Relatives who just don't get it

[NumberJohnny5]

I remember car washes being a thing after they salted the roads. This was back in the 80s and 90s mostly, though I kept it up in the 00s too. Once they put salt down, you knew it'd get all over your vehicle. Once the roads cleared and there was no snow in the forecast, you at least ran it through the car wash. Getting the underside washed was a must; if using an automatic car wash you drove pretty slow when driving up to it (the underside was sprayed before you got the the stop point).

I remember my dad having to use a license plate to patch a hole in the floorboard. Rust was a definite issue. That said, we did have an old Ford that was rusted really bad, but the rust was stronger than non-rusted metal on newer cars.

Doesn't seem to be as much an issue regarding the structural parts of vehicles, but I have seen newer vehicles (newer to me is 2000+) have various bits that are exposed show lots of corrosion. Stuff like fuel and brake lines. Sometimes wiring too.

[Just Joe]

Not that I washed my car when it was really cold when I had one but would not the dryer in the car wash prevent the Doors from freezing shut?

You can get silicone grease to spread on the door seals so the doors won't freeze shut. Honda sells their version at the dealer parts counter.

www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda-08798-9013-Silicone-Grease/dp/B00GD49GTS

Edited to add - most auto parts stores have something similar as do places online for less money.

[Lomonossov]

Why so many smart, educated people choose to arrange nothing at all even though there are so many options? I don't know. I think maybe some people don't want to think of bad things that can happen, or maybe because so many people are unmarried these days, they think of marriage or the legal alternatives as a religious ritual and not as something that has serious legal consequences.

I think openly talking about those topics is taboo for a significant amount of people. I'm getting married this year (if COVID allows) and openly talked with my wife-to-be about having separate finances. My parents divorced twice (married - divorced - remarried - divorced again) and I went through that whole process for around 20 years in total, until the youngest sibling was 25 or so. I do love my partner very much, but I would rather have a clear agreement of what would happen in case of divorce if it ever happens instead of having to make big decisions when we do not love each other anymore, have been betrayed or jealous and lawyers are all over the place.

Her family did not understand at all that we were even having the conversation. Where we do live the default marriage is one pot and you have to do a pre-nup to keep your finances split. When she talked with her family about it, they looked at my like I was some sort of greedy vampire, and they kept asking "why" even if some of them are divorced themselves or have very close members of the family that went through it. I guess lots of people do not want to consider that something bad can happen, same goes with inheritance.

We have been living together for quite some time now and we have an arrangement that works for us: we split common expenses according to our income, and personal expenses go separately. We do not spend much anyway and we both save a reasonable part of each paycheck, but I do personally prefer to have control of my finances, let her have the control over hers and each of us be responsible for our own decisions. When kids come, I guess I'll have to chip in more, but that's OK.

I do respect the "one pot" philosophy, but it's not for me. Maybe because I've seen it failing in practice, and what the aftermath may be (my dad still has EUR 70k in debt, and they divorced in the late 90s).

Regardless of what the agreement is it should be more common to openly talk about those topics within the couple, I think. Otherwise is easy to take things for granted that would eventually lead to misunderstandings with awful consequences (financial, personal and otherwise). I've made those mistakes with my siblings, I don't want to repeat them with my partner.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

A married couple should enjoy comparable standards of living regardless of who makes more money. Other than that, you do you.

My husband and I are both divorced. We don't have a prenup. My thinking is, either you married an asshole or you didn't. If you married an asshole, a prenup won't save you, and if you didn't, you don't really need one, but YMMV. The process of talking through what would happen may be just as valuable as the legal agreement. In our case, we were able to see how the other person had handled their divorce and that we are fair people. We have an approximate idea of how much we each came into the marriage with and a handshake agreement that if it goes south, we leave with that plus half of what we made together.

(In fact, I think my husband was maybe a bit more generous to his ex than was strictly necessary, but better that than the reverse.)

[pachnik]

A married couple should enjoy comparable standards of living regardless of who makes more money. Other than that, you do you.

My husband and I are both divorced. We don't have a prenup. My thinking is, either you married an asshole or you didn't. If you married an asshole, a prenup won't save you, and if you didn't, you don't really need one, but YMMV. The process of talking through what would happen may be just as valuable as the legal agreement. In our case, we were able to see how the other person had handled their divorce and that we are fair people. We have an approximate idea of how much we each came into the marriage with and a handshake agreement that if it goes south, we leave with that plus half of what we made together.

