The Golden Years: Myth or Reality?

[methy]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Started that.

Looks great.

But it struck me when I saw "This was 1995- business was BOOMING" that timing has a lot to do in this world.

Maybe I am just hearing too much of the wife's TV...............

Guess you didn't get to the part where he tells you to put a brick through your TV. The only timing that matters is that the clock that keeps counting down. At best, you get 50 short years of healthy adult life on this magnificent globe and there is no dress rehearsal.

If your life could be better, make it so. Now.

[Travelnik]

A Knights Tale Dance - YouTube

[pdjb]

I see alot of people work until they drop dead.......stuck in the mud...I want to enjoy life before I die...I don't want to be in an apartment dying?..........sail is what I am going to do...even if it kills me.........pdjb

[Canibul]

Simplicity is an acquired taste. Mankind, left free, instinctively complicates life.
Katherine F. Gerould

[Finistere]

Someone mentioned HSA and health insurance. About 4 years before retiring my employees wanted more security by becoming employees of the large companies we contracted to which left me without group life insurance. We decided to get a policy with $10,000 deductible and 100% reimbursement after that which cost us about $5,000 to $7,000 a year, progressing as we got closer to 65. It allowed us to put $6,000 a year into an HSA. On the average this allowed us a $12,000 yearly tax deduction saving us about $4000 each year. With this type of insurance you pay the doctor/hospital what the insurance company would pay them. The HSA can be used for dental, glasses etc. I think we saved about $24,000 in the HSA and at age 67 still have $18,000 left which I can use tax free for medical expenses or withdraw like an IRA. If you do the calculations you are gambling a lot less than the deductible.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by pdjb

I see alot of people work until they drop dead.......stuck in the mud...I want to enjoy life before I die...I don't want to be in an apartment dying?..........sail is what I am going to do...even if it kills me.........pdjb

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow - what a ride!"

[Sandero]

I took a 3 year sailing break at 44 and returned to the grind. I had money and energy and now I have less but more yrs. I'm glad I did it then. I had no children, wife or parents to worry about. That made all the difference.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow - what a ride!"

Exactly!

[westsail374]

Some complain about recent changes to healthcare law, but they put folks like sailors in better shape when looking at those golden years IMHO

[SunDevil]

I scored a 99/100 in the health assessment as a very healthy 32 year old. Yet I could have had $5000 in medical bills over the past 5 months had I been uninsured. It was $1500 with insurance for a few kidney stones, doctor appts., and a CT scan. Luckily it is nothing major, and I just need to drink more water, but even a minor thing adds up quick.

[jeremiason]

Originally Posted by rognvald

We are told in our culture when we are young to work hard, save our money and when we retire we will be able to do all the things we couldn't do when we were young since we will have both the time and the money. Are the Golden Years a myth or reality-- especially as it relates to sailing?

I began to dream about sailing the world when I was twenty... I worked hard and made a good retirement for myself.

Now at 52, with two years of cruising under my belt and many more to come... I think my retirement is great!

Was it easy to get here... NO, but with determination anyting is possible.

[SunDevil]

10 Reasons You Should Quit Your Job | Offshore Odysseys World Expeditions

This is the reason I came back to this thread. It lists 10 excuses that people give for staying put in the career they have. #9 is the only one that doesn't apply to me right now on most days. But the other nine items on the list are issues with the path I'm on right now. #7 is the one I am struggling with. I have some money saved up, and I can live cheaply...but I can't predict the future, and would like to not have to be extremely cheap. I have learned from my past, I have been a success at my job, and I have a few nice things now, so I think I would do much better if I did end up poor once again.

There is a cool video at the end, and it is sailing related.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

10 Reasons You Should Quit Your Job | Offshore Odysseys World Expeditions

This is the reason I came back to this thread. It lists 10 excuses that people give for staying put in the career they have. #9 is the only one that doesn't apply to me right now on most days. But the other nine items on the list are issues with the path I'm on right now. #7 is the one I am struggling with. I have some money saved up, and I can live cheaply...but I can't predict the future, and would like to not have to be extremely cheap. I have learned from my past, I have been a success at my job, and I have a few nice things now, so I think I would do much better if I did end up poor once again.

