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"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

Wurrwulf said:
I plan to get there one day!
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I have somewhere between 4 1/2 and 9 1/2 years to go, with 6 being the target (so-called "full" SocSec age for me). It seems so far off, but when I look back 4 1/2 or 6 years ago, seems like just yesterday. Heck, I've been a member here that long and I feel like I just joined.

I still have a sinking feeling that right before I get there, they'll change the rules and either I'll be much poorer or have to keep working as long as I can find work.
 
knarfeng said:
The calendar says I have reached "retirement age". Alas, my financial planner says I have not.
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You're never going to be ready, take it from me. I retired and had what I thought was a decent nest egg, but inflation cut into it. Now with Karen also retired we live very carefully from Social Security check to Social Security check. Not a real luxurious lifestyle.

BUT...the most important thing is, what we discovered is priceless. Our time is our own and nobody has a piece of it unless we want them to. Yes, we cut back on stuff, but the sheer luxury of getting out of bed when we want, not having to be anywhere at any particular time is priceless. We now have the freedom to drive out to California to spend time with the daughter and granddaughter and son in law. Lets us make their hectic working life a bit easier when they come home from work and Bree is already home from school, dinner is already made, the house is cleaned up, the laundry done, and they now can have an evening of play time. We have the freedom to make the kids life easier and more fun. Karen and Jess take Bree to her Krav Maga class and John and I sit on the patio and enjoy a nice Dominican cigar and a vodka tonic. Jessica and John feel guilty thinking that we worked all day on their home and Karen and I tell them we worked a few hours in the morning then went to the beach out at Dana Point, about 25 minutes from Mission Viejo. Karen and I had a few hours of lounging under an umbrella on the Beach reading and relaxing to the sound of the surf and recharging the metal batteries.

Or Karen and I do a free day trip in our area of Texas. Theres' all kinds of stuff in Austin that's free like museums, art galleries, music venues, and the bat watching on the Congress Street bridge at dusk. That's awesome. Being social security retirees we can do this on weekdays when it's not crowded and everyone else is at work. When the Bullock museum had an exhibit devoted to Stevie Ray Vaughn we had the place almost to ourselves on a Wednesday. Priceless.

Then the evenings we take our folding chairs and rods down along the bank of the San Gabriel river to fish until midnight because it's colder at night and we don't have to be up early for work. There may even be a vodka tonic in that plastic water bottle in the cooler. Or going to the range on a weekday morning and have the place almost to ourselves because everyone is at work. Priceless.

Being retired means you have to try carefully watch your expenses, but it also means you can have a lot of fun while the rest of the working world is busy. We do want we like, when we like, how we like. Take a road trip? No problem. The Camry gets good gas milage and the beach at Padre Island is just three hours down the road. We pack up our tent and camping gear and make an over night of it.

Or sometimes, just for the luxurious sake of it, we'll do nothing. We'll lounge around the ol homestead, read some good books, make an interesting lunch together in the kitchen, and just spend a day screwing off. I always recall the line actor Ron Livingston had in Office Space. " I did nothing, and doing nothing was everything I thought it would be!"

We may be senior citizen fixed income poor folks, but we're rich in time now. I wouldn't go back to work now for all the tea in China! And I really like tea.
 
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October 11, 2011 I said adios to the rat race. I'll be 68 this month, my wife will be 68 in August. I never liked getting up early and I haven't missed it at all. We do keep very busy with two sons and grandsons that live close by. We travel when we want and stay home when we want. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Like Jerry we're comfortable and like to keep life simple.
 
As one of the younger members here, retirement and social security seems far and a joke. i did start speaking to a financial advisor recently. its just been a mess of roth vs non roth iras and wondering what cds makes sense since the fed funds rate is a joke. not one for the market unfortunately, just not much of a gambler and dont have the know how. slowly learning tho. Congrats to all of you who are living comfortably and enjoying retirement!
 
mrknife said:
As one of the younger members here, retirement and social security seems far and a joke. i did start speaking to a financial advisor recently. its just been a mess of roth vs non roth iras and wondering what cds makes sense since the fed funds rate is a joke. not one for the market unfortunately, just not much of a gambler and dont have the know how. slowly learning tho. Congrats to all of you who are living comfortably and enjoying retirement!
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As someone who is still south of 40 I feel like I am certainly not amongst the older folks here, but I have to say that retirement always seemed like something not even worth worrying about it. The chances of any kind of social security in my old age sound laughable, and I did not have the kind of skills that would allow me to build up a cushion myself. I just assumed that I would work until I couldn't and then kick off. But now I am actually thinking that I might end up with a career that pays and my wife makes good money, so now I need to start making up for lost time. Also, now it isn't just me. I have a wife and kids, so my old "plan" isn't gonna cut it.

Retirement still seems far fetched to me, but I guess we have to try.
 
abbydaddy said:
As someone who is still south of 40 I feel like I am certainly not amongst the older folks here, but I have to say that retirement always seemed like something not even worth worrying about it. The chances of any kind of social security in my old age sound laughable, and I did not have the kind of skills that would allow me to build up a cushion myself. I just assumed that I would work until I couldn't and then kick off. But now I am actually thinking that I might end up with a career that pays and my wife makes good money, so now I need to start making up for lost time. Also, now it isn't just me. I have a wife and kids, so my old "plan" isn't gonna cut it.

