My 65 year old mother lives in one of the most expensive cities in California and had a well-paying job. She developed an illness that prevents her from working long hours anymore, but it's not going to kill her. Her company has encouraged her to retire, and she accepted.
She is a single woman living in a 1 bedroom apartment that costs $1850/month. Her Social Security payouts are $1,900/month untaxed. Obviously, her position in California is untenable. She loves travelling and doesn't mind living in new places, so I have encouraged her to find a suitable town in Washington, Oregon, or maybe Utah or Arizona (the latter two being less desirable to her) where she can get a nice apartment for under $1,000/month.
Ideally, an $800/month apartment would allow her to even save a little money each month if she lived very carefully. She is also able to work and make up to $40,000/year without the government taking taxes out of her SS checks. If she makes any more than that, her SS becomes taxable income, so I've encouraged her to find a part-time job and then spend the rest of her time doing what she loves: writing and photography.
Before she and I get serious about flying to other states and finding a spot for her, is any part of this plan stupid? What else should I be considering here? She has friends throughout Oregon/Washington and has zero problem leaving California in a heartbeat, so I'm not worried about the social aspect of this move.
Submitted September 22, 2018 at 06:38PM by Nightmare_Tonic https://ift.tt/2xJsvch
