks,

Nicole  🤑  (Budget & Savings Forum)

[SummerOnTheWay1]

📎  [Friday 7/18/25]

We would luv to hear from YOU!!!

Stop by to share your Financial Journey & read what others have shared.

Thanks,

Nicole  🤑  (Budget & Savings Forum)

[GailL1]

I have lived in my home for a very long time.  Built it many years ago so I know everything that has ever been done to and for it.

For the last almost 20 + years, I have had no mortgage nor big upkeep items to take care of - but now those big and expensive things have to be taken care of once again. 

New Roof

New Gutters

New Heat Pump systems 

New chimney cap 

These are the ones that are being done now - they will be finished next week

Then I guess I will be good to go for many more years - I definitely won’t be doing these things again in my lifetime

Just about all of these things were double the price of the last time I did them way back in the 90’s./ early 2000’s-

At least I save $ 1000 off my annual homeowners insurance premium for replacing the roof - some of that was also raising my deductible.

I will be happy when all the workers are finished and gone and I can continue on with whatever I do every day.  I keep very busy but doing what I couldn’t really say - a lot of time, I spend walking and going up and down steps - yea, keeps you in shape.  

Now the next thing that is coming in the fall is to replace or upgrade my electronics since the current OS is not gonna be around or supported past October.  So time to replace iphone, upgrade laptop’s (Windows base) system to Windows 11 and seems my older version of Microsoft Office has to be changed to the 365 Version.  

The refrig that I have in my pantry (extra one) is circa 2000 - and it still keeps trucking .  I replaced a 40 year old dryer not too long ago.  I finally replaced the Heatpump unit in my basement that was 35 years old - not a whole lot of use in basement - and now at least it is quieter and more energy efficient what ever that means for a unit that doesn’t get ran much.

I should remind myself to take pictures of these older things that I am replacing for Dave’s Front Porch Remembering continuous post.  Yea, someday these things will be in the category of “remember when”.  

So I guess what I am saying the long way around is no matter how old we get, stuff keeps needing to be replaced to make it renewed again.  

Now if they could only do that for me.  

[LisaS961881]

   Gail,

     I usually head straight to the Front Porch when I visit here, but I saw this post and just wanted to share a bit.

     I closed on my current home Pearl Harbor Day, 1999.  Like you, my mortgage has been paid off for years now (I had my amortization schedule and pre-paid faithfully - a little bit or a lot - each and every month.)

    Since I’ve  retired I’ve stepped up my home repair for the reasons you’ve mentioned.  Recently, I find myself making my decisions through the perspective of not only my personal preferences, but how the end result might appeal to a wide range of potential buyers when I eventually downsize.

   In the past five years I’ve:

      Remodeled a bathroom

      Replaced the garage door

      Put stone-facing on my chimney which is front and center in the middle of my house (like a nose) 😊

       Put in new insulation and siding

There have been a few times when I’ve made some difficult decisions.  I’ve juggled what I really wanted with how much the investment would impact my home value and what I could afford to spend.

   My last project - finished this past October - was a roofing, stucco and stone-facing project for my detached garage.  My dream was to stone face the entire garage, but it was simply too costly.  Ultimately, I only stone faced the front, stuccoed the sides, but insisted on green roof shingles, which were somewhat difficult to come by.  The stone-face matches what I put on the chimney at the front of my house..  Ultimately, I’m pleased with the results and I’m attaching a photo below. 😇

One of the projects that I’ve just finished was painting the interior of my garage.  The interior walls were exposed dreary gray cinder block.  I cleaned them, primed them, cement patched where needed, then painted them with white Drylock basement paint.  Visually, it has made quite a difference, and I saved money by doing it myself. As far as “curb appeal” goes, I was shocked at what a difference it made, and I had the added bonus of having so much fun painting away in there and chatting with neighbors as they stopped by.   My career didn’t involve working with my hands, and I find doing these little projects gratifying.

So here’s a photo of the finished garage, and as you can see, stone-facing all around would have been adorable, but I am just so very happy with my compromise/decision.

[GailL1]

@LisaS961881 

Garage looks real cute.  Good job.

I am pretty much past the time of anymore DIY - even getting up on a 6’ ladder might not be a good idea anymore.  

