Color me cooking this morning. It is 34 degrees in Northern San Diego County and my wife and I are freezing. So I am going to warm up the kitchen. In the six plus years since we came here from Nebraska, our blood has thinned considerably and looking across the patio at frost on the golf course is not a common sight. Therefore, I am going counter the frost with a Sausage and Shimp Jambalaya recipe I grabbed off of Cooks.com a couple of years ago and modified to our tastes. Make it Friday, eat it on the weekend. Yum!
While the rice is cooking I have some split chicken breasts to debone. The split breasts are more versatile than the boneless, skinless breasts and so much cheaper. I drop the bones in a stock pot with the trinity of celery, carrots, and onions, plus a bay leaf, a sliced garlic clove, and a health pour of seasoning salt. Voila, I have replaced the chicken stock I used to cook the rice with a new batch. I save a couple of chicken breasts with the skin on for frying and grilling recipes and the rest is bagged as breasts and tenders for the freezer. Long before we take off for Fri Afternoon Club, I will have turned seven pounds of breasts into stock and ready to be turned into appetizers and several future meals. Not bad for eight bucks.
Back in Nebraska we could get the "Smart Chicken" brand for a reasonable price because the plant was just down the road in Tecumseh, NE. I still say it is the best chicken ever packaged. However, by the time they ship it to San Diego there is nothing reasonable about the price at all. I still grab a package occasionally for a grilling treat or a special recipe (think chicken scallopine), but we usually just wait for Fosters brand chicken breasts to go on sale. Retirement is expensive, you know, so we save where we can.
Yikes, I just discovered that my spellcheck is not working for some reason. Ya'll could be in for a treat. Yes, I was an English teacher in my past life but doesn't necessarily mean I am a good speller, proofreader or typist! I better close before I tarnish my reputation any more.
Keep warm and take care of yourself.
JimBob
Showing posts with label retirement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retirement. Show all posts
Friday, February 15, 2008
Friday, September 21, 2007
RETIRED AND READY TO READ
More on the Used Bookstore Crawl that James had already talked about; with my perspective.
One of the things that I looked forward to in retirement was having the time to catch up on my reading. As a child I loved to read. I can remember during the summers during the time I was in elementary school, especially in the 7th and 8th grade, the local libraries would always sponsor a Summer Reading Program. You were allowed to check out 10 books each time. I can remember riding my bike to the library and coming home with my allotment of 10 books in the bike basket.
Once home, I stacked my books on a TV tray next to my Father's easy chair and plunked myself down. It was there that I stayed until my Mother couldn't stand it any longer and have some "job" I was supposed to do. My Mother was someone who magazines such as Women's World and First were made. She couldn't stay focused long enough to read a lengthy book but loved reading article snippets and recipes.
But I on the other hand couldn't wait to start a book and reach that stage where the writing, the characters and the plot had kidnapped me away from my world to theirs. If I had not been kidnapped by the end of the first chapter; that book went on the pile to be returned to the library. Because I knew that there were far more books in that library than I could possibly read in a summer; so I had set my kidnapping standard for which ones I would read.
Unfortunately, one grows out of that "summer off" phase of childhood and grows into the phase of responsibility to college, marriage, family, jobs and just life itself. So you can see that I had this image in my mind of retirement being a time when I could go back to that world of being kidnapped by a book as often as I chose.
But retirement is not always as free of responsibilities as one imagines. I swear sometimes I feel like I have more things to do in retirement than before. Perhaps it is because in your life before retirement all of your responsibilities are confined in given areas. They dictate what you will do--your family, your job, your community; they all set the perimeters. BUT: when you retire; you have more say in what those perimeters are. And, if you are like me; we tend to stretch them far and wide. (My mind wandered....and never came back.)
I may not have all the time I would like to curl up in that old familiar position in a comfy chair and read whenever I want to; but I still find the time to go to bookstores and see it as an expanded version of the library from my childhood. One big difference being that instead of being able to walk out of there with 10 books to bring back when read; I have to pay for these.
