Trying to retire on our Social Security only. December 2024.

What is a storm runoff fee? Are you literally paying for rain?

I don’t see that Browns hoodie in your Budget. Was that a Christmas gift? Do you and the wife spend anything on your selves?

Happy New Year Buzz! Thank you again for sharing your valuable insight with all of us. I am finally 30 months from retirement as of January 2025. I have really been practicing the past 6 months what you brought up in this video = being honest with myself regarding my budget amounts.

I really enjoy your videos and hope you continue! Happy New Year!

I'M SO GLAD YOU ARE STILL BREAKING THE BUDGET DOWN!! I just can't get enough!!! Happy New Year to you and Mrs. Buzz!! Keep them coming!!!! Need to ask you a question? I think your email has changed. You have mine!

Happy New Year, Buzz!

Thanks again for sharing Buzz

Hi Buzz , happy new year to you and Mrs Buzz. 2 questions , how much do you spend on heating the house and how the hell you spend only $18 on gasoline for a month.

I’d try to live off SS as a challenge. I’d certainly make sure there’s something to fall back on. Enjoy the videos!! I still have a couple yrs, but I’ve started watching a few different retired guys channels. Happy new year!

Buzz, love your attitude and attention to detail. Thanks for sharing this level of transparency. My wife and I are 5 years away from retirement. I'm new to your channel, but do you have a video on how you were able to cobble together health and dental (pre-Medicare) for yourself so cost effectively? I'd love to understand your research there. I intend to retire at around age 62-63 and health and dental coverage prior to Medicare is a big concern from a monthly budget standpoint. Hope you and Mrs Buzz have a great 2025!

You're wonderful! This is so dang helpful!!!!

Happy New Year Buzz ! We really need to be teaching these skills to the folks just starting out, it's just as important in your 20's as in retirement. Into another year of retirement you go - Congrats. Looking forward to the ballcap this year ! Best to you into the future - livingbthe dream like a master !!

Hey Buzz , do you invest in precious metals ,silver /gold ect. ?

End of 2025 I’m retiring 5 months less of full retirement age I have my ssi account hence will look at it in February I should be 66 and 6 mo

I think I need to get myself a white board. I love your folksy, old-fashioned style Buzz. I notice you do not have a mortgage payment and that makes this much more do-able.

So the key is to not have either a mortgage or rent to pay. If you have either one of those there’s no way in hell it’ll work.

I kinda like medicare. I'm 66 retired and living on only SS.

One benefit with dental insurance is that the rates the dentist can charge are capped. For example, a crown may cost $600 with insurance - the insurance pays whatever percentage it pays and you pay the balance of the $600. Without the insurance, the dentist is not limited to $600 and may choose to charge $800 or more. (This happens with out of network dentists too.) Cash patients do not have the protection of capped rates.
However, many dentists will agree to limit their charges to insurance rates - but you need to check with them in advance. It is a good idea to get a rate sheet from them if you are thinking of becoming a cash patient - so you can make an informed decision. FYI - Dentists often like cash patients as there is no pre-approval requirement or insurance paperwork to mess with - this is why they may accept the lower/insurance rates.
Many dentists do not like (or even accept) the Medicare Dental HMOs as they are slow to pay and the paperwork/approval process can be a hassle.

Happy New Year Buzz!

Nicely done, back in black! For the month, at least. 😅 I'm a bit of a math nerd so for me, one of the most interesting things to see at the end of the year is the total spending in each category (among other statistics). That was a pretty powerful motivator for my wife, who is not so frugal as I am. Like if you consider your grocery spending, the annualized difference between spending $859/month and $1089/month is almost $3000 per year. That is enough to cover any one (or more) of your other categories other than house taxes! That's a pretty incredible statistic that is not immediately obvious looking at the month-to-month numbers.

Anyway, great video as always. Maybe I'm off the mark here but I get the sense that you and Mrs. Buzz are pretty comfortable at this level of spending, so it's pretty easy to imagine ways to make up the deficit if you were someone who did need to live entirely on social security, even if you didn't have as much SS income. That's what makes this series so valuable, and I can't get enough of it!

I am amazed your homeowners insurance is that low as well as your vehicle insurance.

This crap of having a million dollars in retirement is so over sold it is at the point that I quit listening whenever some advisor/financial writer starts that up because the real truth is MOST people don't have anywhere near a million dollars when they retire and for that matter even 500k.
If you do, then great, but most don't so stop stressing about it.

Great Video. My father used to say "the barber learns his trade on the heads of fools"

Stick with Bill…….nice small business ❤️🌵

Buzz I’ve really enjoyed your info. I hope you keep this channel going. It’s nice that you’re up front about everything. Happy New Year

Paying for storm water runoff is outrageous. You guys to elect new politicians that will get rid of money grabs like that. When do they start charging a 'breathing the air tax'?

Love the monthly budget recap. Keep up the good work.

Happy New Year, Buzz!

One melt down and you are in trouble. Eventually you’ll get too sick to work. So I’m just gonna have to suck it up. I’ve been a blue collar worker all my life. I’ve been paid to fix things. That has, and I hope, will be my saving grace. Happy New Year!

