I have three things going for me in this long brutal recession. I'm a recluse. I don't like my fellow man much, so going out to be with my fellow man holds no attraction. And on the rare occasion that I do venture out for a meal, my favorite dining spots are the taco stands and the cheap Mexican diners. I read restaurant reviews just to gasp at what they're charging for a pork chop or a single egg Benedict. Homemade cream corn as a side dish is outrageously expensive. I know, it's amazing that anyone is serving homemade cream corn in a restaurant as a side dish, especially in Utah. So, I save a lot of money by not wanting to eat out. And I'd rather watch a movie at home lying on my bed, smoking whatever I want and drinking good iced tea. I couldn't buy a glass of really good iced Earl Grey tea out in the world, even at a tea house, if my life depended on it. I'd rather stay home.
I'm old. But I'm still continent. This means I get Social Security and Medicare but I don't need to spend anything on adult diapers. Lucky me.
The third and most important shock absorber is the house I own. Sure it has it's problems and I could pour a fortune into it. But I haven't. I never borrowed against it. I couldn't. My credit wasn't good enough since medical bills and my mother's care bankrupted me. Chapter 7. It's been five years, so I still don't have good credit and still can't borrow against it. Hell, I can't even afford to pay all my property taxes each year. Certainly never on time. I still have fairly hefty medical bills. But that which has prevented me from borrowing against my house, has saved me from losing my house and have made me a perfect candidate for a Reverse Mortgage! Any day now, I'll find out how little money it's now worth after the housing crash.
