Would your views on savings be different?

[hamchan]

We are actually dealing with this right now as DH is very sick and the odds of him living past retirement age are pretty low at this point. His medical expenses are extremely high. I have to decide between working all the time to keep the debt as low as possible, or being home more and carrying some debt. I have decided to be home more, at least for now. He has good life insurance. We should be fine when he passes. The bigger worry for me is if he has a stroke because if it's a bad enough one he would be unable to work any longer. If he needs constant care I would not be able to work either. We are trying to at least save enough that we could get by on his SSDI and 401k if we had to. I do factor any government assistance we could get into that as well (Medicaid, possibly a very small amount of food stamps). If I were at retirement age it wouldn't be a problem, but odds are I won't be. Luckily he is at low risk right now. Luckily he has healthy blood pressure levels and no significant blockages. Luckily he works at a job where he can continue working even if he needs dialysis, or loses a foot. He could even work at home. But a bad enough stroke would probably disable him.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Nope I'd probably be more worried about finances and providing for my family.

[Caoineag]

My mother died at a very young age from cancer and lots of family members are deceased because of cancer. My husbands family genetics are equally tainted. Our savings goals are far more aggressive than the average person because we would like to retire early so that we can experience retirement. I still want enough in case one or both of us are the lucky person that manages to somehow not get the cancer and I want enough saved in case my husband is the one left behind trying to grieve and pay bills at the same time.

The main thing I take away from it is that I should live life to the fullest, but buying things is not the same as living life. I want to live my life by only spending on the things that matter most to me, experiences and freedom. My relationships are important to me so I make time for them as well.

I am currently only 4 years younger than my mother at her death and I still feel that saving for tomorrow is a very important goal, perhaps more so than if I thought I would have a normal lifespan.

[Gailete]

My 4 year older sister had breast cancer at age 27 and another eye cancer at 37. She is still alive but I've had the breast cancer threat over my head most of my adult life. Instead I have bad rheumatoid arthritis and my doctor calls me a complicated patient - not something you want to be known for

I've been on disability now for 12 years, since my mid-40s when due to various other circumstances I was finally getting my financial life in order to be struck down fast and furiously. After my short term disability money ended, my income went down 2/3. My husband lost lots of work time running me to doctors and hospitals a killer thing for the self-employed with no paid days off).

I look at my life now and am so grateful that I got a lot of traveling under my belt as young person. Trips to Colombia, a cruise, living in a foreign country while in college. I have many happy memories. While I do struggle at times with many things I can't do, and the list seems to grow daily, I turn my mind to what I can. I started a part-time internet business which gives me much satisfaction and contact with people with who like the things I do. With my business profits, I put 15% into a Roth IRA and a stock account and love watching the two of them grow. I'll never be a millionaire with the small amounts that I can add each month, but it is better than nothing.

Would my views on savings be different? They haven't changed. I am able now to do what I wanted to all along financially though at much smaller amounts. Financially what I do regret was marrying a husband that sucked every penny I had out of me plus so that by the time we divorced, I had nothing left. If I hadn't married him my financial life would have been so much better, but I paid and will always pay for that mistake. I am grateful for Medicare and the Medicare prescription D program that came out my first year on MC. We aren't eligible for any programs like foodstamps etc. I'm happy for the most part with my life but would certainly be more than glad to ditch the arthritis somewhere!