It's my birthday today! I haven't taken social security yet. I am retired though. Won't wait much longer, probably take it in the middle of this year.
Take care everyone.

Happy New Year there Buzz.... ya know, during COVID - I tried cutting my own hair (as my typical shop was closed)... I found out that I could do it just as good, without the drive over there and the wait... or the tip. Ha ha ha - still cutting it today and will continue. This has saved me about $50 or so a month and a fair bit of time. 💈

I always try to remember there are people who hava lot more money than we have but there are also those who have a lot less. I'm just thankful for what we have and we try to manage it the best that we can. Hope you and your family have a blessed year. Always enjoy your videos!

I’m reading that if you’re in the market for any new technology, buy it now before the proposed tariffs kick in (if they actually do) after the next Administration comes into office. Tariffs are high for computers, etc since so much comes from other countries.

I kept paying for cable when retiring, and found a billing over charge. There is no reason to continue with this service as it no longer has integrity as a company. After agreeing that overcharges were substantial. Goodbye, no time to argue refund should have been cash.

I am all for you not going back to work but keep doing you tube. You are excellent at it and you deserve the flexibility it offers. We live in the south so our taxes are MUCH lower and we only have one pet. We spend much less on food because I use a lot of digital and paper coupons and go to a warehouse grocery store, small and local one, about once a month. Do a lot of cooking from scratch. You do better on your cell phone bill for sure. We still use Verizon. Enjoy 2025. Carole

Have you and the Mrs. considered doing a few months of a pantry challenge? Lots of great info on YT about it. Just the 2 of us and I had plenty in the freezers/fridges/pantries. December spent $91 and yes we ate very very good, including several people for dinner thru out the month. I am doing it again this month and who knows maybe next month too! 2 of us and I try to stay at $300 a month and under.

Your videos generate a lot of chatter, which I enjoy reading. Diverse, and interesting group. Me included. Hope 2025 offers you lots of on-the-cheap fun adventures.

you pay for stormwater ? typical council money grab. Thankfully I'm retiring to a country property, I have zero outgoings for utilities since we are off grid power, huge volume of tank water, no gas. Our single biggest outgoing for that type of thing is council rates. I imagine one day some idiot bean counter in a council will figure out that we need to pay for incoming solar radiation for the privilege of collecting energy from the sun.

I'm going part-time this Friday. Fun to watch this.

Wish I was only spending 3500 a month. Good job Buzz

I am a 75 yoa male. I retired for the SECOND time 12 years ago. I am very active (exercise, chores, helping my kids, working in my garage, etc. ) and I’ve been married for 42 years. I found this channel a couple of months ago AND THOROUGHLY ENJOY listening to BUZZ and reading all yal’s comments….it is like visiting with a bunch of new friends.

Buz my 6 year plan takes me to 75. I will continue my part time sub teacher job and track coach and basically save 50,000 dollars each year. Then another 6 year plan that will take me to 81 and continue my sub teacher and track coach and save another 50,000 a year. Then another 6 year plan ... see where I am going with this? I will always do some part time work until I am dead. We will travel we will live a full life as long as we are breathing:))) My part time work brings in close to 40,000 a year. It keeps me connected. Daily talking to high school kids and other adults in high schools along with track practice and meets is just part of staying active. FOR ME! Everyone has a different idea of retirement.

Enjoy the videos buzz, if you ever want to spend more money you could change it to my retirement budget and include utube income. That way you could enjoy the fruits of all this great work you are doing without feeling you are going over budget. People like the budget content as it gives them some idea on how other people manage their money.

I am so glad you're willing to give a realistic idea of living on social security.. We are close to retirement but are struggling with 1 more year syndrome. So scared to go from saving for retirement to spending in retirement. But you showing us how it is working out makes me a little less fearful. We both like your channel.

You spend a lot on groceries. How many people are you feeding?

Happy New Year to you and yours. I don't feel so bad now with the food budget for two I am aiming for $450/month 9 out of 12 months, and $600/month the other two (not including Pet supplies and Household goods like paper products and stuff). I'm budgeting $60/month each for those. It's hard to stay in those budgets but I'm trying hard in 2025. I had to retire early for a few reasons and I did live off savings until I hit 65 because taking SS early would have drastically reduced the amount I would get in my case. Now I have SS and a small Pension and my total is similar to yours. I do take out of my savings for property taxes and some home repairs when needed (although this year I'm trying Not to do that). This is the first year I am putting money in an Online Savings Account from my SS/Pension income and I made it automatic. I'm hoping I can build that up enough that it will cover my taxes, Christmas, and home repairs, and even maybe a vacation (hopefully). I do my budget and track actuals in Excel every month, and throughout each month. TMobile has been great for us too. My adult son pays for both of us and it is 1/2 of what we used to pay with AT&T, and the service is just as good or better. Thanks for being open with your income and expenses.

Yes, a tax on rain water run off is a scam, lol.
I don't know how much property you have but those taxes seem really high too.