Realistically, when do you think you can retire?

That's just it, you do it your way. Only caveat I can say to anyone is "travel while you can"..if that's on your list. My parents never did, they were always "gonna" and then the choice was not theirs any longer..it isn't a realistic option being that my mother is on dialysis

That's gotta be a fun one though.

 

Abso-fucking-lutely it is

All that time people lose out with their kids cause they're working, although I understand not a lot of people can retire before having kids

 

True. Or have a single income. That was common where I grew up in the 80s. I would have to think hard to name 3 people I know in that case.

 

Retired the last day of June at 65. Have no plans for slowing down. I just don't work anymore.
Don't miss it at all. Did try to get out at 55 but the employer I intended to retire from retired before I did and housed that up.
I have plenty to keep me busy including being a writer and photographer covering Nostalgia Drag Racing in my region. Get to travel.
Winter things will slow down and i may have to adjust but I've been making plans to go down south and cover events down there later in the season.
Also remodeling the house projects. To many people sit in front of the TV and wait to die.
Retirement comes faster than you think and so does the inevitable. They say to live your life like its your last day because it maybe.

 

I got lucky when my kids were little -- I got laid off by a company that still needed my services and got to do contract work from home for them (as well as other side projects). Only had to work half as much (although I did take on more gig work) and set my own hours, so I got to spend a lot of time with my daughters before they started school. That lasted a couple of years, at which point having a job with health insurance was more important, but by then they were in school. Sometimes things just work out.

Seems a long time ago now -- as of this past Thursday, we are officially empty nesters, at least for the school year.

Retirement will happen when it happens, but likely no later than age 65, which isn't close but not that far off. Gotta get this last one launched.

 

It's awesome that you got to be there for them.

Finding the right person to have kids with is one thing (if having them is ever your goal), but I always knew I wanted to have them when I was at least in my +30's for financial/stability reasons and more.

Having a 1 year old now really opens up your eyes to how much time is required of you for a really fulfilling upbringing; I'm loving every minute of it (same with my wife) but I can't imagine working full-time having given up a majority of the day without them, only to later give them whatever time is left, and still take care of everything else.

Mom was a single parent so more props to her for sure.

 

A friend of mine had something like that just work out. He was a social worker and his wife was in research and development for a rather large food and beverage place..probably made 3 times his salary. Among other things that speaks to how underpaid human services is, but I digress.

Anyway she got a promotion when their kids were little that enabled him to quit his job and stay home. It was far less money for him to not work, and of course you can't put a price on being there with the kiddos.

I was never sure either way, but decided I'd choose once I was stable in myself, my relationship, etc. That didn't happen for a while and children wasn't an option when I was..though I have no regrets.

 

Regrets get you nowhere. You can only see your path behind you, you can't change it, and no amount of planning ensures your future. You are where you are, and that's where you are supposed to be.

The daughter I just got settled at school started out on the Computer Science path like her dad, but she has switched to Social Work. She knows it will likely be just enough to get by on, but I think it is a much better path for her, and infinitely more rewarding. She has no delusions about how hard it will be at times. But, even this path may change.

 

I could say my one regret is not getting sober earlier, but I don't think it would have taken as it did when I was finally ready. So there's that.

Totally dig. My wife has made a career and life's passion of the human services field. She's currently going for her BCBA license. Makes my head spin.

 

I'm planning on 60, but it's so hard to really know. Anyone have any good sites to help calc where you are with all accounts and where you will be? Fidelity is pretty good but didn't know if there was something else out there I didn't know about.

 

Great question Zack, I've been using expenses the for last few years then kind of making a forward budget with 2% inflation rate , then looking if I can cover those forward budgets. But there are always unknowns , Healthcare is a biggie. Good luck and looking forward to the replies.

 

That’s a great plan! I’ve tried to do something similar. Even being as granular as trying to plan for larger trips I know we’ll want to take. Good thing about me and my wife is we are pretty decide people and get our minds set on something, we stick with it.

I’ve got a budget to go by that I can use your method and then try and add in everything else I think I’ll do and see what shakes out.

 

I will never retire. I will fall over dead one day at my drafting table, looking at some terrible set of plans....

 

I took this as humor...after 25 years of active duty service in the USAF, I know what it is to relinquish the duties that were passed to me.

 

Retired August 1. 30 years in the elevator trade. Left four months before my 60th birthday. Took a 4.5 week cross country road trip. Now to figure out what to do with myself.