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neb
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# Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:36pm
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One thing I keep in mind is that if you work to late in life you may get to old to do the things you love to do and want to do. I see it this way the people that want to work till death really don't have anything else in life but work. I want a life other then trying to climb that corp. ladder. I'm not saying I wouldn't have some part time job and yes insurance is an issue. Life is way to short to not have a life but to just work!!! People trying to make the millions are losing out on life. Retire as early as you can if you can and have a life if you have a life other then work!!!
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Montanagirl
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# Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:53pm
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Neb, I have been having this same conversation in my head over and over . . . there is no guarantee that I will get to retirement . . .yes, I started saving early . . . (bad news, the last 4 years pretty much wiped out 40% of my savings) I am in good health (that I know of) . . . it seems most of my "dreams" start out with "I can't wait until I can retire!" I'm 52 and if I listen to the "experts" I should work until 67 to get the most of SS . . . (will it even be there for me???) I'm blessed to come from a family of long=lived folks . . no cancer, etc. . . . .but some days I think "to hell with it, I need to live NOW!" I struggle with my "responsible" self . . . "keep your nose to the grindstone" . . . but am reminded that there are NO GUARANTEES! Maybe I'm having a mid-life crisis! LOL
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VTweekender
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# Posted: 21 Jun 2012 11:01pm
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And I will second all of that!!
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 21 Jun 2012 11:21pm - Edited by: neb
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Yep there is know guarantee. I'm not much older then you and plan on working till 60 if the good Lord is willing. I seen it with my folks my dad lived till 87 but spent 3 years in the nursing home. My mom is 90 and has spent the last 3 years in the nursing. They both retired early and not rich by no means and glad they retired early. All the savings they had was all spent on nursing home care. All the money in the world would not have changed anything. I want to retire as soon as I can and do the things I love to do full time hobby's and enjoy the outdoors etc. I hope I can do these things I love to do but one never knows.
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Montanagirl
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# Posted: 21 Jun 2012 11:43pm
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It's such a balancing act --work hard, and then ENJOY! (AND quite frankly, when did we get so darn retrospective ??) . . Wasn't it just yesterday I knew I was going to live forever???. . . I mean, I'm not borrowing trouble, or being morose, but crikey, all of a sudden you are mid fifites (I know, I know, you folks in your 60's and 70's are scoffing!) but I am not afraid of growing old. . . it's just all of a sudden, you realize you are on the other side of 50 . .. your retirement account is less than it was, you are burying your parents . . . and you have that "Ha HA!" moment. . .
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 21 Jun 2012 11:47pm
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Yep for some of us we have more birthdays behind us then ahead of us!!!
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:46am
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Hubby and I originally planned to "retire" in 2012 (that would be this year). In 2007 my Dad died suddenly and unexpectedly. After we came home from Dad's funeral in Ontario, Hubby and I looked at each other and decided life is just too short to put off our dreams. We put the house up for sale and decided if it sold we would retire. The house sold within a couple of weeks. We had a "get your inheritance now" party for the kids and let them fight for all the "stuff" we wouldn't be taking with us to our cabin. It was a really fun way to get rid of everything. We loaded our suitcases in the car and drove off. We've never looked back. It was one of the best decisions we've ever made. I was 46 and Hubby was 59.
The stock market has played havoc with our finances but we just hang on for the ride and are frugal in our spending. If you really, truly want something, you can achieve it.
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 04:20am
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we have to pay off some bills.gar is gonna retire in a couple of years.
i want to move out to our land now...
but it gives me patience too.i have this time line in my head.
my mom passed away at 52.my brother at 53 and my sister whose thin and always tried to be healthy-had a heart attack at 49,and my little brother has bad health and he is 49 now.from drinking too much.dad passed away at 59.no one seems to have made it out of there 50's.so i always feel i gotta get out there now.i have a time line of not too long.u can imagen how happy i was to make it to 60.yay! i beat them all.gars family all lives long long lives.into the late 90's.so he seems to act like life goes on and we will get there.i hope so.if not i will have a cabin in the sky.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 07:16am
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I'm not a preacher, but I play one on TV. Work hard then play? Well I never! I've never worked or played. I just lived each day. I had the fun of a new job back in the early seventies, I was a heavy equipment operator, what kid doesn't want to run them? When I found out that it became work, I quit. I started building cabins, shed, screenhouses, saunas, etc, Me a buddy and my children, I won't say work, did this. A few years ago , My daughter and son-in-law took over the shed bus and I smi-retired. Now I'm on some ss. but I still need to build a few cabins a year. Going to finish one today with my 11 year old grandson. Anyway I never worked long hours or weekends, I have owned many toys, I fished and hunted and spent time with family. I could die anytime and feel like I havn't missed a thing.
