[ebliss1]

Good morning all (or afternoon/evening for your late-risers).

I'm still doing a little research about the possibility of moving down to TV (sooner if the lottery people will just be nice enough to arrange the ball numbers favorably). I can figure out what a mortgage payment would be and the article I found in one of the other threads about health insurance was very helpful (thankfully I work for a company that will carry my wife and me until I can get medicare). The big package of brochures the sales office sent with the dvd was helpful with a lot fo the expenses also. My question today is on the less tangible expenses.

I know everyone is different in how they spend, but for ballparking purposes, what are the "other expenses" going to run me a month. By "other", I mean things like restaurant costs for 2 people, groceries, movie costs, incidentals for clubs and such. This might not be an easy question to answer, but any help would be appreciated.

Thanks a bunch!

[Sidney Lanier]

I know this won't be helpful, but what you need to do is assess your personal habits to answer this question. Movies cost what movies cost, same with groceries, prices probably fairly similar to where you live. Clubs are relatively inexpensive, for example, a club membership is often $5/year. We've discovered that we eat out more in TV than in NY only because people in TV tend to eat out more, but this is something you would have to decide, and of course one can eat out reasonably or extravantly, again a personal choice. Sorry can't offer anything more specific....

[starflyte1]

Study what monthly costs will be for health care. Medicare, Medicare Part D, and supplemental insurance can add up.

[juneroses]

You mentioned working for a company that offers health insurance to you and your wife until you are eligible for Medicare. Friends were in the same situation. However they discovered that when the employee became Medicare eligible, the company's contribution toward health insurance for the spouse stopped. This may or may not be your situation but its worth a double check, especially if your spouse is younger and the full cost of spousal health insurance will be yours for an extended period.

[efrahin]

ebliss!: You have the answer in your own check book. Check all the expenses you have now, and just in the name of safety, consider them to be equal. Elliminate then the expenses you could: like two cars, mortgage payment or the difference between the new and old, club memberships, etc. A very big expense you will now have will be the Supplemental Health Insurance which will go high according to your preference of coverage, and the dental is separate.