(In fact, I think my husband was maybe a bit more generous to his ex than was strictly necessary, but better that than the reverse.)

I agree with a married couple having a similar standard of living.  Frankly, I can't imagine otherwise. 

Regarding marriage contracts, I do have one with my current common law spouse.  We got it when we first moving in together about 8 or so years ago; in all, we've been together close to 15 years.  Looking back at it now, I don't think I needed a marriage contract.  I watched how my husband handled dealing with his previous wife and he was very fair and reasonable.   

The marriage contract was more about my past - being in an earlier relationship with a very controlling spouse.  And I didn't take care of my legal rights at the time. 

[Imma]

A married couple should enjoy comparable standards of living regardless of who makes more money. Other than that, you do you.

My husband and I are both divorced. We don't have a prenup. My thinking is, either you married an asshole or you didn't. If you married an asshole, a prenup won't save you, and if you didn't, you don't really need one, but YMMV. The process of talking through what would happen may be just as valuable as the legal agreement. In our case, we were able to see how the other person had handled their divorce and that we are fair people. We have an approximate idea of how much we each came into the marriage with and a handshake agreement that if it goes south, we leave with that plus half of what we made together.

(In fact, I think my husband was maybe a bit more generous to his ex than was strictly necessary, but better that than the reverse.)

It's true that you either married an asshole or you didn't. But a lot of people don't find that out until they've been together for years. Some people say 'I knew in my gut it wasn't right' but some people genuinly have no idea. Like, I literally know two people who didn't find out until after several years of marriage that their husband was a pedophile. It happens.

I absolutely don't expect my s/o to actually be an asshole, but I would never trust someone enough to say that without a doubt. Both my and my partner are children from baaaad marriages/divorces, so I experienced the same as you @Lomonossov and @pachnik . I think growing up like that makes it hard to ever fully trust anyone. My parents divorce wasn't as bad as the marriage was because the kids were already adults, they didn't have any money but they also didn't have any debt. But my mother was a victim of financial abuse. My father would just raid the bank account as soon as the money came in and spent it all on himself and his toys until his balance was 0. My mother worked very hard and earned her own money, but it all went into this big black hole.  My mum was the queen of frugal, she made more money almost their whole marriage and she had nothing to show for it when she got out.

My teenage and young adult years were full of worries.  I struggled with serious illness, low income, I literally worried my father may one day kill my mother (that was a serious threat at that point, and I'm convinced he would have if he hadn't fallen in love with another woman right during the worst part of their divorce) and I literally had no one to help me out except for one family member who was only able to give me moral support, and she has passed since.  I was always frugal, always a saver, and still I was stressed every month because I had to find money to pay the bills.

Having the legal documents that we have, is a form of damage control. If my s/o ends up being an asshole after all, that will be terrible, but at least I'm for example not liable for any debts I didn't co-sign for which I otherwise would have been. So I can at least get out with my own income, my retirement accounts, my emergency fund in my name only. I can start over. And I know that with the material things taken care of, I am mentally strong enough to handle the rest.

[SwordGuy]

People can go crazy.   My wife and I saw it happen with one couple.   Made the sane person's life hell until they were able to divorce several years later.

[Sayyadina]

I watched my Mum divorce my stepdad while in a magic period of about a year. And she's vindictive at the best of times. It wasn't pretty.

Just because you have your mental health now doesn't mean you will when things are going badly and the same for your partner. If I had seen that before getting married I would have probably gotten a prenup. I love my husband and I don't want to put him through anywhere near what Mum did to my stepdad.

[Mighty Eyebrows]

If you married an asshole, a prenup won't save you, and if you didn't, you don't really need one, but YMMV.

That is like saying "If you are in a car accident, a seat belt won't save you." It won't make it perfect, but it is much better than the alternative.

[shelivesthedream]

A married couple should enjoy comparable standards of living regardless of who makes more money. Other than that, you do you.

This is what troubles me so much about separate finances. There are so many scenarios in which one half of the couple might be earning vastly more or less than the other that I find it hard to imagine that it can be more than a small minority for which it really works. One does better at work than the other, one takes time off to raise children, one gets ill and can't work for a bit...

