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Hello, I've been posting to this site for a long time and have found the people here are very caring. I have a concern that plagues me constantly. I'm worried about what to do after I've buried my mother and am left with just my small SS benefit to live on. It's not enough to continue living in the expensive apartment I rented to take care of my mother. If she passes before the lease is up, I won't have the funds to keep paying high rent monthly. I was thinking perhaps storing my furniture and moving out to share a house with a friend of mine. I'll either be evicted or will need to come up with a game plan while mother is still alive. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance.

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I think sharing with a friend is great, Essie, and I wonder why more elders don't do it for both financial and for support reasons. Sometimes one person loves to clean while another cooks (I will take on the cleaning). I would say spend as much time as you can with this friend, discussing possibilities like this, how it would work, what your ground rules would be for living together.
Let's face it, whether you live with your Mom, a hubby, a child, a friend, there are ALWAYS reasons to have some issues. So issues there will be.
Can you discuss this with your friend. Is your friend on board?
Try not to take on too much thinking ahead of time, also. I know you are very worried about the "what ifs" and I know just how this feels because I do it all the time. I can even go so far as to wonder "What if the hot water heater leaks and no one is there to know it! How old is the hot water heater, anyway". And so on.
So let yourself think about the options and think about/talk about some possible ways to go in future. Just don't try to take the future on all at once, because the future has its own plans and we have no idea what they are!
Glad to see you on the forum again.
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Go to the leasing office of your rental property and talk to someone about the possibility of breaking your lease and why you might need to. Most properties have dealt with broken leases before; and you will be able to tackle a fear that has been plaguing you. In my case, it would cost about $2,000 to break the lease, since I have already asked in case it ever comes up. If you are able to find someone to take over your lease, the company may very well give you a break. Start making plans and ask your friend how much rent she would charge you, and find a storage facility with reasonable rates; rent the smallest possible storage room for your needs, and sell off any furniture that's not necessary so you can raise some funds in advance. Keep in mind that storage facility rates creep up over time, so don't pay to store items that you will not realistically be using in the future. Fear of the unknown can paralyze you; don't let it keep you from taking any action you can now before the death of your mother, which you are indicating may be soon.
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God Bless you Alva! My friend is struggling as well. I kbow if I move in with her, she will need to repair all the plumbing issues in her 2 story home. I will have to help her with these repairs because the toilets are very old and need replacing. How do I help her with maintenance without going broke myself?
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Another option to discuss with the rental office is the possibility of moving into a smaller and less expensive apartment within the apartment complex or other apartment units they also manage. A lot of management companies like to keep good tenants and will work with you to find something you can afford.

You may want to consider a discussion with your local Area Agency on Aging about senior apartments (based on a percentage of your income) or section 8 qualification to help with your rent too. There are wait lists for these options so you might like to go ahead and get on the wait list.
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Hi Essie, you received quite a few answers about this on your other post here

https://www.agingcare.com/questions/what-will-i-do-after-the-funeral-452845.htm
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EssieMarie Oct 2019
Oh my gosh!! You are right! I worry so much about the future and poverty that I forget what topics I've already posted. Thanks for providing the link. Yes many helpful suggestions posted to my last same question.
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