Porsha Williams’ Floral Jacket at the Hair Store

Season 12 Episode 21 Real Housewives of Atlanta Fashion

I was verrrrrry glad that Porsha Williams wore this floral jacket to the hair outlet while chatting with Dennis and his mother. One, it was super cute. Two, I was especially grateful for the extra layer of fabric when Dennis pretended to breastfeed from Porsha. I’ll definitely file that away under things I can’t unsee, right next to the “Sold Out” label on this stylish spring piece.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here To See Her Sold Out Adidas Floral Print Jacket

Click Here to Shop it in Black

Originally posted at: Porsha Williams’ Floral Jacket

I can’t quite remember what caused me to part ways with my last roommate. It was 50 years ago and I have a vague memory of an unannounced party, a broken window and… finding my dog covered head to toe in ice-cream and hot fudge sauce? No… wait. That last part can’t be correct!

In any case, something bad happened and I swore to myself that I would never have another roommate. And, until I met my husband, I stuck to my guns, living frugally in small apartments and avoiding co-living situations of all kinds.

It wasn’t until I started Sixty and Me, a community of over 500,000 baby boomers, that I started to reconsider my position on roommates. In fact, the more I heard from other women like me who had decided to give living with a roommate a second look.

Here are 3 reasons to consider getting a roommate in the years leading up to, or during, retirement according to boomers who have already taken the plunge.

Keep Your Living Costs Low

Probably the most obvious reason to get a roommate is to reduce your living costs. Not only can a roommate help you to cover your rent (or mortgage), but, they can also help with utilities.

As one of our community members, Susan W commented, “When I got divorced in my late 50s, I still had 10 years left on my mortgage. I fought with my husband to keep the house only to find myself at risk of losing it for lack of money to pay the mortgage and other expenses. So, I made the decision to get a roommate… at least for as long as I had a mortgage. Now, 15 years later, my house is paid off, but, I still have a roommate. I guess I really like having someone else around. And, the extra cash really helps, especially now that I have retired!”

As we have discussed before, an extra $500 in income is like having $150,000 in retirement savings. So, getting a roommate really can make you feel richer. And, this doesn’t even account for the income you can make by investing your rent or mortgage savings!

Stay Social and Fight Loneliness

Loneliness is a big problem for older adults. How big? Well, depending on the study you read, between 33-40% of people over 50 experience loneliness some of the time. And, when I conducted my own survey of our Sixty and Me community members, 75% of them said that they occasionally felt lonely.

To be clear, being alone is not the same as being lonely. I know plenty of people who genuinely love the silence that comes from living by themselves. But, for the rest of us, getting a roommate can help to fight loneliness and keep us social.

As a community member, James A said, “My work has always been my life. I didn’t really realize it at the time, but, all those coffee room conversations and pointless meetings really did help me to feel connected. When I retired, I found myself alone every day of the week – except Sunday, when I went to church. A couple of years into retirement, a friend suggested that I get a roommate. I was pretty skeptical, but, I decided to give it a shot. The guy that I share my apartment with now is great. He’s not much of a talker, just like me. But, we get along and it’s nice to have someone to have a beer with while you’re watching the footie.”

Stay Safe and Independent

When we are in your 40s, 50s and even 60s, most of us don’t think about the fact that we will one day lose our independence. Then, one day, it hits us. We take a fall down the stairs. Or, we slip in the bathroom and bump our head. Or, perhaps we find out that we are suffering from an illness. And, suddenly, we realize that our independence is at risk.

Getting a roommate can’t protect you from every possible injury, but, it can help you to get help quickly if the unexpected happens.

As Jane R from our community said, “It might sound crazy, but, I actually think my roommate saved my life. It was the stupidest thing. I was walking from my car to the house one evening when I slipped on a patch of ice and hit my head. My right arm was also in a lot of pain and I was pretty scared. I remember just sitting there looking up at the lights above my door thinking ‘This is it. I’m just going to die here in the snow.’ Luckily, Amy was in the kitchen and had seen the car pulling into the driveway. She came out to check on me when I didn’t come in after a few minutes and called an ambulance. We still live together and I will always be grateful to her for helping me that night. I don’t know what I would have done had I been living on my own.”

