Is it wrong for some of us to be looking for paid employment?

[eridani]

We've considered going for Census Bureau jobs, but are reluctant because there are so many people out there worse of than we are. Our direct income (his SS and my defined benefit pension) amount to just under $25,000 a year. This is almost twice what a full time minimum wage worker gets.

Still, my COBRA and his supplemental Medicare are about $7000 a year. House is paid off, but there is $3200 a year in property taxes and some repair work needed. We are spending more than $25K and making up the difference with laddered CDs. Guessing maybe we will spend ~$40K all told. We have a couple of annuities (one IRA and one not) that we'd have to pay penalties on if we started withdrawing from them, but they are at least there. I could get early SS now, but the benefit rate would be permanently reduced.

All in all, we are doing OK now, way better than many, many others, but are worried about the future, especially when the COBRA runs out. Retiree health insurance may not be there, and no way in hell can a diabetic (not on insulin yet, but a1cs creeping up) get individual insurance. Haven't been able to bring myself to downloading the applications yet. What do you all think? Yes, or no?

[rosesaylavee]

1. I say do what you can to find work that you need.

I don't think you need to apologize or explain anything. I think it sweet that you would think of the other guys first but that is probably why you are DEM, right?

Go get em.

[IDemo]

2. No, of course not

I'm all for altruism, but that doesn't mean you have to give up a modest employment opportunity when one arises. Especially when there are other factors to consider, such as the medical expenses that go with diabetes (here too :hi:)
Our house and vehicles have long since been paid off and we have no credit card debt, but I'm still very definitely in the job market.

[Orrex]

3. If it'll make you feel better...

Take the job and send me your paycheck--everybody wins!


Seriously, don't beat yourself up about it. If the job's available, take it.

[wyldwolf]

4. eridani - take care of you and yours

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. I don't think it's wrong.

If you feel up to it, are qualified and are willing to work, why not?

[KillCapitalism]

6. Not wrong at all.

I think if you both are only making about $25K that you could use all the extra income you can get. Anyway good luck if you apply.

[Lasher]

7. Go for it.

If you want to work and if you are able, don't pass up an opportunity to work just because there are others who are unemployed. There will always be some, but not as many as now hopefully. And while we can't be sure what this economic crisis will bring, you might soon regret having taken a pass on a chance at a little more income.

You can start withdrawing without penalty from that retirement IRA prior to age 59 1/2 if you take out Substantially Equal Periodic Payments. You have to take out the same amount every month for 5 years, or until you reach age 59 1/2, whichever is longer. I currently am doing just that.

While it is true that you take a reduced benefit from Social Security if you start cashing in at age 62, you would still have that three years or so of extra benefit, depending where your full retirement age is (Thanks you Saint Ronnie and Greenspan Commission). I've decided I'll start drawing Social Security at age 62. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and die young at age 66 or so and then people would think I was smart for starting early.

[eridani]

11. Good point about the early SS

--especially considering that when my paternal grandmother was my age, she'd been dead for 9 years and when my father was my age, he'd been dead for 3 years. That would give us an extra $15.6K a year extra now, vs $21.6K at age 65.

[Lasher]

17. OK so $15.6K for 3 years is $46.8K

And the difference between $15.6K & $21.6K is $6K. If you wait until age 65 to start, you'll be 73 years old before you break even. This is not considering the opportunity cost of not getting the $46.8K early. And I guess you could factor in inflation and anticipate Social Security cost of living adjustments. But I've kicked this can down the road as far as I'm going to.

[barbtries]

8. i don't have a problem with you

going to work. i would not look at it as you taking food from somebody else's mouth. until i read your post it really had never even crossed my mind. and someone like yourself, plainly not in it for greed or enrichment - no, i have no problem with that. you have undoubtedly always worked hard to obtain and maintain your lifestyle. now you want to keep going without having to worry. i get that.

