Been There, Done That: Nine Decades And Counting By Alice Herb: Growing Old Is Expensive

By Alice Herb

To my great surprise, I came to realize how growing older has required me to seek out more services, and these are more and more expensive every year. I think we are all fooled into thinking that being a senior citizen brings Medicare, access to discounts at virtually all performing arts venues such as live theater, movies, concerts, museums, transportation, and even some restaurants with early bird lower prices. But actually, those discounts mask the ever-increasing amount of money spent leading a simple, ordinary life. My bills in these past months have not only shocked me with how much I am spending, but also how important it is to have the funds to support that. Let me explain.

Admittedly, there needs to be funds to pay for the added expenses. I can’t fathom what our fellow seniors who do not have discretionary funds can or cannot do. I am addressing those of you, like me, who have the funds but are paying ever higher prices to opt for “aging in place” and enjoying the fruit of our labor in finally taking delayed trips that we could not take when we were working, or more modestly enjoying theater, museums, concerts, having lunch or afternoons “hanging out” with friends. The ever-expanding costs can cause anxiety, contemplating where we would ultimately end up if those funds are depleted. Even nursing homes or complexes for those over 55 have become out of reach. But let me explain the here and now for someone like me who is still healthy enough to continue my previous lifestyle.

Living where I do in New York City, I have the luck of having a rent-stabilized apartment, which means that by law, the rent may only be increased a small percentage every year, depending on whether it is a one or two-year lease. That is an incredible asset. To keep my apartment up to date, my long-time, special housekeeper, who used to come every other week, now comes every week. I used to park my car myself, but I now have a larger model car, and the space is extremely narrow. My superintendent, who is a treasure, now parks my car. He can do and fix anything, even the extracurricular activity of parking my car. Of course, I give him a very large amount of money for Christmas because he not only parks the car but also comes immediately if anything needs attention in the apartment – changing light bulbs, fixing stuck windows, repairing kitchen shelves, and so on. 

I can travel by subway, but I am not always able or willing to climb the many stairs. I can travel by bus, but in spite of congestion pricing in New York City, the trip can be three times as long as a cab, and so I often take a taxi – a very expensive proposition these days. And I do move around a lot, particularly to doctors’ appointments and to meet friends. 

Although the visits to physicians are not expensive with Medicare, I have now bought my fourth pair of hearing aids. This time I had to pay the full amount because I did not want to wait for the 4-year period when insurance would pick up a large amount of the cost. I could not wait because I could not hear well enough to have telephone or in-person conversations. Trying to tough it out would have me sacrifice my ever diminishing group of friends, as they are not traveling much or are deceased. Clearly, I did not want to give up what’s left of my social life. My housekeeper, smiling broadly, remarked that I had a very expensive head. She remembered how much dental work I needed. I had also just had an eye exam and needed to order new glasses. Then I have chronic sinus problems and need to see an Ear, Nose, and Throat physician.  And of course, the audiology expenses also include a personal mic. Happily, I think my brain is still intact!

I have a summer house at the beach. I used to clean it myself, fix many things that constantly go wrong, and open and close it for the summer season. I am no longer able to do any of that myself. Although my contractor/repair person always handled the large part of these tasks, now he also does most of the lesser chores of bringing up outdoor furniture, picking up deliveries at the dock, and making certain that the house is safe. He is terrific, but he also has to make a living. I now park at a much more expensive parking area at the ferry dock and need valet parking. I now have a cleaner at the beach who will come weekly when necessary. I am also starting to order groceries, which I never did before. Not only is that addition more expensive, but I often don’t get what I ordered, but instead substitutes that are more expensive and not necessarily to my liking.

Writing about ordering food brings me to the most difficult for me – that of ordering clothes and household items. I like to shop, but I find shopping online to be a pain and is only satisfactory half the time. Sending an item back is often a tedious task. I won’t mention the amount of wasted computer time ordering since this post is on expenses.  

I am certain I’ve left out minor items such as sending out cleaning/laundering clothing, but I think you get the drift. I just feel lucky that I can continue the life I have lived and remain in the apartment and area that I love. But it certainly comes with a price – a price I decided I will accept. Have any of my readers thought about these expenses, especially with ever-increasing general costs of living?  We do have to plan ahead and take note of these unpleasant realities.

Alice Herb is a retired attorney, journalist, and bioethics consultant. Having reached the age of 90+, she’s more than ready to share her experiences and opinions with agebuzz readers. Want to comment on something she’s said? She welcomes your feedback at [email protected].

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