Retirement still seems far fetched to me, but I guess we have to try.
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And as someone who is still south of 30, ive come to accept my father's belief in the social security system. its just part of the game even if you wont get it back, its just how it is here. the trick is staying one step ahead. of course gotta enjoy the ride though, no sense in just squirreling the money away :rolleyes:
 
jackknife said:
You're never going to be ready, take it from me. I retired and had what I thought was a decent nest egg, but inflation cut into it. Now with Karen also retired we live very carefully from Social Security check to Social Security check. Not a real luxurious lifestyle.

BUT...the most important thing is, what we discovered is priceless. Our time is our own and nobody has a piece of it unless we want them to. Yes, we cut back on stuff, but the sheer luxury of getting out of bed when we want, not having to be anywhere at any particular time is priceless. We now have the freedom to drive out to California to spend time with the daughter and granddaughter and son in law. Lets us make their hectic working life a bit easier when they come home from work and Bree is already home from school, dinner is already made, the house is cleaned up, the laundry done, and they now can have an evening of play time. We have the freedom to make the kids life easier and more fun. Karen and Jess take Bree to her Krav Maga class and John and I sit on the patio and enjoy a nice Dominican cigar and a vodka tonic. Jessica and John feel guilty thinking that we worked all day on their home and Karen and I tell them we worked a few hours in the morning then went to the beach out at Dana Point, about 25 minutes from Mission Viejo. Karen and I had a few hours of lounging under an umbrella on the Beach reading and relaxing to the sound of the surf and recharging the metal batteries.

Or Karen and I do a free day trip in our area of Texas. Theres' all kinds of stuff in Austin that's free like museums, art galleries, music venues, and the bat watching on the Congress Street bridge at dusk. That's awesome. Being social security retirees we can do this on weekdays when it's not crowded and everyone else is at work. When the Bullock museum had an exhibit devoted to Stevie Ray Vaughn we had the place almost to ourselves on a Wednesday. Priceless.

Then the evenings we take our folding chairs and rods down along the bank of the San Gabriel river to fish until midnight because it's colder at night and we don't have to be up early for work. There may even be a vodka tonic in that plastic water bottle in the cooler. Or going to the range on a weekday morning and have the place almost to ourselves because everyone is at work. Priceless.

Being retired means you have to try carefully watch your expenses, but it also means you can have a lot of fun while the rest of the working world is busy. We do want we like, when we like, how we like. Take a road trip? No problem. The Camry gets good gas milage and the beach at Padre Island is just three hours down the road. We pack up our tent and camping gear and make an over night of it.

Or sometimes, just for the luxurious sake of it, we'll do nothing. We'll lounge around the ol homestead, read some good books, make an interesting lunch together in the kitchen, and just spend a day screwing off. I always recall the line actor Ron Livingston had in Office Space. " I did nothing, and doing nothing was everything I thought it would be!"

We may be senior citizen fixed income poor folks, but we're rich in time now. I wouldn't go back to work now for all the tea in China! And I really like tea.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're living the good life, Carl! I like the Office Space reference, too. My wife is horrible at doing nothing, but me, I'm an expert. :D

r8shell said:
I'm saving up for a good shopping cart. When I'm a "bag lady" living under the bridge, I don't want to push a cart with a wobbly wheel. I'm hoping to afford a nice pair of fingerless gloves, too!
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:D:D :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
r8shell said:
I'm saving up for a good shopping cart. When I'm a "bag lady" living under the bridge, I don't want to push a cart with a wobbly wheel. I'm hoping to afford a nice pair of fingerless gloves, too!
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You can work the crowd in the evening on the Congress Street bridge. I was shocked at how many people gather there for the bat watching at dusk! :eek:

Bound to be folks there with spare change!:D
 
jackknife said:
You can work the crowd in the evening on the Congress Street bridge. I was shocked at how many people gather there for the bat watching at dusk! :eek:

Bound to be folks there with spare change!:D
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It's a beautiful sight, but Congress Ave is not a bridge I'd like to live under. :poop: Unless there's money to be made harvesting guano...o_O

Austin-bat-bridge (1).jpg bats-under-the-congress-avenue-bridge-900615 (1).jpg
 
Well! It's been awhile since I have had time to post anything remotely interesting. I do check things out from time to time. But things are settling now and I'm back if just stopping in. Of course, you all know it's impossible to go backward and try to catch up on this forum. So, just saying hello. I found the whole retirement discussion really interesting. I've been fully retired since 2015. It was a little strange at first, but I like it! My wife and I are on a trip (not a vacation) up the New Jersey coast, through NYC, and out Long Island Sound to Nantucket. Currently in Manasquan, NJ. A month on the boat! It's good for bonding:)

Hello all and I wish you all well. I'll be back! < That could be a promise or a threat. Depends on how you see it. :cool:
 
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