Coming To Terms With Growing Old

Growing older is inevitable. Physically we cannot avoid it and eventually our mental will catch up too. For the most part, growing older is awesome! When I think about it, it is quite the accomplishment. I have escaped all of the threats that have taken so many lives before me and I am ramping up to enter my golden years.

One change I recently noticed was my strategy for purchasing anything. A few weeks ago I purchased a pressure washer. My previous pressure washer gave me 15 years of solid use and I could have refurbished it and gotten a few more years but I thought it was time to upgrade. Given my most recent pressure washer case study, and extrapolating and applying that information to my new purchase, it became likely that this would be the last pressure washer I would buy. Ugh, what a thought to ponder! Suddenly, the color of the machine mattered. The weight of it did as well. I needed to make sure as an aging human that I would be able to use this machine without any issue.

My age influenced my purchase and I am finding that to be the case with any purchase that has a chance to last for 20+/- years. Another purchase that seems like a big deal when you get older is a home. When I was younger, I would not even consider a 30 year mortgage as being a big deal. However a 30 year mortgage today means I would be bringing in my last payment to the bank, in a wheelchair, at a ripe 83 years old.

Another thing I think about is taxes on a home, because regardless of your home being paid off, taxes will always be there. For example, a home in Seattle valued at 1MM would have an estimated $ 9,300 in property taxes. Seems like nothing now, but as that home value increases, so do the property taxes. So when you are retired, with a limited income, you could realistically be paying $2k+ in property taxes each month!

As I get older, things I purchase require a bit more thought, especially given that some items will outlive me. It’s just another reminder that we are mortal and eventually we will be leaving this beautiful place as we know it.