I think the problem on agreeing on a standard of living is there with both joint and separate finances. If one wants to live in a fancier house than the other, you don't solve that just by throwing all your money in together. But my earnings right now and for the foreseeable are £0 cuz maternity leave and pandemic. Then we'll move a lot for my husband's career. At some point, surely squaring up separate finances in that scenario does end up as being equivalent to joint finances because he'll spend so much time "subbing" me.

[Lomonossov]

This is what troubles me so much about separate finances. There are so many scenarios in which one half of the couple might be earning vastly more or less than the other that I find it hard to imagine that it can be more than a small minority for which it really works. One does better at work than the other, one takes time off to raise children, one gets ill and can't work for a bit...

I think the problem on agreeing on a standard of living is there with both joint and separate finances. If one wants to live in a fancier house than the other, you don't solve that just by throwing all your money in together. But my earnings right now and for the foreseeable are £0 cuz maternity leave and pandemic. Then we'll move a lot for my husband's career. At some point, surely squaring up separate finances in that scenario does end up as being equivalent to joint finances because he'll spend so much time "subbing" me.

In our case separate finance is an insurance in case of divorce only.

I am making way more than my partner and I'm happy to contribute more as well so we can have a better living and she doesn't have her paycheck depleted each month. We split all the common expenses 70/30 (roughly representing the differences in income).

It's true that is a imperfect solution in a few ways:

- I own the house and pay for the mortgage all by myself, but it is unclear how much she should contribute - if at all - to some expenses (renovations, appliances, etc.). This is causing some friction every now and then.
- When the kids come, and despite the relatively generous maternity leave we have in this country, her income will be cut in half for a year per kid. We don't have this completely figured out yet.
- Once time passes some additional big expenses may come our way - new car, second house in my country - and we don't have a plan to deal with them

On the other hand I've seen what a nasty divorce can do to a household economy. None of my parents recovered after using money as a weapon in the divorce process - raiding accounts, spending like crazy, going in debt while they were still married -. In fact, finances kept them constantly in touch for a very long time after they were divorced in an endless battle about one small property that is still not fully resolved 20 years after.

I guess there are no perfect solutions. I'm happy to contribute more to give my partner some room to build a retirement fund for her and to pay for most of the expenses (since I'm bringing most of the income). We get along very well in terms of standard of living. If we live happily ever after, separate finances won't make any difference in the end. If the marriage goes south at least we have a clear idea of what to expect. I hope we can cross those bridges when we get to those rivers without killing each other.

[Imma]

A married couple should enjoy comparable standards of living regardless of who makes more money. Other than that, you do you.

This is what troubles me so much about separate finances. There are so many scenarios in which one half of the couple might be earning vastly more or less than the other that I find it hard to imagine that it can be more than a small minority for which it really works. One does better at work than the other, one takes time off to raise children, one gets ill and can't work for a bit...

I think the problem on agreeing on a standard of living is there with both joint and separate finances. If one wants to live in a fancier house than the other, you don't solve that just by throwing all your money in together. But my earnings right now and for the foreseeable are £0 cuz maternity leave and pandemic. Then we'll move a lot for my husband's career. At some point, surely squaring up separate finances in that scenario does end up as being equivalent to joint finances because he'll spend so much time "subbing" me.

I think very few people with seperate finances completely seperate all spending. Most have joint accounts for day to day spending. I can't imagine me eating a steak for dinner while Mr Imma eats rice and beans.

I'm not saying separate finances are Ideal for everyone. In your situation, where you choose to spend a lot of time with your children while your husband is in Ghostbuster training and will be travelling from haunted house to haunted house, it would be complicated.

But a lot of people that choose to have seperate finances actively try to avoid that type of "traditional" life. They don't want the household finances to become dependent on one person. They want to avoid creating a situation where one person depends on the other.

Now, I know that you are religious so you probably have different values surrounding marriage than I do. But for us, one half of the couple staying home to care for a family or one half sacrificing their career for the other's career is simply not an option. Mr Imma's work requires him to be away from home quite a lot but it doesn't affect me, I don't have to travel with him. That would not be an option for me.

