Apparently this is not an active group so I probably will unjoin.

I am a babyboomer and was hoping for a lively discussion group.  I am living on SSDI right now since 2008 and it has been a step up from the pverty of unemployment waiting for it to take effect. I live with my older brother and his wife in the lower level of their home in Saint Louis.  It is not where I envisioned myself retiring to but I am unmarried without any children or any other siblings. My parents are dead.  I have no retirement funds any longer and so live month to month on my SSDI.  I worry about what will happen if my brother dies before I do.  I make just 900 dollars a year above the poverty level so I don't qualify for any subsidy of any kind.  If I had to pay rent somewhere, I would have to choose between eating and medicine.  Ah the golden years.  I hope we can liven up this group a little.

And welcome to you also..

Happy to have you hear on Babyboomers.  And even though you were born in 45, as host of this site I dub you an honoray Babyboomer.  taadaaaa

I am happy to welcome you to Babyboomers.  Let's talk shall we.

You pick a topic and post it and I promise I will respond.  And who knows, maybe some of our other members will join in.  Let's hope they do.

Again, Welcome

I joined...but nobody's here...at least here and talking. We could have fun!! C'mon people...let's talk.

Technically I am not a baby boomer since I was born in 1945 but I enjoy meeting people my own age. I will be 64 in October so I am a Libra. I work part time for my local library system but am not a librarian. My interests are many, a few of them are: reading, good movies especially classics, most types of music, theater, ancient Egypt and travel.
I think I will enjoy this group and look forward to getting to know all of you

of the eastern and southern US.

Opening up new oil drilling in the coastal areas not already degraded by offshore drilling is not the answer to our energy crisis.

No matter how much those who tell us it will not pollute our beaches and oceans, that is just not so.  No matter how efficient and safe the drilling rigs are, there are going to be accidents.  And with these accidents comes problems for ecosystems that are nearby and as far away as the currents carry the slime of oil.  Check out the beaches of California where there is offshore drilling.  Try and find one that is the white sand it once was. 

Say no to more offshore drilling.

Find alternative fuels that are proven and available.  Water is a good example.  The H of the H2 O compound, or water as it is commonly known, can be used to power autos and other engines and it only gives off water vapor which is not a pollutant.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602731.html?wpisrc=newsletter

Hi,

I am responding to Laura's comment.  After working as hard as she and her husband did then their extra income for retirement vanished leaving them with only poverty level Social Security retirement income. 

When I retired, I had an income jolt when I learned how little Social Security income I received.  The most Social Security income you can receive with today's rules is approximately $20,000 annually and as little as less than $3,600 (less than $300 per month).

According to a recent survey, more than 80% of Social Security retirees do not have any income beyond their Social Security pittance retirement check and they have to learn to live in poverty.

The new Federal Reserve Board Chairman said that the Social Security problem needs urgent fixing.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security law, he said that it was not complete and that it must be improved to meet changing circumstances.

The huge amount of money we have been paying into Social Security would already produce a rich retirement if the money were being handled correctly.

There is a solution available to transform the poverty level Social Security retirement income to a rich retirement at no extra cost beyond the standard Social Security deduction rules, which would also amount to free life insurance, at www.rojego.com.  Check it out if you would like an improvement. 

Jeff

Hi everyone! I am also a baby boomer married to a baby boomer. My husband is still working. He keeps saying he is going to retire next year.  I have not been able to work since 1993.  I would enjoy being friends, love signing petitions that I believe in.  I know my Senators and Congressman staff everyday say "OH NO" Judy again.  At least I feel still connected to the world.

GOD Bless!

Judy C.

Well, I've joined and am putting out this 'feeler' email.  I was born in 1952, was a Flower Child, am a teacher, dancer, volunteer and believe in trying to do the 'right thing'.  Have 2 children who are launching into adulthood - amazing because I'm still 30. 

So where is everyone?

I just got here tonight and I think things are picking up, there was a posting on June 28, one on october 26, and now one on Nov 19 .

That's at least a 45 percent incline .

Money matters for Baby Boomers from a Senior.

