Economy

My DH has returned to FT work but it will never again be in his former occupation. His current employer is sooooo thankful he actually shows up for his 40 hours, has flexible availability, and that he doesn't need those "benefits" like vacation, privatized group medical, dental, vision, or before tax savings plans, etc...that they recently gave him a $0.05 hourly raise, LOL. Actually, I'm amazed that he wasn't sacked after he needed to recuperate this past winter after he slipped on winter ice and broke his shoulder. His hourly rate works out at about an annual amount that is about 5x less than what he made at his previous career occupationally sedentary cube job, one he could have also equally done from home during the pandemic, but nooooo! He hasn't had one of those since about Y2K, but then we are no longer homeowners (thank you Countrywide) are past a bankruptcy that still won't wipe out school loans, and still have no other debt but no savings either. Our kids would like us to get our "ducks in a row" ASAP, but we can't afford to even fix my 2002 vehicle or hire an attorney for all those end-of-life pre-planning "ducks in a row." If there wasn't age discrimination, we'd still have a home, a bit more SS and retirement savings, and been able to maintain healthcare insurance and/or gap policies over those really lean decades - yeah, I said decades. BTW, never marry an only child of any race, who has no one else to spread the costs of caring for a surviving parent!