From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

On 5/3/2026 12:32 AM, Bobbie Sellers wrote:

On 4/30/26 06:46, Dimensional Traveler wrote:

On 4/29/2026 7:26 PM, Bobbie Sellers wrote:

On 4/29/26 17:59, Dimensional Traveler wrote:

On 4/29/2026 12:00 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:

I really don't see any significant downsides to going all-electric.

I do.-a All those plans are fine for people living in houses, but
those like me who live in apartment buildings are left out.-a There
is no way in h*ll my landlord will _EVER_ consider letting tenants
charge their vehicles from the property's electrical connection
simply because he would have to pay install the charging ports and
for the electricity.

-a-a-a-a-aSome agreement here but on the other hand public charging
stations are
coming online.-a Only about a Million and a half so far but another 2
Million on
the way.

-a-a-a-a-aIf you have parking facilities in your building your landlord >>> can install
then add the cost of installation over time to your rent and put
credit card
meters on the chargers.-a I don't have parking in my building sadly
though
I am in no way in shape to have chargers or anything but autonomic
vehicle.-a At 88 I simply cannot afford such facilities.-a Maybe next
year I
will have reduced by debts by enough that I can once more afford a
cell phone.

My rent is already going up every year by the maximum the law allows.
The landlord claims its because the property taxes are so high.-a I
don't think he understands that property taxes are public information
and since I work in the building the Assessor's office is in I looked
up what they are for this property.-a They are less than two months of
rent payments.

-a-a-a-aWell that is two months of rent payments he cannot bank so of course he
is upset. Oh I feel so sorry for landlords with such terrible wallet problems.
So sorry.... exit sarcastic mode

-a-a-a-aMy own rent is Controlled by the Rent Board of San Francisco. It includes
not only property tax but the various voter approved bond measures. In addition
I have to pay each year for the property to be registered with the Rent Board.

-a-a-a-aI moved in at $124/month and it is now nearly $655 which is over the term of my tenancy since 1974 more than a 5X increase.-a The property tax
is raised due to speculators who bought at lower prices and insured at higher
rates.

-a-a-a-aOf course the Cost Of Living has gone up in that time.-a I was working
as a Nurse LVN not RN when I moved in and my present SS stipend is
about double the most I ever recieved in a paycheck.-a Otherwise I could
not afford computer or ISP much less rent and food.

-a-a-a-abliss

I am amazed how much money that SS is planning on sending me next year.
I maxed out SS withholding for several years a decade ago.

Lynn

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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:

On 5/3/2026 12:32 AM, Bobbie Sellers wrote:

<snip>

-a-a-a-aOf course the Cost Of Living has gone up in that time.-a I was working
as a Nurse LVN not RN when I moved in and my present SS stipend is
about double the most I ever recieved in a paycheck.-a Otherwise I could
not afford computer or ISP much less rent and food.

-a-a-a-abliss

I am amazed how much money that SS is planning on sending me next year.

No more than $4200/month, before taxes. If you wait three more
years (age 70) to start taking distributions, that goes up to about $5200/month.
Assuming you maxed out SS contributions for 35 years.

That's between $50,000 and $60,000 p.a. before taxes, closer to 43 to 51,000 p.a.
after taxes (assuming no other taxable income such as dividends, salary,
RMDs, or capital gains).

Median annual Houston area property taxes will
take about $4200 of that[*], and homeowners insurance another $5400
(or more for commercial properties). That's 20-25% of your annual
social security income. The former is deductable, maybe, depending
on your total income level.

Even on medicare, medical expenses (e.g. Part B/D or Advantage)
will likely consume a significant fraction of what's left.

The median annual salary in Houston is about $60,400 p.a., however
"comfortable living" requires closer to 90,000 for a single adult
(source: Google AI summary).

[*] For a home valued at $340,000.
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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

On 5/4/2026 3:34 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:

Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:

On 5/3/2026 12:32 AM, Bobbie Sellers wrote:

<snip>

-a-a-a-aOf course the Cost Of Living has gone up in that time.-a I was working
as a Nurse LVN not RN when I moved in and my present SS stipend is
about double the most I ever recieved in a paycheck.-a Otherwise I could >>> not afford computer or ISP much less rent and food.

-a-a-a-abliss

I am amazed how much money that SS is planning on sending me next year.

No more than $4200/month, before taxes. If you wait three more
years (age 70) to start taking distributions, that goes up to about $5200/month.
Assuming you maxed out SS contributions for 35 years.

That's between $50,000 and $60,000 p.a. before taxes, closer to 43 to 51,000 p.a.
after taxes (assuming no other taxable income such as dividends, salary, RMDs, or capital gains).

Median annual Houston area property taxes will
take about $4200 of that[*], and homeowners insurance another $5400
(or more for commercial properties). That's 20-25% of your annual
social security income. The former is deductable, maybe, depending
on your total income level.

Even on medicare, medical expenses (e.g. Part B/D or Advantage)
will likely consume a significant fraction of what's left.

The median annual salary in Houston is about $60,400 p.a., however "comfortable living" requires closer to 90,000 for a single adult
(source: Google AI summary).

[*] For a home valued at $340,000.

I paid $30,000 in property taxes last year on several properties. Our
home alone was over $6,000 even with our property taxes frozen three
years ago. All of my properties are outside of cities and the average property taxes below 2.0%.

My wife reached FRA, Full Retirement Age, over a year ago and has been
taking Social Security since then at about $1,600/month minus her part B Medicare. I will reach FRA next year and start taking SS then at about $4,000/month minus my part B Medicare. My wife's SS payment will be
raised to half of my SS payment at that time. Both of us still work
full time, I have four businesses at the moment. I have spreadsheeted
this out, taking SS at our FRAs is a good option. Especially since I
expect SS to be means tested in the not so distant future.

If I precede my wife in death, which is likely since I am 50+ years past
my expected death date due to my congenital heart condition, then she
will be raised to my SS payment at that time. I expect my half English,
half Cherokee, 100% Japanese wife to live into her 90s since her Texas grandmother lived to be 86 and her other grandmother lived to be 94.

Lynn

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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

On Mon, 04 May 2026 20:34:59 GMT, scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal)
wrote:

I am amazed how much money that SS is planning on sending me next year.

No more than $4200/month, before taxes. If you wait three more
years (age 70) to start taking distributions, that goes up to about $5200/month.
Assuming you maxed out SS contributions for 35 years.

I'm in Canada and don't plan on drawing from my RRSP (the Canadian
equivalent of the IRA) before the December of the year I turn 71 (i.e.
as long as I can wait to do so). The way I figure it between my
savings and the funds I got from selling my half of the family
business to my brother and my late wife's life insurance policy I
should be fine before then. Plus I own my own home which I could
remortgage if things ever got truly desperate.
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