Last week hubby and I attended the 15th Annual 55+ Expo held at Dover Downs in Dover, Delaware.
This annual 55+ Expo is geared towards active adults with over 100 vendors, a Wellness Center with free health screenings, live entertainment, a cooking show, job fair and much more all sponsored by Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce.
As you know, we have been looking at 55+ communities in anticipation of selling our current home and downsizing. We were hoping that there would be several Adult Communities represented but were disappointed that there was only one, Noble’s Pond.
So after a buffet lunch in the Festival Restaurant which by the way, had the best baby steamers…then a quick walk through the casino floor, where I doubled my money in a slot machine in less than 5 minutes, hubby and I drove a few miles north to check out Noble’s Pond.
Tuned $5 into $10 in less than 5 minutes
First impressions are everything!
Upon passing through a gate house leading into this Premier 55+ Community Noble’s Pond, the Club House is more of a resort with many amenities including:
Gathering Room that accommodates 320 guests which would be perfect for a Wedding or Anniversary party;
Conservatory with a Stone fireplace and two flat screen TVs, can accommodate 100 guests;
Creative Center, Computer Center, Library, Billards/Game Room, Fitness Room, Swimming Pool with an Olympic Lap Lane, Outdoor Kitchen and Covered Veranda, Gardens, Putting Green, Bocce Courts, Social Events, Parties, Classes and Trips and so much more!
After a tour of the Club House with sales rep, Brian he walked us over to The Woodbridge model which was very impressive (video), however, I liked the 2nd model, The Carolina much better.
The last model, a much smaller home was The Fairfield, however it was definitely too small for our needs.
Touring these new homes gives me more of an incentive to return to my own to de-clutter and prepare it for the market, which we have begun.
All of the “colorful” rooms were repainted to “contractor beige” or a muted gray and next week new flooring will be installed to replace the dated laminate in the bathrooms.
Slowly but surely, and timing is everything, but like my grandmother use to say, “soon and very soon”.
Hello friends, and welcome to another installment of “Road Trip to Retirement” Hubby and I drove to the Four Seasons, an Active Adult Living Community on Bayview Road in Middletown, Delaware.
The first home we toured was the Martinique, which is a 2-3 bedroom, 2-3 bathroom model and at the time of this post starts at $336,400. As you can see from this picture, the kitchen is beautiful, open and airy.
The second model we toured was the Ambassador, a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, starting at $286,400, Our salesperson Eban Pinto, was great in providing all the information about the builder’s history, the homes and community as well as the standards and upgrades available for each model.
After we toured the three models at the Four Seasons we returned to the car only to find that it wouldn’t start, which was embarrassing especially since this was a “road trip”.
Anywho, while waiting for the AAA repair truck I went back inside each model to give you a better view of each.
The Four Seasons by K. Hovnanian’s is definitely a lovely Active Adult Community in Middletown, and there are many models in which to choose from. I also loved the resort-like pool and clubhouse amenities.
Did you watch the video? Which was your favorite model and what did you think about the Marina Club?
If you missed the first Road Trip to Retirement, click here to read the post and watch the video.
Hello friends, according to the American Heart Association, being physically active is important to prevent heart disease and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers. To improve overall cardiovascular health, they suggest at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity). Thirty minutes a day, five times a week is an easy goal to remember. You will also experience benefits even if you divide your time into two or three segments of 10 to 15 minutes per day.
I wanted to repost this from October as a gentle reminder for us to get up and move!
Most of you know that my grandmother lived to be 98, and if her body didn’t fail her, I’m sure she would have lived until way past 100, just as her father did, why, because she remained active. Every morning she was up, and if she wasn’t going to the MOT Senior Center, she was downstairs in the kitchen eating breakfast and drinking a cup of coffee by 8:00 am.
If she stayed home for the day, in her room she would be “messing with papers”, talki
ng on the phone, reading her Bible or writing in a journal. She loved to watch her favorite television programs, The Price is Right, and General Hospital, and after dinner it was “Wheel of Fortune”.
She ate when she was supposed to with a “little something sweet” for dessert. I never heard her complain about pain or an illness other than when her arthritis acted up, but I knew because I could smell the Apple Cider Vinegar she used to rub on her legs.
