Home Forums Gear Free Classifieds I am Retiring August 6th

You are not alone Andrews1958!

My first wife and I were not wise and didn't take saving serious. I lost what little pension and saving I had in the divorce. I got stuck paying her a LOT of alimony every month. I will be eligible for full Social Security next May but I'll try to work until I am 70.

On the other hand my parents were children in the depression and saved like crazy. After a decade of decent retirement my dad got Parkenson's and his care took almost everything they had. My mom lived last June and died 16 days short of her 99th birthday.

so even though I am not proud of not saving better and looking at a pretty spartan retirement; I think about all the things we did do with our kids that enriched all of our lives. My folks didn't indulge themselves much at all and missed out on a lot they could have enjoyed.

So you roll the dice... sometimes you win and sometime you lose no matter how you play the game but you can improve your odds. I guess someplace in between being totally self indulgent and being so frugal you won't treat your self to anything is the place to be.

BTW - The EX passed away a month after my mom did so my take home pay has increase dramatically. She was a sad lonely person at the end. I didn't wish that on her. I am trying to maximize the benefit of that windfall over the rest of my short corporate work life that I have left. We have paid off all of our debt except the mortgage, heavy into the 401K plan now and been buying silver and ammo. For the first time in my adult life I am no longer living pay check to pay check. It feels pretty good.