Do you dream about retirement?

gregg said:
Mark has good points. We are all playing with a hand grenade with pin pulled out. Like it or not. lost wife at 48 to cancer. more or less retired at 55 with 36 years to take care mom. loss her going on 3 yrs. adrenals shot. neck shot. lower back shot. just bought mill 8530. have PM 12x36 coming. not sure I can do much but been dreaming about buying machines my whole life. was not going do it till I had moms house empy and sold. its 800 plus miles away and with health goes slow. told myself bs I'm going down hill better get going on it now when I can. hope to try use stool???.
Mark prayers and best wishes........................
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Do like me.......they will probably find me keeled over in my shop one day, doing what I love, cutting metal. I do it on crutches or wheel chair, but I do it.
:))

Mark
 
You could say I "retired" from the corporation at 38 and turned my hobby into a business. Its seasonal and we (my honey) and I spend two months a year fishing(yesterday 2 grouper, 15 yellow tail, 3 hog fish, 15 porgy). I then have a couple months of "shop season". Then we both work like dogs on the business for 8 months.

At 60, we are working on an exit plan from the business now. Our financial problem is medical expense, the costs have EXPLODED on us. Our life plan didn't include this monster.

Karl
 
Just yesterday I moved 100% of the 401k $ into the “no risk” fund – about 3 yrs to go but I have what I have and want to keep it – the 2007 crash is fresh in my mind. New truck – everything is paid for – most of the expensive travel is behind us (Amazon, Rome, Berlin, Arctic Circle, Panama Canal…) – health good – so far.

No trouble to find something to do in retirement:

Cut grass (3 acres)
Cut trees (3 acres)
Go snowmobiling
Keep on fix’in stuff
Use my mill and lathe
Visit my kids
Vacuum up all the ladybugs that make their way into the house.. :))

Jim
 
I was offered early retirement at the age of 54 on full pension 20 years ago, I have never regretted doing it.
there simply are not enough hours in the day to fit everything in?? "WORK" how on earth did I find the time.

Brian.
 
I originally had a "Plan". I was going to work 3 more years overseas as a contractor and retire to run my fab and welding shop as a part time hobby. I was going to be 100% debt free and have enough put aside to pay electic phone and properyt taxes for at least a year. Then I heard God laugh........ They say if you want to make God laugh, have a "plan" and see what happens. I got gravely ill in 2009 and have been trying to get well since. I'm officially retired, but not in the manner I had originally planned. Goes to show how important it is to have a good sense of humor and the ability to be flexible when your plans get changed.

Bob
 
Speaking of life and plans, I was set to 'semi-retire' at 55 when life stepped in and took everything. I'm back where I was at 18 for all intents and purposes, but I will figure out something. I've had too many work friends work until full retirement age only to die a few years later (which is what the government is hoping for). I'm not going to do that if I can help it.
 
I retired from the USCG with 20+ years got 50% pay an 30% disability.
Then worked as a heavy duty equipment mechanic until I way 66 then retired.
I work on H1 Hummers for friends and for the fun of it
Just have to watch the pocketbook to insure we don't overspend.
Retirement has been great, my doctor said it was the best thing I could have done.
 
I too retired from the USCG after 20 years at the age of 39. I opened up a business that was very successful for the next 12 years. I was debt free and had lots of toys to play with and retired. My wife went nuts (literally) and I filed for divorce. When the lawyers were done with me all my toys were gone (except my shop) and I now have a big mortgage nut to pay every month. I'm back to working 40 hours a week turning wrenches on boats and doing work that is taking a heavy toll on my body. I'm 55 and doing work that would make a 25 year old hurt at the end of the day.

Having been retired 5 years ago, and now back in the work force full time out of necessity, you can bet your last dollar that I am thinking about retirement every day. In 9 months I'll be vested into my current retirement program and old enough to take a reduced pension. If the housing market starts to turn just a little bit more favorable, I plan on moving south and retiring again. I can't wait.
 
Wow, it really great hearing others stories and life experiences. I didn't mention it, because I wasn't sure whether to go there, about finances/debts and investments. For me and the wife, we're pretty well off by govenment STDs, upper middle class. I'm super conservative and haven't paid a dime of interest for over 20 years, with the exception of the house. Everything is paid in cash. We have a normal nest egg for these times with the recommended emergency fund. Empty nest for years now and so it's just her and me, both working full time. Shes vested in CalPers pension and I've had a 401k for over 15 years. Every year I've waived taking my annual raises and up'ed my contributions to over 20% now. We save another 20% of our weekly paychecks and still live on 2001 income level.

We owe on the house, but made a killing during the housing spike so were going to sell in SoCal and move to another state, pay cash, hopefully with some acerage and a nice size shop, room for the RV and some space between me and the neighbors, is our dream. Only 4 more years left for full SS (66) if we can just hang on!

She's the one that cost me the most money. Heck, I could just about live on air with a simple roof over my head.
 
Rick I think my suggestion and it seems like a lot of others have the same advice...take retirement as soon as you can financially afford it and while your health is good...or as good as it can be.

The important thing is to have a hobby or a mission to help others as in charity work.. but don't sit around in a rocking chair waiting for ...well you know.. the end.

Enjoy retirement and include your bride when ever you can.

David
 
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