My grandmother didn’t officially retire until she was in her 80’s but she never let her body just sit. She remained active both physically and mentally, three days a week at the Senior Center and Church on Sundays. She continued to grocery shop, wash and iron her own clothes until she no longer could. After she became bedridden, for a year I kept her body clean and her mind sharp, we watched TV, played board games, had long conversations and I read to her in the evenings.
Personally, I don’t think that we were put on this earth to work hard all of our lives without an opportunity to just rest and retire. Retirement however, should not be an open invitation to sit around doing nothing allowing our minds and bodies to rot. Doing nothing
but sitting all day increases the risks of getting Type 2 Diabetes, a decline in cognitive skills, and possible death from a stroke, cancer and heart disease.
If you or someone you love finds themselves with nothing to do after retirement, take a STAND against just SITTING with these 10 Tips. Try to get up and move for at least 10 minutes for every hour of sitting.
1. Walk on a treadmill while watching TV
2. Take a short walk around the house or go up and down the stairs
3. Pace while talkingon the phone
4. Weather permitting, go outdoors and pull a few weeds or sweep the stoop
5. Walk to the mailbox or around the block with a neighbor, the kids or a pet
6. March in place during commercials
7. Turn on the radio or music channel and dance like nobody is watching
8. Use soup cans and do arm curls
9. Use a Hula Hoop or jump rope between programs
10. Chores – stretch while cleaning the mirror, mopping the floor or dusting
Join in on the conversation, what tips do you have for getting in 30 minutes of physical activity each day?
Several months ago I attended an AARP Seminar and one of the topics of discussion was collecting Social Security benefits. A few women in the audience were concerned because they believed that when the time came for them to collect Social Security, the system would be bankrupt.
The speaker tried to reassure them that that would not be the case, but one woman was not totally convinced.
So let’s debunk some of the other myths to make sure the sky is not falling.
Myth 1:Social Security payments are based on your last 5/10/15 years of work — False
Your Social Security payments are based on your lifetime average earnings. For retirement payments, SSA uses your best 35 years of work, indexed for inflation. (Fewer years are used for mid-career death or disability.)
You can get a Social Security estimate by signing up at ssa.gov/myaccount
Myth 2:You should postpone Social Security to get the most retirement income. —Maybe so, maybe no.
Taking your retirement payments later, up to age 70, gives you a higher monthly payment. But will you survive long enough to reap the benefit? Will you drain your savings while waiting for Social Security to start, short-changing your later years? If you withdraw from tax-deferred retirement accounts, will you pay more in taxes than you would if you drew Social Security instead?
Myth 3:You have to die for your family to get Social Security on your work record. —False
Your spouse and children (and yes, your former spouse) can be eligible for Social Security, even while you’re alive. Make sure to take family benefits into account in your retirement planning.
By the way, it is true that your family can get Social Security if you die. Just don’t wait that long!
Myth 4:If you work and earn over $15,000 while on Social Security, your payments stop. – False
It’s true that there’s a threshold earnings level set every year; it’s $15,120 in 2013. What’s false is that if you earn anything over the threshold, your Social Security will stop.
First, the threshold applies only to those under Full Retirement Age (FRA, currently 66). Once you are over FRA, you can work all you want and still get full Social Security. You’d have to earn quite a bit, perhaps $30,000 to $50,000 to lose all your Social Security.
Finally, remember that only work income — wages or self-employment earnings — count against your Social Security. Pension, interest, dividends, capital gains, etc. don’t count.
Myth 5:Social Security is losing money/is broke. — False
Social Security is still running a surplus and banks the extra money they bring in each year, so their reserve funds are growing.
What happens after 2020? SSA’s reserves provide full payments until 2033. After that, tax revenue alone will provide about 75% of needed funds. Yes, Congress will have to increase revenue and/or cut benefits before then to close the gap.
The bottom line is that you’ll make better retirement decisions with accurate information. Best wishes for an abundant retirement, and as always, keep on planning.
Hello ladies…sorry guys but I am just talking to the ladies today, we’ll chat later.