How to Find a Roommate After 60

There are dozens of websites that claim to be able to help you find a roommate. Some of the most popular are Roomiematch.com, Roommates.com and Roomi. But, to be completely honest with you, I haven’t met too many people who have successfully found a roommate through these sites. They are simply too focused on Millennials and many also require you to filter through plenty of scam/spam messages to get to the real gems who might actually be a good fit as a roommate.

You may have a better chance with Silvernest.com – an online home-sharing platform that pairs boomers, retirees, empty nesters and other older adults with compatible housemates.

Most of the boomers that I know have found a roommate through their own network – either online or in their neighborhood. For example, if I were looking for a roommate, here are a few things that I would do.

First, I would reach out to my Facebook network. I would post a message on my Facebook page. Then, I would reach out to all of my friends who still live near me to ask for their suggestions.

Second, I would go for a walk around my neighborhood, knocking on doors and letting people know that I was looking for a roommate. Who knows, maybe one of my neighbors would even be interested in joining forces.

Third, I would post a “roommate wanted” notice at my local community center and in my church. And, speaking of church, I would also talk to my church’s leader to see if they have any roommate recommendations. Chances are they would!

Finally, I would look through my contacts on LinkedIn to see who might be able to recommend a roommate. Who knows? Maybe one of my colleagues would have found him or herself in a similar situation to me. Or, maybe one of their friends might be interested.

Deciding to get a roommate is a major decision… and one that should not be taken lightly. But, if you can deal with finding someone else’s socks in your laundry basket and the occasional box of old Chinese food in the fridge, getting a roommate really can help you to live a richer life in retirement.

It’s not just about the money. It’s also about the peace of mind that comes from having someone you trust around. And, who knows, your new roommate may even become a friend.

What do you think of the idea of getting a roommate in the years leading up to (or during) retirement? Do you have a roommate now? How would you describe your experience? 

We keep saying, and you probably keep hearing, that you should refrain from making any big hair changes at home. You don’t want to spend a ton of money and time fixing it when salons re-open. Celebrities don’t seem to be heeding to this advice. Hilary Duff’s blue bob is the latest example of a star doing a big hair transformation while physical distancing. This is key because the chances of them having their glam team, or at least a colorist, at home with them are slim (though, it is possible). In Duff’s case, we’re not exactly sure who gave her this new look but we have to admit, it’s pretty awesome.

The Younger star debuted her shorter and, well, bluer hair over Easter weekend. We’re so used to seeing her with a sunny blonde hue that it’s pretty jarring at first. But it’s not the first time Duff has gone blue and probably won’t be the last. While not working, she seems to have a lot of fun with hair colors.

Source: Instagram

While giving her daughter Banks a bath, we got a better look at Duff’s hair on her Instagram Stories. It actually looks like she went fully brunette, but with blue ombré highlights. This is seriously tough to pull off on your own, though we have some theories.

Image: Instagram.com/hilaryduff.

It’s probable Duff just removed her hair extensions, revealing a shorter ‘do. For the color, her light brown roots started growing in so she probably dyed all the leftover blonde this cool blue shade, making it look like highlights. Any color conditioner can help you achieve a look like this and it’s unlikely to damage your hair. It’s actually a really fun way to play around with a new hue while you’re stuck (safe) at home. We’re hoping Duff keeps this around for a little while.

At the end of this physical distancing, will there be any faux blondes left?

So, you’ve retired. Congratulations! All that’s left to do now is to book a tee time and sit in front of your pool with a glass of champagne in one hand and the Sunday Times in the other. Yeah right!

Unless you are one of the “lucky” few who have saved millions for retirement (and if you are, why are you reading this article?) chances are the reality of life in retirement has started to kick in and you are probably more than a little worried about your financial future.

Well, fear not! In today’s article, I’m going to offer some realistic suggestions for how you can boost your income by $100-$500 a month FAST! And, best of all, none of these ideas require you to take a part-time job or become a consultant.

So, without further delay, here are 5 ways that you can make extra money FAST in retirement.

