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which is i always say trying to generalize is wrong .
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Originally Posted by NewbieHere
It sounds like they are happy without the volatility of investing in the stock market.
I don't want anything to do with the stock market, investing for growth or anything like that.
All due respect to mathjak but I just don't want to deal with money after I retire.
We recently found a nice condo unit, back up north where it snows, is cold and I swore I would never live there again, located about 5 miles from the grandkids and that is where we plan to go.
The condo is not a senior living type place but most people who do live there appear to be retired because all the units are two bedroom, two bathroom with a one car attached garage and they are all single floor plans.
Neither one of us needs help walking and we are fortunate we can both still "run" but it do get a little huffy and puffy. That said looking at the layout of all the walks, porches and floors are without steps! The entrances have slight inclines that aren't really noticeable until you look. Right now I don't need that sort of thing but what about 10 or 15 years from now?
There's an excellent hospital six miles away with loads of shopping and restaurants within two miles. A church less than three miles away and then there is the grandchildren and family.
The community has a nice pool and a clubhouse with an exercise room and there is a golf course close if I want to take up golf again.
I have always like swimming; in the summer I could live by a swimming pool.
Golf? Nah, I find it really boring and would rather ride a bike.
Travel? I flew airplanes when I was younger had have been all over Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Bahamas and every state in the union with the exception of Vermont. Flew over Vermont just never landed there. That said I have no desire to travel. Well two things; a cruise through the Panama Canal would be good as would an Alaskan Cruz in June but that's it.
I could care less how much money we have what I want is an X amount of guaranteed dollars deposited in by bank account on the first of every month. Doesn't have to be a lot of money just enough to pay all my bills with some left over for dinner out once or twice a week, buying toys for the grandkids and enough for a cruise or visit across the country every two or three years.
I have a skill set that I can easily work from home if I want to but I don't want to have to work. Fact is I don't want to be forced to do anything that I don't want to do except maybe put my dirty clothes in the clothes hamper.
On a side note I still work full time but I cut my hours back to 40 hours a week and I like it a lot. I used to be a workaholic but I don't want to do that anymore.
The way I feel I know I will retire sometime between now and June 1, 2017. Not between October and May 1st because if we retired then it would mean moving in the snow.
A good retirement to me is not having to worry about anything.
it is great to say you don't want to think about money but you better be damn wealthy if not .
I am not "damn wealthy", not by a long shot. But I don't think about money - haven't thought about money since I retired almost 11 years ago. My pension is secure, and is partially inflation-protected. I could have, in the same month, a new water heater, a major plumbing repair, a major car repair, and a hospitalization for the entire month and my reserves are more than adequate to cover all that. Each month, I have at least $1000 more coming in than I spend. If one of the foregoing were to occur in a given month, then I would be in the hole slightly for that month.
You have gone on record as being against generalizations, but you just wrote a whopper above.
You have gone on record as being against generalizations, but you just wrote a whopper above.
I am not the target, but often say that all generalizations are wrong...
I say it because in the strictest sense they are; there are exceptions to every rule. The way I look at it is that you should make the best of the hand you are dealt, but if you have an ace in the hole and maybe a couple in your boot it will be a lot easier to make that hand pretty strong...
MJ's example is another thing to think about. I am already planning single floor for retirement.
I am not "damn wealthy", not by a long shot. But I don't think about money - haven't thought about money since I retired almost 11 years ago. My pension is secure, and is partially inflation-protected. I could have, in the same month, a new water heater, a major plumbing repair, a major car repair, and a hospitalization for the entire month and my reserves are more than adequate to cover all that. Each month, I have at least $1000 more coming in than I spend. If one of the foregoing were to occur in a given month, then I would be in the hole slightly for that month.
You have gone on record as being against generalizations, but you just wrote a whopper above.
nothing is ever a problem until it is a problem . just because one has not had a problem yet does not mean they won't . so it is all a question of how prepared you want to be to deal with any that a rise . obviously you can't prepare for everything that can happen but there are some things i would want to self insure against and have the funds .
modifying my home if need be is first on my list as i want us to avoid a snf if we can and for as long as we can if it is needed ..
