Hello Penny Hoarders

Let me introduce myself! My name is Sybil and I recently broke my hand. Typing is hard! I will be out of work for 8 weeks! There goes my vacation days!! I work in healthcare and so I’ve been masked up for two years night and day. Really! I wear a C-Pap mask to sleep at night and a N95 during the day! I’m single, 63, and trying to figure out this financial thing.

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Hello welcome to the community, hope you get better soon you will enjoy this community kind caring people, always sharing good advice

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Welcome, Sybil.

What is your financial question(s) ?

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Welcome @sybil.o! Glad to have you here.

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I try to trust my bank and myself to work together on what I have to work with and plan my month.

Sometimes it is hard like this month and I really hate it when I have a month like this.

However, I want to work from home but I have my own personal fears, and every time I start to fill out forms I have a hard time trying to decide how much to give.

I have not worked in almost 20 years and wish to work again, no one wants to hire a disabled 65-year-old woman with a walker.

Broken arms are no fun and work is hard with a broken arm but you will find a rhythm to work with.

Good Luck.

Doris

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@doris.mahala Plenty of work from home resources and job postings from The Penny Hoarder:

https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/wfh/

https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/make-money/side-gigs/

Hope that helps!

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Thanks for the welcome everyone. I was never taught to manage money and I’ve struggled all my life with money!! I have many ?'s, but My main question is how to budget & pay for the four walls (food, shelter, basic clothing, and basic transportation) and medicine in my case and save for my impending retirement. I plan to work till I’m 70. I’m tried of borrowing from Peter to Paul and living from paycheck to paycheck. The debits and credits never match no matter how I try!!!

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Okay, here it goes. Try to pay yourself first, ie, set aside if possible 10 to 15 % of your pay each month. Yes, it will be hard at first. Next pay your rent/mortgage, the electric bill, gas for the car, or if you use public transportation the cost for that service. Next, buy food, and medicine if needed., Skip basic clothing unless you really need it, other than what you currently own/use for work.

Don’t buy lunch daily, (make it a home) skip the high-cost coffee at Starbucks, etc. Use cash instead of Debit/Credit cards.

Does your work provide a retirement plan, such as an IRA or 401K, or a ROTH IRA ? If yes continue adding to those accounts.

Are you currently receiving Social Security since you stated that you are 63, or are you waiting until the age of 70 to draw Social Security ?

Turn off all lights, fans, a/c, heat, etc when not home. Use the cold water setting on the washing machine at home. Wash dishes by hand. Don’t use your stove/oven all the time. I watched my electric bill go from $92 to $70 down to $59 over a 3 month period doing what I just mentioned. Change cell service to a lower-cost plan. Get rid of cable, I have WIFI only and stream all the free stuff.

Please do not be offended by what I mentioned. I hope this info helps you out. Good luck.

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Hello, and welcome aboard, Sybil. Very quickly, I think you’ll find great advice on this forum because of the caring people around here. And I hope your broken hand heals swiftly.

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Thanks! Yes I think so! I’m lucky because My 401k company at work offers a financial fitness check-up and develops a plan for you to follow and I have a first step to follow now. Oh by the way I got the cast of today and still can’t bend two fingers. I start therapy soon. Hopefully, I will be back at work soon. Thank you for the welcome.

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@sybil.o Welcome to the community!

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