The Costs of getting Old.

Hi

Something which has become apparent.

Until last July I could do all the heavy work myself.

Digging out, loading a skip etc etc.

I moved 400 bags of compost to the back garden.

Never factored the cost of these things into jobs, now I have too, far more expensive.

Re: The Costs of getting Old.

I had that experience when we had a big storm and needed someone to cut up all the trees that fell down all over the yard. It turns out there are a lot of people who just rip you off, and you are supposed to be grateful. When I was a kid we could trust people to do what they say they are going to do. With the person we hired to do the job I now tell everyone not to use them. The plumber who is also a neighbor raised his fee by 25 percent without telling us in advance. He did that once before. Since I live in a rural setting plumbers are not plentiful. Now I'm more likely to do everything myself, if I at all can or let it ride unless it's an emergency. It's not that I can't afford it, it that I dislike people who are not professional.

Re: The Costs of getting Old.

Oh yeah. How true. I'm 68 but up until only recently I could still work all day..(At a sensible pace) in the garden or around the house. Even with only 35 % heart function. (I have cardiomyopathy) But now I'm really starting to feel limited So I feel very lucky that I have a 25 year old son living at home.

Re: The Costs of getting Old.

Would you be willing to loan out your son?

Re: The Costs of getting Old.

I've always had to pay for help , I dont have family nearby , I get very worried when things go wrong because of the cost . Most workmen charge upwards of £30 an hour and it's hard on a minimum pension with little savings and believe me can cause such stress . I've learned to be careful who I let do the work as its cost me more from bodgit work to be re done . A big worry when you own your own house.

Re: The Costs of getting Old.

I always hire help. I won’t be able to get heavy stuff lifted on my own. Of course, my son helps with the easier stuff. He’s very handy

Re: The Costs of getting Old.

Tell whoever that you always pay cash in hand - no paperwork. That £30 will instantly fall to around half.

Re: The Costs of getting Old.

Not just age but being affected by unforeseen illness (as I know you are too) does affect abilities, yes.


I built my own conservatory and installed a new kitchen and bathroom here before I saw my abilities alter.
I even chopped down a number of unwanted and/or dangerous trees on my lonesome.

It's not so much the expense although that certainly grates, as much as not having the satisfaction of seeing a finished project that you can be proud of having done yourself.
That and the difficulty in finding tradespeople who can work to a standard that you find acceptable can take a bit of getting used to.

Re: The Costs of getting Old.

Some of the costs of getting old are emotional/psychological. Old age brings all kinds of losses, mobility, loved ones pass, old friendships fade away, the dreams we once had try as we might, we were not able to achieve or they turned out differently than we thought, etc. Yes, there are things we gained from all this, but sometimes just the process is tiring and can suck the energy out of a person.

Right now I'm working to overcome it all. It's a learning process. That part is good. It's part of growing up - to be old.