I discovered Broken Hill just before I retired. I'm so glad I found this gem in western NSW. I then bought a house (tiny but comfortable) for just $50,000 ...... you can buy houses here that are quite ok for $50,000 up to $80,000. You can get a posh place here for around $200,000.

It's the quietest, safest, friendliest town imaginable. It has about 20,000 people. Because of the cheap house, I pay no rent and no mortgage, so I can easily live off the age pension and still have plenty left over (I'm single). There's 2 big supermarkets and 2 shopping malls plus the great main street and all the services necessary for a comfortable life. Prices for food and services are no more expensive than a big city.

If I lived in a city I'd have to rent a place, so that would mean half to two thirds of my pension would be gone just for that.

So there ya go. One way to survive in retirement, if you don't have much money, is to buy a cheapie house in Broken Hill. The reason houses are so cheap here is because there's a massive oversupply here. The town used to have around 35,000 or so people, so it's got all the infrastructure but not enough people to fill all the spare houses.

We are considering downsizing from our 2 storey house, but saying this we have been looking at retirement places and over 55's living, gee you have to weigh up the costs, one over 55's take 35% of your purchase price when you leave, plus $7,ooo yearly fee and they take out 1/2 capital gains.

We are looking at alternatives eg buying a single storey  place in the same area with not much lawn to mow, we wouldnt pay $7000 a year for mowing and a house cleaner weekly, and our kids would benefit in the end, plus we will be close to our support systems.

we went to a seniors forum today run by our council and a local member, we didnt realise what services are available to us if we stayed in our own home rather then retirement living facilities, worth looking into, just contact your local council or member for information.

At least we have a home!! Must be dreadful to lose everything as some do through circumstances beyond their control.

An article on the ABC today.

Australia's 'tsunami' of homeless older women something 'we should have seen coming’.

On any given night in Australia 1 in 200 people or 105,237 people are homeless in Australia according to Homelessness Australia.