Replies

Thank you so much. I have been trying to point out the same. You realized at about the same time we did that something needed to be done and took the "responsibility" to do it.

I was one of the first American's laid off as your nick name suggests you can understand. In 1973 I was Rif'd. A few years before any of the auto workers began being laid off. And yet it still took me until about 1984 to figure out I better start planning to be financially "solvent" by age 60. It takes work and a bit of sacrifice (not much actually), but it can be done. Retired last September and loving it and still not spending the amount we set aside for living each month.

We live in a culture that has not only left out the idea of "taking personal responsibility", but almost promoted the idea of living irresponsibly and way too many Americans have chosen that path, I am afraid.

Congratulations.

Ain't living on easy street, but quite comfortable on our "budget".

Thank you so much. I have been trying to point out the same.

I think some on this thread are confusing offereing advise (by example) as "gloating", or "I got mine, now shut up".

That is not the case. I doubt if "Harry" is reading this thread, and if he is, there is little advise we could provide him.

However, there are many potential "Harry" reading, some in their 20s, 30s and 40s who may not have thought about what will happen as they get older.

There is some good advise on this thread form them, if they will take it.

Sounds like there is some disparity in everyone's plans. For someone who has been there and done that, let me tell you the best made plans soon get thrown out the window.

My in-laws both retired in the mid 1980's. They did not have much in savings, but both had SS, he was retired from the Army and civil service. (They had some of the worst spending habits I have seen - Omaha Steaks, Alamo Fruit just to name a couple) She had some serious health problems, Parkinson's Disease, diabetes, legally blind to name a few. She fell and broke a hip so could no longer negotiate the steps in their split level home, so they bought a new house when he was 86 and moved.

They started getting worse and worse health wise until they both required FT health care in the home. That is easy to figure, we had someone there with them 24/7 at $7.00 an hour. That is $168.00 a day or roughly $5000 a month. There take home was not that much so they immediately had to start dipping into their savings. That did not last as long as they did, so it was then up to the family to care for them. That burden fell on the shoulders of my wife which means me.

They both passed away last fall, she was 84 and he was 91. We are just now settling the estate and will have several thousand in debt written off by probate.

The moral of the story. My wife and I are fully funding our Roth IRA, I am a gray area retiree from the national guard which means I will start getting paid for retirement when I am 60 (three years). I am a civil service employee with a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account which is also being fully funded and last, I will have social security at least to start with.

When we retire we will be 100% debt free, or at least that is the plan now. We do not plan on touching the Roth or the TSP until we have to, living on the retirement from the national guard, civil service and social security, and leaving the savings to our children as best we can.

Remembering my first paragraph, how about we all check in every few years and let each other know how we are doing?