Negotiate Your Biggest Expenses – a 10-Minute Call Can Save You $100s!

There are many things that are harder to do as you get a little older. Climbing the stairs, remembering where I put my car keys (or my car!) and trying to lose weight are the ones that annoy me the most!

But, there is also a silver lining to getting older. One of my favorite benefits is that negotiating is SO much easier. Why? Because banks, credit card companies, landlords and even phone companies know that we have less money to work with. So, they are more likely to give us breaks that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

So, take advantage of this perceived weakness and negotiate down your biggest bills. Trust me, it’s much easier than it sounds!

In the video below, I give 6 practical tips for negotiating down your credit card bills, bank charges and even mobile phone costs in the years leading up to (and during!) retirement.

Rent Out a Room on Airbnb

Did you know that the average host on Airbnb makes almost $1,000 extra a month? But, even if you only have a single room to rent, you could probably make an extra $200 – $500 a month.

Of course, being a host on Airbnb does require some work. You have to check people in and out. And, you have to make sure that your property is clean and well-maintained for your guests. But, the truth is that there are few ways to make big money for such a small effort.

In the video below, I discuss how to get started on Airbnb as an older adult. I also walk through some of the specific concerns that older adults have with regards to becoming an Airbnb host – and how to deal with them!

Rent Out Your Car or Parking Space

The day that I stopped my daily commute was one of the happiest of my life. I remember looking down at my car keys and just breathing a sigh of relief that I would never again have to deal with the exhaust fumes, crappy drivers and morning talk show hosts.

But, it wasn’t until about 3 months into retirement that I decided to sell my car and invest the money. It was one of the best decisions of my life. Not only did the sale give me a bit of extra cash, but, it also forced me to walk more, which led to me losing about 15 pounds!

Of course, this was about a decade ago and there weren’t really any options for renting out your car at the time. Now, services like Getaround and Turo offer platforms (including insurance) that take much of the pain out of the process of renting out your car.

Want to learn more? In this article, I give two reasons to consider renting out your car in retirement… and two reasons to put on the brakes.

Move to a Smaller House and Invest the Difference

While it is true that most of us did not save enough for retirement, most of us did make one great financial decision – we purchased a home. Now that our kids have left the house, we have several options for monetizing our greatest assets.

As I mentioned earlier, seniors are now the fastest-growing group of hosts on Airbnb. But, another option is even simpler – to sell your home, move into a smaller place and invest the difference.

For example, let’s say that you live in a $400,000, 4-bedroom house. If you were to move into a $250,000 apartment and invest the $150,000 difference at 5% interest (yes, it’s still possible!), you could give yourself $625 more per month to live on.

And, if you considered a fixed income annuity, you might be able to increase your monthly income by even more. Find out more about how to get impartial expert advice on choosing an annuity.

Find a Roommate

Did you know that 19.5-million seniors (including me!) in the U.S. are single. And, with “silver divorces” at an all-time high and lifespans increasing, this number is destined to grow significantly in the decades ahead.

To be honest, never thought that I would even consider getting a roommate again. But, the more I think about it, the more the idea grows on me.

It’s not just about the money (although an extra $500 a month would be helpful). Like many older adults, I feel like I could benefit from some daily social interaction and friendly banter.

In this article, I discuss 3 reasons that more of us should consider getting a roommate in retirement.

What additional ways have you found to make a little extra money in retirement? Are you renting a room (or your car?) Have you moved to a smaller home?

From my “virtual headquarters” at home in
California, I’ve been in touch with friends around the world from: England,
India, Nicaragua, Israel, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Germany, and across the US.

While sheltering at their homes, many
have invented creative volunteer projects: Kathe prepares science kits and
drops them off for her grandchildren and their neighbors. Next, she virtually
performs the experiments with them.

My daughter, Priscilla, shops for her
90-year-old neighbor, leaving groceries at the door. Randi and Rozzy, friends
from high school, are sewing washable mask covers to donate.

Daily, I tutor a second grader and a high
school junior. We all have different skills and passions. Below are various opportunities
that I found and ensured that each is currently accepting volunteers.

