What will we do differently?

Part two

You pick one of the available packages and make your long-distance calls off that phone, but make sure not to deplete your airtime because it needs to last you throughout the whole month. Texting is free with safe link.

How to prevent your phone bill from doubling or even tripling despite your best efforts:

When you pay your phone bill and you happen to have frontier for instance, look on your phone bill to find your account number starting with your phone number along with a few extra digits after it. When you set up your online bill pay and have your phone bill come out, pay special attention to type in every last digit, including the extra ones after your phone number. This will show in the system a little lightning bolt which will transfer your money electronically instead of by paper check, saving you tons of money, and I'll explain why:

Being on fixed income, I always do my best to make sure all of my phone bills are paid on time. However, my phone bill was doubling and tripling despite my best efforts. I was always paying on time which was discovered by frontier due to the dates on when the checks were mailed out. The problem was when my check phone bill payment took 24 days to get there and get posted, (which is highly unusual).

The problem?

I didn't know what those two extra digits were for, and I ignored them until it was discovered that those few extra digits were actually needed when I type in my account number. Those few extra digits are the money savers because they help your phone bill get there much faster because your payment is sent electronically from your bank to the other party instead of by paper check that can take forever to arrive and get posted. If you do use frontier, definitely type in those few extra digits when setting up your online bill pay for your phone bill. That way, you won't have a huge surprise on your next bill.

So when might I need a check?

From my own personal experience around here, the only time I would ever need to supply a check is if I would never happen to borrow from a payday advance (loan shark). You want to avoid these places at all costs because it's really a scam. I remember a time many years ago all of those places around here were shut down, but how they made a comeback, I don't know. A friend of mine was even telling me how he and some of his buddies went in and borrowed a whole bunch of money before those places all shut down, (and they kept the money) 😂 Every business in this town knows what these scam places are really doing is taking advantage of people who can least afford it by charging ridiculous fees on payday advances. One time I ran into serious financial shortage and I could not pay the bill on top of my regular bills and buy groceries. I did not want to have to keep going up there just to pay a big ridiculous bill, only to borrow more money, so I secretly pulled a little trick of my own:

I went to my bank and took my checkbook with me to speak with a banker about the situation. I took the checkbook just in case they needed to see it for reference. Fortunately, the scheduled withdraw what's discovered as 'pending' in the system, and we were able to contact headquarters and stop that transaction altogether. This was because it was an absolute emergency to do so at that particular time. Dealing with these nasty payday advance scams is the only reason you would ever need a paper check (at least around here).

* You really don't want to borrow from any payday advance place or fall for anything they have to offer. I'm on fixed income myself, and I know how hard it is to borrow from these places and have to re-pay the whole bill including the interest and borrow even more just to get by through the month. The more you borrow from these places, the more you lose, and the more you lose, the more you must borrow just to get by. These payday advance scams are really just a debt cycle that will get you into date financial trouble. This is enough to Natalie drain you financially, but mentally and emotionally as well. Compound that with having no car and having to go out when the weathers bad just to go pay the bill (and borrow more money) because paying the bill just took a big huge chunk of your check, and you now need to borrow more just to pay the bills. You don't have to live like that because it's no way to live. You can avoid ever having to borrow from these payday loan places at all. When you're on a fixed income, the idea is to live on only that income and not outside of your means. You can still live large but within your means as long as it don't cost too much.

One final thing to remember

You really don't need any checks for your checking accounts anymore. In fact, not having any checks at all is another level of personal protection so that no one can get a hold of your account and routing information. You don't really need checks at all anymore, this is a new century, not the old days.

OK Kateobl, now onto your question:

First, let me say that i've actually been running two checking accounts for years now. I'll explain how mine works, which will also help explain why checks are obsolete and why I haven't written one for quite a long time:

For starters, I don't write any checks whatsoever, and I haven't for quite a long time and I'll explain how I get around it with my debit card and online bill pay.

1) All I do is set up direct deposit of my check/s straight into one specific account.

2) after setting up your accounts at the bank with the help of a banker, only one account is used for my bills. This is where my auto bill pay that I described comes out of, this is the account I don't really need a card for, but I can access it through my online banking.

3) my (other) account is used to put any money left over (after) bills are paid. I schedule all of my auto bill pay transactions (for mandatory bills) to come out on the same day. this is done when I have a predictable amount to be automatically transferred each month.

