For my new readers or even long time readers, here are a few things about Hubby and I.
I was born in New York and have always lived in New York except for the 10 years that we lived in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Living in Arizona was a wonderful time in our lives but we missed our children and grandchildren so we came back to New York.
My Hubby is the love of my life and we have been married for more than 55 wonderful years. He took my breath away the first time I met him and I continue to love him more and more each day.
We have two sons who have their own lives now and we have a granddaughter and a grandson. I love them all as much as Hubby. They give me joy each and every day even though they do not live in the same town.
We retired 21 years ago this month. That early retirement was planned from the time we were in our early twenties. We made many of our choices around being able to retire early. Hubby had been diagnosed with heart disease when he was 23. His father died before he could retire. Hubby wanted to make sure that he had a few retirement years before he died. I have kept him healthy and he is doing great. Career choices were based on that and on making sure our children had a good college education. We reached that goal and many more.
People have asked me if we have always been frugal. I would have to answer that yes. Every decision was based on our and our children’s needs.
Did we have any luxuries while the children were growing up? Yes, we had many including the boys going to a private all boy’s academy for junior high and high school. We put an in- ground pool in our yard that we could all enjoy. We went to camp at a lake one year so they would know what that was like. You see Hubby and I both spent our summers on a lake when we were growing up. Believe me when I say that the boys had a great life when they were children and they went without nothing especially love. They spent time many summers camping with their Dad and other fathers and their sons. They played basketball, football, and track when they were at the academy and we were at every game. They were into soccer from the time they were 6. We paid for many proms and limousines.
By being frugal we put Hubby through his last 2 years of college(while I was at home taking care of two infants) and his Master’s program. Was that easy? No but it paid off in the long run. I was a stay at home mom until my youngest was in 5th grade when I took a part time job. Then the year after my oldest had finished his first year at the academy and my youngest son was starting in 6th grade, I took a full time job to pay for their private school and college educations. That way Hubby could concentrate on putting money away for retirement. I stopped working the year before my youngest son entered his last year at a 5 year college. I could do that because we were mortgage and debt free.
We were mortgage and debt free while we lived in Arizona and while we have lived back here in New York.
Frugality in everything you do allows you to make your choices in life and to be able to spend on the people and things that are important to you.
Even though we are retired we still practice frugality so that we can spend on what is important to us now. As we age and can’t do some of the things we used to be able to do, we can afford to hire people to do them for us.
Hopefully with the posts that I do here on the blog, some of you can learn from me and have the life that you want. I will do my best to post things that can help. I am getting older and slower at doing the things I used to do but I still have a functioning brain.
So if there is ever anything that you have a question about or want to learn about from my experience, just leave a comment and ask. I will do my best to write about it.
8 replies on “About Precious”
It’s wonderful getting to know you
Hi Patti,
That’s so sweet!
Great post, Precious. I knew most of your story, but didn’t remember the part about your hubby being diagnosed with heart disease so young. Your frugal ways have helped encourage me so much through the years since I started reading your former blog in 2008. I loved your blog so much more than the others I read then, b/c you were more my age, lived a simple life, wrote about practical things, and I just felt I could relate more to you. And, you live the way we do/are aiming for in retirement since we are about 10 years behind you and hubby. I am glad we are friends now.
I will tell a little about our journey also, some things are similar to yours. Hubby and I married while he was getting his masters degree. We have lived in several cities/towns through our marriage. When we were young, we lived 12 years in the Washington, DC area. Being in such a high cost of living area, it was hard to manage our finances, and neither of us were taught this by our parents. At the same time, the retirement rules changed and 401ks came to be the main retirement savings with no education. So we did not know how to save in them, and the internet was not a thing back then.
We finally got financial traction when we moved to Ohio in the late 1990s, and played catch up for many years. Luckily we were always frugal, so that kept us from financial disaster in the DC years. We were like you and your hubby, in that education for our children was the most important thing besides our Christian faith. We accomplished that goal after many years. I was a stay at home mom most of our marriage, but did some part time work for a non profit to help pay for private school like you did.
We are married 40 years this year and hubby will be retiring sometime in the next 18 mos or so. Our lives today are still simple, and our family is our joy, as yours is for you. I have appreciated so much your encouragement and wise counsel through the years about many things. The biggest thing was how you cheered me on when we moved up here 7 years ago, got a 10 year mortgage, and paid our house off in 3.5 years. That was such a great day when hubby wrote the check to pay it off on my birthday that year.
Hi Chris,
Thanks so much. I am so happy that we are friends also. You have done terrific!
We have a lot in common. I was born & raised in New York also. I did try to move away….to Florida no less….twice….and each time was a disaster so I am very happy to be back in NY. Where it makes sense. I know you understand that statement. LOL.
Plus my husband has a rare genetic heart disease and must be monitored annually. He has to be very careful not to lift or carry or move heavy objects. Do you think he adheres to his doctor’s orders? What do you think? (hint: NO!)
I retired at age 50 when I sold my Hampton LI NY home back in 2001. I made enough in equity that we were able to buy land (3.5 acres), build a custom modular home (1140 sq ft on first floor. 800 sq ft on 2nd floor BUT no one uses it), get 2 paid-for used cars and still sock away some cash in our retirement funds. I retired in 2001. Hubby has been working part time ever since. A few days per month. He and I have been together for over 40 years! he has absolutely no idea about money. He just knows how to make it. I know how to use/save it wisely. We make a great team! Over the years he has learned to be frugal…..and he is still learning.
Truthfully, I still live as if I am back in the 1970s when inflation was racing wildly. I guess one never forgets those years. Sort of like our parents and grandparents who got through The Great Depression.
Even though I prepared for inflation, I prepped for 3 to 4%. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined inflation would be 20%. It’s been a real killer. A pandemic on top of everything else hasn’t made our retirement experiences any better. But forge onward we must. I’m determined NOT to have a government ruin my life. No govt interference in the 70s and certainly not now. The key is to prioritize. Once you figure out what is prime important to you, the rest is easy.
Thanks y’all for sharing!! And listening.
Hi Cindi,
We do have a lot in common. I miss AZ but I am glad to be closer to family. I can’t imagine trying to fly back and forth right now to visit them. It would be a nightmare. I hate the politics in NY.
I think they try their best to adhere to Dr.’s orders but they slip up once in a while.
You retired the same year we did. Good for you at 50!
You are right about the 1970’s but this that we are in now i believe is worse and going to keep getting worse.
I so agree with your last paragraph. Thanks for sharing Cindi.
Hello, I haven’t been able to leave comments on most blogs for months but I think I finally came up with a solution this evening.
This inflation is just crazy and I fear it is going to keep getting worse with news I see coming from DC
Hi there,
It’s good to hear from you! I hope you and your family are well.
I had the same problem as you with the posting of comments but I found a work around also.
I know we are in a recession but I am worried that we are headed for a depression. UGH!