FIRE date fast approaching

[Lakedog]

I have been lurking for several months so thought I would introduce myself. I am a 50 yr old fed employee planning to retire in Sept of this year. I'm single with no kids and no plans to marry again (once divorced many years ago). I'm not opposed to marriage, just haven't found the right lady.

Since I will be going early, will have a reduced pension of a little over $30k. I don't have the savings of many folks on the board (little over $500k between all accounts) but have a mortgage-free house worth over $600k on a nice lake in Alabama. My projected expenses are around $30k so I feel comfortable going now.

I am a forester and forest engineer and have lived all over the US during my career. I really did not expect to end up in Alabama but as things turned out, I like the area okay and love the lake life. My old black lab had to be put down a couple of months ago due to bone cancer, so I lost my best friend and constant companion of the last 14 yrs -- he loved the lake, boating, kayaking, etc. I have not felt ready for another lab yet but I'm sure there will be another soon.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and I look forward to participating from time to time. I have enjoyed reading many of your posts the last few months -- some great discussions.

[newguy88]

Lakedog Nice..

It is doable, I left a state teaching position in NJ in Dec at 50. Yes my pension was reduced to a bit over 30K and yep not much saved more like 100K, Also no real debt House worth 400K owe 40K on it 300 a month. I sub teach now coach a track team make an extra 15K a year I can pay my bills now down in North Carolina, got out of New Jersey before the housing slump.

Great to be able to say bye bye to the rat race, you will love it.

[Dawg54]

Hello! Congrats on your early retirement plans. I'm sure you have health insurance worked out as that is a retirement buster if one doesn't.

What part of AL do you live? I'm from central MS and just retired. I would love to live in a cabin on a lake one day. Nothing too big for me.

[Lakedog]

Thanks newguy888 and Dawg52.

Yes, I can take my fed health insurance with me. I live in east central Alabama on Lake Martin between Montgomery and Atlanta.

[crazy connie]

Congrats!

I lost my best friend on Valentines day 2 months after I retired at 50 which was 2 years ago. Sugar was a yellow lab and quite a good companion.

Maggie who is a rescued English Bulldog joined me last fall. She is a sweetie and the home is much nicer with her in it.

It sounds like your finances are in good order and with where you live and what you enjoy, it should be a nice retirement!

[tangomonster]

Lakedog, I think ER is definitely doable for you.

Thanks for your service to our nation's forests (I'm typing this while smelling the smoke from the wildfires, even in the Atlanta area, so forest workers are definitely on my mind).

Sorry about your dog. I hope you can get to the point soon where you can get another (maybe a different breed, so you don't compare it to the one you just lost/) because it sounds like you can offer a great home (lake environment and lots of companionship).

Is it wonderful to live on a lake? That's the one thing that is missing from my ER. I'd love to be on a lake or river. But of course it's much more expensive to buy a place on the water. DH doesn't understand why this is so important to me, but I just feel so at peace by fresh water. We do make some trips to local parks several times a week (we're only 20 minutes away from Lake Lanier) and DH tries to justify where we live (suburban Atlanta sans lake/river) as being better because this way we see varied parks and not just the same lake all the time. But with the cost of gas and traffic, it would be nice to just walk to a lake and consider it truly my own...

[Lakedog]

Thanks crazy connie and tangomonster, I'm so looking forward to spending my time as I please. I appreciate the comments about the loss of my pup. I have been talking to a lab and golden retriever rescue group in Atlanta about fostering for a while. I like "water dogs" since I spend a lot of time on the lake or down on my pier/dock.

Tangomonster, I do enjoy living next to the water, have always tried to do that wherever I have lived. I have lived on several lakes and a couple of rivers (Willamette River in Oregon). I have been in my house for around ten years so it was not too expensive when I moved here, but the values are certainly on the high side these days. There are quite a few Atlanta residents with second homes on this lake (2 hours to Atlanta). I enjoy boating, fishing, kayaking, swimming, so the lake is great for me. Sometimes I think it keeps me from taking more trips but I can travel when I want (and it is really easy to find a house sitter). It is very quiet on this lake from late fall through early spring and that is when I enjoy it the most. Funny that you mention the fires in GA/FL, just came from a couple of weeks there myself.

[Dawg54]

Yeah, the winds were blowing just right last week and we had the smoke haze here in MS. Kind of weird looking.

Lakedog, I've heard Lake Martin is very pretty. A guy I know has some relatives that live there. He always enjoys going over for a visit.

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by Lakedog

Thanks newguy888 and Dawg52.

Yes, I can take my fed health insurance with me. I live in east central Alabama on Lake Martin between Montgomery and Atlanta.

How the Hell do you get a Lab to stay still in kayak and not turn over?
I can't trust mine to sit still in a canoe. Ace is 10 now and is showing his age. Just got him from the vet for tmt of some skin iirritation issues.

[Lakedog]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

How the Hell do you get a Lab to stay still in kayak and not turn over?
I can't trust mine to sit still in a canoe. Ace is 10 now and is showing his age. Just got him from the vet for tmt of some skin iirritation issues.

Well, I started him out in my canoe at about 8 wks old. All of his life he had been in boats, canoes, kayaks. He liked sit-on-top kayaks the best -- although he did bail on me the first time or two but soon got used to it. The kayak was a double and he had his own seat......

[genghis]

Sorry to hear about your friend. After we had to put our dog down, I waited about a year and a half before I could get another one......but he's the greatest guy - and my new best friend.

How are the bugs down there at Lake Martin?

[Lakedog]

Originally Posted by genghis

Sorry to hear about your friend. After we had to put our dog down, I waited about a year and a half before I could get another one......but he's the greatest guy - and my new best friend.

How are the bugs down there at Lake Martin?

Thanks, I know I will have another pup at some point but not sure when. Actually the only issue with bugs at all is mosquitoes at times but no worse than anyplace else in the south. Over the water (on the lake or on my dock) they are not a problem at all but at times my shaded lot harbors a few big ones. The lot is mostly forested with a mixture of very large longleaf pine and scattered hardwoods (oak, dogwood, magnolia).