If you are a women of a “particular age” as Wendy Williams likes to phrase it, and you are premenopausal or in full menopause, you know how difficult it can sometimes be getting dressed when it’s hot. I keep a fan in the bathroom because there have been days that I’ve overheated just putting on my makeup! In May the weather was fluctuating but now that we are officially into the summer season choosing just the right outfit for work is getting a bit harder.
Personally I like wearing sleeveless tanks and sheath dresses all year long and the panty hose and tights are gone as soon as the boots come off. Fortunately at work we can dress casually, however, it is still Corporate so there definitely will be no shorts, crop tops or flip flops.
These are just a few outfits that I’ve worn during the warm Spring weather, next week I will feature my sheath dresses for the summer sizzle.
Thrifted denim dress with Avon accessories
Thrifted blouse and skirt with flats from Marshalls
Thrifted dress and belt, shoes from Avon
Maxi Shirts
Like it loose and carefree
Totally Thrifted
Weekend Wear
Let’s Chat: What are your warm weather wardrobe must-haves?
BTW, I didn’t forget it wasThankful Thursday. Despite the extra pounds and hot flashes, I am thankful to still be living a stress free and healthy life. I am thankful that my son has been moved from the Intensive Care Unit and should be coming home tomorrow. Of course I am always thankful for my family, friends and my faith. Come on over to Katherine’s Corner and share some of your Thursday Favorite Things.
Now it’s your turn, what are you thankful for this week?
Today is the day that my hubby is officially retired from the State of Delaware – WOOHOO – CONGRATS Hun!
Prior to this day and for the past several years he has chosen and then changed his mind on a half dozen places of where he wants us to live when we both retire. The first destination he chose was Africa and the last was Arizona, so it’s obvious he hasn’t narrowed it down to one location.
Recently I read an article on Latin America’s la vida buena and what caught my attention was the fact that our Social Security would allow us to live comfortably in paradise.
As long as there is sun and water and no snow, you can count me in and the average temperature in Costa Rica is 72 degrees! Costa Rica has been named as one of the most beautiful places on Earth. You can live well on a budget and as a matter of fact, the book “The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget: How To Live Well on $25,000 a Year”,was written by a retired couple who now live in Equador.
Well whenever the time does comes for me to retire, I want us to live out our Golden Years in a place where our money goes the furthest and the weather is the warmest, so if that is Latin America so be it. It’s close enough to the US so if we want to come back for a family visit it’s relatively easy.
10-day group tours are available which of course we’d take before making any decision and it’s also suggested that you live in a new country for at least 6 months before making the commitment to move there. If we became residents in a country in Latin American we wouldn’t lose our U.S. Citizenship, we can still vote, pay taxes and collect our Social Security. The medical care is supposedly top quality and much more affordable in comparison to the US which is another plus.
Although I have several more years before even considering retirement, living in paradise on less than 2 grand a month sounds like a plan and Latin America just might be the place to be…guess I better start brushing up on my Spanish!
Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world. Did you know that on average people worldwide are living six years longer than they were 20 years ago? Thanks to improved medical advances and declining tobacco use the average life expectancy for women in the United States is 81 and male life expectancy is 76.
So now that you’ve got more time, what are you going to do with it? If you are nearing retirement or have retired what creative and inexpensive activities would you like to do in your golden years?
Getting together with friends or neighbors visiting cultural sites, libraries, historic homes or museums or how about taking a Yoga or Tai Chi class to increase your flexibility.
Volunteering your services, participating in church or religious groups are also other great options. A lot of people actually fear retirement thinking they are going to be bored, but trying something new or doing something that you’ve always wanted to do can be both fun and exciting.
Have you ever wanted to write a book, sing, act, paint, or learn to play a musical instrument? Perhaps you would enjoy sharing your knowledge by teaching, writing a blog or in specialty cooking and baking. Local travel to neighboring states discovering what is in your own back yard can also be an inexpensive adventure.
No matter what you choose, if you start making a list now while you’re still working you’ll have more to look forward to when that great day actually arrives.
What is the one activity that you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time?
Have you and your spouse started thinking about retirement? Perhaps it’s several years off or maybe in the not-so-distant future. What are your plans, will you be traveling or just relaxing on the back deck watching the sun rise while sipping your morning coffee?
