When schoolchildren and teachers returned to the classroom this fall, Janet Ehrich didn't go for the first time in 42 years.

Instead, the newly retired elementary teacher at St. Augustine School in Barberton was ready to learn some new lessons for herself and her husband, Donn.

Lessons like how to live on a smaller income and how to research things like utility pricing and Medicare. Janet said she didn't have the time for that when she was working full time. She also was unsure whether their new budget would maintain their current lifestyle, which includes a few self-admitted luxuries like a housecleaning service and eating out a lot.

''I know that other families have greater money worries, but I need to learn how to keep my head above water and not go under like so many others,'' Janet wrote when she volunteered to get a Money Makeover through the Beacon Journal's Reclaim the Dream series.

Janet had rough estimates of her retirement income. But she worried that she and Donn would have to make some drastic changes to their lifestyle with a reduced income and being paid once a month instead of twice. Janet tried to do some research before her official ''retirement'' on Aug. 1, but ran into some roadblocks getting details, often being told she could get the financial information only when she was fully retired. But that left a lot of questions about medical and prescription costs, for instance.

Janet is a worrier. She needs to maintain a $5,000 ''cushion'' in the couple's credit union account and a $1,000 ''cushion'' in a checking account. The couple also has more than $20,000 in a savings account, socked away for emergencies.

Janet also worries that there might be a time when one of the couple's three grown children from earlier marriages might need financial help or need to move in with them. They have seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

''[Donn] tells me I live in the 'what if.' I do,'' Janet told money coach Cheryl Hall during their first session in July. ''I go one way, he goes the other. I rein him in, he reins me in.''

Says Donn: ''She's 'What if.' I'm 'if.' ''

But Janet's worrying by cushioning their finances has helped during trying times. When Donn, a sheet metal worker for Goodyear, went on strike for nearly three months in 2006, the couple said they didn't really feel the pinch financially because of their ''cushion.'' Janet taught Donn how to cook, he wasn't using as much gas to get to work and they stockpiled food in their freezer.

''If the strike had gone a couple of months longer, we would have had to cut back a little bit more,'' Donn said.

Janet points to her upbringing for the source of her worrying.

''My mother lived through the Depression. My mother was constantly stockpiling stuff. You'd go to the closet and there'd be 50 rolls of toilet paper,'' said Janet. ''I think that rubbed off on me.''

Janet doesn't go as far on toilet paper — Donn limits her to four.

Janet said she has seen a lot of friends retire and dramatically change lifestyles.

Five years ago when Janet turned 60, she said the couple started to realize that Janet's retirement was coming soon. So they started to get their house in order — literally.

They replaced the roof, bought a new mowing tractor, new appliances and furniture.

''We tried to replace everything we thought would break so we could pay cash,'' Janet said. ''Every time we bought something, I said, 'I'm buying the best because this is the last I'm buying.' ''

The Ehrichs have already paid off their house, but owe $31,000 on a 15-year home equity loan they opened three years ago to put on an addition.

When the Norton couple went to see coach Hall, Janet had received updates on her retirement income. She was pleasantly surprised to find out that her combined Social Security and retirement income would only come out about $200 to $300 below what she had received when she was teaching.

Hall told her she was fortunate because many people's income goes drastically down when they retire.

Janet said a big adjustment for the couple would be budgeting finances one paycheck a month instead of two.

''We use my paychecks to pay all bills and his paychecks go for the fun kind of stuff and things like car insurance and those unexpected things,'' said Janet.

Janet, who takes care of the couple's finances, was also preparing to get half of her retirement income until her first Social Security check came in mid-October — meaning they'd go a month and a half with less money.

A large portion of the couple's monthly budget is set aside for eating out.

When Hall added up the expenses, it was an average of more than $1,300 a month.

The couple acknowledged that they enjoy eating out a lot, even though Janet also enjoys cooking. They said they shopped for reasonable prices and also used coupons.

But when Hall crunched the numbers — using Janet's estimates of her retirement income and Donn's full salary — the Ehrichs' budget could handle the large bill for eating out, as well as other things such as the housecleaning, golf and bowling leagues for Donn and ceramics class for Janet.

Even with all of that spending, the Ehrichs still had plenty left in their monthly budget.

Hall told the Ehrichs they could even afford to pay two house payments a month and still have money left.

Janet said she'd rather try paying an extra payment every other month — or 11/2 payments each month — to ease her worrying.

Hall said that would help them pay off the $31,000 equity loan much quicker and put them in even better shape financially.

''I don't see anything you're doing that will prevent you from living the way you do now, provided you stay within the parameters,'' Hall told the Ehrichs. ''You have a lot of flexibility. If you start to feel a slight pinch, you do go out to eat a lot. You can cut back on that or at the grocery store.''

Hall told the Ehrichs: ''It's a treat to see a couple like you that have everything in line and are getting ready for later life.''

Updates

Janet and Donn said they know they're fortunate enough with their finances that they'll be able to keep up with some of the luxuries they've come to enjoy.

''I was pleasantly surprised,'' said Janet. ''Not only did [Cheryl] reassure me we could keep doing what we were doing, but if things get tight, do this and this and this.''

The couple said they already knew that they spent a lot of money eating meals out, but didn't realize just how much until Hall added up the numbers.

''I don't mind cooking and I like cooking. I think now that I'm retired I'll have more time to do it. That's one of the areas I've pledged to myself. I didn't say anything to him. I didn't want to get his hopes up,'' Janet said.

To which, Donn replied, ''I like your cooking.''

The couple is also committed to paying extra on their home equity loan.

''I really want to work on getting this house paid before he retires,'' Janet said of Donn's plans to retire in about six years. ''By then, we'll need to get a new vehicle and we'd like to be able to do that without going deeper into debt.''

Hall also told the couple they should think about re-evaluating their budget and revisiting her when Donn is ready to retire.

There have been blips along the retirement road.

The Ehrichs didn't make an extra house payment in August after their television and computer quit working. They needed to use their extra money to buy new ones.

Janet's first retirement check, which was supposed to come in early September, came two weeks late.

''I'm very glad we had that cushion. Someone else who would have lived paycheck to paycheck, this would have presented a major problem,'' she said.

When the couple looked for a new TV and computer, they decided they wanted a new computer desk, so they ate out a little less for a few weeks and spent that money on the desk.

''Donn and I have talked it over. Whenever we decide we want something or something special, that's one thing (where) we can gather some extra money.''

Also among Janet's ''to-do'' list was an appointment with a banker to transfer half of their $20,000 in savings into an IRA.

''We had half of it in a money market account, but we were losing money every month,'' she said.

There are still worries about rising medical costs, prescriptions and everyday things such as gasoline and utilities that could sour the Ehrichs' budget.

But they've got enough of the ''cushion'' — and a plan of attack on things they can cut back on that will help them with their budget.

Just last week, when Janet's retirement check came, she went to the bank to make an extra $200 payment on the house. She planned another $200 extra payment this week when her first Social Security check came.

''I would like to make up for August when we talked to Cheryl. Hopefully, if Social Security comes through, we'll be fine. If it doesn't, I need to keep this retirement pay to get us through to the end. That's one thing I've learned about retirement. You think you have your ducks in a row. You may have, but they may not.''