The Golden Years: Myth or Reality?

[anotherT34C]

It doesn't necessarily have to be one or the other if you can find a job that allows you to take long regular sabbaticals.

Personally, I'm hedging. My long sabbaticals mean that I probably will need to work longer (until 55 to keep health insurance, at a minimum). But... I get to take off a month or two every year. You can get pretty far in two months. Simply waiting almost 20 more years (I'm presently thirtysomething) seems like an eternity!

Of course, I didn't have children, so YMMV.

[Snore]

For the young'ns who are following this thread I will add one thought. Do the crazy things now!

My wife and I have traveled a fair amount on a shoe string. Breakfast for HRH was always catered.... I walked to a bakery and brought back baked goods and coffee, lunch was at a working persons lunch stop. Traveling that way we walked European cities and always climbed the church steeples to get the best views. Likewise I've done many mile of paddling. What am I disappointed I missed? Running with the bulls and the Appalachian trail. With my knees they just ain't gonna happen. Or would end badly.

Bucket lists should be started early; updated and worked on till that last ride in the back of a Caddilac.

Bill

[methy]

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

[Finistere]

Originally Posted by sloopygirl

That's depressing - you're supposed to ENJOY things along the way. And this is REALLY enjoyable - much more than land life.

Did not mean it to be depressing, I just believe you should try to be happy with what you are doing now, nothing wrong with chasing dreams but if you don't get to them all before the end it won't matter because you won't know.

[sloopygirl]

Originally Posted by Finistere

Did not mean it to be depressing, I just believe you should try to be happy with what you are doing now, nothing wrong with chasing dreams but if you don't get to them all before the end it won't matter because you won't know.

You will know BEFORE you go. You'll know you didn't go cruising early enough when you're sitting in that rest home that you spent all that cruising money on. You'll be able to think about how great it would have been if you'd spent a few years in the islands.

You're right, you should be happy doing what you're doing. But how many of us are happy going to work 5-6 days a week, putting up with our jobs we don't really like. If there's a big goal, it doesn't make it seem so bad. People have to remember, it's cheaper to live out there, no car, no utility bills, etc.

I still say - go as soon as you can, for as long as you can. You can find jobs out there - I stayed in the US Virgins during some winter seasons, found jobs in shops selling T shirts to the people off the cruise ships - and they thought THEY were cruising! But even that's not a bad gig.

[rognvald]

When one thinks about the meaning of life, how we have lived and the missed opportunities, one can't help but think of the old Peggy Lee classic--Is that all there is? Peggy Lee -- Is That All There Is? 1969 - YouTube

[Lucky Larry]

I'm not sure if there are Golden Years, but I'm familiar with the gold-in years and we're close to entering the gold-out years.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by methy

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

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...............

[svpattyd]

We stopped working to take care of our son after a car accident. We found we didn't need as much money or stuff. It can be a challenge to live frugally, but it has also opened up a world of fun. We have less stress and can just marvel at the sites around us. I also think we are more physically active and mentally flexible.

[pdjb]

I am ready to do it asap......I am 60 and pushing 61..worked since I was 13...made more money when I was off the books compare today wages...Luckly I have a job with the gov...and saved all my money and retirement benefit...within the last 6 years...bought a boat..an old irwin fixed it up and I am going to sail and sail until I drop dead...........do it before you regret it and life is over......that is my take on life......happy sailing

[capngeo]

Mod Hat on: Please leave the politics out of this thread!

/Mod Hat: I retired at 53.... Bought a bunch of rental property with my retirement funds (paid 43% tax to do it), and have been working on them ever since. Haven't even SEEN my boat in 6 weeks! This retirement stuff has seemed to ratchet up my work-load 200%!

Golden years? Really?

[SunDevil]

Originally Posted by anotherT34C

It doesn't necessarily have to be one or the other if you can find a job that allows you to take long regular sabbaticals.

Personally, I'm hedging. My long sabbaticals mean that I probably will need to work longer (until 55 to keep health insurance, at a minimum). But... I get to take off a month or two every year. You can get pretty far in two months. Simply waiting almost 20 more years (I'm presently thirtysomething) seems like an eternity!

Of course, I didn't have children, so YMMV.

I wish I had sabbaticals. I might make it to 39 before I think about 'retiring'* for the first time, but that will be with a house paid off and a retirement plan. It is the pesky health insurance stuff that would be one of my biggest expenses (I wish I could be saving money in a HSA account with no fees year after year right now that would be mine for life).

I'm sure I could find some job out there if I took a few years off though.

The one thing I would like to do in the working world is to be an entrprenuer and start a business. I have ideas and have made prototypes. But the next part is the challenge. And having to quit your job with the $80/month health insurance and that pays the bills to try and have a successful business (That could make millions) is the dilemma.


*retiring to me means not having to work for someone. I would still volunteer, (maybe even in a third world country for a while), I would have time to work on other stuff, and be on my schedule.

[sailorchic34]

While I did not know it at the time, looks like I retired a bit over 2-1/2 years ago. Lucky me I own a old small sailboat that I was living on and sailing when I could years before the recession.

My current goal is to see if I can limp along with odd jobs here or there between now and 62. Which both good and bad is not too far away. I've about got that living on $400-450 a month thing about dialed in. Though of course does not include health insurance, which I'll not be able to afford. Lucky I come from a long lived bunch...

I figure if I can live on $450 a month then when I retire, I'll be sitting pretty with the largeness from dear old uncle sam. Plus of course I'm cruising now which suits me.

health wise, as my dad always said...I'm doing ok...

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by sloopygirl

You will know BEFORE you go. ...

I wouldn't count on that. I've had a lot of deaths in my life in the past 10 years. About half of them did not know it was coming, at least not for more than a few seconds, a few more were too mentally gone to know the difference, so I would give that about 30% probability.

I always assumed that if things got bad enough I would just punch my own clock, but then I watched my mother die -- she didn't have a clue.

So, do it now while you still consciously know whats going and before you get hit by a truck.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by pdjb

I am ready to do it asap......I am 60 and pushing 61..worked since I was 13...made more money when I was off the books compare today wages...Luckly I have a job with the gov...and saved all my money and retirement benefit...within the last 6 years...bought a boat..an old irwin fixed it up and I am going to sail and sail until I drop dead...........do it before you regret it and life is over......that is my take on life......happy sailing

pd, I am convinced that living aboard has extended the active years in my life. Because of certain physical limitations it's very clear that I can work much closer to my "maximum" now than I could before I moved aboard, nearly 2 years ago.

I find myself that when I get to the point that I can't actually sail the boat I may still just stay aboard. I don't have to leave just because I can't sail any more.