Hubby will be retiring from the State of Delaware in July, but since I have at least 5 more years, he has to wait for me…and while he waits, he will be working no doubt about it. Just because he’s retiring with a full pension doesn’t negate the fact that we’ll have a son in college and bills to pay.
Retirement should be a dream come true filled with fun and excitement but if you make mistakes in not planning, that dream can quickly turn into a nightmare.
According to the experts, there are 7 mistakes that couples should avoid if they want their retirement years to be truly golden.
Couples never talked about what each of them expected retirement to be, i.e. personal interest or professional goals
They haven’t planned for emergencies, i.e. illnesses, accidents and major home repairs
Couples in their 2nd marriages didn’t plan for unique problems that come with blended families, ie. adult children needing financial assistance
They didn’t do proper financial planning. i.e. fail to calculate the amount of money needed in retirement, lifestyle and living costs changes
Couples didn’t consider the high costs of health care or long-term care
Assuming that because you are married you can act for each other in business and health care decisions, consider getting a Power of Attorney
Only one partner is handling financial matters – couples need to talk regularly about finances and both should actively participate
If you and your spouse haven’t sat down and talked about your retirement plans, the time to do so is now so you can make those golden years tarnish free!
Last week was an emotional roller coaster filled with both highs and lows. Monday, I taught a Blogging 201 class:Monetizing Your Blog,and it was a full house despite the torrential downpour of rain.
Everyone was enthusiastic, asked questions and participated in lively discussions, it was one of the best classes to date. Thank you again Money School of Delaware for giving me this opportunity not only to share knowledge but to sharpen my skills and expand my base.
Teaching again is helping to lay the foundation for my 5-year plan leading up to retirement/encore entrepreneurship.
My outfit of the day was a black pencil skirt with floral embroidery thrifted from Goodwill, a sleeveless mock neck tank also thrifted from and faux snakeskin pumps via Target.
On Thursday, I wore another black pencil skirt but this one was from JCPenney and the striped top is from Old Navy.
I broke up the classic black and white combination with a pop of red in the Caliente pumps from The Shoe Dept and a red plastic bracelet from Rugged Wearhouse.
The polka dot scarf was a recent purchase from Avon. By the way, if you are looking to update your fragrances or cosmetics Avon has some great deals going on, some even includes FREE shipping, click here for more information.
Thursday was also my sister’s birthday, had she lived, she would have been 51 – Not A Day Goes By….
Although, I am thankful that I had her 29 years, I still feel that she is gone too soon – Rest in Peace Lil Sis!
If you’re anything like me no matter what year in your career you’re in, the countdown to retirement has begun. I never told hubby, but when he signed his retirement papers on the 28th of February I was extremely jealous! It’s not that I’m ready to sit home and do nothing or pack my bags and start traveling, I am just looking forward to the day when I have the option to work or NOT!
At this point in my life I am too young and active to retire or at least retire without a plan, which is why this blog is part of a bigger 5-year plan. I’ve thought about starting a small business, but it would have to one of little to no stress and definitely little to NO commuting involved!
Ideally, I would love to sit on the dock of a bay with a laptop or tablet writing and creating. Perhaps I’ll have a little shack where tourist can purchase fishing bait and tackle!
http://www.cityofchesapeake.net/
There was an article published in USA Today thatcaught my attention, it stated that “more older entrepreneurs are starting businesses after they’ve worked and retired from other careers”. They have been labeled “encore entrepreneurs”. An encore entrepreneur is someone over the age of 50 who starts a small business or begins a new career. Some of these small businesses are non-profits that provide a social need such as job training for the unemployed. Others turn their hobby or passion into an income stream which is part of my 5-year plan.
Of course as with any new start-up there are obstacles and challenges, but with age comes wisdom and knowledge both of which are a plus for the encore entrepreneur. Job layoffs, supplementing or replacing income are just a few reasons for starting a business after the age of 50.
However, with people living longer becoming an encore entrepreneur gives us an opportunity to stay active and do something that perhaps we’ve always wanted to do.
What about you, are you ready to retire or regroup and become an encore entrepreneur?