Crisis Text Line: A Great Need at This Time

Although
the service probably exists in many countries, I looked up the crisis text lines
that operate in the US, Canada,
Ireland,
and the UK. These are all free text lines for people in crisis, and their volunteers
answer texts using active listening and collaborative problem-solving
techniques.

Each volunteer receives 30 hours of
virtual training in crisis counseling and commits to 4 hours per week until 200
hours are reached. A volunteer wrote, “I volunteer for Crisis Text Line because practicing empathy and reflective listening makes
me a better friend, partner, and employee.”

UPchieve Tutoring
Anyone?

UPchieve
is a free online platform that connects low-income high school students in the
US with volunteer coaches to support math instruction and college counseling.

More than 50 million students are out of school due to COVID-19, and low-income students are disproportionately impacted by this shift to digital learning. Compared to their peers, low-income students are less likely to have computers at home and parents who can help with schoolwork.

UPchieve
works on any device, making tutoring accessible even on cell phones. You don’t need tutoring experience
to be a coach online for UPchieve. They provide tools and training, including
subject-specific review materials and a self-paced course on how to be a tutor.

Translators Without Borders (TWB)

Are you fluent in another language? Translators Without Borders
writes: “Countries with lower literacy levels need different
COVID-19 communication strategies. Information must be accessible.”

To date, thousands of TWB volunteers have translated millions of words of vital information for people who need it most.

Irina, a former
lawyer turned volunteer English-Russian translator, has translated a total of
110,220 words into Russian, one of their top 10 most frequently requested
languages. With Covid-19 there is a tremendous need. Meet some amazing volunteers.

United Nations Volunteering (UNV) for Vicarious Travelers

The
United Nations also contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide.
Organizations and volunteers can team up online to address sustainable
development challenges anywhere in the world, from any device.

Hear how a graphics design volunteer from India supported a UN project in Egypt. Check out the 113 current opportunities.

Zooniverse: Want to Do Research? No Experience Needed

Zooniverse is one of the largest online platforms for people-powered research. A reader shared:

“The fun thing about Zooniverse is that
there is a great variety of things that need doing and you can spend as much or
as little time as you wish on each. For example, I’ve spent time coding Civil
War black soldier registrations, counting displaying grouse on a lek, recording
when birds fight on a feeder, transcribing abolitionists letters, indexing a
restaurant menu collection, etc.”

Do projects from home, even in your PJs. Check these out: Bash the Bug, Anti-slavery Manuscripts, Planet Four, and Rainfall Rescue. The projects have produced many published research papers.

Smithsonian Digital Transcription

Have you visited a Smithsonian museum? Become a digital volunteer and help make historical documents and biodiversity data more accessible.

Join others who’ve transcribed and reviewed more than 522,549 pages of field notes, diaries, ledgers, photo albums, manuscripts, and biodiversity specimens since 2013. If you don’t have transcription experience, here’s a chance to learn.

Make DIY Non-Medical Washable Face Masks: #Masks4all

CDC guidance advises Americans to wear
non-medical face coverings when out in public. This is not meant to replace
social distancing and hand-washing. Nor is it meant to replace surgical masks,
which are in short supply for medical professionals. Wearing masks reminds us
not to touch our faces.

Japanese Creations offers a pattern, you can sew by hand, and another one that requires no cutting
or sewing. Here’s one more for those who have a sewing
machine. Many people are making masks for themselves and others.

Project Implicit, Harvard: Check Out Your Biases and Help Others

Harvard
researchers are studying how
to break down stereotypes. Help by taking online tests in collaboration
with researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition – thoughts and
feelings outside of conscious awareness and control.

Their
goal is to educate about hidden biases by collecting data on the Internet. A new paper highlights one method that may
change both unwanted implicit attitudes and behaviors.

Ebird: Discover the World of Birding and Contribute

While spending lots of time at home, you can watch birds from your window or back yard. Join Ebird, the world’s birding community, because every sighting matters.

Find Anything to Try?

Many more opportunities are out there.
Just google “virtual volunteering” and you can find them.

What you are doing to help the world? How
did you find this opportunity? Are you helping only in this time of crisis or
have you decided to commit permanently? Don’t forget to share How it is going!