* The amount of money to automatically transfer can be figured out by accessing your online bill pay after your auto bill pay accounts are all set up to come out automatically. Now if you have Huntington online bill pay, you can go under your bill pay, scheduled payments. You will see what all is coming out at a glance along with the total amount.

* In order to use the online bill pay, you must get with a personal banker and signed up for it. You must come up with a good username as well as a secure password. Your banker can help you come up with an easy to remember but secure login. When this is set up for you, write down the information, and put it into your wallet, preferably in the same pocket with your card. Don't share that information with anyone.

Wallets like the aluminum wallet have very nice card pockets to store all of your cards. You must be careful though because if you're not used to that type of wallet, everything will fly everywhere until you get the hang of handling that kind of wallet. Another nice type of wallet is a nice but very small leather one, also containing card pockets. Wallets and clutch purses are everywhere, and you're sure to find something for you. I stick with something very small so that there's less chance of losing it. I like a wallet that's not much bigger than the card itself, and only holds a few cards. You can still hold your drivers license, your ATM card, your healthcare card, gas card, and a few more. Yes, you figured it out, I travel very light. My favorite kind of wallet is the kind I can stick in my side pocket or into a very small fanny pack.

* That little card is more than just an ATM card

Now, when I go into a store, I can take the same exact card attached to my bank account and make purchases with it. At the checkout, run your card only as credit, it's more secure. The newer cards actually have microchips in them, which adds a level of security. In some stores, you will put your card in the bottom slot (but you'll have to punch in your PIN number). What to remember is that if you're with a caregiver who turns out to be predatory and they happen to get that card and try to run it, don't give your pin number! Think of some clever way to avoid getting that pin number such as "forgetting" your pin number.

* Another thing I should reveal is the lovely secret of knowing that since my bank card is prepaid, I don't have to worry about going into debt, I have my account is set up to not overdraw. The only way my account can overdraw is electronically, and all you have to do is just make sure you have enough money in your account all the time. My bills come out on the first, and my all of my automatic transfers are scheduled to come out around the bill pay without disturbing the funds for any of my mandatory bills because the system takes care of all of that for me. The best thing about automatic bill pay is that you don't even have to get out of bed if you really don't want to because your bills are already taken care of for you once everything is set up. All you do is set it and forget it. You can always go in and make changes later if amounts to your regular bills ever change. For the rent, I have a regular amount that comes out each month and can vary the next year. For one year I will pay the same amount all the time until the next year my rent is readjusted. On this particular expense, I can select monthly on that bill along with other fixed amounts. On the bills like my phone that fluctuate a little, I select once under the pulldown menu each month when I go to adjust the amount when my phone bill comes.

* In order to save on your phone bill by the way, You may very well want to opt for basic (no long distance). If your income is eligible and you happen to be on public assistance of any kind such as SSI, you can get a free government phone with free airtime each month.

OK I will tell you a little secret here in a moment from my own personal experience, but first I must assure everyone that the link I shared is really just a video from the TV show called what would you do? The video is really about an elderly person with dementia being taken into a ladies salon with what turns out to be a predatory caregiver who ends up taking advantage of him financially. This goes on for quite a while until finally someone speaks up after noticing what's going on. The video only further confirms why it's so important to take special precautions to practice when you still can. That way, what happened in the video will not happen to you, (or at least there's a lesser chance of it).

I thought I better clear that up because I understand that there may be some misunderstanding about the link, (but I see links all over this site all the time). Rest assured, it's definitely no ad, and is perfectly legit. The crew travels around putting together skits for their show based on real life problems.

kateobl
What does one do about checks? I have three transactions each month (sometimes a couple more) that require checks. Two separate accounts would be too confusing for me. Unfortunately my husband has always taken care of financial issues. Is there some way a bank card could be set up as debit only and not have credit cards? I have just recently been having to deal with the similar situation. Unfortunately my branch bank doesn't have safety boxes. A family member wants his name on my accounts. So far I have refused.

