Don't spend your only living days working only to die 1 or 2 yrs after retirement.

[Talos]

Work to live, not live to work. A motto everyone should live by. I don't see myself ever retiring, but I damn sure ain't gonna prioritize work over my life. They get 40 hours a week, that's it. And I will take my vacation days.

 

[Bushwick100]

Exactly what my father did. Died a year after he retired. Lost a great man that day. 🙁

Sorry, for your loss.

 

[basstracker89]

The stress on today's workplace is staggering. God didn't make us to endure such nonsense. Hard work yes but ungodly stress I think not. It's one thing to work 12 hours a day because you have to to keep your family going. It's different to have to work 12 hours a day in a stress filled, rear end bosses and piers and everything else you can imagine you go through IS NOT how it's supposed to be!

I think you're right. I've been saying this very thing for a while now

 

[basstracker89]

Was lucky enough to retire last year at 58. I work harder now that I’m home thanks to the wife’s honey do lists. I can’t wait for her to retire so I can return the “favor”.

Yea, but they don't reciprocate

 

[Torn]

I'm sure you would have been on a giant airbase and perfectly safe. However, if someone doesn't need the money to be comfortable, what's the point of selling a year (or more) of your life? I think you probably made the right call.

It was either Kandahar or Bagram their choice. Glad I chose not to go.

 

[basstracker89]

I don't hear it as much anymore, but I used to key in on people who talked about "after I retire" a whole lot. It seemed sometimes like people were putting off so much of their lives with the notion they'd start pursuing their interests at age whatever. I don't think those sorts of plans work out the way they figured very often. If there's something I want to do, if I can figure it out, I'll just do it now without waiting for a retirement that may not come to work out the way I planned, if at all.

You're right, at least that's the way it has been for me. But it's nice not punching a clock or answering to an idiot. There is a happy median. I never found it. It was always feast or famine. Nothing inbetween

 

[basstracker89]

Retired with full benefits at 53. Spent next two years slowly remodeling the house. Could have went back part time but didn’t. Just spent more time with my daughters helping them anyway that I could.

Time well spent

 

[basstracker89]

Work to live, not live to work. A motto everyone should live by. I don't see myself ever retiring, but I damn sure ain't gonna prioritize work over my life. They get 40 hours a week, that's it. And I will take my vacation days.

Never worked for me. But I'm glad it did for you

 

[MILSURP Collector]

Learned my lesson from my parents.

Dad was a construction worker and retired at 66 because his body couldn't take it anymore. He had a warning/mini stroke. He died at age 69. He didn't get to enjoy his retirement. He was a smoker which I avoided. He was also diabetic which I avoided.

My Mom died the same year, 9 months later at age 66. She worked up until the months she died and never cashed her first Social Security check! She was a lifelong smoker and died of lung cancer. She did hold on long enough to meet her first Grandson.

I vowed to retire early and enjoy life. I retired from my civilian job at age 62! I'm 65 now reloading and shooting regularly.
I prepared for it by saving around 10% of my pay even in the military. The Dow Jones was about 3000 points back in 1980!
I retired with an Army pension. My wife has an Army pension as well and then a State pension.
About 15 years ago we did the Dave Ramsey program and had the house paid off and no debt when she retired at 60.

Enjoying traveling to Ireland, Portugal, Spain and more to follow.

It can be done, work hard and save. Pay yourself first.