Like I said, this is my 2nd redo of major stuff - roof - that I have gone thru - it will be my last one at least for these major items.  Yep, full house painting is next on the list - might wait until it is cooler for the sake of the painters.

I am kind of also keeping in mind (in the very back of my mind) any resale value - I will hopefully NOT be the one that undertakes any sale, much less a move.  I am set for the rest of my life - new roof an all.  👍

 I have looked at other areas to move and, like @SummerOnTheWay1, the area where my daughter lives is not appealing to me.  As you can see I like wide-opened spaces. She likes city life.  The number of people in concentration in her area, I could not take.  

I do spend a mint annually on grounds upkeep - I do try to do some stuff myself on the grounds but very little now - use to do it all and loved it.  i keep up about 2 - 3 acres, the rest is woods and creek - I have lots of wildlife - the good and the bad.  I do still have the same lawncare guy that I have had for almost 30 years - we are friends. I trust him and he now does a lots more for me than just the lawn - he’s kind of a honey-do guy now too. 

If I can do nothing else, I will live where I love and spend the money to maintain as much of this comfort as I can.  

[LisaS961881]

  Gail,

      Your landscaping is exquisite and well worth whatever you are paying - that tree in the front is perfect - not sure if it is a River Birch or not - your lawn care guy is a craftsman.  

Your home is very similar to the one I lived in during my HS and college years….lots of privacy, no traffic noise, a long driveway that had to be plowed, and a beautiful, unimpeded view of the nighttime sky.  Now I am living in an old town in a home that was built the year my father was born.   I remember being excited that my mailbox is attached to my house and that I had a “walking” mailman like the one on “Leave it to Beaver”. 😇. (I was chatting with him and giving him some Iris that I split about ten minutes ago.)

….Glad your house is home and continuing to bring you joy.

    ~ Lisa

[SummerOnTheWay1]

📎  Yes @GailL1 , it is best to fix what you have when you can. I rent but can imagine the upkeep costs of owning a home.

Take care,

Nicole!

[GailL1]

Even as a renter, these things have to be fixed by the landlord and then the renter just pays for it over the longterm.  Hopefully, your roof and any other stuff like this was redone not too long ago.  

[SummerOnTheWay1]

📎  Well this year 2025 has been a challenge for me with the other old lady (2006 Hyundai Elantra). I realize she is aging like I am (I am 67) & stuff NO longer works (her original parts). Lol, I find myself "worrying" EVERY TIME I turn my key in the ignition = will she start TODAY???

My Solution - I fix stuff immediately to AVOID them becoming major. Also my AAA has saved me on towing costs as LAST YEAR 2024 was when they got to KNOW me really well. For years I NEVER called them.

Take care,

Nicole  🤑  (Budget & Savings Forum)

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

Back in 2021, my 2001 Honda Accord LX with 136,000 miles started having problems with check engine lights - I was told to replace the computer - I did, at a cost of $ 2000 - that became the 1st of a long list of stuff that was just wearing out - the other things were not that great in price but I began to loose my confidence in the vehicle.  

I love that car just like you love your Elantra.  Mine had low miles, leather interior was perfect as well as the body of the car, tires were also really good - it had been garage kept and I really did think it was gonna last forever - until, I lost the confidence in it. 

Plus we were in the midst of the pandemic - and new car stock was way down.  I sold the Honda for the price of the new computer - $ 2000 and then I ordered a new car from a local Ford dealership - they brought it to me - I sat in it, went around my neighborhood once in it and paid for it.  Never left my home to buy it. 

The person I sold the Honda to - totaled it within weeks - the wreck wasn’t that bad but since the car was so old, their insurance co just totaled it out. Think they got back a bit over  $ 1000 for it from the insurance co.  

I am still driving my 2021 Ford - it is bigger and I still put very few miles on it - in fact I have been warned by the dealership that I needed to drive it some every week so that the battery does not decline.  They have turned off all the battery straining stuff that new cars have these days because of my lack of miles driven.  

I still miss my Honda - but it is what it is and now I am finally use to the new 2021 Ford - I do feel bigger and more powerful in it - and it bears the name of “Super Queen”.