Now , I have made a lot of mistakes, that's not the point, even those mistakes aren't what I would call regrets. Had I stayed away from loans more I could of had jars full of money. But then again, maybe health care would have got it, or the government or the stock market. Money attracts attention. I don't want that kind of attention.
I do use the word work, but it's not a bad word for me.
Owen
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Martian
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 08:11am - Edited by: Martian
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When my Dad died, I was a 22yo Marine. All my life I had heard him say, "When I retire, I'm gonna .........." Well, he had to get out of the hospital to go to his retirement ceremony, and then, went back into the hospital. We buried him three months later. This experience stuck with me.
I did the corporate thing for a few years before walking away at age 33 to become a professional sailing captain. It was a way to travel, explore, and meet a lot of interesting people while still making a decent living. When not delivering someones yacht to some exotic place, I lived on my own small sailboat. When the urge struck, I'd untie the docklines and sail off for another adventure. Finding employment was never a problem because I can fix things, and on boats, there is always something that needs fixing! Sometimes the jobs would last for weeks; other times, for years, but whenever it became "work", I'd sail on. After 25 years of this lifestyle, I was ready to "nest". Now, I'm a carpenter in a sparsely populated Kansas county. It has been a fun life!
The best advise I can give is to stay debt free. Life is too short to work for a**holes! When you are debt free, you don't have to! My favorite saying is; Eat your dessert first! Life is full of uncertainty!
Tom
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 09:11am
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Really curious as to how you take care of yourself with no medical insurance if you retire early? My main reason for staying employeed so I can afford to get my preventative medical care, dental and vision care. I don't know how anybody could afford these costs if they retire early?
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steveqvs
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 09:28am
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Anonymous hit the nail on the head.... so to speak!
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 12:18pm
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Interesting thread.
Life lessons, first hand.
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naturelover66
Member
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 12:35pm
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Well...... I am a first hand example of working hard.... two jobs as a matter of fact...... paying every single bill on time....... never overspending....... then at 42 Cardiac arrest. I was healthy... 5' 9".. 145 lbs. Dont eat meat....... and i was riding my bike for gods sake. My Open heart surgery..... $189,000 .... i owed 20 percent of after my lousy insurance coverage. So.... i make payments to the hospital now..... I will be paying that off forever.
Yeah yeah, im lucky thats all i hear....... Im pissed off is what i am. But, after being recesitated........ you think differently.
I agree with Tom....... we are all just a step away........
Do what makes you happy........ Dont be a slave to your job......
I was out of work for six months........ guess what? My boss who loved me........ who i bent over backwards for ...... for over 16 years cancelled my insurance. She was crying over me in ICU for ten days.
Lisa
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 12:37pm - Edited by: turkeyhunter
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i highy recommend it---i have been retired almost 3 years---
i enjoy each day to the fullest EVERY DAY!!!!!!!!
my insurance is though my employer, ( i have the 34 year MAX retirement--almost 3 years unused vacation was used for this early retirement )and my get my pension every 1st day of the month----
now at 51, i hunt /fish/go on hunting fishing trips all over the USA.. vacation a lot of neat places. build my cabin, play on my hunting properties, visit my grown kids / grandkids and their familes ~!!! And i cook supper for my wife everyday...LOL
i am busy every day DOING WHAT I WANT TO DO!!!!!!
some of my buddies tease me and say...what do you do every day ????
i tell them i do what the hell i want too!!!!! LOL
i am very lucky that i retired so young---i am truly blessed!!!!
ps---got to run...nap time is from 2 pm till 4 pm.
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Rifraf
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 12:40pm
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Im 35 now, and have been thinking this way since I was in college.
My tiny cabin project is step one in removing all my large debt, student loans are paid for now , sold the house and got rid of my mortgage. Wife now has a new teaching job here in our new small town and im wrapping up the cabin as fast as money permits. Next year we should be able to do what we want, when we want.
Retirement has always been (in my mind) the carrot in front of the horse , its what keeps everyone working so so hard and too many never get the carrot, or the carrot is stale when they get it.
I admire anyone who takes steps to get out of large dept and live life for family & fun. I resent the narrow mindset that doesnt include this lifestyle as hardworking or rational.
@Anonymous,
Insurance is pricy, im lucky that my wife has a 9-5 teaching job she loves with all her heart and will probably retire the normal route with that, being a teacher though we all get the summers together anyway. Thats the thing though, its hard for alot of people, (myself included) to find a job working our butts off for someone else that we love and allows us enough family time to call our lives our own.
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hattie
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 12:54pm
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Quoting: Anonymous Really curious as to how you take care of yourself with no medical insurance if you retire early?
