Please retire as soon as you can.........seriously.

[Idadon]

Retired at 41 from the US Navy and moved to Idaho to fish and ski. Lasted for 3 years before I went to work at the post office. STUPID MOVE!! I needed my summers off. Took up substitute teaching and driving a school bus for many years (no work in the summer). I really retired 5 years ago. Bought a nice RV, talked the wife into retiring and now we live in Idaho while the weather is good and leave when it's not. Life Is Good. Listen to Rick J. He's got the right idea, just take your home with you. I love it!

[Bwag]

I don't know much about lots of things but I watched and witnessed mostly men go through their lives working 50 years in the sporting goods business.

I am 71 and I just listened to a talk show last week where they were talking about two different surveys they took asking elderly folks what they regretted most in their lives.

Most regretted not traveling more or being able to travel more when they were younger.

My advise is to take some good trips while you are young if you can and try to retire or semi-retire as soon as you can.


Now at 71 years of age I feel I am pretty much and expert in this retirement stuff.


Every year you work is one less that you will have in your retirement life.


I love retirement but the only thing wrong is that I still don't have enough time to do everything I want to do.


PS: Be sure to take really good care of your body.

Get your eyes checked, keep you teeth in shape, have a physical every year.....

Money is not worth much if you are all screwed up when you are retired.


.

I think the bold sentences above are very important. I feel extremely lucky that my wife has no issue with me taking one trip a month, doesn't matter how far just keep it at 3-4 days. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to retire but I'm not going to wait to start living until then. I'm also lucky that I will get to retire young, I've set my max age at 54-55. Having a wife that works in Finance who's a lot smarter than I with the $ helps too.

I watch some guys at my work make good money (often working 60-70 hours a week), never put any extra away because they take for granted we have a pension, never set up college funds for their kids then sit back and say they have to work some extra years to pay for college or a second mortgage. So they've spent their career working overtime and blowing the cash, not spending time with family, not spending time getting out doing what they like then have to stay a few extra years at the end of their career to make more "extra money" or even worse, retire then go right back to work, no thanks!

They way I see it, why work into your late 50's or early 60's if you can make reasonable sacrifices and retire in your early to mid 50's, not everybody can but those who can should. Retiring young gives you time to enjoy your retirement years rather than grind it out until your late 50's or early 60's then maybe have 10 healthy years to go play, I sure hope we all have longer but there's no guarantee.

[Morgan]

When I was working in a busy rat race city working at a hospital I had some of the older folks tell me.
"Dont wait until your my age to enjoy yourself."
I took that and ran with it. Moved to the mountains to snowboard everyday.
Now I have pretty much retired the board and picked up the stick full time.
Living up here its not all about being wealthy dollar wise.
Its more about living rich in your quality of life.

[wineslob]

Wish I could. Lost my job of nearly 30 years back in late 2014 and had to start all over again.........