Cost of Living
When evaluating senior living options, cost is an important factor to consider. We suggest that you start with an understanding of the costs of your current living situation. These may include items such as:
- Rent or mortgage payment
- Property insurance
- Utilities bills
- Groceries and household items
- Automobile payment
- Automobile maintenance
- Automobile fuel
- Parking fees or costs
- Housekeeping or maid service
- Lawn service
- Household maintenance costs
- Payments to any caregivers
Once you understand the true costs of your current living situation, you can more easily evaluate the expense of senior living options. Often, many seniors find that the all-inclusive style arrangement that senior living communities offer is more cost-effective than living alone.
Senior living options also offer far fewer things to worry about. Instead of contracting for help and paying multiple bills each month, in a senior living community almost all of your services will be provided for in your normal monthly obligation. Additionally, senior living communities take the guesswork out of monthly bills and financials, and their financial policies are designed around seniors with fixed incomes. Unlike living alone, in a senior living community, there are no surprises expenses when the water heater breaks or an unusually cold month drives up your heating costs. Those are someone else's problem!
So pull out a pen and paper and begin to take a look at your entire financial picture. You may see that living in a senior living community will give you the benefits of more time, and money!
