You are near 80 and I’m 67, so I have been down a few of those same roads. I usually follow the road less traveled, or no road at all. I have a couple of cats and am reluctant to spend great sums of money on them, but the family dog is another matter. Do you plan to be buried with the money you save?
Nah....I am leaving my bones to science to see what made me ‘tick’.
I was ‘normal’ through 17,
joined the USN, did 8 yrs, moderate to heavy drinker-heavy smoker
from 25-51 was basically ‘drunk’ the entire time, heavy heavy smoker (Camel Regs 4 or so packs a day). I was a functioning drunk, NEVER missed work, had ‘everything’ (I needed), raised two girls who DON’T smoke or drink -all Grandkids(5), 1/great GS born under marriage license -
At 51 I put down the Budweiser/assorted daily shots etc/Camels, Cold turkey and have touched neither since.
The ONLY thing that ‘cured’ me was that bone between the ears.
If I ‘last’ long enough, ‘they’ should be able to SELL the remains....at least trade the experimentation for a quiet funeral and/or cremation with remains going to a National Cemetery.
My wife (after 43 years I figured the ONLY thing keeping us together was my being ‘drunk’) once told me I was so miserable that no one would come to my funeral.
I responded with
“That can only ‘embarrass’ you because I won’t really give ‘flying F’ who is or isn’t there”.