We don't have children so that's not an issue for us. But we both work 4 days a week and had always planned to continue that if we'd had children. It was very enriching for me to have a working mother (I think you had a different experience) so that's something we would have wanted to give our children too. Maternity leave is paid in my country and if I become disabled or unemployed I'd qualify for benefits based on my work history. So the only way we'd end up in a 1-income situation is if we'd voluntarily quit our job.

When we got to know each other, he earned a lot more than I did, now I make much more than he does. Our joint income is waaaayy more than we need, we could both live of the lowest income indefinitely. This deal didn't feel unfair to me when I was the lowest earner (I came up with it) and it doesn't suddenly feel unfair now I have more money. I don't feel guilty about it either. I choose to put more effort into my career while he prefers a more laid-back job. That's a choice and choices have consequences.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

I think growing up like that makes it hard to ever fully trust anyone.

The other down-side is that it makes it hard to ever fully trust oneself to be able to recognize red flags for what they are, in a timely fashion. Growing up with different kinds of fighting, abuse, or financial nonsense happening between one's parents normalizes that kind of behavior to the point where it seems right and appropriate. So the mental circuitry that kicks in early during the courtship process for most people-- "nope, that's a deal-breaker, move on before getting attached" doesn't engage because it literally doesn't exist. It hasn't been built, because the young person never gets a good feel for what "objectively normal and healthy" looks like.

It's not too different from people who grow up with emotionally unavailable or absentee parents, who subsequently get caught in a friend-zone relationship or as a married person's side piece... or who grow up in a family with addiction or untreated mental illness and later end up choosing a partner with the same traits as the person who caused all the chaos growing up. We all tend to want partners who are high-status or at least worthy of respect, and the highest-status person in any given family is the axis around whom the family revolves: the one whose feelings and opinions are the most important and the one everyone wants to please or is afraid to disappoint. If we come from families where the axis of revolution is due to addiction, absenteeism, irresponsibility or tantrum artistry, then that's the behavior we associate with a person of high worth. At the life stage where we think "I could have a partner of my own", we look for something we recognize as appropriate. We might know, intellectually, that an unstable or predatory partner is not a good choice, and that emotionally we're less guarded, but that only serves to make us mistrust our own feelings of attraction when they occur.

[CodingHare]

I think very few people with seperate finances completely seperate all spending. Most have joint accounts for day to day spending. I can't imagine me eating a steak for dinner while Mr Imma eats rice and beans.

I'm not saying separate finances are Ideal for everyone. In your situation, where you choose to spend a lot of time with your children while your husband is in Ghostbuster training and will be travelling from haunted house to haunted house.

But a lot of people that choose to have seperate finances actively try to avoid that type of "traditional" life. They don't want the household finances to become dependent on one person. They want to avoid creating a situation where one person depends on the other.
....

I think I'm in a very similar boat, @Imma .  I was raised by two parents who had been together 35+ year now?  But they were both previously cheated on by their SOs and divorced.  My mom made damn sure I knew how to keep myself financially secure and not reliant on a partner.

I make a bit less than my SO.  We pay for shared expenses out of a joint account.  We both max out our 401k and ROTHS.  I save a little extra because I want to retire earlier than my husband.

The structure of the accounts is really irrelevant, it's the communication and trust (but verify) that matters to us.  This arrangement lets us save for our goals, not judge each other on discretionary spending, and if shit ever hit the fan, separate finances relatively cleanly.

[Zikoris]

But a lot of people that choose to have seperate finances actively try to avoid that type of "traditional" life. They don't want the household finances to become dependent on one person. They want to avoid creating a situation where one person depends on the other.

I think this is key. For me, the very idea of being financially dependent on a guy (or anyone, for that matter) is so repulsive I would never, ever want to do it under any circumstances. I'm also an assertive enough person that I would never accept a standard of living that was above what I could comfortably afford while still being to put money into the things I like (retirement, hobbies, etc). So for people like, me, a lot of the presented scenarios here would just never happen, regardless of joint-vs-separate finances.

[Imma]

I think growing up like that makes it hard to ever fully trust anyone.

The other down-side is that it makes it hard to ever fully trust oneself to be able to recognize red flags for what they are, in a timely fashion. Growing up with different kinds of fighting, abuse, or financial nonsense happening between one's parents normalizes that kind of behavior to the point where it seems right and appropriate. So the mental circuitry that kicks in early during the courtship process for most people-- "nope, that's a deal-breaker, move on before getting attached" doesn't engage because it literally doesn't exist. It hasn't been built, because the young person never gets a good feel for what "objectively normal and healthy" looks like.

