Personal - #31 - How do I protect my present financial and material situation in today’s world?

Will I have enough “left’?
What’s enough?
How can I figure out how much longer I will live?
How do I protect myself?

Sound familiar? ….. Make your stomach upset?
Who has the answers? …. Where can I find out?

Let’s consider…..

Each person has their own set of facts. Each person expects different things. Each person is “different”!
But each person has the same old questions!!!
It must be obvious that no one answer is applicable.

Let’s begin by separating things. ….Things that each of you must choose for yourself.

First: Will I have enough “left”?
“Enough” can only measured by “what you want”. So, “enough” must be defined by what you want; or, at the very least, what you can afford.
Where can I afford to live? What will be my expenses… my mortgage, my property taxes, my insurance, my property upkeep; or my rent? Where can I find this location … this state, this neighborhood, near my present friends or family? Is my choice practical, real? Who will be living in ten or twenty years from now?
What will my health be? If I’m not capable of taking care of myself, will my choice of residence be appropriate?

Second: How many dollars do I need a month? …. Food, lodging, medical, transportation?
How much does this represent in just total savings? How much does this represent in retirement income after paying estimated taxes. (After all, we realize we are now at a minimum government and state tax percentage.) Will I have “enough”?

Third: How long will I need this income? …How long will I live?
How long did your parents live? Are you in good health now? What do your insurance company statistics tell you? Can you get a reasonable answer from your doctor?
Can I augment my present savings to provide extra income? Can I invest somehow? Am I willing to take a risk of loss? How much of a risk? How much of a loss? What is my minimum?
For sure, if you are not able to face these questions, the future will NOT take care of itself!

At the very least, one should start getting some ideas now before you are left with no options. We all know that it is very difficult to face these questions. The problem is that we don’t have an option!! Begin now before you have to leave it to others to make these choices for you. You don’t have to have exact answers but you do have to begin to approximate. You may need assistance now in some areas but, at least, you are trying.

For sure, if you are not able to face these questions, the future will NOT take care of itself!
If you have not planned for the future or you are unable to plan for the future, try to achieve a state of mind of “mere acceptance”. You will have no other choice! Find out how or what is involved in “mere acceptance”. Many people in the world have never had a choice. They “merely accept”. In America most people have choices. It is a deep change to “mere acceptance” but many in the world have achieved this state of mind. One doesn’t worry about what we had, only what we have now!
There is a big difference between “nothing” and “something”. …. “choices” and “no choices”.

This is both “something to think about” and a “choice not to think about”! It’s up to you!!!


(Thanks for at least reading this!!)