Now I know that I can still go to the library and I still do; but there is something about a book store that sucks me in. Perhaps it is the comfy chairs in which to sit and read or it might be the Starbucks
My husband and I have found that the new joy comes in the shape of a Used Book Store. And so many of them allow you to bring your read books back in for credit for ones you have not read.
Therefore, you can imagine our delight when we read in the paper that one of our favorite used book stores, Book Tales in Encinitas, CA was organizing a used book store "crawl" visiting different stores from Carlsbad to downtown San Diego and back. Fourteen of us signed up and boarded a bus in Carlsbad and took our book bags into each store and found treasures in every store.
You can see a review and PICTURES from our tour/crawl on my Squidoo lens:
http://www.squidoo.com/babyboomersandretirement/
For anyone who lives in San Diego County, there will be a second one coming up on November 15th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. If you would be interested in joining us, you can contact Patricia McFarland at http://www.encinitasbooktales.com
One of the things that I looked forward to in retirement was having the time to catch up on my reading. As a child I loved to read. I can remember during the summers during the time I was in elementary school, especially in the 7th and 8th grade, the local libraries would always sponsor a Summer Reading Program. You were allowed to check out 10 books each time. I can remember riding my bike to the library and coming home with my allotment of 10 books in the bike basket.
Once home, I stacked my books on a TV tray next to my Father's easy chair and plunked myself down. It was there that I stayed until my Mother couldn't stand it any longer and have some "job" I was supposed to do. My Mother was someone who magazines such as Women's World and First were made. She couldn't stay focused long enough to read a lengthy book but loved reading article snippets and recipes.
But I on the other hand couldn't wait to start a book and reach that stage where the writing, the characters and the plot had kidnapped me away from my world to theirs. If I had not been kidnapped by the end of the first chapter; that book went on the pile to be returned to the library. Because I knew that there were far more books in that library than I could possibly read in a summer; so I had set my kidnapping standard for which ones I would read.
Unfortunately, one grows out of that "summer off" phase of childhood and grows into the phase of responsibility to college, marriage, family, jobs and just life itself. So you can see that I had this image in my mind of retirement being a time when I could go back to that world of being kidnapped by a book as often as I chose.
But retirement is not always as free of responsibilities as one imagines. I swear sometimes I feel like I have more things to do in retirement than before. Perhaps it is because in your life before retirement all of your responsibilities are confined in given areas. They dictate what you will do--your family, your job, your community; they all set the perimeters. BUT: when you retire; you have more say in what those perimeters are. And, if you are like me; we tend to stretch them far and wide. (My mind wandered....and never came back.)
I may not have all the time I would like to curl up in that old familiar position in a comfy chair and read whenever I want to; but I still find the time to go to bookstores and see it as an expanded version of the library from my childhood. One big difference being that instead of being able to walk out of there with 10 books to bring back when read; I have to pay for these.
Now I know that I can still go to the library and I still do; but there is something about a book store that sucks me in. Perhaps it is the comfy chairs in which to sit and read or it might be the Starbucks
My husband and I have found that the new joy comes in the shape of a Used Book Store. And so many of them allow you to bring your read books back in for credit for ones you have not read.
Therefore, you can imagine our delight when we read in the paper that one of our favorite used book stores, Book Tales in Encinitas, CA was organizing a used book store "crawl" visiting different stores from Carlsbad to downtown San Diego and back. Fourteen of us signed up and boarded a bus in Carlsbad and took our book bags into each store and found treasures in every store.
You can see a review and PICTURES from our tour/crawl on my Squidoo lens:
http://www.squidoo.com/babyboomersandretirement/
For anyone who lives in San Diego County, there will be a second one coming up on November 15th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. If you would be interested in joining us, you can contact Patricia McFarland at http://www.encinitasbooktales.com
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Retirement and Memories
After seeing our blog yesterday, my brother sent me one that he had found. I hope you don't mind two videos in a row; but I couldn't help myself.
