I’m struggling with our money as I start to demolish our finances in order to save them. I’m to cash in our stocks and bonds to create an annuity for me, me alone. And it’s all legal!

Why? My husband’s in a nursing home and the monthly fees including a bill for his medications is considerable. The state has decided not to pauperize the spouse of a nursing home resident in order to avoid having two people receiving welfare instead of one.

My mother used my Aunt Mary’s own money to pay for Aunt Mary’s seven year stay in a nursing home. But the money ran out and Mother had to put Mary on welfare. Mother was very upset over the idea of her sister receiving welfare from the state. To her it was demeaning. But she knew she couldn’t afford to support her sister. It had to be done.

I feel a touch of that myself. But I’m tougher than my mother was, at least in this respect. I’ll bite the bullet and raid our joint bank accounts and all the rest of it.

I must.