You may have had children that are now grown and left home. You may have been married or in a long-term relationship and now find yourself single once again. You may have owned nice homes over the years but now find yourself in a rental apartment or had a great career but now that is gone and you are living on a fixed income. Yes, things can and do change.
Sometimes just one thing changing in your life can trigger many others creating a domino effect, with all of the other changes coming one behind the other.
That is not to say that it is all bad, just not what you had expected. One of the big issues for seniors these days is that your finances are often not what you hoped for. It is not surprising that many will have their retirement plans upset due to the economic downturn and other such things.
A number of years ago while housebound and recovering from major back surgery one of the things that kept me going was watching 'The Golden Girls' I am sure many of you watched it at some time. I would think that these four women had it made with the way they lived. The idea of four friends sharing a nice house together seemed to make so much sense. With the economy as it is today it seems an even smarter idea, sharing a house but still having your own space, sharing expenses, and having the social aspects of friendship too. I remember thinking back then if I was single and older that it would be a great way to live.
Two of my very good friends and I over the years that we have known each other have shared a lot of deep conversations, including how we saw our life in the future. We would say if we are all still single when we get older; we should be like the Golden Girls. All three of us agreed that it was a great idea and something for us to keep in mind. Well, we are getting older but we are not quite there yet, but living like the golden girls is still a possibility.
Over the past few years one my friends moved away but we still get together a couple times a year. Even now we still talk about the possibility of sharing a place and talk about possibilities as to where this place might be, which could possibly be in another country like Mexico.
There are lots of things to consider about a venture such as this. Should you buy a place between you or should you rent. If one person decided that they wanted out, how would you get around that, especially if you have made a purchase between you? There would have to be a lot of agreements in place but I am sure that it is doable. When you consider the individual expenses each person has it could be a great way to go.
Years ago lots of families lived together and even now certain cultures share their homes. If you get along well with your friends you could be the 'Golden Girls' or the 'Golden Guys'. If you are close with your family, going this route with family members could work for a lot of people. Or even couples getting together sharing the right living space could make a lot of sense.
Many are struggling to make ends meet and are giving up a lot just to live in a place of their own. With so many seniors looking to cut back on their living costs it is certainly worth a lot of consideration and I do mean a lot of consideration and careful planning. Could this type of communal living be an option for you?
Author Bio: Shirley Price is trained in Life Coaching, NLP, Solution Focused Counselling and as a workshop facilitator. Shirley has presented workshops and written a number of articles on retirement. She is the publisher of a website for the over 50s. To read more articles on a variety of topics including hobbies and relationships visit her website. Get some tips on planning a life in retirement by claiming your copy of her free report 'What are you Doing After Work' at http://lifebydesignover50.com/
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