With a big high school reunion this summer, for which I regret I was unable to get back to Nebraska: I think that I have been spending a lot of time in recalling memories. I've pulled out the old yearbooks and have been poring over the faces, trying to remember names and things about them. Then of course you spend time in the "I wonder whatever happened to ___________"?
If you watched the video of The Remember Song by Tom Rush at a concert at Humpreys by the Sea, (right here in San Diego) and thought to yourself--"I resemble that remark", watch the following video by The Statler Brothers. I am sure you will remember these.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5sgDD2DhTc
With a big high school reunion this summer, for which I regret I was unable to get back to Nebraska: I think that I have been spending a lot of time in recalling memories. I've pulled out the old yearbooks and have been poring over the faces, trying to remember names and things about them. Then of course you spend time in the "I wonder whatever happened to ___________"?
If you watched the video of The Remember Song by Tom Rush at a concert at Humpreys by the Sea, (right here in San Diego) and thought to yourself--"I resemble that remark", watch the following video by The Statler Brothers. I am sure you will remember these.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Retirement Savings Scare
Consumer advocate David Horowitz tossed out some stats from his radio show "Fight Back!" a while ago that both startled and frankly concerned me. Trust me, I do not listen to much talk radio as most of those bozos leave me with the same feeling I get from finger nails on a chalkboard. I actually found his website link in our Costco magazine recently and found more details there.
Mr. Horowitz was sharing an observation that a healthy individual retiring today at age sixty-five could expect to live to 90 years of age. His point being that many people are simply not planning their retirement strategy in a way which will save or generate enough income to reach that age. This certainly rang true for my wife and I. We did her calculations on 82 and mine on 78. We are finding that from a savings standpoint, we are not even close for those ages, let alone 90. Obviously, this is why we are working on becoming Internet entrepreneurs! We are not alone as he points out that the Society of Actuaries has said that 68% of retired men and 60% of retired women have underestimated their life expectancy in retirement calculations.
If you are growing concerned as you read the above, I recommend you visit our newsletter site at www.RetiredandReady.com for more information about retirement strategies. When you subscribe to our fre*e newsletter, you can also to get a fre*e "retirement calculator tool" from the link in the newsletter. Hopefully your new calculations will put your mind at ease.
Mr. Horowitz was sharing an observation that a healthy individual retiring today at age sixty-five could expect to live to 90 years of age. His point being that many people are simply not planning their retirement strategy in a way which will save or generate enough income to reach that age. This certainly rang true for my wife and I. We did her calculations on 82 and mine on 78. We are finding that from a savings standpoint, we are not even close for those ages, let alone 90. Obviously, this is why we are working on becoming Internet entrepreneurs! We are not alone as he points out that the Society of Actuaries has said that 68% of retired men and 60% of retired women have underestimated their life expectancy in retirement calculations.
If you are growing concerned as you read the above, I recommend you visit our newsletter site at www.RetiredandReady.com for more information about retirement strategies. When you subscribe to our fre*e newsletter, you can also to get a fre*e "retirement calculator tool" from the link in the newsletter. Hopefully your new calculations will put your mind at ease.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
RETIRED AND READY TO SQUIDOO
The following post is one that Carol Ann posted in her Squidoo lens: www.squidoo.com/babyboomersandretirement/
If you are new to Squidoo or have never heard of it; you need to check it out. It is great way for older than teen-agers to do our social networking. Besides it is fun to do.
After my husband and I retired and moved from Nebraska to California in 2001; we knew two things for sure: We never wanted to work for someone else again and we needed to find a new way to generate an income to increase our cash flow. We explored many of the work from home options and even spent money on various "programs" in the areas of real estate investing, note buying, trading options and soon realized that we hadn't found the right niche for us.
