Was visiting one of my worldwide units this week and ended the visit w/ a Commander's Call, or a Navy All Hands as my big blue brethren would say. One of my non-comms stood up and asked, "Sir, you've said you plan on retiring next year. Besides getting higher education degrees, what have you learned as you prepare for retirement that you would pass on to us?"
Somebody get me a tissue to wipe these tears of pride!
"LBYM," I said. "Don't take 16 years like I did to learn to live below your means!" I continued to say how I looked out in their parking lot as I arrived and saw a lot of newer trucks and motorcycles that probably they are making payments on. And as an O-6 making great money, I drive an 11-yr-old VW Passat that I paid cash for--but I wasn't always that way. I told them how, as a young officer, I turned to Consumer Credit Counseling because I got in way too far over my head and needed help. Don't be me, I beseached them.
I also then walked them through just how much a military pension can cover if they have no debt when they retire. I had them doing public math as I threw out how much for a mortgage, utilities, cell phone, cable, food, gas, etc. We got all the way down to $0 and I asked, "OK, so have we missed any necessities?" "No," they all chimed in.
OK, so after 20+ years, you will still be in your 30's, right?
Yessir.
Are you going to sit home all day now or go get a job?
Jobs, sir.
OK, what are you going to do with all that money?
Huh?
Well, we just walked through how your pension will cover the basics, so if you get debt free before retirement, then any $$ you bring afterwards...well, what are you going to do with it?
Light bulbs go on across the room
I had multiple troops come up to me afterwards to talk some more on that topic.
I love this job