Didn't really start saving until I was almost 40 . . . just plain didn't have the means to save until my bride went back to work after the kids were both in school full time. Then we hit it fairly hard. Both of us put in at least as much as the max our employers would match for 401k, usually 3 to 5% more. Bride had a decent paying job with promotion options I didn't have. Not complaining, just the nature of the beast. She passed me in income in about 1998. My IRA has increased about 11% in the last year (I am a relatively low risk investor, by nature) and her 401k's have returned about 15% in the same time period (she is a bit more aggressive than I am).
Anyhow, chatted with our accountant yesterday and he presented a plan where we can actually fully retire and actually INCREASE our standard of living by fully retiring. He didn't have to convince me, I had to convince myself it was doable. I have a project I'm working on that should be wrapped up by the end of December. THEN, I am pulling the plug and retiring from actively working. Been looking forward to this since about 1970 when I got out of high school. That day of reckoning will come December 31, 2017 at 3:00 PM . . . ONE day after I turn 66.