Then we found Dr. Mike Woo-Ming and Internet Marketing. We had found our niche. But the learning curve, oh my! We were two people who had worked in the public sector in state and local government in the fields of aging services. How did we take that to the area of internet marketing and learn the technology? We learned that we needed to have a mentor (or three or four). Thus began our involvement with some of the Internet Marketing gurus such as Keith Baxter, Derek Gehl, Ed Dale and our most recent hero, Jack Humphrey.
Dr. Mike Woo-Ming become partners with Howie Schwartz and the members of the Momentum Coaching Club became the beneficiaries. Dr. Mike and Howie have spent a lot of time working with Web 2.0 and the many social networking avenues; we were encouraged to set up a Squidoo lens.
When I first came to do my lens, I looked at the site and left, vowing to come back later. So I went in search of guides for setting up a lens. I found an ebook by Tiffany Dow and a guide by Bob, the Teacher which propelled me to just do it!
So this is my testimonial for people who have yet to build a Squidoo lens and might think that it is more difficult to do than it is. I realize that my lens is a work in progress; but then so am I. So I will continue to figure out all of the inner workings of Squidoo and other Web 2.0 in this exciting world on the Internet.
Howie Swartz interviewed Seth Godin, the creator of Squidoo, on Squidoo and Google Slaps. He has now started a seven part series on building your Squidoo lens and driving traffic to it. He has put the case studies with YouTube videos on his website,
www.searchingdot.com
I Squidoo, Do You?
Retired and Ready to: ????________________(You fill in the blank when you share your comments about this post)
If you are new to Squidoo or have never heard of it; you need to check it out. It is great way for older than teen-agers to do our social networking. Besides it is fun to do.
After my husband and I retired and moved from Nebraska to California in 2001; we knew two things for sure: We never wanted to work for someone else again and we needed to find a new way to generate an income to increase our cash flow. We explored many of the work from home options and even spent money on various "programs" in the areas of real estate investing, note buying, trading options and soon realized that we hadn't found the right niche for us.
Then we found Dr. Mike Woo-Ming and Internet Marketing. We had found our niche. But the learning curve, oh my! We were two people who had worked in the public sector in state and local government in the fields of aging services. How did we take that to the area of internet marketing and learn the technology? We learned that we needed to have a mentor (or three or four). Thus began our involvement with some of the Internet Marketing gurus such as Keith Baxter, Derek Gehl, Ed Dale and our most recent hero, Jack Humphrey.
Dr. Mike Woo-Ming become partners with Howie Schwartz and the members of the Momentum Coaching Club became the beneficiaries. Dr. Mike and Howie have spent a lot of time working with Web 2.0 and the many social networking avenues; we were encouraged to set up a Squidoo lens.
When I first came to do my lens, I looked at the site and left, vowing to come back later. So I went in search of guides for setting up a lens. I found an ebook by Tiffany Dow and a guide by Bob, the Teacher which propelled me to just do it!
So this is my testimonial for people who have yet to build a Squidoo lens and might think that it is more difficult to do than it is. I realize that my lens is a work in progress; but then so am I. So I will continue to figure out all of the inner workings of Squidoo and other Web 2.0 in this exciting world on the Internet.
Howie Swartz interviewed Seth Godin, the creator of Squidoo, on Squidoo and Google Slaps. He has now started a seven part series on building your Squidoo lens and driving traffic to it. He has put the case studies with YouTube videos on his website,
www.searchingdot.com
I Squidoo, Do You?
Retired and Ready to: ????________________(You fill in the blank when you share your comments about this post)
Friday, July 20, 2007
Are You a Threat to Your Home's Security?
I have posted here and written in our newsletter Retired and Ready about various issues surrounding safety and security for retired folks. When one starts blogging and sharing information, one of the great things is the feedback and sharing we get from others. Just this morning I got a collection of tid-bits from a retired friend and reader of our newsletter.
One of the pieces she referenced asked a question, "what is a robbers favorite tool?" The answer was "Yours!" The article covered some people's tendency to leave or store various tools in their yards. The point here was that an ax, hammer or crowbar is like an invitation for someone to break in to your home. So, what was the favorite tool thieves love finding in your yard? A Ladder! The access it provides to a roof with skylights or upper story windows that may be unlocked, is a source of temptation for a dishonest person.
