When you convert that CD, get a check.  Do not transfer it.  Redeposit it wherever and keep 1k out.  If asked, you took a vacation.

nuff said.

Yup I’ve been doing that for a while. But you didn’t hear that from me. You know what I mean.  
I pay for food when I do go out with cash especially when it’s with a group. I do the same with friends and have them pay me back in cash too. And yes it’s getting harder to do that nowadays.

I would start collecting jacksons and stuffing them in your mattress so to speak.  Problem is that it is getting harder to use that stuff.  You don't want to use it anywhere that has a membership or loyalty card involved in a transaction.  The record of that transaction is kept almost indefinitely now.  Warehouse clubs and grocery stores for example.  Use it for car repairs and stuff like that are one time major purchases and involve no patterns.  Back in the old days, the boss where I worked spent a ton of it eating out all the time.  People like you and me can't even afford to go to Micky D's so that ship sailed long ago.  There are also reporting thresholds for the size of that kind of transaction.  IIRC banks must report amounts exceeding 6k.  Learn these things.  Make yourself as unpredictable as possible when it comes to these kinds of things.  You still have to maintain some sort of normalcy though in order to keep questions to a minimum.  Once upon a time when using using a debit card at the grocery store there was an option for some additional cash back with your transaction.  Use it for a jackson and put it away.  Little things like that.  Become a tree top flyer.  It is the only way and how much longer this is possible is unknown.  Is what it is and it requires a completely new way of thinking if you are not already used to doing these things.  A friend or family member asks you to stop somewhere and pick something up for them, use a card and let them pay you back in jacksons. Set a goal of accumulating a stash big enough to sustain you for 2 months should the shit hit the fan.  Better than doing nothing.  Remember, this is for all the marbles.
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Yup that’s what they told me. I have a 10k Roth CD so I wouldn’t have to pay a monthly fee at BoA and a SBLI Life insurance of 6k towards burial and the told me everything must go before I could collect.

WTF is wrong in this country when billionaires F over everybody and nothing happens but people that are barely get by need to have no money to live on nothing. We need a Robin Hood to steal from the rich and give to the poor.

 You can only have $2k in the bank (which means that you can have no emergency money), no life insurance policies and then to add insult to injury they will go and investigate all your banking records for the previous 5 years looking for anything funny.  

Can I have your slippers brought over?

Yeah, we have some scary ass bugs.

I'm there with you...not sure i can handle the heat....and the bugs in some of those "retirement" communities

I may be the only person I know who wants to retire where there's less sun, less heat. I crave four seasons.

I may be the only person I know who wants to retire where there's less sun, less heat. I crave four seasons.

I may be the only person I know who wants to retire where there's less sun, less heat. I crave four seasons.

I was out on disability because of the cancer the last 8 years before my normal out at 66½.  Unable to contribute during those last 8 years which has the biggest impact on your final draw.  The wife went down the same time because of her car accident.  So neither one of us was putting in.  It really, really hurt.  If I was to quit working and just had the SS to live on, due to income guidelines for Medicaid we would be forced to go on it. 

I just got done doing some reading.  In Ohio, a couple whose gross monthly is under $2137 per month is required by law to go on Medicaid.  From what I have been reading the .gov can then force you to sell assets.  You are only allowed one car.  I have two, a 2019 Honda with 3 years to go on the loan and a 2004 Civic which is obviously paid for.  I would have to sell it regardless of its worth.  The value of having a spare car is priceless these days.  You can only have $2k in the bank (which means that you can have no emergency money), no life insurance policies and then to add insult to injury they will go and investigate all your banking records for the previous 5 years looking for anything funny.  Anyone who tells you that if you have nothing, no one is going to bother you, is full of shit.  I have a lot of research ahead of me to figure out how to maneuver through all of this and not raise any flags in the process.

I've been shucking, jiving and hustling hard and have been moving money around using 0% balance transfers for the past 5 or so years getting stuff paid down and next month, I'll pay off all our credit cards and just have the car note left.  My credit score is floating around 800 through all of this.  My credit score all by itself knocked $100 a month off of our car insurance.  I long ago learned the art of cash flow and credit and have used all of my knowledge to keep the balls in the air. 

At 72, me actually showing up and working some place is about over and I am going to have to find some work at home gig.  I've been looking at those for the last 5 years and haven't found anything that will pass the sniff test yet.  The point being is that if your income falls below a certain amount, the .gov will take over your life and you lose all kinds of options and choices, regardless of your talents and abilities. 

And anyone who wants to go and throw this shit in my face in the poly threads, fuck you and your horse.  I haven't made it this far by being stupid. You try living on 2k a month and then get back to me on that or STFU.

I may be the only person I know who wants to retire where there's less sun, less heat. I crave four seasons.

I often fantasise (yeah, I'm a dreamer) about buying 4 hectares on an island off the coast of Auckland and building a whole lot of self-sufficient huts on the property and inviting every RPeep who is strapped for cash to come and live in one. We'd have our own garden, make our own wine and the Gulf still has some fish in it, or we could grow mussels in the bay. We could put Patty and Kurtster in a hut down the bottom of the hill if we had to (just messing with yer Kurt), but it would be allcomers on a needs-based principle.

Not going to happen, but it was a nice idea while it lasted.

  sure you would.   No surf there though, it's on the lee side of the island surrounded by an archipelago.

Just saw this after my rant.  No worries. 

I always wanted to do a tropical island thing, too.  A surfing destination kind of place.

I would be happy to be the cannabis cultivator.

 I often fantasise (yeah, I'm a dreamer) about buying 4 hectares on an island off the coast of Auckland and building a whole lot of self-sufficient huts on the property and inviting every RPeep who is strapped for cash to come and live in one. We'd have our own garden, make our own wine and the Gulf still has some fish in it, or we could grow mussels in the bay. We could put Patty and Kurtster in a hut down the bottom of the hill if we had to (just messing with yer Kurt), but it would be allcomers on a needs-based principle. Not going to happen, but it was a nice idea while it lasted.

If I can hold out for 2 1/2+ years for full SS which would cover I figure at least my house taxes. I didn’t put into SS for all those years taking care of mom and 8+ years taking care of dad. So I’m on the very low rung on the amount I would get. So many problems I wish I didn’t have to deal with at this point of my life.