FedUpNow... look into the requirements for Medicaid in your state because you would NOT have to end up in the worst of the worst nursing homes. In Arizona, once a person is down to their house, one car and less than $2000 in the bank, or as monthly income, they are eligible for Medicaid if there is a medical need. Alzheimers, dementia and such ARE pretty much automatic needs. On Medicaid, you can reside in any nursing home/memory care unit/assisted living facility that accepts Medicaid. IF you have assets, some of the better facilities have a requirement that you come in as private pay for a period of time....but most of them....once you ARE living there, they will do everything possible to keep you there and help you get qualified for Medicaid. Also, when already residing in a facility, you go to the top of any waiting list, over someone from outside. Even if you did have to go in the worst of the worst, your assigned case worker for Medicaid could help you get on a waiting list for, or look for a better place. Also, in Arizona, there are many smaller private homes that take in seniors and are approved for Medicaid. Most of the smaller homes only have like 10 residents at a time. You don't get all the same activities, van service to the doctor etc, that bigger facilities have, but you do feel more like you are living with a family. Once a Medicaid application goes in, they generally approve and start paying within 30 days, at least those have been the rules in Arizona. If you go in while owning a house, they do have the option of putting a lien on the house once you die or are no longer receiving Medicaid, unless you have a spouse...then they must wait until the spouse is no longer occupying the house. In Arizona, asking questions about Medicaid is done through the State Health Dept and I found links on their site and people to communicate with. Just wanted you to know it's not as hopeless as many think. I thought that way before we had to get my Dad qualified so he could stay in Memory Care.

Oh well I guess I'll have to start a second part with the other half

appointment is done. I also think you should see this video, because this video really confirms the very reason why I'm giving everyone all of these tips to protect themselves ahead of time.
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* You want to make arrangements before you get bad off to the point of needing assistance. Not doing so now will leave you sitting duck for any predator later, and by then it will already be too late. Try to incorporate my tips and tricks into your lifestyle when you're young so it becomes a lifestyle by time you're old. Early preparation is key to future prevention. If you must carry a wallet, have as little money on the card as absolutely possible. What I would also do is have a dummy card, which is really an old outdated card with nothing on it. If you're caregiver demands your wallet, give them the dummy card instead if they expect you to pay 😂👍 (The laugh will definitely be on them) because they'll look like jackasses when they rack up a big bill and run the card, and the card gets declined. If this ever happens, you can tell the cashier what's going on and they will get the manager, and the manager will then call the cops.

* This will only work if and only if you follow my tips exactly as I shared them with you regarding your bank accounts. No one else will do this for you, it's up to you to do it for yourself because there's not always a guarantee someone will step up when you actually need them to, this is why it's up to you to prepare now and even start practicing the word "no" "no" "no".

* If the caregiver is predatory and wants to take you to your bank to withdraw cash because you don't have your card for they find out about the other account, there are a number of things you can do.

At the drive-through window, there's one nice trick you can pull by writing "help" on the withdrawal slip. If you go inside the bank, you can also pull this same little trick, except this time you can actually speak up and say "help". Keeping a good communication with your bank ahead of time in case something like this happens is going to be key to them having a heads up if anything ever comes up because they can help you. Another thing to look for inside your bank when you step up to the teller is scrap paper. If you have a problem with a caregiver financially abusing you, you can even call the local APS. The best account is to hear it from you when making a report.

If the predatory caregiver works for an agency, call the agency's manager and report the incident and anything else that went on. It may be that if a predatory caregiver is doing something to you, they may have also been preying on others. Prevention is key, and I hope this video will ring a bell and guide you toward taking everything I said here very seriously. I know that if I were to need a caregiver tomorrow, I know that I would be safe because I already have everything set up and I know what to do sure that they come. Do you want to be the kind of person no one messes with because it's up to you to protect yourself as though no one is around to help. There are people out there to help you, but again, there's not always a guarantee they will actually help. Watch the video and you'll see what I mean because sometimes a problem can go on for a while while a senior's money is being abused and misused. Sometimes people don't step in until it's too late, which is why it's up to you to plan early and drop it in your head to go on autopilot and already know what to do to prevent yourself from being financially abused. Just because a caregiver (professional or not), has access to your card, doesn't give them the right to use a dime on themselves because that money is to be spent on you and only you. Just because they can handle your card doesn't necessarily mean you have to let them, this is your right because it's your card, your account, and definitely your money. One smart move to make regarding your house though (providing you own one) is to only keep a copy of your contract as well as your deed in a safe place such as the bank safety deposit box. Keep the other one if possible either with your lawyer or in probate, and give the lawyer a heads up ahead of time about the caregiver situation. Have the lawyer take every possible precaution to protect you against predatory people, and you may also want to consider whether or not an irrevocable trust is right for you, or at very least a revocable one. It may be that perhaps you want your bank or your lawyer, maybe both to be your trust. Definitely a lockdown everything you have before you ever need a caregiver! Please, watch this video very carefully and you'll see exactly why it's so important to protect yourself now before you ever need a caregiver. Again, I know that if I were to need a caregiver tomorrow, no one will take advantage of me.

