Embarrassed to even vent a couple near retirement gripes
Posted By RichC on October 21, 2023
This whiny post is going to ring hollow for those going through serious problems … or even noticing that I was recentlydifficult time adjusting to shifting gears.
Brenda and I now have more unstructured time, particularly since Brenda’s surgeries and rehab (although I do still try to do work each day). The earlier than expected shift towards retirement has me adjusting to how to deal with more/increased spending at a time we have a lot less income (Brenda not working and for me, strolling on the beach and enjoying life … BUT I’m having a 
I’m purposely working less). We’re not yet to our Social Security FRA age or even Medicare, so I can now understand what those who tried to retire early complained about: More time but no income and higher expenses.
Today’s gripe is the 40% … yes 40% … jump in our annual auto insurance rates. We have not made a single policy or auto change … or claim … yet our annual car insurance rose 40% (even a policy re-write could not bring the number down)! Personally I’m not sure how those with a poor driving history or newer more expensive vehicles can afford all of the insurance necessary in a year? Since the other cars in my fleet (cough, cough) are on a separate collectable car policy, 
I’m now wondering just how much they will go up when the renewal date comes. Perhaps it is time to sell them and just live with two cars?
A warning for those still planning (especially for the self-employed small business types), once one nears their much anticipated retirement age, it can be difficult to shift from “saving and working towards a comfortable retirement” to starting to spend down one’s retirement savings. This can be even more challenging at a time of economic uncertainty. The current rapid inflation, jittery financial markets and a questionable economy makes all the years of planning even a little more dicey (and all of that is before wondering if the world is on the brink of war).
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