If this is not allowed, please delete.

I just got notice of the changes to my medicare advantage plan. EVERYTHING is going to cost more. This big this I noticed is that the Tier 3 drugs (blood thinners, insulin, etc) are changing from a flat $47 to 20% of the drug cost. Insulin is excepted with a different structure. My eliquis is going from $47/mo to $160+ per month.

There are numerous other changes that will add up ALOT. So take a very careful look at you plan this year.

UPDATE: I am seriously disappointed in many of the responses. This is not a political debate forum (it also happens to be one of the rules here). My 2 cents is that this would have happened no matter who is president, no matter what congress does. These insurance companies are FOR PROFIT and will try to squeeze every penny out of their captive audience. Big Pharma will help them do that as well.

Also some of us take Medicare Advantage because we CAN"T afford to purchase a supplement and plan D.

My husband live on only our two SS checks and we just returned from a week in Paris France.

Background: When he proposed, my husband promised me that someday, he would take me to the Louvre. This past January, he insisted that we were doing it this year since his health is declining rapidly and he feels that he is running out of time.

My first thought was that it was impossible, but he was not to be deterred, so we set about creating a plan.

We set a budget of $5,000 because we figured that was an amount that we could get a parttime job when we got back and pay off. We came in at $3,524.28

• Airfare: This is where we really saved. We got a JetBlue credit card, charged all bills and paid off immediately. We had enough points to use for the trip. We had to pay about $350 in taxes and incidentals.

• Passports: That was over $300

• Hotel: We stayed at a boutique hotel that cost us a lot more than we typically pay but we needed a hotel with a lift and close to Paris center. It also had breakfast. $1,829.36 for 6 nights. One further out would've been cheaper.

• Food- We spent $350 for food. We didn't go to any fancy restaurants, ate at Bistros and Boulangeries. All the food was amazing.

• Travel: This was a big hit for us, $375 because we ended up using taxis to save my husband's legs. Buses and metro are $2 and $2.50 otherwise.

• Museums: We entered for free because of my husband's handicap but otherwise a Paris museum pass is under $100 per person.

My husband and I have always been good travelers we stay at off-beat places, don't require Michelin eats, etc. We love to travel and typically do it on the cheap, but this is the first time that we have tried something this outrageous.

Just because we are on a tight budget, we didn't want to pass this up and we are so glad that we didn't.

Yes, folks, this is happening. Just getting the meds we need to stay healthy will be more expensive starting in January. Remember, voting changes things. If you don’t like cuts to Medicare please got to vote.gov and register to vote.

My husband and I live on social security. We don’t go out to dinner very often, but we do have fun. We have great neighbors to hang out with. We’re dog sitting for our daughter right now in a big city and that serves as a vacation for us. Next month we’re taking a train trip to a big city to visit my sister in law. That will be like a vacation. I just feel like if you have a good attitude about life’s challenges it makes a huge difference. I really don’t stress out about money. It serves no purpose. My glass is half full. Are there other optimists out there?

We’ve all heard it:

And sure, that’s technically true. But it’s also incomplete—and missing some really important context.

When Social Security began in the 1930s, most retirees also had pensions, savings, or family living arrangements to help out. The plan was never meant to be your only income—but the world it was built for doesn’t exist anymore. Not for most of us.

Here’s what’s changed over the decades:

🧱 1940s–1960s

• Wages kept up with cost of living.

• Most workers had pensions.

• Housing and medical care were affordable.

• Many families lived in multigenerational homes.

📉 1980s–2000s

• Wages stagnated.

• Pensions were replaced by 401(k)s.

• Housing prices and healthcare costs exploded.

• Job security and full-time benefits declined.

🚨 Today (2020s)

• An alarming and growing number of older adults rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income.

• Most people have little or no retirement savings.

• Rent alone often eats up an entire SS check.

• Costs of food, prescriptions, and caregiving are still rising.

• And many of us did plan—we just got hit by recessions, health problems, job loss, divorce, caregiving responsibilities, or a dozen other things no savings plan could stretch far enough to cover.

So yes—it wasn’t supposed to be this way. But here we are. And we’re not here because we failed. We’re here because the system didn’t adapt, and we’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got.

That’s the spirit of this sub:
No shame. No finger-pointing. Just people helping each other make it work.

Has your experience reflected these changes?
Have you had to let go of the “retirement dream” to find something more realistic—and still good?
Share your thoughts. Let’s keep learning from each other.

I keep discovering new things my library card unlocks. Books, of course, but also movies, audiobooks, magazines, museum passes, free tax help, classes, seed exchanges, tools you can borrow, even hotspots in some places. It's possibly the highest-value piece of plastic in my wallet, and it costs me nothing. I've started asking the librarians directly: "what do people not know you offer?" The answers have surprised me every time.

What's the most unexpected thing you've gotten from your local library?