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OK, it looks like half of this got cut off, so I'll retry

Protect finances/assets

There are steps you can take now to practice when you're well enough so it becomes a lifestyle later.

One smart move you can do now before it's too late is find some very clever and very creative fool proof strategies to protect all of your finances and assets, even valuables within your home. Don't hire anyone until you've read this and followed all of these precautions.

* Depending on your state's laws, see if you can go through probate and file a transfer on death of your home (if you own it), and make sure to cover that in your will because you're also going to need a will in probate. This can be done through a lawyer who handles these matters. If a transfer on death is not available in your state, see what other options are open and available to you. Speak with a lawyer to make this as secure as possible because you don't want anyone coming in and overturning it, especially if you go into a nursing home.

* Nursing home proof your assets

This is done for through estate planning lawyerswho regularly handle these matters.

* Go to the funeral home of your choice and preplan a preneed based on your wishes. That way, your wishes are honored and carried out, and it relieves your family of the burden later.


* Set up your bills for automatic bill pay, but only set it up from your end. Firmly stand your ground and don't let anyone have access to your bank account! Anyone who insists, that's a huge red flag and you should not do business with that establishment.

* My next step is based on something I saw online about a caregiver taking advantage of someone with deteriorating mental health:

If you're expecting a caregiver on a certain day, schedule automatic transfers to sweep all your money into a separate account which does not have a card attached to it. First, make sure no one else is on your bank account. You want to have two separate accounts in your name only, and saw him checking accounts come with savings accounts, but you could also have a checking account two checking accounts, one with a card and one without one. Let's say you have $100 in the account with the card. You can go online (or have your banker help you with it) and schedule automatic transfers from one account to another. Let's say you only want to spend five dollars that day or maybe even less. You can schedule all but five dollars to be automatically transferred from the checking account with the card to the one without the card. That way, if anyone tries to take advantage of you, predators won't be able to get ahold of your money, even if they happen to get a hold of your card. That's because all of your money is now in another account but with no card. You can specify that when you open a second checking account that you don't want a second card for this reason. Another thing you can do if you don't want to spend anything is sweep all of your money into that other account with no card. That way, the card will get declined if someone gets your card from you and tries to use it. The only catch is you must have your account set up through the bank a certain way that won't allow transactions if the money isn't there, which I'll cover in a moment. Another thing to remember is that with banks like Huntington, money is instantly available when it's transferred online or deposited as cash. You don't have to worry if you set everything up correctly.

As promised, here's my trick for helping to protect yourself against overdrafts:

Have the manager set up your accounts in a way that won't let a transaction go through if the money's not there, this protects you against overdrafts.

* Alert the bank of your caregiver in advance just so they know you have a caregiver. That way, if something goes wrong on the caregiver's part, the bank will have a heads up ahead of time. You may also want to see if their system allows them to make a note of the caregiver situation. If your caregiver happens to be predatory, You can have your card stopped if the predator ever gets a hold of it.

* If you're still of sound mind should something like this ever arise, yet very loud to raise awareness to the situation, this will draw attention, even if you must yell "fire" really loud.

* Only use this as a last resort if you yell and no one seems to pay attention.


* The best thing you can do is to try and leave your card at home in a hiding place or even at the bank in a safety deposit box. You should still be able to put a temporary stop on your card just in case something comes up. If not, you can still lock it up at the bank.

* The best thing you can do is just not carry a purse or wallet on the day you're with your caregiver. Lock up all small valuables (preferably at the bank) and don't give no one the key. If your caregiver tries to get it from you, you may get to know the manager or a banker to see if they will hold your key for you until your caregiver

It looks like the wink I was trying to share got cut out and I don't know why

youtube

Protect finances/assets

There are steps you can take now to practice when you're well enough so it becomes a lifestyle later.

One smart move you can do now before it's too late is find some very clever and very creative fool proof strategies to protect all of your finances and assets, even valuables within your home. Don't hire anyone until you've read this and followed all of these precautions.

* Depending on your state's laws, see if you can go through probate and file a transfer on death of your home (if you own it), and make sure to cover that in your will because you're also going to need a will in probate. This can be done through a lawyer who handles these matters. If a transfer on death is not available in your state, see what other options are open and available to you. Speak with a lawyer to make this as secure as possible because you don't want anyone coming in and overturning it, especially if you go into a nursing home.