It's not too different from people who grow up with emotionally unavailable or absentee parents, who subsequently get caught in a friend-zone relationship or as a married person's side piece... or who grow up in a family with addiction or untreated mental illness and later end up choosing a partner with the same traits as the person who caused all the chaos growing up. We all tend to want partners who are high-status or at least worthy of respect, and the highest-status person in any given family is the axis around whom the family revolves: the one whose feelings and opinions are the most important and the one everyone wants to please or is afraid to disappoint. If we come from families where the axis of revolution is due to addiction, absenteeism, irresponsibility or tantrum artistry, then that's the behavior we associate with a person of high worth. At the life stage where we think "I could have a partner of my own", we look for something we recognize as appropriate. We might know, intellectually, that an unstable or predatory partner is not a good choice, and that emotionally we're less guarded, but that only serves to make us mistrust our own feelings of attraction when they occur.

That's very true. I decided as a young adult I wouldn't want to end up like my mother - the situation I grew up in was abusive and toxic in general, the marriage was worse than the divorce. I avoided getting into a serious relationship until I grew up a bit, had lived on my own for a while, I read a lot of books and had some therapy. Mr Imma had a similar background and went through roughly the same development. We got together when we were 23 and 26 and had both worked and lived on our own for quite a while.

But I have seen several friends fall into this trap. One friend is in a second marriage and is still repeating childhood patterns. It's hard to witness sometimes.

[Kris]

A hose will help, but not as much as an undercarriage wash.

I'd love to get a good undercarriage wash.

What you yankees need is a bidet for cars.

What we yanks need is a bidet for humans.

So...a bidet??

Yes. That was my point.

[Sugaree]

Apparently my brother and his wife are moving back in with my parents in order to pay off some debt.  I'll admit to being curious as to how they were holding everything together, but I didn't think it was this bad.  My suspicion is that his new promotion is not being held up because they can't find someone to replace him at his old position, but that there is an issue with his credit.  Hopefully, this will be the kick in the ass they need to get it together. 

[Cassie]

When I married for the third time I owned a condo and we used the equity to buy a house because we were taking custody of his son and the condo was too small. I got a prenup to protect my 60k. He let his first wife take advantage. We are now divorcing because he was unfaithful for the second time. He didn’t want to give me the first 60 off the top until I reminded him about the prenup.  Because we totally agreed we saved money by hiring a paralegal and it was final 3 days after filing.  Don’t trust anyone is my motto. We lived together 6 years before marriage and I thought I really knew him. My second husband hid most of our money and I was screwed after 22 years. Fool me once:)).

[Roadrunner53]

When I married for the third time I owned a condo and we used the equity to buy a house because we were taking custody of his son and the condo was too small. I got a prenup to protect my 60k. He let his first wife take advantage. We are now divorcing because he was unfaithful for the second time. He didn’t want to give me the first 60 off the top until I reminded him about the prenup.  Because we totally agreed we saved money by hiring a paralegal and it was final 3 days after filing.  Don’t trust anyone is my motto. We lived together 6 years before marriage and I thought I really knew him. My second husband hid most of our money and I was screwed after 22 years. Fool me once:)).

Cassie, your post makes me sad. Sorry you have had 3 bad relationships but glad you had the prenup and got your money back. Wish you all the best in whatever your future holds.

I have a friend who has also been married 3 times and it wiped her out financially too. First marriage one child and husband with drinking issues and anger problems when drunk involving violence. The next two marriages involved children from both and kids that were unruly and not disaplined. Total disrespect. I do believe the children were the main source of the break ups. She thought her kid walked on water and the husbands didn't see anything wrong with their kids attitudes. What a mess. No thanks to that chaos.

[pachnik]

When I married for the third time I owned a condo and we used the equity to buy a house because we were taking custody of his son and the condo was too small. I got a prenup to protect my 60k. He let his first wife take advantage. We are now divorcing because he was unfaithful for the second time. He didn’t want to give me the first 60 off the top until I reminded him about the prenup.  Because we totally agreed we saved money by hiring a paralegal and it was final 3 days after filing.  Don’t trust anyone is my motto. We lived together 6 years before marriage and I thought I really knew him. My second husband hid most of our money and I was screwed after 22 years. Fool me once:)).

