I am thankful we have decent health insurance. The medical bills from Hubby's heart attack, my Crohn's and UTI and then covid is starting to come in. We put them on the credit cards (all have cash back).
Hubby asked me yesterday what I was doing. He thought I said I paid the bills until after our SS comes in. I did say that, I did do that.
He is doing better to stay focused and process what we are talking about but with mild dementia I do have to repeat myself. He is not good at finances and never has been as he grew up on farm loans that got rolled over it they couldn't pay them off.
I was checking what was on the credit cards. They all have cash back. We use certain cards for certain stores/ things to get the most back.
So I broke it down for him.
I have one card that is for utilities and automatic payments like our umbrella ins that is due once a year. Since that is all that goes on it, it's easy to see if there is any fraud charges.
Hubby has 2 that is just his and one we both are on. His cell phone and Sirius are on his, the other one is business and he's shutting it down but our bank offered to issue him a new card for personal. He is going to go in and talk to them, see the lady that has handled mine as she's really into , this would give you this but cost you that but this one would do the same for more for your effort kind of person. Knowing him, it's going to be cash back on what he would use it for. I suggested auto repairs and fuel. That's where it goes now. We'll figure that one out after he goes in at the end of the week.
TSC is for the farm so we are both on it. We put groceries on it also.
It's easy to see on his cards or TSC if there is fraud.
I watch Chase as it's my Amazon card and eating out . I make sure the only thing being charged is what should be. They have caught a couple fraud attempts and denied the charges so that's good. I canceled all my auto shipments. I have us stocked for 2 years if we don't share with a single kid or grandkid. I had one OTC med that Hubby is no longer taking since his heart surgery. I put it out to the kids and it was gone in a week since I write the price on it I knew what to have the kids pay me. One said that price had doubled in the past 3 months as she was trying to stock up for her and her daughter. They now have enough to go 6 months.
I checked out the last credit card, it had all the medical on it and it was NOT a pretty sight. I paid it off . I NEVER carry a balance that will be charged interest.
I told Hubby the credit cards are up to high (when you haven't went anywhere for almost a month you might wonder what is going on) then added the medical bills are coming in. I have the money in the money market and savings. I try to always have the next year's out of pocket/dental/ eye costs saved by Nov for the following year so we never stress about paying medical bills (something he did while farming until he went to work in the factory and I always did being self employed) BUT if I use the money market to pay the incoming bills we won't have enough to cover next year's out of pocket/dental/ eye...
So I did the shuffle (he rolls his eyes when I say that). We have 4 CD's maturing. They will be in before the rest of the bills will be in. I am going to take them to pay off the medical add what is left to the Money market and we will have enough to cover 2024's out of pocket. I even using the estimate for part D added enough to cover our routine meds. Added enough to pay for 1 set of glasses through Walmart and dental including x rays for us for the whole year.
I still need to do Christmas cash and 2024 bday money but that comes out of my annuity I get monthly.
He sat looking at me. I waited then asked... what are you thinking?
SO....(he is worse than the kids using that word), we can use the maturing CD's for this year's medical. Roll what is left over onto the money market and have 2024's medical pretty much covered. YES since we both have Medigap policies that should cover it.
We have 2 yrs of OTC meds. YES, I do have some holistic (dandelion root tea for his gout) also just not 2 years.
We have propane for the year (cook stove and water heater) and part of the wood with a wagon load (3 cords) to come from the sawmill in next month. YES
He was able to cut some wood up yesterday. E was out picking corn from 15 acres behind us by hand for his beef cattle and had the boys spend about an hour helping Hubby get some wood cut up. E helped him set up the buzz saw and splitter. So we have a good solid month already cut and ready. E said it's set now that Hubby can use the tractor to move the wood to the saw or splitter and not him trying to lift it. E and the boys will be checking the wood supply when they are picking corn which will be ALL winter. E said there is about 4 months of wood sitting here . He knows Hubby still have 2 trees to pull up from the woods and the 3 cords coming from the sawmill would take us another month. That should take us to Feb. and he told Hubby that. We can put in at the sawmill we want another wagon and it would come in about that time and take us through Feb/ March.
So we have heat... I added.... We have full freezers, full pantry when I finish tomatoes and applesauce. Even if I add fresh veggies we can keep the grocery bill down below $200. I just harvested sage to dehydrate and grind which was the last of what I needed. I MIGHT need to pick up garlic bulbs but I do have garlic powder. Lysol was the last thing I needed for cleaning as I make my own laundry soap.
We don't need clothes, shoes or boots. I might replace muck boots if they go on sale, right now they are sprayed with flexseal to keep from getting my feet wet.
We shop Amish bulk, Mennonite bulk, small business specialty stores.
THEN he said finally what was worrying him. We aren't going to get the house paid off in 5 yrs. and we need to replace the Silverado in 2024.
Probably not on the mortgage. I am still checking the dealership I bought the Silverado from BUT right now I can earn twice as much interest on a CD than I would save paying extra on the mortgage. SO the shuffle it earn the interest, let the interest pay the extra on the mortgage. I figured a $600 car payment to go into savings/ short term CD monthly. Go at least until June before replacing Silverado and I already have half the down payment if we got a loan (rather not).
He sat looking at me.... then said OKAY you are being your Dad, let the investments pay the bills when you roll them over. I can handle that. IT was like watching a mountain fall off his shoulders.
Then I pointed out if I cashed out and paid through the nose on taxes I could pay OFF the house if something bad happened just from my inheritance from my Dad. AND I would still have enough money to live on monthly with his SS check without any investments.
He did say he wants to get the business closed this coming week and then after his ENT appt. for what ever is causing him to lose his voice every afternoon. He wants to have an appt for the lawyer to update will etc. That appt. is usually a battle but since the heart attack he's realized that side of things need to be kept updated.
I did not tell him I was already making an extra payment every month on the mortgage. Basically turning the 30 yr mortgage into a 15 yr mortgage. In the past 24 months I have made 72 payments. IF I can only make 1 extra payment a month average we will still have the house paid off in 12 yrs. He would be 77. IF I can continue to make 3 payments a month, it will be 8 yrs making him 73.
We will see.
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