Today is your day Boomer! Are you planning ahead? Are you considering how your finances will look as we get closer to the New Year? Most Boomers are well aware because many are on fixed incomes, pensions, and savings/investments that are subject to tiny interest rates. But....as the cost of living continues to rise, are you budgetting for it? We hear in the news today that groceries will go up 7% in 2022; that is about $1000, and it will be the biggest increase in over a decade! I know my teachers' pension has an annual inflationary increase....I am lucky....but it is usually only around 1.5-2%. That means I am falling behind and I have to look to make cuts in my spending habits. Maybe, it is fewer restaurant dinners, golf games, less options on my cell phone, or one less camping vacation per year. However, here's another way to save money; grow more of your own food, freeze or can it, and swap extra veggies and fruit you have with a friend who has eggs or meat. This can save a ton of money and, of course, garden-grown foods are very good for you! For example, we grow apples, pears, cherries, raspberries, kale, carrots, potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and a wide variety of herbs. They are fresh and taste good. Boomers, it's never too late to take a step back to more traditional ways of living....especially when the pocketbook demands it. Cheers!