Be careful how much money you take out of your RRSP's or whatever type of retirement fund you have. You may discover the tax man is your retirement partner and have to come out of retirement !  

The comforting part in Florida  you can still drive a school bus at 93 

Hi All,

I've been looking around Care2 for groups with more people in my age bracket...trying to embrace my age, you see?!

Tina

I was born in 1950 and took loving care of my mother until she died 2.5 years ago.

My father died 6.5 years ago so I am now an orphan but very happy to have my sister who lives nearby and my brother in New York.

I am single too for now at least.

I have come to the place now for the first time in my life that the only person I have to take care of is me!

Took care of my parents my whole life and constantly worried about them.

It feels great to be focused on myself. I am greatly enjoying taking care of me, running my life exactly as I want it.

Maybe that's why I'm not in a relationship right now. It feels so good just to attend to myself and love myself.

Hi, everyone! I am new to Care2 and checking out groups that resonate with me. I take care of my Mom full time, no kids at home. I'm divorced -single again- and wondering what life holds for me next.

Becky

Hi to the Boomers here! Decided to join becasue of the Argentinian community ideas.

The price of land, the exchange rate, all sound good. I've always considered myself an ex-pat ( or citizen of the world, actually ) tho' I've never lived anywhere but the US.

As to powering the communitty~Go Off the Grid!!!, Think Wind, Water, Solar, Geothermic ~ and Satelite to stay in touch w/ the World, via internet, & TV if we must.

More Later~gotta run~awesome to be here!

There is a story that I have heard many times that Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, drove an old 53 Chevrolet pickup truck around Bentonville, Arkansas long after he was the richest man in the world. 

If he did that in todays world, if you did not know who he was you might think he was poor. 

I drive an old 97 Chevy S-10 that seriously needs a new paint job.  If poeple think bad of me for that, So what.   

I know who I am and that's all I need to know.

Adios Amigos

Anyone want to hear about my resort retirement community that is in the planning stages.  Obviously I am happy about it.

Welcome to our new members.

Thanks for joining and I hope you have a wonderful time here on baby boomers.

May God bless you all

With love and peace

Tomy

I must admit I do not do justice to this group

I travel a lot and don't have access to a pc a lot of the time

Jerry, Would you consider becoming a co host.

You are right, this should be an active group

Adios Amigos

Tomy 

Gonna add my 2 cents here in a quite dormant thread, in a barely alive group........  It seems like baby boomers should be a very active group to belong to.  So why is this group always at the botom of the list of active groups I belong to? 

Anyhow I am doing this little bit to bump it to the top of the list again.  It could use some help staying out of the basement.  So feel free to post even to crab at me......

Thanks for sharing with us

I hope more and more people will start talking here so we all together can build boomers into a viable place to stay in touch.

How is everyone doing out there.

I am in Florida right now doing fine.  Homecoming at UCF, my alma matre is this Saturday.  I am looking forward to it.  My daughter is bringing My Grandbaby up for the festivities.  We will watch the parade together and then go to the game.  I bought Zoe a cheerleader outfit.  She will be so cute.

Love those grandbabies.

Adios Amigos and Amigas

Been on Care2 a while, but just getting around to joining groups - My husband will retire on his SS pittance in Sept. of next year. 8 years ago we left expensive CA (I was born and raised there) and moved to Tennessee with our two teens. (who REALLY loved us for that - NOT!) It was a good move, as we have a couple of acres, with a tiny mortgage. But because of our kids, and now grandkids (2, Xavier - 4 and Xander 2.5) there is no way I would move out of the country! In fact, my daughter is moving back to CA in 2006, remarrying and taking my grands with her. sigh. So I suppose we will just travel a bit, if we can afford it. I have no retirement anywhere, having never worked anywhere long enough to get any - and our "retirement" fund from my husband's job of 26 years in CA went up in smoke - or rather, went up in Enron, so we will have nothing but the SS stipend, and maybe some part-time work here and there...

I was a sandwich generationer until July of this year, when my mother, at age 90, passed away. I had had full care of her for 4 years - all my sisters etc. in CA, but I moved mom here so I could spend those precious last days together. Glad I did, but it was hard emotionally, physically and financially! I still have a son at home, at 23 - he served 13 months as an MP in Kuwait and Iraq with the national guard, and now is having trouble getting back on track - a good kid, no serious problems, but "doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up..." (but then, do many of us?)