Cassie, I am sorry to hear this too.  Good that you took care of your legal rights at the time of getting together. 

[Adventine]

@Cassie , I'm sorry it turned out that way but good for you for having the foresight to get a prenup.

[SwordGuy]

@Cassie , I'm sorry it turned out that way but good for you for having the foresight to get a prenup.

Absolutely!   And, @Cassie, I don't know you so I can't give tailored advice, I can only give generalized advice.

I say this in the most loving way possible, please take a long, hard look at your shopping list.

It's possible you were just unlucky.   It's also possible that your shopping list has things on it that lead you to people who cause problems for their mates.   I've certainly known other folks with that problem.

Best of luck in the future.   Love.

[Dicey]

@Cassie , I'm sorry it turned out that way but good for you for having the foresight to get a prenup.

+1. My brother is losing the battle with wife #3. He's a good dude, but clearly has processing issues. When he's in the throes of new love, something short circuits in his brain. Breaks my heart. So yeah, I'm feeling the feels for you.

[LaineyAZ]

Cassie,
I think we're both in the 55+ age range, and I'm also divorced, so here's some unsolicited advice if you're open to it:  consider getting a place in a 55+ community.  There's plenty of built-in companionship opportunities, and most of those places have some sort of association and clubhouse with plenty of activities.
Almost like being back on a college campus except it's for seniors. 

I know you'll need time to grieve the loss of this relationship but just know that there are lots of us internet strangers who have been through this and similar things, and we'd all like to see you enjoy your life.  Best to you.

[Cassie]

Sword guy, at 66 I will not be marrying or cohabitating again. I am in the process of buying a condo for myself. Since both my second and third marriages lasted over 20 years not complete failures. People change over time. My third marriage was super happy until the last 10 years.  It was a downhill progression of him hoarding, lying, being so lazy he did nothing all traits he didn’t have previously. I posted on a retirement forum and the stories people tell how their spouses changed in old age are astounding. I would have stayed if it wasn’t for the cheating.  Mostly it’s women reporting how grumpy their husbands have gotten.

Lainey, I have a big friend group and the 55 communities are much too expensive where I live. Actually I am not sad at all and looking forward to living by myself with my 2 little doggies. I will no longer be anyone’s maid. The divorce was final last week in only 3 days and relief is the only thing I feel. At one point I was more in love with him than I have been with anyone but the 10 years of stress slowly killed it.  I think he was confident that I wouldn’t leave him. He’s not happy that it’s over.

[calimom]

So sorry to hear this @Cassie but sounds like you have a good handle on the current reality and are moving forward. Best of luck to you in your rebuilding.

[SwordGuy]

So sorry to hear this @Cassie but sounds like you have a good handle on the current reality and are moving forward. Best of luck to you in your rebuilding.

Agreed!!!   

[Adventine]

 @Cassie sending good thoughts your way as you rebuild your life.

[SunnyDays]

@Cassie, I’m also sorry to hear of your divorce, but glad it was accomplished with a minimum of fuss.

I wonder why he changed so much?  I’ve always thought that a person becomes more of what they’ve always been, but that’s clearly not the case here.  Maybe the loss of testosterone does a number on some men’s brains.

[Dicey]

Cassie,
I think we're both in the 55+ age range, and I'm also divorced, so here's some unsolicited advice if you're open to it:  consider getting a place in a 55+ community.  There's plenty of built-in companionship opportunities, and most of those places have some sort of association and clubhouse with plenty of activities.
Almost like being back on a college campus except it's for seniors. 

I know you'll need time to grieve the loss of this relationship but just know that there are lots of us internet strangers who have been through this and similar things, and we'd all like to see you enjoy your life.  Best to you.

Bonus points if it's a new community where everyone is moving in at about the same time and looking to make new friends. Our rentals are in a 55+ community and we find that people are actually looking to establish new friendships and have the time to pursue them. Great suggestion, @LaineyAZ!

[Cassie]

Locally all the 55 + communities are built in the suburbs as that’s where the empty land is. Even if the price was more reasonable it makes you car dependent. I only looked at condos that have walkable neighborhoods close to groceries, restaurants, etc in case I eventually can’t drive. Also even if I cannot walk to those places it would be a short uber ride.  Some people drive until they die and some don’t.  I want this to be my last move so trying to think about all the challenges I have seen seniors experience.

