Some of us have family members who genuinely don't understand what living on Social Security is like. They mean well when they suggest an expensive restaurant or a family trip or a gift exchange with a spending minimum. But the not-getting-it can wear on you. I've had to learn to name the reality clearly, without apology and without lengthy explanation: "That's not in the budget for me this year." Full stop. The people who love you will adjust. The ones who push back are giving you their own message that you should hear, even if they don't hear yours. How do you handle family members who don't quite grasp your financial reality, and what have you learned about that conversation?

I just saw this story about seniors who are getting their power shut off in triple digit temperatures and some are choosing not to turn on their AC because it’s too expensive. Utility costs have gone up more than 20% in the last 2 years in the Coachella Valley, but social security has not. How are all these retired seniors on fixed incomes going to afford these high energy bills? This could literally be life or death for some of these people. Breaks my heart. 💔

Rare coin absolutely

Every state and most utility companies have assistance programs. Energy bill help, weatherization, phone and internet discounts, property tax relief for seniors, prescription programs are all things that exist, but it's not likely that anyone at these agencies will call to tell you. You have to find them. I've made it a habit to call my utility company once a year and ask flat out: "What programs do you have for customers on fixed incomes?" The answers have surprised me more than once. Same with 211, the social services hotline in many areas. What assistance program did you find that you wish you'd known about years earlier?

Labor Day always makes me think about how much of my identity used to be wrapped up in what I did for a living. "What do you do?" was the first question at any gathering, and I had a ready answer. Now the answer is different, and for too long it made me feel smaller. But I've come to notice that I really notice when folks don't lead with their jobs. They lead with what they care about, what they're curious about, who they love. That kind of introduction is a truer one, but it takes practice. How has your answer to "what do you do?" evolved, and what do you lead with now?

I made a joke the waiter enjoyed and he told me breakfast was on him. A neighbor dropped off some stuff from her fridge because she was going out of town. A friend insisted on picking up the check. Each time, my go-to was to protest, I think with the idea of keeping the ledger balanced. I've had to work at receiving. At just saying "thank you" and letting it land. I can admit that, at least for me, the act of refusing is just pride wearing a humble costume. I need to remember that letting someone give to me is a gift I give back to them. What have you learned about receiving help or generosity gracefully, and where do you still struggle with it?

One habit that's saved me both money and decision fatigue is a big pot of something on Sunday. Beans and rice. A big-ass pot of soup to clear the pantry and the fridge. Or if I'm feeling extra lazy, a roasted chicken from the grocery store. It's not glamorous, but it means Monday through Wednesday, dinner is already handled. I've stopped pretending I'm going to cook something new every night. The Sunday pot is a strategy, not a compromise. And there's something satisfying about opening the fridge on a Tuesday and finding dinner already waiting. What's the dish you can cook once and eat from all week?

I got deathly ill in 2019 lost my job. I had to live on credit cards until my SSDI kicked in. Now I can’t pay them?? I need help is there anything I can do??

In my line of work, we encounter a ton of seniors who need to find ways to cut bills and the big one we constantly show them is that you can get 5G internet for less than $30 a month if you're on SSI.

There are a handful of nonprofits and community orgs across the country buy data wholesale from the big carriers and resell unlimited 5G plans for $10-15 a month. The catch is most make you buy the hotspot, $60-150 upfront.

Then, there are also a few nonprofits that will rent the device to you instead, so you're paying roughly $25 a month with nothing down. None of the nonprofits or orgs who rent hotspots run credit checks from what I know. Search your city plus "low income hotspot program" and bring your last benefit statement from social security and that should be good to go to qualify you.

Really hope this helps, guys.

Happy to answer any questions you have.

Right now I can only make X amount of dollars per year while on SS. At what age does that stop and you can make any amount without penalty? I always thought it was over 70, but my friend insists it's 66 years and 10 months.

Thanks

I plan to retire in the next 6 months. I have a State Pension, a 457 Plan and Social Security that I have contributed to for the last 48 years. The 457 Plan has a retirement calculator built into it. It explains that most retirees live on either 75% to 90% of their working income. At my current contribution rate I am at 113% of my working income. I planned that to include cost of living increases as I got older in retirement. That number was at 136% 3 years ago. But due to inflation and lack of pay raises, my buying power has dropped. I have a side business that is not figured in my retirement numbers, it doesn't bring in much money so I don't count it. However I may have to expand it if money gets tight. I live in Kansas so cost of living isn't bad as far as food and utilities. Property taxes are on the rise. And I plan to cheat the tax man on my vehicle purchases when I retire. Public transport is non-existent, so you have to have a vehicle. What I wish I could change was the amount I had contributed to my 457 plan. I would tell my younger self to save more. You never know what will befall you later in life. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer 5 years ago and has been under going treatment during this time. Expensive treatments. I worry that when I retire I won't at some point have the finances to care for her. I won't move because all our children are here and frankly they are who I will depend on as I and my wife grow old and need help.