I have read this thread with interest, and hope to get to know y'all better. Thanks for creating a good discussion group - glad to know there are others who will be in the same boat with limited retirement incomes and health issues.

Blessed Be

Laura (aka Lo, Tawa, and the Wench! lol)

As long as it isn't Billy Beer it would be worth something. There a different recylcling plans in effect. In my state we pay a $.05 cent deposit on each can. That comes to $1.20 per 24 cans. If we drink a case of beer a day at the end of the year when we cashed in the cans, providing we could walk we get a return of $185.00. That is still a better guantee than the stock market... At least we would get something back.

I heard on the news the other day the Chief Justice Rhenguist overtruned Arthur Andersens's conviction for "cooking the books" for Enron. The SEC was gettting too close to Ken Lay a long time Bush family friend, and ole George just could not see his buddy going down for ripping off all the people who invested in Enron Stocks.

Rhenquist cited the he could find no violations in Andersen's part and ordered him released. Now Ken Lay will not ever be prosecuted with courts stacked with Bush appointees.

Tom is right. Might be time to seriously consider leaving the US before it's too late... Just a thought..

A little humor for the baby boomers....

If you had bought $1,000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would be worth $49.00.

With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1,000.00.

With WorldCom, you would have had less than $0.00 left.

But, if you had bought $1,000.00 worth of Beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have had $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle.

It's called the 401-Keg Plan

Welcome to the group

Steve and I are planning a retirement in Argentina.

Come and join the group and who knows, you might dececide to move to Argentina someday.

http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/Argentina

Thanks for telling us about yourself, if you want to share the national news story we are interested. 

Hasta luago

Think about this.

If one hundred people formed a cooperative or some other legal entity to buy land in Argentina and each one put in one thousand one hundred dollars (US1,100) we could buy a rather large peice of property. 

It is not unusal to find property selling for U$A 100 an acre.  U$A 1000 an acre buys prime farm land. 

So we could buy anywhere from 100 to 1000 acres for our town and still have $10,000 of our origional investment to pay closing costs and fees.

Land is measured in Hecters in Argentina. 1 hectare = 2.4710538 acre

Steve

whoever names the town we can memoralize his/her name with a plaque in the town square.

They will be a part of history.

Hi Tom,

That was nice piece of history. I would have never known that. So people of different Etnicities seem to go to the same towns where the same Ethnic groups live. I guess that goes for the states as well. Almost every major city has its own Ethnic group. The North End of Boston is predominately Italian, while South Boston is primarily Irish, The Back Bay is Mutli Cultural, and so on.

Okay, we will have to investigate further, and maybe have a contest for a good name for our town. I have no idea what to offer as prize for the winner. But I guess we can come up with something.

I did a quick estimation on what my retirement benefits are going to be and wow, I would be earning a lot more living in Argentina. I would actually be able to live a very comfortable life. I don't full retirement benefits until 2010, so I am assuming the old green back might be worth more than it is now in the next 5 years. I was amazed after I did the math...

I are one of those old hippies.

I have more news to post on Bush's privatization scam. College students are now getting involved since his scam affects them more that does us. I will start a new thread for discussion.

Woodsonvill, umm, I am not sure I would vote for that but thanks for the thought Steve.

I have found in Argentina that Europeans that have come here many times live in the same cities.

For instance, Coronel Suarez is home to many people who are of British descent while Pique just a short drive from there is mainly French.  Darriequeira has a large German population with a whole lot of blue eyed blonds running around.

So our idea of having a town full of people from the same country is not new.

I do know that to own land here you do not have to be a citizen of Argentina. Theoretically every six months we could take a bus ride to Buenos Aires and cross the River Plate to Uraquay and come back the same day and ride the bus back home.

This is a doable plan.  We will have to do some reasearch.

Rome was not built in a day. At least that is what I have been told.

Adios Amigos and amigas.