[snacky]

Cassie, I don't think such long relationships constitute any kind of failure. Having the sense to exit a situation when it becomes irredeemable is a very good thing, as is so carefully planning your next move. I think you're great.

[Cassie]

Thanks Snacky. My only short marriage was the one I had at 18. We were both too young and then had a baby. He was in the military and away from family support.  After 3 years he cheated and I took my son and left. It would have lasted longer if not for the cheating but he was too immature to be married.  I intend to look forward and enjoy what’s left of my life. My third relationship was so good that I married him after living with him for 6 years.  We had some great times and awesome trips to Europe and other places.  Y this marriage also gave me a wonderful step son whom I am close to.  We really never know what life holds. 

[SwordGuy]

Locally all the 55 + communities are built in the suburbs as that’s where the empty land is. Even if the price was more reasonable it makes you car dependent. I only looked at condos that have walkable neighborhoods close to groceries, restaurants, etc in case I eventually can’t drive. Also even if I cannot walk to those places it would be a short uber ride.  Some people drive until they die and some don’t.  I want this to be my last move so trying to think about all the challenges I have seen seniors experience.

I served a year on our city's mass transit citizen advisory committee back in 2007 or thereabouts.

If you live within a certain radius of a city bus route and the bus system is partially funded by the federal government, they have to provide service to you at your door if you're disabled and can't get to the bus stop.   It's called paratransit services.  I don't remember the exact radius and it might have changed in the last 13 years anyway.

Your local city bus service will have current details.

My city didn't have a light rail system so I have no idea if the same type of rule applies to them.

[Cassie]

I spent half of my career working with people with disabilities. Our bus service for them leads much to be desired. People miss their appointments all the time. Personally where I bought my condo I can walk, drive, ride the bus or uber. I don’t want to be dependent on a crappy service.

[SwordGuy]

I spent half of my career working with people with disabilities. Our bus service for them leads much to be desired. People miss their appointments all the time. Personally where I bought my condo I can walk, drive, ride the bus or uber. I don’t want to be dependent on a crappy service.

This is definitely a situation where "your mileage may vary", but I felt it important to get the info out there.  Not a lot of people even know it's an option.

[Morning Glory]

I spent half of my career working with people with disabilities. Our bus service for them leads much to be desired. People miss their appointments all the time. Personally where I bought my condo I can walk, drive, ride the bus or uber. I don’t want to be dependent on a crappy service.

This gave me a giant headache when I worked at dialysis. The poor people have to go to the courthouse to buy tickets for the bus, then they have to book 24 hours in advance. It frequently gets delayed/cancelled due to weather. Drivers don't wait very long either if the patient doesn't come to the door fast enough. We had to cut treatments short a lot of times if they were late because they still had to be out there for the ride home.

[Adventine]

Is there some reason Uber or Lyft couldn't work for these people?

[SwordGuy]

Is there some reason Uber or Lyft couldn't work for these people?

They would, but they charge more than a bus ticket.

[SwordGuy]

Is there some reason Uber or Lyft couldn't work for these people?

They would, but they charge more than a bus ticket.

Actually, not always true.  Not everyone can get in/out of a regular car and few, if any, uber/lyft drivers will be trained to assist them where and how needed.

[Adventine]

Is there some reason Uber or Lyft couldn't work for these people?

They would, but they charge more than a bus ticket.

Actually, not always true.  Not everyone can get in/out of a regular car and few, if any, uber/lyft drivers will be trained to assist them where and how needed.

That makes sense, especially for people in wheelchairs and others with impaired physical mobility.

[Cassie]

In addition people with disabilities often have much lower income because of discrimination in the workplace, costs of medical devices, services needed, etc. Vocation rehabilitation is a federal program operated by the states to help people with disabilities obtain employment. It’s free for most people because it’s funded by taxes. This program was created because of the dismal employment figures for this population.

[Rural]

Is there some reason Uber or Lyft couldn't work for these people?

There is no uber, lyft, or taxi service here, but there's one paratransit van (and one dialysis place).

