We got so much great financial advice when my mom passed. A lot of it involved various future dates around our birthdays. I still had a degree of thyroid-related brain fog going on in those days and I was pleased to follow the great guidance, and use my best instincts to make good decisions with Hardi about any longterm implications.

So somewhere, in my head, I had what felt like a REALLY long time to wait before I should file for Social Security. But yesterday I took an idle moment to see how LONG I'd need to wait, just on a whim.

And I'm still gobsmacked to have found that I qualify NOW and could have filed 3 months ago to see a check arrive THIS MONTH! I can't quite wrap my head around this new reality-- that I've prepaid myself to stay on the planet, and that what seems to this raised-poor gal like a lot of money for ONE month will arrive EVERY month-- as long as I take care of myself!

So I'm no longer unemployed. I'm retired, with a part-time job taking care of this geezerette and her favorite geezer. I don't have to do that anymore as a volunteer!

~S~