If You Are On The Fence - Read This

[Firebug5]

Thanks for sharing this with us, Gary. Neither of us really appreciated our health until we both lost it. Then, we fought like heck to get it back. We were blessed to be able to get our health back after 10 years, and now it makes us appreciate each and every day. Your kind story reminds us of what is really important in our lives.

Bruce and Judy

[Ted Lambert]

Gary I am so sorry for your loss. Life has no guaranties.
I retired from a high pressure job at 49. Moved and everything went great till my wife had a medical procedure go wrong that left her in a wheel chair.
5 Years ago I had 3 stints installed 2 singles and one double. I have tested positive for Cancer and it seems to be in the brain don't know for sure just what they can do just had all the tests done MRI CT and a lot of blood work.
I see the specialist on Friday for the results and prognosis.
My doctor feels that the past 45 years of constant stress has taken a severe toll on my health. I thought I loved the stress and thrived on it as I was right in on the action. Never realized what the results would be.
Everybody should evaluate the stress level they have and try and reduce it,regardless of the costs.
I really wish had! I am 63 yrs old.

[cucotx]

Since everyone here is of the opinion to retire early, I'll take the opposite point of view. If anything, just to balance the conversation a little.

I'm currently reading a book on retirement and how to properly file for Social Security. That book says that a couple at 65 years of age has a 50% chance of at least one of them living to age 94 and a 25% chance of one of them living to age 98.

A 60 year old male has an estimated average life expectancy of 81 years. A 60 year old female has an estimated average life expectancy of 84 years. And those are averages, many will live much longer.

Some futurists, e.g. Ray Kurzweil, believe that by the year 2025, medical treatments will add more time to our lifetime than the time that goes by.

So, those of us that do retire early may unfortunately find out that we outlive our savings ...

But, just like most on this thread, I have seen a lot of my friends die young. Scary.

[rollingslow]

I retired at 56 sold out after wife had a stroke best choice i ever made

[Pa Miller]

Gary sorry understand your loss ... I Retired at 54 had open heart surgery (10 hour valve job) at 55 .... 57 now every day is a good day. Get busy living everyday to the fullest . I still raise cattle and collect things and travel . I was running hog traps in the snow on a rhino when it broke down about a mile from my truck grabbed my guns took off walking the snow was about a foot deep I couldn't catch my breath and that was it.

[Gordon Dewald]

Thanks for the advice. We have been retired about 11 years. Have met many other retirees in that time. Not one of them says they wished they had worked longer.

[Clayobx]

Gary I'm very sorry for your loss. I've lost family and dear friends over the past two years. One within the last two weeks. The loss of friends and family puts ones mortality into a front and center position. One that I'm not, nor most are comfortable with. It is so important truly to live every day to the fullest. Sometimes, for me personally, its hard to overcome the loss and realize the light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter each day. I saw a meaningful graphic recently on a coach that read "trying to out run time." I think we all in the RV world are following that motto. Like the mutants state, "the journey is the destination!" Thanks for attitude check up.

[kwittintime]

Wow sorry for you loss.
Want to retire next year @ 62. Health insurance worries me. What insurance do you lucky retired folks have?

[taylorgso]

I sold my company at 55, planning on an early retirement. DW loved her work, and didn't want to stop, so I worked a series of small/parttime jobs until I finally got DW to call it quits a year and a half ago. We were ready for the good life, then cancer came to call, and I spent most of last year in treatment of one kind or another. This year is our catch-up year, and we're making the most of it. Cured of cancer, wife retired, life couldn't be better.

Gary hit the nail squarely on the head. Don't delay your plans. And you'd be surprised at the finances. Our advisor told us we needed to SPEND some of our money, wasn't doing us any good otherwise! We're not full-timers, but do plan to be lotta-timers!

[jplante4]

Originally Posted by kwittintime

Wow sorry for you loss.
Want to retire next year @ 62. Health insurance worries me. What insurance do you lucky retired folks have?

Obama care until you turn 65 then it's Medicare and supplemental insurance for what Medicare doesn't cover. I was on COBRA from my final full time job ($1111 per month for 2 people). The cheapest Obama care I could find was $1400 per month. The premiums were based on income from a job I just lost, not my potential income from unemployment/self employment, so I took the COBRA until I turned 65.

Wife switched over to the Mass health connector ($440 per month for her) when I went on Medicare. Looks like my supplemental and drug coverage will be around $250 per month (haven't selected one yet).

One thing I can tell you for sure after being in the hospital for a heart attack; DO NOT GO WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH IT COSTS!!! Even the shortest stay will wipe you out.

PLEASE, believe me.

[GaryKD]

A big thank you to everyone who posted.

[OlYeller]

I can empathize Gary. I was fortunate to retire at age 50 from a high stress job. Given my family health history I figured that that life wasn't in my best interests. At age 57 I had an unexpected heart attack that actually ruptured my heart. I was amazingly lucky to have survived. It is now 5 years past that horrible experience. In that time we had to sell the trailer and truck as it became too much for me to keep up. Last September we bought our new to us class C and have already had a couple camping experiences in it before putting it away for the winter. We are looking forward to many more in the days ahead.

When you reach a certain age, you see how life and vitality can be snatched from you without notice. This was hard for me because I am a planner and I like to be in control of things that can effect my life. This was also a great learning experience to discover what is important and what isn't. I was one of the lucky ones who had an opportunity to change what my future will be. Carpe diem!

[NITEHAWK]

Our accountant asked us if we were going to travel now that we were retired. We said yes. His reply was to do it now, before our health or infirmities of old age prevented it. We have now been going for eight years now.

Another thought (one that the DW & I practice) tell friends and loved ones how much you love or appreciate them now! You don't know if you will get another chance.
I was able to give my father a kiss on the cheek the day before he died. Sure gives comfort now. He was 82 and I was 62. Doesn't matter when you love and respect someone.

GO DO IT NOW!! DON'T WAIT!!

[Dogpatch]

Sorry to hear about the loss of a friend Gary.

My story isn't about retiring as I'm no where near able to. It's about a lifestyle.
I know too many people and have heard too many stories of those who have done little and saved all their lives for retirement and the time to do things and died having done nothing and with money in the bank.

I have a great job, make great money (thankfully) and I spend it. My family and I have a beautiful home, we travel a lot to exotic places and have owned 6 RVs in our years and have gone lots of places with them. We've created great memories living this way.

It's not for everyone, but I live for today because I don't know what tomorrow will bring.

I'd rather be sitting in a chair poor when I get old with a wealth of memories of things I've done and places I've been, than to be sitting in a chair with money in the bank and too old to do anything.

The important thing is to live your life and experience as much as you can while you can. The way in which you choose to do it is yours, whether it be my way or retire to do it.

You only live once and you can't turn the clock back.
Living with regret sucks!