Looking Back and Looking Ahead - Planning

Yesterday turned out to be super busy, but very productive. It was topped out by a wonderful hour-long conversation with Aearwen - something we haven't been able to do for the past few weeks because of scheduling conflicts. It was wonderful to catch up and veer off in the many directions that our weekly conversations tend to do. Our conflicts will be back in place next week, so this chat will have to last me for a while. 

Aearwen and I have had a weekly phone chat
on Wednesday afternoons for years now. It's
one of the best things about my "day off". 

I'm taking my next pair of eyeglasses frames to the shop with me today. My goal is to have them in the mail for new up-to-date lenses by the time I leave for home tonight. This pair will be another all-around pair, but I'll have a "Transitions" coating put onto them for help with sunny days. The final pair I'll want to get done will be a second pair of computer glasses so that I can leave one set at work and one set at home without having to carry them back and forth every day. I'll be able to get those ordered within a month or two. 

I really like Transitions automatic light-adjusting eyeglass
lenses, but there are times when the shading messes
with my feel for graduations of color. I need both
non-adjusting as well as adjusting lenses, so I'll have
one set for each purpose. 

Of course, I wouldn't be able to afford any of the new eyeglasses at all if it wasn't for our Health Savings Account (HSA). Our health insurance doesn't cover eyes or teeth or prescriptions or ... or ... and or. In other words, our health insurance doesn't cover much of anything. Years ago, when HSA's were first offered, we started an account for each of us. It was one of the best decisions we've ever made. The contributions come off our income taxes, they pay for anything that is directly health related including prescriptions, my custom orthotic inserts, any dental work and eyeglasses and exams. When we turn 65 and retire, the HSA accounts will flip over to standard IRA accounts so it will still be a win/win. 

We have always saved as much as possible so that we could
have a retirement without stress. For a lot of years that
meant living on my salary while saving everything DH
made for his. It wasn't easy, but it's turning out to be a
very wise decision. 

It's a good thing I married a man who understands money and how best to use it for our future. I'd be looking at a bleak future of hand-to-mouth existence and possibly working for the rest of my life if I didn't have his financial wisdom. We've scrimped and saved through the years, and we don't live above our means, but we will be as set for a reasonable future as we can possibly be, thanks to DH. 

On that note, have a glorious Thursday. I'll be working hard to continue checking in the shipment that arrived on Monday. Lots of product to tag and get put away.