You can retire to Maine, where.... (mattress, houses, living)

[daydreamin71]

Originally Posted by gcberry

You mean people in this economy can actually retire??

"If I don't work then I might as well be dead," is a common theme here. Seriously, many of the old folks in Maine work until they die, and it's not only for financial reasons. I've met a guy who excavates septic systems and a plumber in their 70s; a carpenter, a plumbing inspector and hardware store owner well into their 80s; a farmer in his 90s running a tractor, and a motel owner in her 90s.

My husband will also fit right in. When we do move he will be about 50yrs old and 'retired'. Of course, he won't stay retired . Even when he is on vacation, he is out cutting down trees, chopping wood, working on his truck, etc. He can't imagine ever not doing something.

[AnnapolisSailor]

Originally Posted by daydreamin71

My husband will also fit right in. When we do move he will be about 50yrs old and 'retired'. Of course, he won't stay retired . Even when he is on vacation, he is out cutting down trees, chopping wood, working on his truck, etc. He can't imagine ever not doing something.

Daydreamin - our husbands must come form the same gene pool!

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by daydreamin71

My husband will also fit right in. When we do move he will be about 50yrs old and 'retired'. Of course, he won't stay retired . Even when he is on vacation, he is out cutting down trees, chopping wood, working on his truck, etc. He can't imagine ever not doing something.

I can relate to this, except for the "retired" part.

Now, as a good wife, are you out helping him?? or would you be "in the way"?

[daydreamin71]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

I can relate to this, except for the "retired" part.

Now, as a good wife, are you out helping him?? or would you be "in the way"?

I'm no good at chopping wood (I try, but it's pretty sad), but I do help to bring the trees down, and to stack the wood! He tells me he appreciates the help, though, he does tease me about being in the way. At least I think he is teasing

He gets to retire early from a state job, so I'm happy he'll be able to focus on doing more of what he wants to do like working with his hands.

[Zarathu]

Originally Posted by gcberry

You mean people in this economy can actually retire??

Retiring in any economy is largely dependent on whether you looked ahead to retirement when you were 24 years old. When we are 24, we can't imagine what it might be like when we are 62. Most of us, at least the Boomers, assumed that that day would never come, and so we never made any preparations. We never invested by putting a little bit away, like 7-11% of our gross income, each year. Or we never found a job that had a defined benefit pension that couldn't be touched by any government(often those take that 7-11% out of your paycheck for you).

So people don't retire in economies they are in. They actually retire, so to speak in the economy as it was 40 yerars before they actually retire, because that's the economy that they made a decison and stuck to it to save and invest for a time which is actually almost three times longer away than they have actually been alive at that time.

[AnnapolisSailor]

Originally Posted by Zarathu

Retiring in any economy is largely dependent on whether you looked ahead to retirement when you were 24 years old. When we are 24, we can't imagine what it might be like when we are 62. Most of us, at least the Boomers, assumed that that day would never come, and so we never made any preparations. We never invested by putting a little bit away, like 7-11% of our gross income, each year. Or we never found a job that had a defined benefit pension that couldn't be touched by any government(often those take that 7-11% out of your paycheck for you).

So people don't retire in economies they are in. They actually retire, so to speak in the economy as it was 40 yerars before they actually retire, because that's the economy that they made a decison and stuck to it to save and invest for a time which is actually almost three times longer away than they have actually been alive at that time.

...and , but, even when we did put away in 401 Ks - they've become virtually valueless in todays economy sad but true

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by AnnapolisSailor

...and, but, even when we did put away in 401 Ks - they've become virtually valueless in todays economy sad but true

Nearly all investment vehicles are / were gambles.

My grandparents and parents taught my siblings and I to never trust banks nor the stock market. They did well with rental properties [after the 'Grapes of Wraith' migration to the West Coast and a decade spent as migrant farm worker Okies]

So I did rental real estate. Which did really well for me, from 1985 to 2009, when all of my tenants lost their jobs.

Even the best investment vehicle is a gamble. One form of investment may be good during one kind of economy, while another form of investment is better for other economies.

[AnnapolisSailor]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Even the best investment vehicle is a gamble. One form of investment may be good during one kind of economy, while another form of investment is better for other economies.

Couldn't agreee more on that statement !
If all else fails - there's always hiding our $$ under the mattress - which is what my Grandmother would've done.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by AnnapolisSailor

... If all else fails - there's always hiding our $$ under the mattress - which is what my Grandmother would've done.

Houses sometimes burn down along with mattresses.

A coffee can set into a shallow hole, inside the chicken coop with the water-bowl [or feeder] set on it; will likely survive better.

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Houses sometimes burn down along with mattresses.

A coffee can set into a shallow hole, inside the chicken coop with the water-bowl [or feeder] set on it; will likely survive better.

Thanks, Forest!! Now I have to move mine. Dang!