* Nursing home proof your assets

This is done for through estate planning lawyerswho regularly handle these matters.

* Go to the funeral home of your choice and preplan a preneed based on your wishes. That way, your wishes are honored and carried out, and it relieves your family of the burden later.


* Set up your bills for automatic bill pay, but only set it up from your end. Firmly stand your ground and don't let anyone have access to your bank account! Anyone who insists, that's a huge red flag and you should not do business with that establishment.

* My next step is based on something I saw online about a caregiver taking advantage of someone with deteriorating mental health:

If you're expecting a caregiver on a certain day, schedule automatic transfers to sweep all your money into a separate account which does not have a card attached to it. First, make sure no one else is on your bank account. You want to have two separate accounts in your name only, and saw him checking accounts come with savings accounts, but you could also have a checking account two checking accounts, one with a card and one without one. Let's say you have $100 in the account with the card. You can go online (or have your banker help you with it) and schedule automatic transfers from one account to another. Let's say you only want to spend five dollars that day or maybe even less. You can schedule all but five dollars to be automatically transferred from the checking account with the card to the one without the card. That way, if anyone tries to take advantage of you, predators won't be able to get ahold of your money, even if they happen to get a hold of your card. That's because all of your money is now in another account but with no card. You can specify that when you open a second checking account that you don't want a second card for this reason. Another thing you can do if you don't want to spend anything is sweep all of your money into that other account with no card. That way, the card will get declined if someone gets your card from you and tries to use it. The only catch is you must have your account set up through the bank a certain way that won't allow transactions if the money isn't there, which I'll cover in a moment. Another thing to remember is that with banks like Huntington, money is instantly available when it's transferred online or deposited as cash. You don't have to worry if you set everything up correctly.

As promised, here's my trick for helping to protect yourself against overdrafts:

Have the manager set up your accounts in a way that won't let a transaction go through if the money's not there, this protects you against overdrafts.

* Alert the bank of your caregiver in advance just so they know you have a caregiver. That way, if something goes wrong on the caregiver's part, the bank will have a heads up ahead of time. You may also want to see if their system allows them to make a note of the caregiver situation. If your caregiver happens to be predatory, You can have your card stopped if the predator ever gets a hold of it.

* If you're still of sound mind should something like this ever arise, yet very loud to raise awareness to the situation, this will draw attention, even if you must yell "fire" really loud.

* Only use this as a last resort if you yell and no one seems to pay attention.


* The best thing you can do is to try and leave your card at home in a hiding place or even at the bank in a safety deposit box. You should still be able to put a temporary stop on your card just in case something comes up. If not, you can still lock it up at the bank.

* The best thing you can do is just not carry a purse or wallet on the day you're with your caregiver. Lock up all small valuables (preferably at the bank) and don't give no one the key. If your caregiver tries to get it from you, you may get to know the manager or a banker to see if they will hold your key for you until your caregiver appointment is done. I also think you should see this video,

I totally hear you FedUpNow. Know at least that there are others (me) in pretty much the same place as you. Not what I envisioned when I thought about retirement when I was younger, that is for sure.

If you are insurable purchase a long term care insurance and hopefully a reverse mortgage to sustain you. I'm in the same boat without chikdren and currently taking care of my mother. I have systemic lupus and ra just to name o few. Unfortunately in my 50s. I am now 56 I didn't qualify for long term care insurance. Even group insurance so save save save.

For one thing I would recommend each caregiver here not waste as much time as I did taking care of in-laws, stepparents and my husband to the point where I had no quality of life for the past 18 years. For my own last years? There will be no children to help. My daughter had a PE (Pulmonary Embolism) in her thirties and is morbidly obese. My son is HIV+. My husband is in stage 4 kidney failure. If I skinny down to bare essentials (strip the house of accumulated memories and junk over the years), rent out rooms to cover my taxes and have reasonably good health, I may get by a few years longer. If I have any kind of debilitating illness, I will wind up in the worst of nursing homes out of poverty and necessity. That’s why I say, make sure you take care of yourself first. No one will appreciate any of the sacrifices you make, especially those that hurt your own security. I didn’t listen either. I have lived long enough to be a disappointment to everybody—including myself.

Good question, Daughter of 1930. Here is a recent question on the same topic https://www.agingcare.com/discussions/what-would-you-want-for-your-own-old-age-final-years-197149.htm and hopefully we will get more answers.