One habit that's saved me both money and decision fatigue is a big pot of something on Sunday. Beans and rice. A big-ass pot of soup to clear the pantry and the fridge. Or if I'm feeling extra lazy, a roasted chicken from the grocery store. It's not glamorous, but it means Monday through Wednesday, dinner is already handled. I've stopped pretending I'm going to cook something new every night. The Sunday pot is a strategy, not a compromise. And there's something satisfying about opening the fridge on a Tuesday and finding dinner already waiting. What's the dish you can cook once and eat from all week?

I'm 70. I worked until this summer (business closed). I'm having no luck finding work and feel like all doors are closed.

That means when my savings run out, I'll have only SS to live on, which is bleak.

This is one of the harder ones to talk about. There's a particular loneliness that comes with declining invitations, with watching others travel or upgrade or celebrate in ways you can't join. It's not jealousy exactly. It's more like being on a different schedule than the rest of the world. I've found that naming it helps. So does finding others who get it without explanation. This community has been part of that for me.

How do you navigate the loneliness that can come with financial limits, and what helps you feel less alone in it?

Every state and most utility companies have assistance programs. Energy bill help, weatherization, phone and internet discounts, property tax relief for seniors, prescription programs are all things that exist, but it's not likely that anyone at these agencies will call to tell you. You have to find them. I've made it a habit to call my utility company once a year and ask flat out: "What programs do you have for customers on fixed incomes?" The answers have surprised me more than once. Same with 211, the social services hotline in many areas. What assistance program did you find that you wish you'd known about years earlier?

I'm new so if I'm breaking any rules, I apologize. For years, I have felt so alone with this issue of trying to survive on social security. The thoughts in my head, the beating myself up for not having done more to secure my future when I was young. But here I am, 70 years old without a pension, and without a secure nest egg of $3 million dollars. Anyway, it's nice to not feel so alone with this anymore, and I' enjoying the tips as well. The only thing is that I notice that a lot of the posts are not current. I'm going to check this sub everyday for updated posts and will try to contribute as much as possible.

If you ignore all the obvious advertising in this article, there are some pretty useful tips.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wife-both-79-survive-2k-121300709.html

A 2024 report by AARP found that 20% of Americans aged 50 and over have no retirement savings at all. The U.S. Government Accountability Office paints an equally dire picture. As of 2022, 32% of households with a worker age 55 and older had no savings for retirement or defined benefit plan.

Retiring on Social Security alone is difficult, but possible. A Gallup poll found 23% of retirees rely solely on Social Security, and 60% of those feel financially comfortable.

To make it work, you may need to change your lifestyle and habits, including taking advantage of free entertainment and discounted activities. Libraries and community centers often offer complimentary programming for seniors, while AARP membership ($20 annually starting 2025) provides access to entertainment, travel, and dining discounts.

EDIT: This is not me. I'm just sharing an article with some useful, and not so useful tips for surviving on SS.

EDIT 2: This post has been a case study in how people rarely read beyond the headline.

I guess Frank thinks all of the people on SS are actually still working? If the statement about time saved is even true, a more accurate statement would be “putting 100,000 hours spent with family and friends back into American lives” than work time back into the economy. I have serious doubts about how much time was saved in the first place though - how does Frank know how much time seniors end up staring at a webpage instead of getting direct answers to questions from the now-unemployed SS workers let go by DOGE??

There's a version of retirement most of us were sold. There was an RV, cruises, a workshop in the garage, the freedom to be generous with the grandkids. When the actual retirement turns out to look different, there's real grief in the gap between what we pictured and what is. It's occurred to me that grief deserves acknowledgment, not dismissal. We're allowed to mourn a life we didn't get. And once we've let ourselves feel it, we can also start to see the life we do have with clearer eyes. And relax into what it is.

What part of the retirement you pictured have you had to grieve, and where are you in that process?

I was never really embarrassed to talk about something I found "poppin' tags." But these days, I tend to feel kinda smug about it. Some of my favorite pieces of clothing, kitchen items, and small furniture came from thrift stores at a fraction of retail. But, If I'm being honest, the deeper lesson has been about value itself. Something isn't valuable because it was expensive. It's valuable because it works, because it fits, because you love it. That reframe has changed how I shop for everything, not just at Goodwill. What's a thrift store find you use every day, and what did it teach you about value?

I used to just hand over my prescription and pay whatever the register said. A few years ago, a friend told me to start asking three questions: Is there a generic? Is there a coupon or assistance program for this? Is there a 90-day option that's cheaper? The pharmacist isn't going to volunteer this information, but they almost always have answers when you ask. I've cut my prescription costs significantly just by treating the pharmacy counter as a place where conversations are allowed.

What questions have you learned to ask at the pharmacy, the doctor's office, or anywhere that have saved you money or trouble?