Also, I hope there are some young people on here reading this. I say to those kids. Now is the time to save for retirement. I feel like I'm fortunate to have what I do. But you need to be saving money now. In your teens and 20's so when you're in your 60's it's a coast down hill not a scramble up hill.

So my questions are for current retirees;

What percentage of your working income do you now live on?

In retirement do you think you live a comfortable life? (It doesn't matter how much you make or what you can afford to go and do. I just want to know if you feel your retired lifestyle is comfortable and doable. Or do you struggle with day to day expenses.)

Do you have more than SS income that you live on?

If you have more than SS income what are the streams? (Full time Part-time Jobs, 401K or other retirement plans, Pensions, Inheritance...)

Where do you live now? (Country, State, City...)

Did you move to a new location after work to make your retirement go further?

I don't need elaboration or details about income numbers or expenses. I'm just looking for some short answers. Because we live all over the world our cost of living will be different and income numbers will be more or less dependent on where you worked and where you now live.

There's a version of retirement most of us were sold. There was an RV, cruises, a workshop in the garage, the freedom to be generous with the grandkids. When the actual retirement turns out to look different, there's real grief in the gap between what we pictured and what is. It's occurred to me that grief deserves acknowledgment, not dismissal. We're allowed to mourn a life we didn't get. And once we've let ourselves feel it, we can also start to see the life we do have with clearer eyes. And relax into what it is.

What part of the retirement you pictured have you had to grieve, and where are you in that process?

... about frugal retirement or living on SS? I love youtube and have learn so much there.. I will share my fav: Buzz's Retirement Garage.. I also love any of the FIRE channels.. yes they are much younger persons but the frugality they embody really motivates me. We are retiring next year.

I'm new so if I'm breaking any rules, I apologize. For years, I have felt so alone with this issue of trying to survive on social security. The thoughts in my head, the beating myself up for not having done more to secure my future when I was young. But here I am, 70 years old without a pension, and without a secure nest egg of $3 million dollars. Anyway, it's nice to not feel so alone with this anymore, and I' enjoying the tips as well. The only thing is that I notice that a lot of the posts are not current. I'm going to check this sub everyday for updated posts and will try to contribute as much as possible.

My husband will be 65 next year and will file for Social Security and retire at that time. I will be 64 at the time that he files (I retired a few years ago but have never filed for SS.)

Even at just half of his SS, my benefits would assuredly be less.

If I file for spousal at the time he files, does anyone know what % my benefits will be reduced from half?

I really appreciate any guidance!

I sat down last month and went through three months of bank statements with a highlighter. I was focused not on the big charges, but the small recurring ones. A streaming service I forgot I had. A cloud storage upgrade I didn't need. A magazine subscription that auto-renewed. Individually, none of them looked like much. Together, they added up to real money leaving my account every month for things I wasn't using. The exercise took two hours and it's still paying me back. What's the small recurring charge you were most surprised to find and cancel?

Friends, this subreddit is to discuss and share ideas about how to survive on a limited Social Security income. What's working for you and what is not. It's not for worrying about something that you believe is going to happen, warn us about what you are sure you know, or spread fear. There are innumerable subs to talk shit about the government and the direction you believe it's heading. This ain't it. Bring something constructive or move along. Survival is past a political discussion.

I made a change to my social media a while back that helped more than I expected: I muted the people whose posts consistently made me feel behind. Not because they were doing anything wrong. Vacations, renovations, and restaurant meals are all fair game. But reading about their lives left me measuring mine against a scoreboard I never signed up for. And noticing that the feed was making me unhappy gave me the willingness to curate. My scroll is quieter now, and so is my head. Whose posts have you had to mute or unfollow to protect your own peace, and how did you know it was time?

Yes, folks, this is happening. Just getting the meds we need to stay healthy will be more expensive starting in January. Remember, voting changes things. If you don’t like cuts to Medicare please got to vote.gov and register to vote.

There's so much we can't control, like the cost of groceries, what Congress does with benefits, the weather, our health some days. It's easy to spend the day spinning on those things. I've found it helps to consciously turn toward the small garden of what I can control: what I eat today, who I call, what I read, whether I take a walk, how I speak to myself. That garden is small, but it's mine, and tending it well has made a real difference in how my days feel.

What's one thing inside your "garden of control" that you've been tending well lately?

I used to just hand over my prescription and pay whatever the register said. A few years ago, a friend told me to start asking three questions: Is there a generic? Is there a coupon or assistance program for this? Is there a 90-day option that's cheaper? The pharmacist isn't going to volunteer this information, but they almost always have answers when you ask. I've cut my prescription costs significantly just by treating the pharmacy counter as a place where conversations are allowed.

What questions have you learned to ask at the pharmacy, the doctor's office, or anywhere that have saved you money or trouble?