I have big ceiling hooks in my garage so I can hang my ladder up high and out of the way. So, when I read her note, where was my ladder? Folded up and leaning against the stone wall for our raised landscaping on the side of the house. I had used it to trim the top of our Dr. Seuss tree and left it there, sixteen days ago! Yikes, did I feel stupid. It's now on the hooks in the garage.
Thanks for this mornings note Betty!!!!!
One of the pieces she referenced asked a question, "what is a robbers favorite tool?" The answer was "Yours!" The article covered some people's tendency to leave or store various tools in their yards. The point here was that an ax, hammer or crowbar is like an invitation for someone to break in to your home. So, what was the favorite tool thieves love finding in your yard? A Ladder! The access it provides to a roof with skylights or upper story windows that may be unlocked, is a source of temptation for a dishonest person.
I have big ceiling hooks in my garage so I can hang my ladder up high and out of the way. So, when I read her note, where was my ladder? Folded up and leaning against the stone wall for our raised landscaping on the side of the house. I had used it to trim the top of our Dr. Seuss tree and left it there, sixteen days ago! Yikes, did I feel stupid. It's now on the hooks in the garage.
Thanks for this mornings note Betty!!!!!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Retirement:Get Started/Take Action
Earlier this month I was communicating with my virtual colleague, Charles Earl Foster. Chucky Earl as I call him, is the co-author of the great retirement planning guide, "Plan Now Retire Early" which we recommend both here and in our fre*e newsletter, www.RetiredandReady.com. Chuck was sharing what he is afraid is a disturbing trend among what I will refer to as the "50 something" Baby Boomer group. Problem is, I am seeing and hearing the same thing.
As we interact with these folks, more and more of them are telling us that they have saved very little money for their retirement. What nearly all of them have in common is that they are or have been self-employed, often small business owners or have been contract agreement workers most of their working lives. The reasons are as diverse as the people themselves. Put two kids through college. Kids moved back home! Living paycheck to paycheck as it is. House payment poor. Had to put the money back in the business. However, the excuses that are killing the two of us are, "we just never got started" and "we just did not know what to do."
The truth is, one cannot get started any sooner than right now unless one's actual goal is to work until the day he or she dies. That may be great for the likely small percentage of people who love their work/job, but none of these people fit in that profile. The "didn't know what to do" group also includes the "we didn't know what to ask" and the "we didn't want to look stupid" subgroups. How stupid is not asking or learning what to do about your retirement? There are great people and resources out there that cover this subject from start to finish.
After our interaction, I told Charles that I knew he had initially written his great downloadable eBook for a younger post Baby Boomer population. However, if both of us are interacting with so many of these individuals and couples, we needed to find a way to get this resource into the hands of these folks. "Plan Now Retire Early" is a step-by-step resource for the person who is the most important player in your retirement savings plan. YOU! The central theme is that you have to own your plan and make it your own.
To this end, we have set up a specific site for Baby Boomers to get this resource so they can learn, get started and take action. If you are one of these people, know someone who is, or just want a clear and powerful tool for your retirement planning strategy, visit www.babyboomersandretirement.com to get more information on ordering the guide. Remember, the first step is the most important one in any journey.
Information on this book and other resources covering identity theft, safety and security, health and travel tips, as well as information on how to use the Internet to make money from home, can be found when you visit our fre*e retirement newsletter at www.retiredandready.com.
As we interact with these folks, more and more of them are telling us that they have saved very little money for their retirement. What nearly all of them have in common is that they are or have been self-employed, often small business owners or have been contract agreement workers most of their working lives. The reasons are as diverse as the people themselves. Put two kids through college. Kids moved back home! Living paycheck to paycheck as it is. House payment poor. Had to put the money back in the business. However, the excuses that are killing the two of us are, "we just never got started" and "we just did not know what to do."