There is a cool video at the end, and it is sailing related.

Great philosophy and a great way for "him" to live his life.
I don't advocate being unhappy or getting outdoors but the main problem with many of these "just go do it" ideas is that to make that sailboat he's floating around on, or to have those kids go to outward bound in the first place there needs to be a lot of folks working and making money...

If everyone decided to cut out, work at outward bound and make surfboards it would be a strange world indeed.

There are two big truths, however. Work at something you love to do and you will not really work a day in your life. And don't get hung up on stuff. Stuff is really the anchor that keeps people pinned in situations they don't like.

[MikeinLA]

Originally Posted by rognvald

"The World as Will and Representation", talks about the concept of "will" being the determining and driving factor in all peoples lives and that everything one does from cradle to grave is a direct result of its power whether conscious or unconscious. So, when one person plans to work hard, save his/her money and retire under the spell of the "Golden Years" he/she is saying through their actions that working, buying a home, raising a family and having a career is really what gives them pleasure since it takes precedence over everything else. On the other hand, when one pursues dreams in their life whether it be sailing,adventure, musical performance, creative writing, the visual arts, to name a few, they have spoken as to what is really important to them. Any protestations to the contrary are merely mental subterfuge. The pathway of our life is a record of our will.

I think there is a lot of truth to this. Having recently turned 60, I've been giving this some thought. After mulling over some of the possibilities, I find that I am hopelessly happy and content with my life. I have a business that I love. I get paid a silly amount of money for what I do, so I am debt and worry free. After 60 years, the sickest I've ever been was a case of the flu for a week about 10 years ago. My kid is in college and doing well. All in all, I'm just looking at retirement as a time to "re-balance" my life a bit. I'll still work my business, just not as much. Instead, I'll be able to devote more time to the things I already enjoy doing. I'll sail more often, take motorcycle trips more often, play more music, read more books. Instead of just tinkering on my bikes, I'd like to do a restoration (Moto Guzzi T-3...YES!). Instead of flying to the Annapolis Show & back, I'll stay an extra couple weeks and explore the area more. Stuff like that. Trust me, if there was anything I was DYING to do in retirement, I would have done it already. As for cruising, I have thought about a Great Loop cruise (you couldn't pay me to spend 20 days on an ocean crossing). I could see doing it "in pieces" with a little trailerable boat like a Ranger Tug. Whatever I end up doing, it will look a lot like my life now, just more hobbies and less work. Referring to the quote above, I guess my "will" has created a good life that I enjoy and am content with. Darn it, there's that "C" word again.

Mike

[SunDevil]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Great philosophy and a great way for "him" to live his life.
I don't advocate being unhappy or getting outdoors but the main problem with many of these "just go do it" ideas is that to make that sailboat he's floating around on, or to have those kids go to outward bound in the first place there needs to be a lot of folks working and making money...

If everyone decided to cut out, work at outward bound and make surfboards it would be a strange world indeed.

There are two big truths, however. Work at something you love to do and you will not really work a day in your life. And don't get hung up on stuff. Stuff is really the anchor that keeps people pinned in situations they don't like.

I'm more of an outdoors type person. At least when the weather is nice.

I'm one of the folks working and making money, but I'm not going to Outward Bound...There is something wrong here.

And if everyone decides to cut out, it might be like France in the Summer. And there is quite a bit of economic/political stuff as to why it should work. We should also start having the artificial intelligence and humanoid robotic debate right now too, well not on this board... The first copy might be expensive, but once the robots know how to get all the components and copy the software to make another copy, and figure out how to do different jobs, human unemployment will go through the roof.

I've tried to limit the 'stuff' I have. I have about 20% extra right now. But, I know how to pack to travel and when I do, there is hardly anything I leave behind that I miss.