“I made up my mind when I was young that I was going to retire early. And I did it. I retired last August after 33 years with LyondellBassell, just as I was fixing to turn 57. “Never been married. No kids. But I was … Continue readingRetirement plan pays off for bike enthusiast
“I just moved into an apartment. Just got a new car. Just got this dog. It all happened in one month. It’s exciting. It’s the next step, the next chapter for me. “The dog was kind of a surprise. But I had been planning the … Continue readingHe finds that saving money pays off
“We’ve been staying with my mom and stepdad since January. But I’m looking for a new apartment. I’m saving up right now. “I lived at my previous place for 16 years. When a new company bought them out, they raised my rent by $300. They … Continue readingThey’re weathering the storm of money challenges
“When we were growing up, we had four refrigerators, four washing machines, four dryers. There were seven kids in that house, and each one of us got a car when we turned 13. What was I going to do with a car at that age … Continue readingTime to ‘treat human beings like human beings’
“Me and my brothers took care of our parents before they died. They were both in their 50s. It was tough to watch them deteriorate. They didn’t have all the money in the world, and they had to spend loads on insulin. I’ve told my … Continue readingCancer, age work against her when job hunting
“I’m the first one in my family to go to college. My parents are proud. They always tell me, ‘You have to get your education. You have to do something with your life.’ And I feel responsible. I feel like I owe that to them. … Continue readingHis plan: help out supportive parents one day
“After the murder of my father’s dad, John A. Sivek, in 1934, times were very hard. My father, John S. Sivek, was younger than 5 years old at the time. At the age of 10 or 11 in 1940-41, he built a shoeshine box and, … Continue readingBack when 15 cents meant a lot to his family
“One time when I wasn’t working, I needed money for my car note. It was $197. Before I went to bed that night, I asked the lord for $200. That was a Saturday night. The next day I went to church. First thing I saw … Continue readingIn times of need, others have come to his aid
“My mom taught me the importance of saving money. She always said, you might not be able to put aside a lot, but just put something away for a rainy day. You never know when that rainy day will come. “One time she needed some … Continue readingShe finds great value in her mother’s life lessons
Jennifer Challenger set a goal of studying Japanese. To get there, she needed to earn enough scholarships and grants to pay her way to University of Texas. Related: Early interest in Japanese leads to teaching abroad Anime, manga lover at peace with her ‘weirdness’ … Continue reading‘They were going to have to pay me to go to college’