The truth is, one cannot get started any sooner than right now unless one's actual goal is to work until the day he or she dies. That may be great for the likely small percentage of people who love their work/job, but none of these people fit in that profile. The "didn't know what to do" group also includes the "we didn't know what to ask" and the "we didn't want to look stupid" subgroups. How stupid is not asking or learning what to do about your retirement? There are great people and resources out there that cover this subject from start to finish.
After our interaction, I told Charles that I knew he had initially written his great downloadable eBook for a younger post Baby Boomer population. However, if both of us are interacting with so many of these individuals and couples, we needed to find a way to get this resource into the hands of these folks. "Plan Now Retire Early" is a step-by-step resource for the person who is the most important player in your retirement savings plan. YOU! The central theme is that you have to own your plan and make it your own.
To this end, we have set up a specific site for Baby Boomers to get this resource so they can learn, get started and take action. If you are one of these people, know someone who is, or just want a clear and powerful tool for your retirement planning strategy, visit www.babyboomersandretirement.com to get more information on ordering the guide. Remember, the first step is the most important one in any journey.
Information on this book and other resources covering identity theft, safety and security, health and travel tips, as well as information on how to use the Internet to make money from home, can be found when you visit our fre*e retirement newsletter at www.retiredandready.com.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Vacation Car Rental Benefits
Being retired in the "not doing a job for someone else" sense provides us with a lot of flexibility when the need to travel comes up. We have two "must do" trips coming up this spring and summer. Carol Ann has a major class reunion and our granddaughter graduates from high school. Both of these events are going to require us to fly halfway across the country and necessitate renting a car to have the mobility, independence and time control we need.
Since few of those we will visit are retired they have obligations that do not always allow time to transport us or loan us a vehicle, we feel it simplifies life for all if we have our own transportation. The thing is, it can be a very expensive proposition if one is going to rent for several days or weeks. There's not just the cost of the rental but I like to have some insurance coverage and don't get me started on the cost of gasoline right now.
I made a discovery recently that was a pleasant surprise regarding car rental insurance. Two of my credit cards have insurance coverage options available that greatly reduce the out of pocket expense. One, a platinum Visa, has collision damage coverage built in if I use that card for the car rental. The other, a platinum American Express, has a flat $29.95 fee for total coverage if I rent the car with their card. That sure beats the sox off of the $12.95 a day cost the young woman quoted me for a two week car rental with Budget recently. While I do not generally have much nice to say about credit card companies, these certainly are value added services.
Retirement savings and income being what they are, I look for all the shortcuts to savings on a car rental that I can find. I am not very loyal to any brand as I think all of the major companies are about the same. We rent most often from Enterprise but Budget, Thrifty and Alamo have all given us comparable service. I am not sure who can afford Hertz unless your company is paying for the rental. I have found that using a travel search site called Kayak.com will find me the best deals to compare and choose from to get the cheapest price for the most comfortable car.
Give a site like Kayak.com a try and check with your credit card company to see if there may be a "hidden" benefit like the ones I discovered.
Since few of those we will visit are retired they have obligations that do not always allow time to transport us or loan us a vehicle, we feel it simplifies life for all if we have our own transportation. The thing is, it can be a very expensive proposition if one is going to rent for several days or weeks. There's not just the cost of the rental but I like to have some insurance coverage and don't get me started on the cost of gasoline right now.
I made a discovery recently that was a pleasant surprise regarding car rental insurance. Two of my credit cards have insurance coverage options available that greatly reduce the out of pocket expense. One, a platinum Visa, has collision damage coverage built in if I use that card for the car rental. The other, a platinum American Express, has a flat $29.95 fee for total coverage if I rent the car with their card. That sure beats the sox off of the $12.95 a day cost the young woman quoted me for a two week car rental with Budget recently. While I do not generally have much nice to say about credit card companies, these certainly are value added services.
