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I've had too many relatives and friends that either die just before or right after they hit the traditional retirement age. So I decided several years ago to get out of the rat race early. To accomplish this I paid off all debt, saved as much as I could and choose to cut back on many of my expensive hobbies, activities and lifestyle choices.
It took many sacrifices but I retired early and was able to get out of the rat race. I have made some poor choices such as buying another house before home prices had dropped and have had 401k values drop when the economy tanked. Still I've been able to pull it off with doing some (about 35-40 hours monthly) part time work.
For me, its just not worth it to stay in a high stress job when very few of us would ever really have enough money to "properly" retire. To keep on working is just not worth it to me.
I personally feel it is weird that some people's values are all about money - what about quality of life? If you plan early, you can start a business that you love, work part time in a fun job, or downsize and live more modestly . . .
I live well on very little but never feel deprived. For me, it was a trade off of high stress corporate job, or my life. And I chose my life and have not looked back.
Money isn't everything.
Get creative and create a quality life, is my advice (not that anyone asked).
Actually, the USSR is still there. Sort of. Countries change their borders and all with wars, and the "Soviet states" were there by coercion, not by choice (I guess we could discuss the American South, but not here...) Russia is still there.
Countries that form in an organic way, whether as a tribal group, war victor, politics over centuries, these are real entities. They might change in organic ways, but they don't cease to exist. They places that won't continue are those that were artificially cobbled together by, say, colonial empires, tribal wars, whatever- there is no "there" there for there to be a country.
The U.S. will change, evolve, de-evolve, but will not cease to be.
Actually, the USSR is still there. Sort of. Countries change their borders and all with wars, and the "Soviet states" were there by coercion, not by choice (I guess we could discuss the American South, but not here...) Russia is still there.
Countries that form in an organic way, whether as a tribal group, war victor, politics over centuries, these are real entities. They might change in organic ways, but they don't cease to exist. They places that won't continue are those that were artificially cobbled together by, say, colonial empires, tribal wars, whatever- there is no "there" there for there to be a country.
The U.S. will change, evolve, de-evolve, but will not cease to be.
I generally agree with your statement, particularly regarding organic formation. But organic migration can cause dramatic change. You need only look at the history of Britain between the departure of the Romans to the situation just prior to the Norman Conquest. During that time the island went from Celtic in populace and culture to Germanic. It became a very different place. We're currently experiencing something very similar in the organic migration of Mexicans. They are racially distinct as opposed to the Germanic migrants in Britain. Their culture is obviously different as well. It is unquestionable that one side will prevail.
But at the present time we're seeing a rapidly weakening central government polarizing the population into clients, that is, employees and recipients of largesse, and taxpayers who have increasingly smaller benefts from supporting that government.
Should the economy fail as it was doing in the old Soviet Union I expect prosperous areas, particularly those that are isolated, to determine that they must do what's necessary themselves. The Hispanicized areas will do the same automatically when there is no strong incentive for the to do otherwise.
These events will benefit some and hurt others. At this point the most important precaution is to not tie oneself to the US dollar beyond any immediate liquidity. That precludes investments such as time deposits, etc. as well as any investment with a possible liquidity problem.
The erosion of civil liberties over the past twenty years is a grave concern. But we must also use it as a gauge of the general situation. A stumbling and dying empire always tries to smash opposition as a last ditch attempt to exist. Think of Russia just before the moment that Communism fell.
The land won't go away; but the government will. I suspect the new nations will bear a greater resemblance to the ideals of the Founding Fathers than the current has in nearly one hundred and fify years.
SoButcounty. I tend to agree. I think the USA may very well be gone in 20 years. Why? Debt, inflation, economic colapse, new govt. Far too many people not working, sponging off the ones that still are working. Face it, governments come and go. We are one of the longest established govts. in the world. Nothing lasts forever. Look at the USSR. Who ever thought it would colapse, but it did.
You mean the stories about the emerging wealth and affluence of the BRIC's isn't true?
We retired at 62 and started collecting our SS. If we waited until full benefits it would take until we are 80 to break even. By then we'll be too old to live the life we are enjoying now. We decided we might as well enjoy the fruit of our labors while we are physically able to do so.
For me, its just not worth it to stay in a high stress job when very few of us would ever really have enough money to "properly" retire. To keep on working is just not worth it to me.
Very true, very true. And now look at Davey Jones. Everyone was suprised at his death. He was only 66. If you can comfortably retire, why stay where you don't want to stay (ie., north-east, mid-west, etc) if you can move someplace better and take a different, albeit lower paying job. It's a quality of life issue because, let's remember ONE THING....You only get one life.
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