Featured Post
By Marian Banker On August 26, 2011No CommentsThe theme for yesterday’s Evening Cafe (Facing Age-Related Changes) was “exit strategy”. It was a great starting place for our small gathering to delve into the areas we are looking at as options going forward.
Harriet has already made a commitment to her new business, which incorporates a lot of what she already knew from her experience in grant writing, fund raising and working with non-profits. Jean is on the brink of taking a new direction in her life. She has a passion for color, color analysis and therapy and has even obtained a certificate in it. Her challenge is how to make money building a business around something she loves. And Irene has a million great ideas and needs to sort them out according to what will motivate her long term and where she’ll be able to make money most easily.
Exit strategy for all of us means finding a way to continue to thrive despite the challenges we face at this age.
Several resources which can be helpful for us, and others our age, were mentioned. Here’s the ones I made note of.
Coming of Age, http://comingofage.org
The Transition Network, http://thetransitionnetwork.org
PESID, People Empowering Seniors Independence & Dignity, http://www.meetup.com/PESID-people-empowering-seniors-independence-dignity/.
It seemed like there was some very good possible synergy that came out of our discussion. I do hope you will follow-up with each other. You just never know what might develop.
In September our Morning Café will take place on Monday, September 12th from 10 – 11:30 a.m. Our theme for this meeting will be “relationships”. The web page can be viewed at http://www.primestrategies.com/age-related_changes.htm. And the next Evening Café will be Thursday, September 22nd, 7 – 8:30 p.m. The planned theme for this one will be “love and sex”. Make note of these on your calendar and plan to attend if you can.
Recent Posts
By Marian Banker On August 19, 2011
No Comments
In talking with a colleague today our conversation came to some of the changes that are going on in our lives. One of the most important things that has happened to her in the past year is paying off a huge financial debt. She said she paid it off over a four year period, which seems quite short for a big amount. When I asked her how she managed to pay off such a big debt so quickly she said she had to make major lifestyle changes. She moved from one apartment to another, saving $500/mo. in rent. She held off buying anything she didn’t need and became aware of the cost of everything.
What also happened is she started being more true to herself in the kinds of clients she was working with. As a result she has been able to attract more of the right clients, many of whom are well-to-do and can pay her fees.
She said she’s been debt free since March and the feeling of “freedom” has really allowed her to flourish.
If you’ve had a freedom from debt experience I invite you to share it here.
By Marian Banker On July 29, 2011
No Comments
What a great and important discussion we had last night! While the circumstances were different for each of us there was a commonality of feelings about money. It has become a bigger priority in our lives, mainly because we don’t have time to recover losses. Due to previous losses, many of us are not where we’d like to be, or had planned to be. We have some cushions, but are concerned about how we can continue to earn at least some income as long as possible. Four out of the six in attendance are in their own business. We all agreed that being your own boss certainly allows you to set your own schedule, and that’s becoming more important with time.
And, no, prince charming isn’t coming. We are on our own. We agreed that we are the first generation in a two income household. Most of our mothers didn’t work, at least not full time. We have created the model for the next generation and they have already adopted it.
Here are some good tips for maximizing financial resources that were presented last night.
- Look at your financial statements to know exactly where you stand at all times
- Pay yourself first out of every paycheck
- Have a cash savings account, and keep adding to it regularly
- Be alert to bargains and think long and hard before spending on a big ticket item.
I do hope you will follow-up with anyone from the group if you are so inclined. That’s part of what the Café’s are about…making new friends, sharing experiences and offering support.
We will have an August Evening Café and our theme will be “exit strategy”, http://www.primestrategies.com/evening-cafe.htm. I’ve set Thursday, August 25th from 7 – 8:30 p.m. for our next meeting. Do check it out and send your RSVP right away.
Before I go, here’s the link to the Aging But Dangerous website I mentioned, http://agingbutdangerous.com/. Watch the video, you’ll be amazed…and maybe inspired.
By Marian Banker On June 24, 2011
No Comments
The theme of last night’s Evening Cafe (Facing Age-Related Changes) was “body image” and that was pretty much the subject for most of us. Certainly the issues were different, but we all recognize that our bodies have changed. One of our challenges is how to look our best and stay functional as long as possible…despite other issues. For me, one of my challenges is maintaining my weight. The combination of hormone changes and short-term depression caused me to lose quite a bit of weight and I have not been able to put it back on. For some, compulsive eating kicks in when other aspects of life become difficult. So food plays a more important role than ever in how we look and feel.
We seem to be getting to know our bodies better as we age. For some a special diet is the answer. There was a lot of sharing on yeast free diets, low carb diets and acid reduction diets. Several people offered to share more from their own experiences and offered applicable resources. I encourage you to follow up with any member who has information you think you can use.
And Irene shared a wonderful truth: when you feel good about yourself you look good. So the bottom line is it’s up to us to do whatever we must to retain personal pride in our appearance. It’s our responsibility and there’s a lot we can do.
The organization that I mentioned for professional women age 50+ is http://thetransitionnetwork.com. The New York Chapter is quite large and has activities and events for its members. It’s worth checking out.
Sandy Hook Beach in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, is a 30 minute ferry ride away. As I mentioned I’m putting together a group of women who are brave enough to put on a bathing suit (at this age?) and enjoy themselves at the beach. Of course, anything you want to wear is just fine. It’s meant to be a day of fun, relaxation and adventure. I’m looking at Saturday, July 9th as the proposed date, with the following Saturday, July 16th as the rain date. The round trip ferry ride from the East 35th St. pier is $43. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll send you the details.
Our next Evening Café will be on Thursday, July 28th from 7 – 8:30 p.m. The theme for that meeting will be “money”, something that keeps many of us up at night. We will be meeting at Irene’s charming, mini-day spa once again. Thank you so much Irene.
You might also want to consider the next Morning Café on July 11th, from 10 – 11:30 a.m. The theme for that meeting is “exit strategy”. More info on that one here, http://www.primestrategies.com/age-related_changes.htm.
Send me an RSVP and let me know which of these you want to attend.
