Karen

My Washington-based grandparents will soon be moving into an assisted living apartment, (something everyone should look into, along with when getting help for family members who need to get out of nursing facilities due to issues, or their own homes as they get older),begging the question of what’s going to happen to their boat. There’s no room for it at the apartment complex. They haven’t used it much over the last few years and paying a monthly storage fee for something they no longer need is a waste of their resources. Since my grandparents are living comfortably and don’t feel like going to the trouble of selling or refurbishing the boat, they’ve decided to donate it, thanks to a little research my mom and I did.

Benefits Charitable Causes

Grandma and Grandpa love giving to charitable causes. Now that they’re not working, they spend more time than ever volunteering for causes they believe in. When looking into downsizing their home, they wanted to benefit others. My mom found an organization that takes used boats, no matter the condition, fixes them up and turns around to sell them to new owners — giving the proceeds to charity. Grandma and Grandpa loved the list of charities benefitting from the donations, so it was a perfect match.

Convenient Pick Up

Moving is never easy. Moving after several decades in one home is probably one of the hardest things my grandparents have ever had to do. Between deciding what to keep and what to take with them, packing up an entire chapter of their lives, trying to sell their old home and arranging all of the moving, things are starting to get piled up in a corner to deal with later. Getting rid of the stuff they’ve decided to donate or junk is absolutely the last thing on their to-do list, but Mom and I worried potential house buyers were going to be turned off by the piles of junk in the yard and in the basement corner.

The boat takes up almost half of their backyard. We want potential buyers to see the maximum space the backyard has to offer, and we need to get to work on fixing up the dead grass underneath the boat — which has been sitting there unused for so long. Luckily, some boat donation services will pick up the boat free of charge, so the most trouble Grandma and Grandpa will have is making a phone call.

They Do Make Some Money on the Donation

Like any retiree without a salaried income, my grandmother likes to keep her household on a budget. Donating saves my grandparents money because they don’t have to pay seller’s or shipping fees like they would if they’d opted to sell it. Plus, they get to deduct the full value of the boat from their taxes at the end of the year, which means they’ll get back a bigger refund or pay less, whatever winds up being the case for them. They were probably going to donate it regardless, but it’s a relief to know that the investment they made on their vessel all those years ago is still going to pay off.

Boating Is in the Family

Just because they’re giving up their boat doesn’t mean my grandparents are giving up boating. We love boating as a family. My uncle has a boat of his own he happily lends out when he’s not using it (and if we aren’t already invited on his boating trip.) If Grandma and Grandpa want to use it when it’s unavailable, there’s a dock where they can rent boats just a few miles from their new place. It makes more sense for my grandparents not to deal with the cost and hassle of boat ownership at their age when there are convenient alternatives.

The Assisted Living Federation of America reports there are over one million seniors in assisted living in the U.S., so Grandma and Grandpa are in good company. Although my grandparents were wary about leaving their home of several decades behind, they decided it was best for them to stop worrying about so much land and so much stuff. Assisted living is about seizing all life has to offer without being burdened with life’s hassles. And with a family like ours, they won’t have to fear missing out on any boating trips.

About the Author: Heather McIntosh is an outdoor living blogger and an avid boater. She had such a good experience that she recommends all people considering downsizing their homes donate their boats to Boat Angel.

It’s all too easy to take people who are close to us for granted, and then it comes as a surprise when an emotional distance grows between you. But there are always ways to make time for each other, and by doing so, you can cherish the relationships that you have.

Your partner

Although it may feel a little like a cliché, there is something to be said for ‘date nights’. Our lives are increasingly busy and hectic, and you may feel like you and your partner are like passing ships in the night sometimes. In order to maintain a good relationship, you need to make time for each other, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to have a regular night that you book a babysitter and go out together for time as a couple.

Your children

With the frantic lifestyles many parents lead, their children don’t always get to spend quality time with them. If you have to drop them at breakfast club and then don’t see them until you collect them from after-school club, it doesn’t leave much time for anything else in the evenings save dinnertime and getting ready for bed.

See if you can juggle your work hours so that one or both of you gets to collect the kids at end of school one day a week and they get to spend some quality time with you instead of just doing the practical things in life. If your working hours don’t allow for this, see if you can ask their grandparents to step in once a week instead. It’s a great reason for you to see your parents or in-laws regularly too!

The wider family

It’s all too easy for weeks to go by when you don’t get together with the different people in your family. But just as you keep friendships strong by making time to meet up with your friends, you need to do the same with family members. Sometimes the fact that you know your family will always be there means that you put less effort into organising get-togethers with them than you would with your friends. Of course, seeing people on a regular basis is easier if you live nearby, but there’s all the more reason to make the effort when some of your family are far away.

In today’s world, it’s so easy to stay in touch without actually talking. You can email, send a message on Facebook or tweet, and while it only takes seconds to do this and shows the person you’re thinking of them, it’s also important to do things the old-fashioned way now and then and have a real conversation. Even if you have to schedule it in your diary to make sure you do it, making the time to call someone close to you is important. Having a conversation is so different to communicating electronically.

Letting people know that you value them and the relationship you have with them is easy to do, but it’s also easy to let things slip and time to pass by. Nurturing the people you love and care about should be high on everyone’s life to-do list!

This is a guest post by Hylton Potts who are on hand to assist with the issues and problems surrounding dissolving a civil partnership in the UK.

Life is often full of ups and downs, and it is hard to know what is waiting around the corner. The same applies regardless of a person’s age – illness, upset and accidents can really happen to anyone at any time. One thing that can be difficult to come to terms with is a relationship breakdown, and this is especially true for those who are in the over 50s bracket.

If you have experienced this yourself, you will know that the situation can be very tough for all of those involved: you, your partner, your children, and so on. There are many reasons that a relationship can end up being dysfunctional, and it is up to you to decide what to do about it. For those who have found themselves in this sticky situation, it might be helpful if you read a few of the suggestions below – it can be hard to do it alone…

Find the right support

The first thing to remember is that you shouldn’t need to go at it alone; there are many other places on the internet that you can find support so these can be very helpful. Whether it is connecting with other people like you on forums, or reading helpful legal guides, you will quickly discover that there is help out there if you want to reach for it.

Family members and friends can also be incredibly valuable at this time, however you will want to find the right balance when it comes to what you speak about. If you have children, you will not want to influence the way they see their other parent, as this would then begin to affect their relationship too.

Decide whether to make amends

Is your relationship at the end of the road, or do you believe there is still potential to make things work? Problems can sometimes arise from the decisions that people make, or the lack of communication that is needed to make a relationship work. Sometimes all it takes is to lay everything on the table and really tackle the problems that exist.

For that reason, some people find that therapy or counseling sessions are worthwhile, and there are sure to be a range of options available in your local area. If you live in a remote location, you could always see if there are any web or phone based resources instead.

Seek legal advice

If you have decided that enough is enough, you might want to seek legal advice to find the best possible resolution to your relationship breakdown. Whilst you may still find the situation upsetting, you can at least be reassured that the issues surrounding your house, possessions, pets and children will be in the best possible hands. To get this process started, have a look online, or speak to your friends or family members to get a recommendation.