Not everybody is into to golf. My hobby(gardening) is dirt cheap and time consuming. I think there are many activities that are free. Hiking is one example. Bird watching is another. My husband likes to play guitar in his free time. It's very enjoyable for him and it's free.
Our gardening/landscaping isn't dirt cheap. Far from it. And that's only the dollars and cents part. Spring breaks our backs as well these days. Even when it comes to the relatively small amount of stuff we do ourselves - as opposed to hiring people to do things for us.
What kind of garden/property do you have? And what kind of gardening do you do?
We like watching birds in our backyard. But the bird seed that attracts them isn't free either (although Costco sells great bird seed at relatively inexpensive prices). Our birds will go through about 40 pounds of seed every 3 weeks or so this time of year.
Hiking? Forget about it at our age - especially with my husband's MS and his missing ACL. A hike around Costco or a couple of miles on level ground in an urban environment is about it for us today. Robyn
I am not "damn wealthy", not by a long shot. But I don't think about money - haven't thought about money since I retired almost 11 years ago. My pension is secure, and is partially inflation-protected. I could have, in the same month, a new water heater, a major plumbing repair, a major car repair, and a hospitalization for the entire month and my reserves are more than adequate to cover all that. Each month, I have at least $1000 more coming in than I spend. If one of the foregoing were to occur in a given month, then I would be in the hole slightly for that month.
You have gone on record as being against generalizations, but you just wrote a whopper above.
I don't think you and mathjak disagree. I hear you saying that - after looking at your overall financial situation (which I assume you review from time to time) - you have your financial life in balance/in order. Mathjak was responding to a poster who had a "head in the sand" (I never want to think about it) POV - which is never advisable IMO. I don't think mathjak would disagree with your financial life in balance/in order POV. Nor would I. Robyn
Robyn - you have some seriously spoiled birds. But I think this is not unusual for any species residing on your property and you are well aware of it. We have plenty of birds despite never buying food for them.
Our gardening/landscaping isn't dirt cheap. Far from it. And that's only the dollars and cents part. Spring breaks our backs as well these days. Even when it comes to the relatively small amount of stuff we do ourselves - as opposed to hiring people to do things for us.
What kind of garden/property do you have? And what kind of gardening do you do?
We like watching birds in our backyard. But the bird seed that attracts them isn't free either (although Costco sells great bird seed at relatively inexpensive prices). Our birds will go through about 40 pounds of seed every 3 weeks or so this time of year.
Hiking? Forget about it at our age - especially with my husband's MS and his missing ACL. A hike around Costco or a couple of miles on level ground in an urban environment is about it for us today. Robyn
Gardening bills are a bit unusual. Quality gardening and landscaping can often run into thousands of dollars, just for the tools.
Riding mowers are at least $1000, push mowers $300, and that's just for cheap stuff. Count in leaf blowers, weed eaters, rototillers, hand tools (shovels, hoes, pruners, etc.), chainsaws, etc, and it's a TON of money, and that's not counting the cost to fuel, maintain, and repair the items.
I don't think you and mathjak disagree. I hear you saying that - after looking at your overall financial situation (which I assume you review from time to time) - you have your financial life in balance/in order. Mathjak was responding to a poster who had a "head in the sand" (I never want to think about it) POV - which is never advisable IMO. I don't think mathjak would disagree with your financial life in balance/in order POV. Nor would I. Robyn
Perhaps you are right. I may have failed to consider the post Mathjak was responding to and instead just took him literally at his word. Yes, I am aware of my overall financial stituation. When I said I don't think about money I didn't mean I was in the dark about my own financial picture. I meant that there is nothing to agonize about, nothing to calculate, nothing which needs attention every week or even every month. When I get the yearly COLA on my pension, I am aware of it. If I have had an ususual expense, I am aware of it. Three or four years ago I replaced my heating/air conditioning unit which was about 30 years old. I was aware of the cost (a few thousand dollars) and just wrote a check for it. No worrying, no calculating, no anxiety, and it wasn't significant enough that I even remember the cost at this remove of time. I do remember how much I paid for my brand new car almost nine years ago - somewhere between $26,000 and $27,000. I wanted a new car, so I chose one I could afford and wrote a check for it. Very simple.
It is so easy to talk past each other.
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