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Hi All, I’ve been a member for quite some time, but haven’t posted for awhile. The reason for this is: I retired October 2017 and have been running around doing all sorts of cool retirement stuff :dance: I had more time to participate in the forum when I was chained to a desk :blush: But...

I'm interested in the percentage of retirement budget that others categorize as discretionary spending. My planned budget is about 25% discretionary spending. For those of you who have found it necessary to tweak your spending in response to market conditions, emergencies etc. 1. Was it a...

Some analysts fear we could see this with continued unrest in the Middle East. I don't like thinking about what this could mean for our economy. Ziggy, you're our only hope ;) http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/its-official-the-oil-boom-is-over-36710.html

All of our retirement savings are currently in my company's 401k plan, but we have another 65k presently sitting in credit union savings accounts. We want to start a Roth IRA and also a taxable account but are not sure who to go with i.e. Schwab, Wells Fargo, Scottrade etc. 401k is with...

These pension reserves just get better with age. Maybe meds are the answer. ;D http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/market-dispatches.aspx?post=1777346&_blg=1,1777346

Great photo from the rv.net forum. This likely expresses the sentiments of our friends in D.C. and vicinity. RV.Net Open Roads Forum: General RVing Issues: Death of a snowman

The waste water portion of an RV has to be the most beloved :rolleyes: system to deal with, especially for cold weather situations. The story below had me laughing so hard my ribs hurt. RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Frozen Dump Pipes or "The Finer Side of RV'ing"

....if you can get past the creepiness factor. I sat on the patio after sunset yesterday and watched the amazing little aerial killing machines go to work on the moths that were heading toward our bug zapper light. Several of the bats were swooping around me, sometimes passing a foot or two...

We've had this card for many years and have always, without fail received a statement each month showing balance and minimum payment due. We are what the CC card companies call "freeloaders" in that we pay the balance in full each month (for the last year or so). I checked by phone and the...

I've learned a lot reading the forums but have reached a point where I have to lay out some numbers and get some input: Both age 51 401k balance $145,000 Taxable savings $40,000 Non COLA pension which should cover 2/3 of expenses at retirement Retiree medical benefits My income $82,000/yr DW...

Meltdown calls 401(k)s into question - MSN Money As I read about the ways 401k investors hurt themselves (making emotional decisions) I was reminded of a recent conversation with a coworker. He had been checking his account daily and agonizing over the plunging portfolio. Finally in November...

I received some sad news this weekend. A married couple I've been friends with since high school were out for an evening ride when a deer ran onto the highway. The collision killed the husband and his wife is in critical condition. Both in their early 50s. Two of the genuinely nicest people...

The industry I work in is facing a crisis in the next 5 to 10 years due to the aging work force. Some occupations will have 25% to 30% of the present work force eligible to ER in that time (including me ;D) This will likely create a lot of "retire/rehire" situations where workers can take...

I'm sure that most folks on the ER forums are well aware of all this. It just underscores how unusual we FIRE-minded folk are (and I mean that in a good way) Pretty scary scenario for people who don't make plans beyond the weekend though:o Bleak retirements for 150 million? - MSN Money

For the past several years, my parents have been giving me and my two brothers between $5k and $10k per year. They want to see us enjoy the money while they are still around as opposed to leaving a larger estate when they pass on. We would like to do this for our two kids as well. My brothers...

We like to get away for a winter warm up every year. Favorite destinations are Hawaii, Phoenix, San Diego and Palm Springs. Anyone have experience with renting a condo or small apartment for one to two weeks in any of these locations? We were just wondering if there is a lot of money to be...

I have a DB pension plan at my company that either pays an annuity payment after retirement or offers a lump sum payout. I plan to take the monthly payments and we have an excel calculator on the HR website that shows what the monthly payment will be. However, they don't have a way to...

My DW has a herniated disc in the cervical spine and recently has had trouble sleeping on a firm bed. We solved the problem at home by adding a 4" memory foam mattress topper to our bed. The problem comes when we travel. Many hotel chains tout their superior bedding and we tend to spend more...

We're planning to build a home in the next two years. We're trying to think of features that would be important to folks as they get older and less able to bend over, lift etc. The biggest feature of course will be having all bedrooms on the main level along with laundry and other areas used on...

Greetings to all: I just joined the ER forums today but have been reading posts regularly for the past few months. I read a lot of different finance related forums. This has become one of my favorites because of the good information, humor and a very civil tone compared to some of the "bashing...