Day 89: Slow But Steady

 

I feel like I'm starting to climb out of the dark depths of despair. I still have concerns over my digestive health, but things continue to feel more normal. Maybe I'm just fooling myself, hence the commitment to having some medical checks in the new year. Hopefully all is well and I'll gain peace of mind !

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to remain "retired". I am hoping that my savings can support me well into 2026, as that would bring me very close to Medicare eligibility in 2027. At that point my monthly expenditures for health care should drop. I may continue to apply to jobs if they sound promising, but I'm not going to stress about it. Today I went on LinkedIn and Glassdoor to stop all the email alerts and unsubscribed from just about everything. I also cleaned out my email accounts and started my 2024 tax return. I should get a small refund, along with a small bonus from AT&T in March, and that will give my savings a little boost. I may opt to start collecting unemployment in January. If I don't work in 2025 or have any other income, I should get some tax breaks when I file my return in 2026. We'll see how it goes ! It feels good to know I have the safety net of my pension and IRA, along with Social Security if the need arises. People might think it's foolish to retire at this point, but you know what ? I am loving being able to hang out at home and do what I want, when I want. I answer to no one but myself. That being said, if a job happens to come along I will probably take it. I'm just not going to stress over it. and I am at peace with my decision. I'm 62 now and there is no guarantee I will live to 82 like my mother. Why not enjoy the years I have left ? I will sit down with my financial advisor in the new year to figure out a plan to get me to age 65 and Medicare !

My back is continuing to feel better but I'm going to give it another couple days of rest before trying to get back on the treadmill. Today was a good day to focus on putting things in order financially. I had to call the benefits center as I found a charge of $11.24 for EAP service on the December bill for my COBRA medical coverage. I don't need or want Employee Assistance coverage and I'm certainly not going to pay that ridiculous amount for something I've never used and would never use, so I called to request it be removed. They said it was done, but I'll be on the lookout for an email notification with an updated amount. I also called Computershare to get started with correcting the name and social security number on my account. They are going to mail me the paperwork I need to complete. I have to take it to the bank to certify, which is better than having to send them copies of my marriage certificate, birth certificate and social security card. I've known about this for a while but didn't bother to fix it. Now I have nothing but time ! Once it's updated it will be transferred to Edward Jones for management. I also looked in on my Experian account to make sure my credit is all good. My score with them is 850, which is the highest you can get ! I am so glad I have no debt other than my car and mortgage. I remain grateful that I didn't lose my job when the office closed in 2019. The extra 5 years allowed me to pay off all debt and boost my retirement savings. Refinancing the house in 2016 also decreased my mortgage payment and shortened the term. I'm 8 years into the new loan so the house should be paid for in 2031. My old mortgage wouldn't have been paid until 2035 and it had a high variable rate, which was just a disaster waiting to happen ! So I'm happy to be financially secure for retirement. It's just a matter of figuring out the best possible way to get through the next 3-5 years.

I had a good time at bingo last night. We came close a couple times but didn't score any wins. I had my usual pepperoni flatbread pizza and 2 beers. Bingo ended early so Joe wanted to play the slots for a little bit. I ended up winning $34 so I was happy with that ! It's my turn to pay next week, so it'll reduce that burden a little !

I spent the morning watching YouTube to catch up on the latest Trump news and more meltdowns from the psycho's on the left. The more I see of the people who are lefties, the more I understand why our country is in such a state. Hopefully Trump can turn this Titanic around !

Below is what I achieved today. I am focusing on what I do each day, and not looking back to what I did or didn't do any other day. I hope that one day soon I won't need a checklist to ensure I do all of these everyday tasks !   

Make the bed - 

feed cats - x

have breakfast - x

get dressed - 

exercise - 

clean litter boxes - 

have morning snack - 

have lunch - 

have afternoon snack - 

have dinner - 

have evening snack - 

shower - 

skincare - 

brush teeth -