I guess I’m a boomer. I just never really worry about as I am living my life. I don’t really pay attention to what other people think and just do my own thing.

I am always grateful everyday for a roof over my head and enough food to eat. We can even afford to eat meat! I think We’ve been very lucky. No pension but both signed up for a 401K when it became available. Didn’t want to throw away the free money match. Then every time I got a raise I put more in.

We were close to the poverty level even working full-time with overtime so qualified for government aid but did not take it. Instead we bought a run-down, needed fixing and garbage removal, stinky, small (900 sq foot total, 1 br up&down, duplex in a so-so neighborhood. We had very high interest rate which a couple of years later were able to re-finance down to 8%. Lived in that house almost 40 years until crime went up too high. My husband had to reinforce the garage doors to keep them from getting kicked in and the beggars were super annoying.

Both of us worked for income. Took my income and paid off our mortgage. Then started very slowly buying rundown houses to fix up and rent out. Being blue collar we had skills. Felt good to make the houses into nice homes.. Took classes on how to manage the properties and keep good books.

Then my husband had heart problems. We sold the rentals. We are still very frugal. Our highest expense is medical insurance followed by food. I can’t complain. Life is good but maybe our expectations are lower. We take bike vacations very cheaply and don’t eat out. We have a garden and I give food to my neighbors and donate a full cooler of food to the church each week. Plus I like growing weird stuff you can’t get in the store. We are typical boomers and don’t do much social media. My husband still has a flip phone because he doesn’t want a breakable piece of glass in his pocket when he is fixing stuff. Everyone in the family calls him when they need something fixed.