It seems like lately, we hear endless stories of senior citizens who are unable to retire because of the high prices of housing and because many of them don’t have sufficient savings to live comfortably once they stop working.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, households that are 65 years or older spend, on average, $45,756 per year, or roughly $3,800 per month. That’s only $1,000 less per month than all U.S. households on average. We all know how the economy has swung back and forth since the 2008 meltdown, so many Americans have had a hard time retiring or haven’t been able to at all.
Because of all this uncertainty, one man from Texas has come up with a brilliant plan for his twilight years. Terry Robinson has decided that, instead of opting for the traditional retirement home, he’ll spend his remaining years in a Holiday Inn hotel.
And to top it off, the Holiday Inn will be cheaper.
Robinson wrote a lengthy Facebook post about his plan and as of this writing, the post has been shared 132,000 times. Robinson’s post says:
“No nursing home for us. We’ll be checking into a Holiday Inn!
With the average cost for a nursing home care costing $188.00 per day, there is a better way when we get old and too feeble.
I’ve already checked on reservations at the Holiday Inn. For a combined long term stay discount and senior discount, it’s $59.23 per night.Breakfast is included, and some have happy hours in the afternoon.
That leaves $128.77 a day for lunch and dinner in any restaurant we want, or room service, laundry, gratuities and special TV movies.
Plus, they provide a spa, swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge and washer-dryer, etc.
Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap.
$5-worth of tips a day and you’ll have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
They treat you like a customer, not a patient.
There’s a city bus stop out front, and seniors ride free.
The handicap bus will also pick you up (if you fake a decent limp).
To meet other nice people, call a church bus on Sundays.
For a change of scenery, take the airport shuttle bus and eat at one of the nice restaurants there.
While you’re at the airport, fly somewhere. Otherwise, the cash keeps building up.
It takes months to get into decent nursing homes. Holiday Inn will take your reservation today .
And you’re not stuck in one place forever — you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city.
Want to see Hawaii ? They have Holiday Inn there too.
TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem.. They fix everything, and apologize for the inconvenience.
The Inn has a night security person and daily room service. The maid checks to see if you are ok. If not, they’ll call an ambulance . . . Or the undertaker.
If you fall and break a hip, Medicare will pay for the hip, and Holiday Inn will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.
And no worries about visits from family. They will always be glad to find you, and probably check in for a few days mini-vacation.
The grand-kids can use the pool.
What more could I ask for?
So, when I reach that golden age, I’ll face it with a grin.”
Sounds like a pretty good plan to me.
What do YOU think? Let’s get some retirees to weigh in on this predicament in the comments.
