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I've always wondered why people put off travel many physical things until their older years. Fortunately, I'm out most weekends hiking, swimming, or doing things outdoors, weather permitting. Many folks never reach traditional retirement age, and of those who do, many have their plans derailed by health concerns or other issues.
Have you ever known anyone who coasted in their younger years, either not working at all or minimally, to engage in the best of life's pursuits, and then worked well into retirement age?
We took a couple of trips to Europe and one to Australia plus some cruises while I was still working. We are glad we did because we couldn't do it today. A lot of it was done on frequent flyer miles that are now no longer there. At 80 and 81 we don't navigate like we used to.
Well I don't know if it's a "reverse retirement"...but I HAVE been thinking about wether I should 'play more now".....and work longer later.
I'm 55 and am DESPERATELY looking forward to retirement at 65. And in my current frame of mind really am thinking of putting off most travel until then. By that I mean any trip that might cost more than 1K. I DO have about 8K in debt I'm paying off so that's also part of my put off travel thought process.
I KNOW one shouldn't put off travel because anything can happen and who knows it you'll be able to travel five or ten years from now. BUT I also feel that any travel I do now, and money I spend now....and don't save.....only means I'll likely have to work longer.
I'm thinking I'd rather get to retirement....see how much I have then -- THEN i'll know how much travel I can afford. Also, I did a fair amount of travel when I was younger, so it won't be the end of the world if I DON'T get to some places. I figure I've lived this long with out going there...if I never get there "oh, well"...it's just be one thing I didn't do that I can live with.
I REALLY do NOT want to work. And 3-5K a year on travel just isn't in the budget if I want to retire at 65. Don't get me wrong I'd LOVE a Canadian, Alaskan, or Scandanavian cruise....BUT I just can't see spending that kind of money now. There's just no place I want to go BAD ENOUGH if I think it will delay my retirement.
Anyone else deciding how much to spend now....and save for retirement? Or how much to "play now" if it means "working longer."
I don't anymore-she's living on disability. Can barely walk and uses a walker when she does. I'm glad she got to do the things she did when she was younger (and healthier).
Once you get married, have kids, have a mortgage, and get on the corporate hamster wheel, it's hard to get off. Most of us don't figure this out until it's too late.
On the other hand, friends I know now without kids who are in their late 60s are beginning to wonder how they will cope with increasing debilitation without family support.
I think retirees and soon-to-be-retirees will be best served by looking at their parents and grandparents. How long did they live? At what age did they become infirm? Life isn't necessarily a crapshoot; your family gives you a big clue as to how you'll fare. If one or more died before 65 of heart disease or cancer, that's a possibility for you. If they lived to a hale 95, that's another possibility for you.
I cannot believe some of the posts on this board, of folks afraid of their own shadows. Draw up your pedigree of parents and grandparents, how long they lived, what they died from. Go to your doctor; ask him/her what they think. Perhaps some testing will be in order. If after all that, and you still feel fine, kwitcher bellyachin' and yer whinin'. Assume you'll be fine, and plan accordingly.
I see there's another thread here somewhere wanting to know at what age people still travel. If you are 90 and really want to go someplace, by gosh there are folks that age doing it. At age 68 I don't worry about tomorrow. I don't have time to. I'm too busy living for today. That's all I have to say.
My first trip to Europe was when I was 50 and again at 55. 'Empty Nest' was a rebirth for us. Just the term, empty nest, denotes an ending, something missing and gone forever, but what can be better than to have your child or children successfully on his own path and suddenly you're just responsible for yourself? We have our health (thankfully so) and more financial resources now than before. Retirement is highly personal, it's like pizza. Thick crust lots of cheese (Chicago style) not for me. Hawaiian, nope but thanks. Thin crust, dollops of cheese, Margarita style, sure! There's no universal pizza or one-size-fits-all way to do retirement.
I've always wondered why people put off travel many physical things until their older years. Fortunately, I'm out most weekends hiking, swimming, or doing things outdoors, weather permitting. Many folks never reach traditional retirement age, and of those who do, many have their plans derailed by health concerns or other issues.
Have you ever known anyone who coasted in their younger years, either not working at all or minimally, to engage in the best of life's pursuits, and then worked well into retirement age?
How, exactly, can you afford "to engage in the best of life's pursuits" when you don't "work at all or minimally" unless you're a trust funder? For most people, "the best of life's pursuits" likely involves significant expense. I know a couple of mine would. I want to tour the country by car with my dog like John Steinbeck did, and I want to visit the town in Italy that my grandparents left in 1909.
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