I did not tell you

We do both have social security, but we need to do some remodelling etc. It may make a difference whether or not I give up my job in the schools. I thought of you. I am suspecting this is a reorginazation, or that the company has been acquired by another.

@GardenGerty I also draw social security disability, but it's not enough for us to live on.

@Tampa_girl7 Ours is retirement, and because we have no housepayment we could live very frugally.

We will experience some changes, but hopefully there will be good brought out of this.

@just4him We feel quite peaceful about the situation.

@GardenGerty There will be. Have faith, trust God. You'll get through this.

@mydanods We are busy at that already.

Not shattered exactly but more like rearranged.

@GardenGerty I like that. Then go rearrange it then.

He has already filed for unemployment. We both have Social Security. Two months of the year I have no income, due to it being school district. We will be fine, but totally shocked.

@Juliaacv Social Security is for when you reach retirement age. You can draw early, at 62. Each of us has chosen to do so. You can also work, while you draw. If you earn over a certain amount, they take one dollar for every two you earn, but then you get it back on income taxes. After you reach 70 they no longer penalize you. We have each tried just being "retired" but have not been happy. So we work. That is part of why I can afford to work for a school district.

@GardenGerty I don't mean to sound ignorant, but isn't SS for when you retire or is it unemployment benefits?

I hope things are working well for you. We are at the far end of the spectrum with both of us being retirement age, and already drawing unemployment. Did your husband get any credit for life experience? Some schools award that.

@GardenGerty no, he pretty much started from the beginning again.has your hubby decided what he is going to do now?

I said "unemployment" but meant "retirement". He has filed for unemployment. I will keep on working. At harvest time he has a well paying temporary job he has done in the past. He learned today that he can do it again.

I think he needed to slow down, but this is a shock. He filed for unemployment already.

@andriaperry He is long past retirement age. He started drawing at 62. He will get sixteen weeks of unemployment, if he chooses to. He has never had a "career" so his Social Security is not high. He is 72. I am 64. Each of us has tried not working, but we find ourselves wanting to go back to work. Our Social Security is enough to cover our bills, but we want to do more than just scrape by.

@GardenGerty Is he of age to retire? He may get more pay from S.S. than unemployment.

Yes, but we know of others who have experienced worse. You had a really rough time for a while, didn't you, with your husband's illness?

@Debscrochet For just over a year hubby has had several health issues and I am so thankful he was employed and had insurance on top of his Medicare for those issues.

@GardenGerty Yes it was a bad couple of years. He's doing so much better now that he lost the weight.

A few families. Many of these workers are retirement age or near it.

@hereandthere Many of them are already receiving Social Security. I do not know about the others, we were not paying into retirement with this company. I believe it was acquired by another company but I am not positive.

@GardenGerty so the company retired them early then

We'll be fine, he and I both have Social Security. I still have my job.

@GardenGerty a positive outlook takes you a long way too!

He needed to slow down, in my opinion, and I am pretty sure we will be fine. I am just disappointed and so is he.

@GardenGerty I can understand very well that you both are disappointed.

He was a merchandiser. His job basically was to make sure Wal Mart did their job and adequately represented clients like Proctor and Gample. He would put out signage and coupons and displays. I believe that another company has now bought controlling stock and are shaking things up.

@GardenGerty Thanks for explaining. I still feel bad that he lost his job. I hope you guys are able to bounce back okay from this.

He had been there five years, but this is a non essential service and we should have had an idea this was in the works as they abruptly did this and his manager was let go last fall.

@GardenGerty Oh, yeah once they start letting mgmt go something is always up. I am sorry

Yes, and very suddenly.

@spiderdust I think he is relieved. It is very clear he did not lose this job through any fault of his own, so he is not grieving it or regretting. We just are retrenching. It is helping me decide to keep on working.

@GardenGerty How are you guys doing right now? Is he still dealing with the shock of the job loss, or are you guys adjusting okay?

We will be fine but it was very shocking.

@GardenGerty yeah it is shocking to hear.

We should have had an inkling. They did this same thing to managers about six months ago, if that long.

Very shocking. It will motivate him to do something different. We should have seen it coming as they abruptly reorganized management last fall and let some long time management go.

Thanks so much. Yes, a surprise, but we will be fine.

It was surprising, but we will be alright, I am pretty sure.

People should have been guessing this as they "reorganized" and eliminated a management position around the first of the year. The manager that hubby has always had.

@GardenGerty So are you saying it didn't really come as a surprise?

I know we have enough to live on, but we were just getting started on some projects. He is eligible for unemployment and is going to take care of things like his teeth. We have some funds set aside.