We live in Canada and don't have to pay high medical insurance rates. We do have to pay for our own dental work and vision care.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 12:59pm
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I'm 66 and work because I want to. My wife and I work together so we both work part time, 4 mornings, 9 to noon with a total of 16 full weeks off every year. It works very well for us and I hope I can continue this for years. We enjoy the work so that is a blessing. The employment income helps with "extras", like not having to count out if there will be enough money for food if I decide to order a new game camera just because I want a new one. Not everyone can find rewarding part time work as easy as us though. We are self employed, have a service people here want and pay well for. There have been ups and downs to being self employed. We seem to be in an era of many more ups than downs for us.
The friends I have who have part time work that they enjoy are the happiest people I know. I also have some very bored and seemingly unsatisfied retirees on my street. No work, not much in the hobby area; probably will die early. Early retirement sounds better than it may actually be in many cases.
There is the worry about where the cash to cover healthcare is going to come from if one retires too early. That is a vary valid concern, more so for those in the USA than some other countries. I've had several surgeries and hospitalizations in the past dozen years. Fortunately I/we were in the position to be able to pay the high premiums for excellent coverage. We had very little coming out of our pockets for the doctors and hospitals; we "made money" on that you might say. Unfortunately that is not always the case; we have friends who are in the same boat as naturelover, a monthly payment to the hospital for life.
It is unfortunate the insurance was cancelled after the loss of the job, but a private employer can not afford to pay the costs for the unemployed. Heath insurance and medical care costs is a whole other topic for those of us in the USA. I can see both sides of the financial issues and yet do not have a solution that makes everyone happy.
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Martian
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:14pm
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For me, it is pay-as-you-go for medical care.
When I decided to "drop out", a doctor friend asked the same question about lack of health insurance. My answer was that if he could guarantee that I would not die if I had health care insurance, then I'd keep working. Of course he couldn't. One thing I know is that many of our health problems are caused by stress. A lot of life's stresses are caused by work related issues. When you choose your lifestyle, as opposed to living the way everybody thinks you should, then many of those stresses are eliminated. Being debt free takes a big load off. I believe that I will live as long as God wants me to; not a minute longer or a minute less. Besides, when one is several hundred miles offshore, or at their remote cabin location, all the insurance in the world isn't going to do you any good since medical help isn't available anyway. For centuries, people lived without health insurance and mankind survived.
The active lifestyle, healthier environment, positive attitude, and lower stress levels reduce the need for medical care. Over the last 30 years, I've spent a total of $3000 on medical care.......most of that on stitches and dental care. My education is in premed and exercise physiology; therefore, I am blessed with being very in tune with my body and how it works. Even during those periods when I did have employer furnished insurance, I never used it. As for major illnesses, if one comes along, I've accepted that I will die if I get sick enough. But as one old sailor told me one time, "We are all going to die. How and when we do it is not something to worry about."
If security is your driving force in life, you are not going to retire early. You will work, in pursuit of security, until you die. But security is an illusion that may be pursued, but it is never attained. Sure, you may accumulate more stuff, but stuff doesn't make you secure. The only security you have is in knowing that you will be okay even if you die. So, you may as well pursue your dreams and enjoy what time you have on this Earth.
But, it is a personal choice. The important part of this discussion is that you be aware of the risk and accept it as part of the life you choose. You can "what-if" yourself into stagnation, and time will continue marching on while you live a life you really aren't enjoying. If you find yourself looking forward to "some day", you are wasting the only time you are assured of.......today.
Tom
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 22 Jun 2012 07:15pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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I have been planning on retirement at my place. I want to build my 800 sq foot home, I do want a detatched shop, maybe 36 wide 26-30 deep. That wil happen first, I may just have it done.
I own my cabin, I own the land it sets on, I own my home where i live now. The plan is, move, then sell my home (rent it out is an option) . That will pay for my final home, shop, John Deere tractor, and all the other goodies i may need. 800 sq feet is small, so its cheap top heaty, cheap to cool and too small for the kids to ever move back home. 
I am 51 now and think about getting older all the time. I'd like to be there now, its not in the card yet.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 23 Jun 2012 04:51am
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There are certain medical tests we all need to maintain our health. If we don't have medical insurance than we don't get them and don't go in for regular check ups. People without medical insurance don't go to the doctor until their bodies tell them there is something wrong. By than it may be to late....
Retire early with no medical insurance and take the risk to my health? Or continue to work and be able to afford to take care of my health. It's a no brainer for me.
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Martian
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# Posted: 23 Jun 2012 09:03am
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The risk to your health doesn't change with your insurance status...... access to treatment, however, does.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 23 Jun 2012 09:59am
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Try accessing treatment with no medical insurance!
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 23 Jun 2012 10:50am
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Topic is veering sharply away from the original theme. Sorry about my contribution to that.