Sounds like a plan Tom. I can live with a higher return on my ss stipend. By the time we reach full retirement age the cost of living in the US will take most of our money. So a 2.88 to 1.00 is a good increase in benefits. All we need to know is if Argentina has a tax on ss benefits? I was searching the ss website looking for countries to retire to, and noticed that some charge a tax, though it was not mentioned which countries do or don't. We will need to find that out.

I'll bet there is enough land that we could buy and have our own town. We should hold a contest for the best name for the town.

Cuidad de Woodsonville! Caramba Muchacho! Adios mi Amigo...

Tiene un buen Sabado

Su Amigo Estaban

Retiring to Argentina is a definite possibility for me.  Can you imagine our measely little ss checks being multiplied by three.  The current exchange rate is 2.88 pesos to the dollar. 

I think we should get a group together and buy some land and build our own little town.  I vote for somewhere near the coast south east of Buenos Aires.  

Here is the plan.  We buy shares in a large piece of land. Subdivide it.  Pick our prime parcels for ourselves and sell off the rest to other Americans who have more money than we do and build our houses with their money.  For food we will open a cooperative food market.  

So far we have our homes free and we own the supermarket.

Of course we will own the utilities, electric co op, cable tv and high speed internet.   Any thing else I have missed?

Help me boomers.

to all the new members. It doesn't matter how old you are it's how old you feel. It is nice to see some new members to the group, and new discussions opening up as well.

This is a great place to meet people who share a commonality, whether it is age or a disabilty. Please know that you are not alone.

I have not been able to work since 1992 and I am never bored. There is always something to do to keep busy.

AARP has been trying to get me to join their organization for the past 11 years, and I have not joined yet. Mainly because I can't afford the trips they plan for their members, and other things they offer.

I have been very curious about Argentina though, and I know Tomy goes there quit a bit. It sounds like a good place to retire. Although I will have to wait until my disability benefits change over to full retirement benefits then I'll be able to move out the US.

As one of the co-hosts of this group I just wanted to welcome all the new members, and please feel free to stop in and chat anytime. We are always open, never closed.

Thank you for being part of this wonderful community.

Stephen

It's the accumulation that's the problem....

HEY BOOMERS!

How ya all doin? I am in Australia and glad of it! I thank my ancestors regularly lol. The "lucky country" they call it......so why is our government and half the poulation intent on destroying it? Money, Money, Money. Ignorance rules! Seems some of us have lost our marbles. I grew up on a small working farm bout 1 1/2 hours north of Sydney on the central coast and it was sooo good. I was born in 1953, Youngest of 3 and didn't have a care in the world till I was 12 when the first lot of developers from the big smoke took a fancy to my father's and the surrounding small farms. None of the farmers wanted to sell. The following year, the rates on all those farms increased 10 fold! and of course the small local farmers including my father were forced off their land and the bulldozers moved in -  That was back in 1965, and they havn't left yet! This has been happening all round the Australian coastline and it's getting worse! At least back then they left most of the trees - now they just flatten the lot! and the blocks are sooo small and the roads aren't wide enough for two cars to pass in some of the new estates. The houses are HUGE and ugly and made of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.....

  I don't know where all these people are coming from, but they keep selling em and carvin up the coast. So, the accumulated result is a blight on the landscape that can be seen from outa space and in recent years most of our much needed rain has been falling out to sea. Our local council doesn't seem to have any marbles left either! They keep on approving new developements (even tho both the local water supply and road system can't cope now with the influx) They reserve the right to overturn decicions, break promises and rezone land set aside for wildlife and public reserve in favour of  more new estates. There are a coupla rogue developers round here at the moment that have no marbles as well and one old man seems intent on outdoing his own life's quota on carving up the bush before he dies and is gonna be buried with a whole lota little bitsa plastic called MONEY! When he does I shall find the spot and plant a tree on top....in his memory (wink wink) Gotta go, but I shall return to bitch some more. Have a good one. Julein

I joined AARP several years ago

I was able to get excellent homeowners and auto insurance.  I assure you I do not sell insurance nor do I own any stock in any insurance company.

And the magazine is informative.  I have read some good articles including one about one of my favorite stars, Robert Deniro.

Adios, Tomy