[tanyev]

9. By all means, do it.

If it makes you feel better, you can always donate some of what you earn to a food bank or similar charity.

[aikoaiko]

10. No, it is NOT wrong for some of us to be looking for paid employment

If you wish to work then offer your services and let the hiring decsion be made as to who best qualfies. The persons you are concerned about can apply and out compete you for the jobs.

[stray cat]

12. Go for it - others better off than you are also applying

[pipi_k]

13. The guilt factor...

Seems you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Back when my kids were very young I was getting AFDC for them. There were plenty of people who thought I was living high off the hog on Welfare payments (for two kids...right), and made no bones about letting me know what they thought.

Later on, when they got older, I went back to school and started working. Well...again...there were plenty of people who had opinions on that too...by working when I "had someone to take care of" me (I was living with someone at the time) I was depriving some MAN of a job that would have helped him support his family.

You just can't win, you know?

I say just do what you gotta do. If you're qualified for a job, then you'll be hired. If not, then they'll hire someone else. This shouldn't be about women taking men's jobs away or older people taking away jobs that younger people "should" have.

Just do it

:)

[eridani]

22. That's a good point about how guilt is used on women in particular

Being dependent on SS and a pension, though, is very different from being dependent on only one other person. 10 years or so ago, there was a study showing that wife beating had little correlation with a husband's income, but very strong correlation with a wife's income. The numbers weren't huge, but they found no victims of domestic violence above a wife's income of $30,000.

I grew up in a family impoverished by medical bills, and the idea of depending on just one income stream has always terrified me.

Raising the retirement age for SS benefits strikes me as totally nuts. Why throw more retired people into the unemployed work force on purpose? Some "stimulus" that would be!

[terisan]

14. Take job and donate % of pay to someone in need-make microloan-start business yourself.

There are a number of ways to take a job and not feel guilty.

One is by donating a small percent to a needy person you know or hiring that person to rake leaves or whatever-a one time only chore is ok and can help a person. Once someone hired me to help her pack to move (I know she could have had friends do it for free but she was considering that I had little money and could use the cash to buy necessities.

There are some sites online where you can loan small amounts to people with specific needs-it is a risk, you might get paid back or you could lose.

I would also suggest starting your own small business--many people who have been wage earners all their lives may actually have unused talents in this area. You might be able to actually at some point hire an employee or two--even if you don't reach the volume where you can afford full time employees, you may provede a real service to retired or young people needing part time pay.

[Buzz Clik]

15. There is nothing wrong with working or seeking employment under any circumstances.

If your job was screwing consumers, that would be wrong. Otherwise, not.

[geckosfeet]

16. Of course not. It is wrong that we are pit against eacother for minimum wage jobs.

This is the world the republics dream of.

Cheap, plentiful desperate labor.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

18. Nothing wrong with it

My brother worked the census in 1980 after he retired from the Army. Now realize what you'll be doing is calling on those folks who didn't return their census information by mail. In his case, it meant going out and finding the addresses, knocking on doors (sometimes again and again) to get a response. But it did have its upside--he met an old German fellow who was lonely, and they sent an hour or two conversing in German and drinking beers. (It helped that Bro had been stationed in Germany for several years and knew the language.)

[book_worm]

19. No. Many people will be going for those jobs and if you are qualified

then you earned it. Don't feel guilt. You are hardly rich.

[cherokeeprogressive]

20. That you would even wonder speaks volumes about who you are.

No "thoughtful" person would fault you for doing what you need to do to take care of yourself and your husband.

Yes.

[GinaMaria]

21. Not wrong at all. Please go for it and attempt to get a more

perm gov job if you can. The FEP healthcare is a good plan. Diabetes can be costly. Take care of yourself :hug:

[RB TexLa]

23. No, that's like saying someone who works for themselves should just stop working after they make

a certain amount for the year. If they want to do so for the time off, fine but nothing unethical about them continuing to work. No reason to feel guilty about working and earning money.