Is it the same for military uniforms? I still have my dad’s old dress uniform jacket…although it’s from WWII.
I also have the Soviet Army karakul that he traded his hat for. So, my dad’s old army hat could be floating around Russia still.
Not AFAIK. My Dad had kept his Korean-era USMC uniform until he died year ~2000. We found a local USMC historical society that wanted at least part of his stuff for their collection of period pieces.
When I finished with USAF in the late 80s all my stuff was still current and nobody wanted it. There were also no restrictions on how one disposed of it. Most went in the trash then, the last of it went in the trash 20 years later.
Pre-9/11 there was no real concern about airline uniforms. Subsequently there’s a lot of concern. OTOH, there are plenty of commercial vendors online where anyone with a couple hundred bucks can buy a generic pilot uniform, rank insignia, etc. A quick Google will set you, or any wannabe terrorist, up with all they need.
Duplicating the various company-specific emblems and badges is the hard part. I can sure recognize the detailed features of my employer’s regalia. But for other major airline X, or especially minor or overseas airline Y I’d have no idea if some person is real or just a plausible imposter. Hence the computer-based imposter detection system in place to find and weed out those folks.
This is my last working week.
I’m calling in sick today, because I have tons of sick time to use or lose and because we need to have a Zoom meeting with an insurance broker regarding Medicare and Medigap choices. I’ve been studying my Medicare For Dummies book and the official book issued by Medicare and it’s starting to sink in. I’m reminded by what a realtor said when we first shopped for a house decades ago and were trying to learn and absorb all the new-to-us concepts: every time you review all the data, about ten percent sinks in and ninety percent flies over your head. This repeats every time you study. I’ve studied it all several times and I think I have a grasp on it and am prepared for the Zoom meeting.
By the way, that big paperback manual that Medicare puts out (“Medicare and You”), makes things about as clear as mud. The Dummies book was better, but even better was the website Nerdwallet, which summed up the whole Medigap concept and presented comparison tables and succinct descriptions of each option. I printed that out and put it in my pile of materials to have on hand for the call.
Congrats and good luck.
Remember, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), not Medicare Advantage, if you can afford the monthly premiums.
mmm
That was my takeaway from the big thread about Medicare and Medigap. Looks like we can afford Medigap plus a Part D. All the Part D’s that I look into nix paying for one of my prescriptions, a costly one. I suppose looking into a Canadian pharmacy is in my future.
Good for you. All of my meds were covered except one, which was $77 / 90 days. I had my doc change to an alternative med that is $21.
Maybe you can switch to a comparable drug?
mmm
I’ll look into the comparable drug thing.
I did the zoom meeting with the insurance broker. It was very helpful, but there was a nasty surprise.
Despite all the studying I did with two books and online aids, I missed a subject that was “Part B costs for those with higher incomes”. Both of us have been taking our social security benefits the last year or more (Mr. brown) or six months (me). This kicked up our yearly income considerably, though we were socking it all away into IRAs against our retirement. Medicare “looks back” two years at your yearly incomes and the more you made as a couple, the bigger a monthly premium it will charge you.
So Part B is going to cost us almost twice as much as I thought. Cripes.
Well, son of a bitch. I wasn’t aware this was a thing either. I guess I can’t complain given that a higher retirement income is better than a lower premium and I won’t be there for awhile. But…that was unexpected. Table, for those interested.
This is actually good news for me. Since I’ve retired a couple years before Medicare, my income will be reduced for those two years.
Yesterday I had real anxiety about retirement. Last week felt more like vacation. Sunday, when I’d normally get things done before my work week, and suddenly I was having second thoughts. Maybe I should continue working, what if I lose everything, what if, what if, what if? I’m just going to keep on with the plan. It’s time to fish or cut bait.
StG
I had a brief crisis of faith too. My CFP talked me down from the ledge. Sometimes they are therapists.
I got hit this way the first year I was on Medicare since they were counting both work salary and some stock I sold. It eventually goes away, so no worries.
It’s routine in my biz to make doctor’s appointments and such months in advance and then have to change them later because you’ll be stuck working on the day/date you picked at random 6 months ago when this month’s schedule was simply unknowable. Or worse yet, skip an appt because you’ve been unexpectedly called to work at the last minute, so you no-show the appt then try to get worked in over the next couple of weeks.
Anyhow, today I attended a Dr. appointment that was itself a reschedule of a no-call no-show from 2 weeks ago due to getting called to work at 4am that earlier day. All was well with this appointment itself, although good thing I’d set it for first thing in the morning as I left the appointment to proceed directly to short-notice mid-day work. Again. Sigh.
But what was cool & milestone-worthy was that during check-out I set my next appointment for 6 months hence. And had the epiphany that that appointment is in zero danger of being trashed for work, since I’ll be retired by 2 months when it comes up! Yaay meee! The first of many such.
Although doubtless other fun activities and travel will get in the way of previous prior plans. But that’s a much better set of reasons. 
Anyway, year three of retirement here, and today we went to a Mexican restaurant we hadn’t tried, and then went to the tulip/lily/etc. gardens at one of our local conservancies. Quite a pleasant day.
Heh. I had my annual appointment with my cardiologist today, and needed to make an appointment for next year. The receptionist asked me if either May 6 or May 13 of 2024 would work. I told her that it didn’t matter, as long as it wasn’t at 8:00 in the morning.
Funny. 8am are the ones I demand. I’ll already have been up for hours by then and when I get there, I’m sure I’ll be ushered right back & seen promptly since they won’t have had time that day to get behind yet.
8am appointments are seen at 8am. 2pm appointments are seen at 4pm-ish. For especially large values of “ish”. I know which works for me.
YMMV! 
I always take the earliest possible appointment as well. There’s rarely any kind of wait, and people are generally fresh and in good moods.
Congrats in advance, Teela!! I’m sure you’ll do great.
I’ve had good luck with this – I had a 'scrip that was $90/3 months, I complained to my doc and got switched to one that was ~$6.00ish?/3 months, and it worked great. It’s doable sometimes.
So that’s the other reason my CFP wants to limit Traditional->Roth IRA conversions to $90kish/yr I guess? That keeps my income in a better window for Medicare in 3 years. Thanks for the heads up.
Yeah, me too. I spent 2 years saying, “I want to retire”, my CFP saying, “Go ahead”, me saying, “bullshit, I can’t afford it!”, when I really could. And here I am, having wasted a couple of years in a job I didn’t enjoy. So nice to be free, and I’m glad I had a good CFP to get me there.
Yeah, like they say it’s a good problem to have. Similarly, with my anticipated retirement income and my wife’s income, there is no way that I can see to take advantage of the 0% capital gains tax rate. It would save me a tidy sum, but I don’t see it happening. Boo hoo, I will have to settle for the higher income.
Back to IRMAA adjustments to Medicare premiums, at least the income levels are pretty generous, relative to the premium increases. But it might suck for two years until the rates adjust to lower income levels.
Another factor for me is that I usually get fasting blood work done, and “nothing by mouth since midnight” is easier to handle at 8 am rather than 3 pm.
Update: I just received the first shipment of my new med; the charge is actually $0.00.
Woot!
mmm