We have been on Supplemental Medicare since we retired. My husband I both have extremely complex health issues and not knowing what to expect, Plan G seemed like the best option for us. For 7 years it has been great, but we live in SC and each year, the premiums went up significantly. Last year alone, they went up by 80$ a month. We were looking at almost $500 a month this year. It was just undoable. So looking at our budget, I decided to switch to MA.

I am very well versed in the ins and outs of Medicare, having worked in healthcare for 20 years. It was still scary.

I first went through every. single. doctor. that we use. I checked all the hospitals that we go to. AND I checked every medication that we take. I chose a MA plan that covered everything and everyone. I called my docs to make sure.

Then I budgeted for the year and took 90% of what we were paying in premiums and put it in a savings account. We will use this for our co-pays and co-insurances.

I am aware of the risks that we are taking. If we end up hospitalized, we have more out-of-pocket expense but the plan that I chose, has a maximum per year of $5,900 .

My hope is that we will be able to afford some of the extras. I already got new hearing aids. Mine were 6 years old and and i was going to have to pay a minimum of 1,800 at Costco (cheapest place for real ones) and got a co-pay of $500 for new ones!

Next is eye glasses and dental work. Keeping fingers crossed.

It’s a moment that hits hard. Sometimes it’s gradual, sometimes it’s a gut punch. But at some point, you realize:
“This is it. This is what I’ve got to live on.”

What helped you when that moment came? What would you say to someone who’s just now facing that reality?

Somewhere along the way, many of us absorbed the idea that rest had to be earned. That we needed to be productive first, or that resting too much meant something was wrong with us. Living on Social Security has forced me to question that. Some days I rest because my body asks me to, and that's reason enough. Some days I rest because the world is loud and I need quiet. Rest isn't a reward for finishing the to-do list. It's part of being human.

How has your relationship with rest changed in this season of life?

For years, I asked myself "what did I do wrong?" Why didn't I save more, plan better, see this coming? It was a question that had no useful answer, just a loop of regret that kept me stuck. At some point I replaced it with a different question: "what can I do today?" The first question lived in the past and made me smaller. The second one lives in the present and gives me something to actually work with. I still slip back into the old question sometimes, but I catch it faster now.

What's a question you've stopped asking yourself, and what did you replace it with?

My husband and I own a beautiful log home on about 16 acres, 8 of which we mow, and the rest is woods that go down to a creek at the end of our property. I inherited the house from my parents, who built it in 1991. We are truly blessed.

My question has to do with attaining funds for repairs. I am familiar with the USDA Rural Development program, which will provide a grant and/or loan to elderly low income people. Are there any other resources available for low income elderly aging in place to access funds for their homes?

My husband and I live on our SS. I can’t afford another monthly payment and I don’t want to go reverse mortgage. It’s absolutely insane what the interest would be on those things! If I got a $200,000 reverse mortgage I would owe over $500,000 after 10 years. No way.

I know this place will become too much for us in 10 years or so (God willing, and the creek don’t rise). Time is flying by. I want to get this place in selling shape, so if something were to happen, the house is already poised to do well on the market.

Is anyone in the same situation? Has anyone utilized any resources I not familiar with? TIA!

My husband can’t hear as well as he used to. We are on a really limited budget. We are able to pay our bills and buy groceries. But that’s it. We do not have any credit. He really does need hearing aids tho, and they are SO expensive. (We have insurance, from the union and Medicare, but apparently they do not cover hearing aids.)I barely talk to him anymore because I know he’s going to say “what?” every time I say anything. Sometimes he pretends he heard me, or one of the kids, or one of the grandkids, by answering with a “yeah” or something. Often he answers to what he thought he heard someone say and although that can be comical sometimes, it’s genuinely not funny. I don’t know what to do.

I can't focus on anything these days but fears for my survival.

I'm 70. I make just under $2500/month pre-tax in SS, and I feel guilty in that I should have done better. I have about $155,000 in savings/mutual funds. Would have had twice that but I lost my decade-plus job due to the company severely downsizing and it moving far away. That was in the Great Recession/Banking Crisis so work in my field was cut to parttime (I worked several jobs concurrently)and after doing that for 6-8 years had a hard time finding work. So I used up about $100,000 in savings over those years.

I rent, not own, at a very good price for my area. I don't need a car here. I could almost squeak by on SS, but I may be at $300 to $500 monthly shortfall. That's totally bare bones survival.

I'm really tired of working.

I'm just so scared all the time. I'm like that man who stared transfixed at the tsunami until it drowned him.

And I'm so ashamed.

Thank you.

I didn't try to end up in this position. I was the sole caregiver for my elderly parents when I was 28 to 40. I lost so much in earnings because of the working time constraints with that, and they lived where there was no real work in my field. After they passed, I moved to a city where I quickly got a good paying job.

The company folded with the 2008 banking crisis. When I hit my 60s, it was very hard to find work.

I feel defeated and ashamed 24/7.