As age has crept up on me and rather dramatically turned me into a ‘senior citizen,’ financial lifestyle changes have overtaken me—affecting not only my pocketbook but sometimes my dignity. I’m sure those of you over 65 know where I’m going with this.

Many of us have experienced the shock of having to return items from our grocery carts—things we legitimately thought would be covered by our debit cards.

It’s a humiliating, ego-shattering experience.

You were certain there was enough money in your checking account to cover everything on your list.  But then ‘Insufficient Funds’ glares across that little screen that had previously welcomed you to Kroger, Aldi, or Aunt Daisy’s Market.

Suddenly, you realize you have two choices: Make a mad dash for the door or start putting things back.

At nearly 76, I can sadly say I’ve gone through this mini waking nightmare a number of times. The checkout clerk (under paid and overworked) and customers behind you invariably become impatient.  Your fellow customers have already waited in line for what seems like eons, and now you’ve thrown another delay into their grocery-buying ritual.

I remember only once when the guy behind me graciously offered to pay the $4 and change I was short.

When you can’t pay, your forehead and palms begin to sweat as your brain considers the possibilities—like melting underneath the counter and oozing away. That’s one of my favorites, although I have thus far been unable to pull it off.

Instead, you panic. And although it shouldn’t matter, you think: “Well, that’s it. Everybody at Daisy’s Market now knows I’m a poor old loser with empty pockets.”

Eventually, you realize there’s only one real alternative: the painful process of putting things back.

It’s about the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to me, but I suppose it’s part of getting older and living on a fixed income.

‘Fixed income’ means exactly that.

After the Social Security eagle flies on the third day of the month (Social Security Day for me and disability benefits for my daughter) and the other monthly income arrives, there isn’t much more money coming into the kitty.

For many of us who are older or disabled, it can become a sad kitty indeed.

Luckily, I have a part-time job that produces a couple of small checks every month. Although many seniors are no longer able to handle the 9-to-5 grind of a regular job, sometimes we old folks can pick up a few bucks working online in our pajamas.

Fortunately, I can be a copy editor without having to lift anything heavy or stand on my old feet for too long. When you have only a fixed amount of money to work with, you have to juggle priorities.

At my house, the most important bills come first: the house payment, car payment, power bill, life and car insurance, the cable bill (without which I couldn’t work online) and several small credit card payments.
ou pay what you can. But too often, by the middle of the month, the money is gone.

Math was never my forte. It was always my worst subject in school, and my checkbook sometimes reflects my lack of mathematical skills.

But even people who are good at math know that numbers can become unforgiving when the price of necessities keeps eating away at a limited monthly income.

How many seniors out there have found themselves in the checkout conundrum I’ve described?

You walk into the store believing the balance in your checkbook reflects reality. You fill your cart, stand in line and swipe your card.

When the Math Monster attacks again.

The month isn’t over.

But your money is.