[Just Joe]

Locally all the 55 + communities are built in the suburbs as that’s where the empty land is. Even if the price was more reasonable it makes you car dependent. I only looked at condos that have walkable neighborhoods close to groceries, restaurants, etc in case I eventually can’t drive. Also even if I cannot walk to those places it would be a short uber ride.  Some people drive until they die and some don’t.  I want this to be my last move so trying to think about all the challenges I have seen seniors experience.

We have a friend living at the Villages in Florida. The community has a big box grocery, hardware store, hospital, smaller shops all over, etc. And golf carts are welcome on all the roads. And - - - no license required to drive those golf carts. We visited a while back and I was impressed with it. Kind of universally Caucasian and boomer but whatever. TONs of clubs and activities. In fact there is a small newspaper printed regularly.

Don;t think it is for DW and I (not our scene) but I'm glad for our friend.

[Dicey]

Locally all the 55 + communities are built in the suburbs as that’s where the empty land is. Even if the price was more reasonable it makes you car dependent. I only looked at condos that have walkable neighborhoods close to groceries, restaurants, etc in case I eventually can’t drive. Also even if I cannot walk to those places it would be a short uber ride.  Some people drive until they die and some don’t.  I want this to be my last move so trying to think about all the challenges I have seen seniors experience.

We have a friend living at the Villages in Florida. The community has a big box grocery, hardware store, hospital, smaller shops all over, etc. And golf carts are welcome on all the roads. And - - - no license required to drive those golf carts. We visited a while back and I was impressed with it. Kind of universally Caucasian and boomer but whatever. TONs of clubs and activities. In fact there is a small newspaper printed regularly.

Don;t think it is for DW and I (not our scene) but I'm glad for our friend.

Paging @pbkmaine...

[Zamboni]

As someone who relied on public transit for many years, I'll say this:

The convenience of the bus is a myth propagated by people who don't have to take the bus everywhere.

Elderly and/or disabled and reliant on the bus? I can tell you from my brief time being bus-reliant while recovering from a ruptured achilles tendon: it's horrible. Totally horrible. Don't ever do that to yourself.

Sure, it works fine if you are young and spry and using it only to commute to work at times that buses run frequently. But, if you need it for things like medical appointments and shopping at odd hours, it's a total drag and time waster even in cities with good systems.

[bigblock440]

Locally all the 55 + communities are built in the suburbs as that’s where the empty land is. Even if the price was more reasonable it makes you car dependent. I only looked at condos that have walkable neighborhoods close to groceries, restaurants, etc in case I eventually can’t drive. Also even if I cannot walk to those places it would be a short uber ride.  Some people drive until they die and some don’t.  I want this to be my last move so trying to think about all the challenges I have seen seniors experience.

We have a friend living at the Villages in Florida. The community has a big box grocery, hardware store, hospital, smaller shops all over, etc. And golf carts are welcome on all the roads. And - - - no license required to drive those golf carts. We visited a while back and I was impressed with it. Kind of universally Caucasian and boomer but whatever. TONs of clubs and activities. In fact there is a small newspaper printed regularly.

Don;t think it is for DW and I (not our scene) but I'm glad for our friend.

Considering the youngest of the silent generation is 75 and the oldest Gen-x'er is 55, yes, you'd expect a 55+ community to be almost entirely boomers.  Just like you'd expect a college campus to be almost entirely whatever comes after millennials (gen-z, zoomers, etc.).

[Cassie]

Zamboni, our clients were exhausted and beaten down by having to use just buses even the paratransit that came to their door. People often had to go hours early to a appointment to guarantee getting there on time. Our 55+ communities do not have everything like the villages.  Anyway I have a huge support system here between friends and one of my sons so would never move plus wonderful weather. We are a big retirement destination hence our high real estate prices. Soon I will walk out my front door to restaurants, movies, events and the river walk and beautiful park with my doggies. I am super excited to move in but probably a month away.

[pachnik]

Zamboni, our clients were exhausted and beaten down by having to use just buses even the paratransit that came to their door. People often had to go hours early to a appointment to guarantee getting there on time. Our 55+ communities do not have everything like the villages.  Anyway I have a huge support system here between friends and one of my sons so would never move plus wonderful weather. We are a big retirement destination hence our high real estate prices. Soon I will walk out my front door to restaurants, movies, events and the river walk and beautiful park with my doggies. I am super excited to move in but probably a month away.

Cassie, I am excited about your new life.