Done talking about retirement...

I retired at 69. It was partially due to financial considerations but a key driver was that I liked my work. My biggest problem was that between work and personal time, I was overbooked. So much so that I resented any additional demands on my time. But having it to do over, I wouldn't do anything different.

My wife retired from her business three months after me at 55. The following year, we spent 6 weeks in Europe. However, my health at 76 is nowhere like what it was twenty or even ten years ago. Things that I would have done at 65 are out of the question now. I no longer consider any foreign travel. Even an overnight is a struggle now.

Nobody wants to spend the last years of their life eating pet food or working as a greeter at Walmart for minimum wage but there is a huge range between that and having more money than you will ever need. Each of us has to strike a balance that works for us.
 
jpackard56 said:
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I'm guessing NOBODY on their death bed says gee I wish I had spent more time at work....
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I'm blessed/cursed to likely have a long life still ahead of me due to good genes, as both parents lived into their 90s. That means that I need more retirement savings than those who expect a quick end in their 70s. Of course, thoughts of living into my 90's is tempered by the fact that both my parents slowly drowned in dementia in thier later years. I guess the question is: if you're too demented to realize that you're broke, does it matter?

Those who say that retiring early is great invariably have sufficient savings. Meanwhile, we never hear the other side of the story, from those living in cardboard boxes under bridges, because they aren't on social media...
 
Congratulations !! Hope you and your wife enjoy your extra time together , Al
 
Add my congratulations to the list also :encourage:
 
Nutfarmer said:
I heard around the farm. You aren't retired. You only went from working two jobs to one. Just kidding. Enjoy having the time to choose what you want todo.
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Thanks !
Lot of truth in that !
My wife has done a good job of keeping things moving whenever I've been away, but winter is coming on and for some reason she is shy of using the newer JD for putting out round bales for the cows. (I think it is cause she knows what it cost ) The other one is an older 4010, she was fine with it ( far more complex control sticks) but I've got it partial;y apart for over two years now ! She is at home on the Ford 3000 and she really loves raking hay. She has no concerns with the Ventrac or the Cubs we cut grass with either. The new one though honestly once you climb in is more like her car than a tractor. No wait to start system, Heat/Ac, ws wiper, shuttle shift, joystick hydraulic controls...It is the kind of tractor that allows older farmers to keep farming less painfully !
Whenever any of the boys are home they can't wait to have a reason to use it, I have been thankful for it every-time I climb out after finishing some task around here in a rush in time to pack to travel back to some work-site. So now as you said I can choose the tractor and schedule the projects in a much less stressful manner.
BP was 127/68 this morning !
Retirement is good !
 
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