First time I've ever done this!

[volshooter]

Really just thinking of my best friend for 25 years I reckon.

I went to the grocery store and bought what I wanted without thinking about the price or the total!

My best bud left me some money. We were friends a long time and I never knew he had anything but a cops retirement and SSI. When I received the trust fund money I put it in the bank and left it alone. I, figured Uncle Sam would take most of it. Got our taxes done and Sam only took a very small cut!!!!! Went to store with the knowledge that we could cover any amount. We are middle class but always watched our spending, as most do I reckon. Driving home the wife and I laughed because we only spent 30$ more than we usually do, but what a feeling!
I miss my friend every day. Think of him every day. Today I thank him for his years of friendship, mentoring and his parting gift.
I miss you ole buddy!
Sure pissed his family off that he didn't leave it all to them, which was tradition in his family. I got a cut and they feel cut!

 

[NC FNS]

Sorry about your friend. Great story, though.
I don’t usually play the lottery, but if I ever won, I’d be tempted to go to my LGS and say "One of each, please."

 

[WanderLust]

Good thing the money goes further here in East Tennessee! Now run up to Gatlinburg and spend the weekend.
Don't tell your wife about Bud's Gun Store until you're pulling in the lot!

 

[Mobuck]

I guess I'm fortunate. I'm not an extravagant spender when it comes to groceries (sometimes the dog & cat food costs more than my own) but don't have to worry about what I buy actually costs. I'm not sure how this will look next year as I just notified my agency that I plan to resign at the end of October. It may not seem like much to some but I've thought long and hard about giving up that $2k/month income source. I hope it doesn't bite me later.

 

[Jeepnik]

When I retired I was in the mindset that impulse spending was a thing of the past. I was being pretty darned frugal.

I was in a local sporting goods store with my wife and while she tried on clothes/shoes or whatever women try and on I wandered over to the fishing display they had a decent selection of Penn reals, on sale no less.

As I was checking out their spinning reels my wife showed up and asks if I wanted that one. Sure I did but told her I didn’t need it. Knowing I was keeping a close eye on the finances she ask what our net worth was as of that morning so I told her. She looked at me and asked do you really think we can spend that much before we die.

She got her shoes and I walked out with two new Penn reels.

 

[blume357]

I've never had much money and pretty much worked from pay check to pay check for years... but I have a wife who is much smarter and better at money than me and we have always kept our finances separate.... but I do have to say I quit worrying about what food cost a goodly number of years ago... two reason... it is one of the silly marketing scams of all grocery stores.... to convince you that they are a better store because their prices are cheaper.... I'd much prefer a clean store with well stocked isles and also not have to stand in line at check out watching some fat food stamp mom slap her snotty nosed brat.... 2nd reason... life is too short to eat cheap food, drink cheap liquor, smoke cheap cigars or own cheap guns......
You get what you pay for.

 

[Johnnu2]

Many years ago, I constantly worried about not having 'enough' money in my old age (where I am now). Then, I stopped worrying when I was visiting my 97 year old uncle and going thru his finances because he decided that he wanted to buy a house because his condo didn't have a backyard for his dog to run around in. I told him that I calculated he may lose a substantial part of his savings if he made that purchase. He had been "upper middle class" for most of his life and was living (the past 37 years) off whatever investments and savings he had. He looked at me and said: "Exactly how much do you think it takes a 97 yr old man to live on nephew?". While I still made sure that I would have a comfortable life in my latter years, I literally stopped obsessing about it.... Thanks Uncle.
p.s. I may have to start worrying again; heard a newsflash about (large % of) people born after 1940 may live to be 125 yrs old. Fortunately, we all know that the media has dropped to 15% accuracy in the past decades.

J.

 

[g5m]

Great story, volshooter. As my wife says, "You can choose your friends but not your family". And I have seen way too many times the 'vultures' circling, waiting for old Uncle Joe to pass so that they can get whatever.

 

[contender]

volshooter,, it's obvious you had a very good & close friend. Memories like that are priceless. And shopping w/o worry has it's own special feeling.
Notice I didn't say shopping AND being frugal.
But as Blume has said; Life's too short to always live cheap. (Well he sorta said that. )
But being frugal AND having what you want or need w/o worry is a good way to enjoy life. Miss Penny & I have worked together to build up things in a manner to where we are capable of living w/o worrying about the next paycheck. Or as some do, "paycheck to paycheck."
Being frugal, yet not denying ourselves of things we enjoy as long as it doesn't affect our daily life is a way to reduce stresses upon ourselves.

But back to volshooters comment about his friend leaving him "something" while the family felt cheated,, reminded me of a movie. Gran Torino by Clint Eastwood. Made me smile!

 

[Kevin]

Blume, it’s funny, because here in Dallas, the most expensive grocery store is the most crowded. They have a pretty exotic produce selection. And I’ve tried some of their meat, and it’s actually not very good at all compared to the “cheaper” stores. We don’t shop there very often.

It’s the medium priced store here that’s the cleanest with the fewest customers. Which is where I shop.

Volshooter, it sounds like you had a pretty great friend. I hope you think of him as you spend that money.

 

[Randyzzz]

I was able to retire 2 years ago thanks to an inheritance. My Mom was suffering from dementia, and finally her body just couldn’t take any more. It was heartbreaking for me, but she is where there is no more sickness and pain now. And God blessed us all with one last half hour of a normal conversation and visit the week before she passed. Also, I feel God blessed her by taking her home before the dementia fully deleted her memories.

She had an investment account in our family trust. So with my job basically evaporating with Covid, I decided to live off a monthly draw from that account. I have 10 years to draw it down. Basically the IRS wants their tax cut by then. I’m eligible for SS but I’m going to wait to take it for as long as I can. My wife still has her job, although the income is less now that we moved and she’s working remotely. We have enough income to be comfortable as long as we don’t splurge. I have been a “hoarder of cool stuff” my whole life, so I sell it off bit by bit to finance my gun needs. I also used to build custom CJ series Jeeps- I have one I’m finishing that eats all the spare change that the guns don’t get.

I feel blessed to have what I do, and a life that allows me time to enjoy it.

 

[volshooter]

The things my wife and I have we earned by working hard. The money my pal left is gravy. We are both still working and will continue to do so until just cain't no more. Folks need to work to be happy and useful.

One thing my pal requested was "leave some money to a true friend that doesn't even know you have anything". (ain't talking bout millions here, just a little)
He was a very wise man. I miss our daily talks. I could talk to him about anything and his advice was always correct.
We have what we want due to our labor. We have always been able to pay bills and buy groceries but always watched the prices. Only once in our life did we run empty. I called my dad and told him, he brought a sack of food and 20$ for us. We promised ourselves that was the first and last time, and so it came to pass. That was over 40 years ago.
I'll do as my ole pal asked and leave a cut to someone who is a true friend.
We have no plans for any of the gift, well perhaps helping us refresh my parents estate, that I had to borrow half to pay my sister her half. We managed to buy and start updating before my bud passed.
I no longer have him, I miss our daily talks, I admired him for his simple life, he admired me for my work/life ethics. To this day I listen for my phone to ring at 7:00 pm from him. Jeeze, I think and thank him more than ever.
I'm finding it extremely hard to make a new friend, his wisdom and friendship will be big shoes to fill.
Perhaps he gave me more than enough without the money. I hear him in my head .
I miss him. The world was a much better place with him in it. He walked life making people laugh and smile.