Retirement savings and income being what they are, I look for all the shortcuts to savings on a car rental that I can find. I am not very loyal to any brand as I think all of the major companies are about the same. We rent most often from Enterprise but Budget, Thrifty and Alamo have all given us comparable service. I am not sure who can afford Hertz unless your company is paying for the rental. I have found that using a travel search site called Kayak.com will find me the best deals to compare and choose from to get the cheapest price for the most comfortable car.
Give a site like Kayak.com a try and check with your credit card company to see if there may be a "hidden" benefit like the ones I discovered.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
"Retired and Ready" the Newletter has Arrived!
It's here! Our blog has given birth to a newsletter! Given our desire to meet, greet and share with more retired folks, we have published the first edition of our ongoing newsletter. We would encourage you to check it out at www.retiredandready.com as it has articles and information we can't really cover well in this blog. Subscribe now and it is free. We are sure you will be glad that you did.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
ID Theft is Scary to the Retired
I realize that as we age, changes in the mind and body can result in the reduction of courage and the enhancement of some fears. But I have to tell you that after a recent conversation with a fellow retired person, the two of us had nearly scare ourselves silly!
He had gotten an email from his brother about how messed up his son's (Paul's nephew) life had become since his identity had been stolen. Apparently someone had gotten enough of the nephew's personal information to successfully complete a pre-approved credit card application retrieved from the dumpster at his complex. The nephew currently believes it was someone working in tandem with a person who gained access to his personnel file at a former employer.
We got to speculating about various ways we had run across recently that illustrated how people leave themselves open to identity theft. At our Credit Union ATM there are routinely withdrawal receipts on the floor. At gas pumps, people leave their receipt in or around the pump. It would seem that the annoying reminder beep would help but many older and retired persons do not hear sounds in that range. In our retirement community they still deliver to the mailbox on your house and a number of homes have an unlocked decorative mailbox 20 ft from the curb. A retired acquaintance left her sunroof open in a hospital parking lot and someone just reached in and took the garage door opener and car registration that were clipped to the visor. With the address on the registration and the opener, her house was robbed of not only identity rich materials but valuable jewelry before she got home from the hospital. When crows tore open a neighbors garbage bags, some of what ended up in the street included checks for balance transfer and cash advances from one of her credit cards. Until a couple of years ago, I used to sort my mail at the garbage can and throw those kinds of offers in the can unopened!
By the time we finished our walk we felt like there was a bogey man behind every tree and we had both taken a pledge to religiously use our shredder! Do you have an identity theft experience or a good tip on how to protect us from identity theft? Leave us a comment to share.
Take care of yourself and your identity.
He had gotten an email from his brother about how messed up his son's (Paul's nephew) life had become since his identity had been stolen. Apparently someone had gotten enough of the nephew's personal information to successfully complete a pre-approved credit card application retrieved from the dumpster at his complex. The nephew currently believes it was someone working in tandem with a person who gained access to his personnel file at a former employer.
We got to speculating about various ways we had run across recently that illustrated how people leave themselves open to identity theft. At our Credit Union ATM there are routinely withdrawal receipts on the floor. At gas pumps, people leave their receipt in or around the pump. It would seem that the annoying reminder beep would help but many older and retired persons do not hear sounds in that range. In our retirement community they still deliver to the mailbox on your house and a number of homes have an unlocked decorative mailbox 20 ft from the curb. A retired acquaintance left her sunroof open in a hospital parking lot and someone just reached in and took the garage door opener and car registration that were clipped to the visor. With the address on the registration and the opener, her house was robbed of not only identity rich materials but valuable jewelry before she got home from the hospital. When crows tore open a neighbors garbage bags, some of what ended up in the street included checks for balance transfer and cash advances from one of her credit cards. Until a couple of years ago, I used to sort my mail at the garbage can and throw those kinds of offers in the can unopened!
By the time we finished our walk we felt like there was a bogey man behind every tree and we had both taken a pledge to religiously use our shredder! Do you have an identity theft experience or a good tip on how to protect us from identity theft? Leave us a comment to share.
Take care of yourself and your identity.
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