Access to treatment changes with insurance status, yes and no.
No insurance may mean that you may not have a colonoscopy at minimal out of pocket expense if you want one for preventative measures. But if you are bleeding from the anus and go to an ER you will receive all sorts of tests. On someone else's dime.
If you have a heart attack the ambulance will come and take you to the hospital. You will be in the ER and then the ICU (assuming the doctors save you). You will recover and leave the hospital with a large debt. That debt will likely be so large that you will never be able to pay it off. So who ends up paying that?
That's one of the parts I do not like about the American health system. Those who pay for insurance end up helping pay for those without insurance. Our insurance premiums go up. The government ends up paying for a lot and that comes out of our tax monies. Meanwhile that guy over there, the one who opted to not bother with insurance, the one who had the heart attack, he has $175,000 spent/billed on saving his life. And he never pays it back.
What's the answer to something like that? Refuse all treatment, no matter how gravely ill the person may be, without iron clad proof of insurance? Nobody is so hard hearted to do that, are they? But if an adult person refuses to pay for health insurance coverage a part of me says just that. It's a very similar situation to what does happen when in some rural locations homeowners decide not to pay for their fire protection service. If their house catches fire and they did not pay the fire department will prevent the fire from spreading but will not put out the non insured's fire. Tough, but realistic.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 23 Jun 2012 02:49pm
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I don't think this is off topic because a only reason why I don't retire early is the lack of affortable health care. I don't think it is fair that I a responsible person have to pick up the tab for those whom are not.
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jun 2012 03:21pm
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@ what age do you have to be to get on Medicare in the US. I do know you need a rider (insurance) even if you are one Gov. does anyone know???????
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naturelover66
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# Posted: 23 Jun 2012 03:42pm
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Neb....... I think its 65 years old.
Oh, and Mr Anonymous........ There are alot of good honest hard working people out there whos employers cant provide Health Insurance. Poor people just trying to get by. Have some compassion for your fellow human being.
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MJW
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jun 2012 03:52pm - Edited by: MJW
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The topic turning to who "deserves" medical care, preventative and otherwise, and who doesn't deserve it will have this thread going all kinds of catawampus, no doubt.
What is affordable to you is determined by where you currently are in your current earning situation and not always a fair indicator of how "responsible" a person you are.
Greed in this country is a huge factor in why medical coverage costs so much, not just paying for the uninsured.
I have had times in my life when I could afford coverage and times when I couldn't. I currently pay out over 2k a month for a family of 3 who are all healthy and never go to the dr. Every year at renewal, guess what happens to my rates even though I am healthy and never go to the dr?
I figure I am only a couple of rate increases from self insuring. At a current 24k a year expense, it just makes sense to do it. If I have a very serious medical situation arise, I figure I am hosed anyway and having to pay the 20% I would have to pay even with insurance will have me paying for years and quite likely the rest of my life.
I also pay through the nose in taxes.
Other countries offer their citizens medical coverage at far cheaper rates. I personally know many, many people that get their prescription medicine from Canadian pharmacies for less than 1/4 the cost of American.
Why the big difference in prices? Hmmmm......
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Martian
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# Posted: 23 Jun 2012 04:05pm
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When you buy insurance, you are paying for the irresponsible behavior of the majority of health care recipients since most of the money spent on health care goes towards treating preventable diseases. I read where 5% of the insured account for more than 80% of the expenditures; much of that spending was directly attributable to obesity. On top of that, there is the treatment of non-illnesses, like erectile dysfuntion, that insurance pays for. What's up with that? (Pardon the pun.) And, why should I contribute to a company that pays it's CEO millions of dollars a year, provides no direct medical care, and raises rates at will when profit margins fall?
I would gladly pay more in taxes to have universal coverage, but that option is not available here in the States. I do have VA benefits (from service in the Marines from '69-78, but I've never used them) which is supported by my tax dollars.
It is sad that some blame others for their choices. Anonymous, you are the one who has decided that having insurance is more important than having the life of your dreams. The denial of your free choice may be what creates the need for you to use that health insurance for which you are willing to sacrifice. I hope it works out for you that you live to retirement and are healthy/vigorous enough do whatever it is you want to do. For many, that isn't the case.
Tom
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rayyy
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jun 2012 04:27pm
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Who ever come up with the age of 65 anyway?They got ta be nut's.In your 50's your eye site goes,your sholders,knees,elbows,hips,ancles and back all take turns seeing who can hurt the most today.Enlarged prostrate,gout,virdago,stomic and gut problems.Arthritus,hearing goes,your feet hurt.Your stamina is about 1 tenth of what it use to be.Yah I wanta work another 15 years.!!!NOTTT!!!
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