Living on a fixed income can present challenges especially for elders. The opportunities to earn additional income can be limited or non-existent. Opportunities to increase nest eggs through investments diminish. And during times when inflation grows faster than cost-of-living increases, if any, the challenges can be even greater.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for many seniors is being willing to ask for and receive help when they need it.

But many assume that others are worse off than themselves and are too proud to ask for assistance, according to groups that run meal programs and provide aid for heating and weatherizing.

“One of our biggest problems is convincing people to take help,” said Eleanor West, director of services for the Washington Hancock Community Agency, a federally chartered nonprofit group. “I tell them, ‘You worked hard all your life and paid taxes and are getting back a little of what you paid in.’”

If you are a senior who needs help while living on a fixed income or if you know a senior who could use some help, I encourage you to seek out advocates and groups in your area connected with the local or state government or non-profit groups. And here are some tips to make those challenges a bit more manageable, some of which are specific to seniors and some which can benefit anyone who wants ideas for managing expenses.

General Resources:

About.com has "Tips for Living on a Fixed Income" in their Retirement Planning section. This post starts with 10 tips and there are links to additional posts where 10 more tips are added weekly.

Ohio State University Extension has a piece in their Senior Series titled "Living on a Fixed Income" which offers ideas to "help to control the impact of inflation." There are also links to additional tips and ideas.

Lending Tree has tips for "living well on a fixed income." If you have a trusted financial adviser or relationship with a bank or financial institution they can be a resource for ideas on how to adjust in a time of rising inflation. Just keep in mind that they might have ideas that involve selling you something so take advice from these sources with an appropriately sized grain of salt.

Food:

Food prices are soaring so this is an area where it pays to get creative in managing the cost of food.

The New York Times has an interesting piece on cooking creatively using only ingredients from 99-cent stores

BlogHer CE Alanna Kellogg has recently written a couple of great posts full of tips on how to save money on groceries

Brenda at Coffee Tea Books and Me has some excellent tips on saving on food and tips for saving by shopping wisely, stocking up on staples and sewing

If you need assistance with meals there are two great organizations to check out and which can help you find aid in your community:

America's Second Harvest can help you find food banks or emergency food assistance

Meals On Wheels provides home delivery of nutritious meals. The national organization can help you find a group near you.

Housing:

Again, The New York Times is the source of information about an innovative approach to managing housing costs. The New York Foundation for Senior Citizens has an approach that offers benefits both financial and emotional.

The group’s Home Sharing program is an intergenerational roommate service that matches hosts (people with an extra bedroom in their home) with guests (those who need an affordable place to live).

Elder Cohousing is growing in the United States and offers similar benefits of both shared costs of living and community.

For seniors who own their home and have substantial equity, a reverse mortgage is a potential source of income. However, it is extremely important to do your homework if you're interested in this option. There are many scam artists and predatory lenders preying on homeowners. Here are a few places to start your research:

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has Facts for Consumers

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a list of the Top Ten Things to Know if You're Interested in a Reverse Mortgage. HUD also has free information for seniors you can request.

Money:

The AARP has a portal with information on a variety of issues including "money" which includes several calculators and resources for finding benefits and assistance. As with financial institutions, the AARP is also interested in selling you various financial products so keep that in mind when exploring links and information.

The AARP and organization such as VITA can also provide free assistance with completing taxes. Even if you do not normally fill out tax returns, you will need to do so in order to receive the new tax rebates. However, be careful when choosing assistance. Some studies have shown that VITA does not successfully provide accurate help.