A Most Depressing Conversation

[justin]

Only a small percentage of the population "get it."

Oh, I think they get. They just don't like the getting-of-it (saving).

That's because you scare them off when you tell them about sawing the paper towel rolls in half!

I must say, brilliant idea that I have never thought of. I do, however, rip off partial paper towels if I just need a "little bit".

 

[TromboneAl]

In half! We cut ours in thirds. Only disadvantage is that it makes it look like toilet paper.

 

[Nords]

Wittgenstein: "You can't be cured unless you've had the disease."

Phew, Al, pretty erudite quotation.

Do the other jazz musicians know you can talk like this?  Have you ever been thrown out of a surf lineup for wisecracks like that?

My typical ER conversation when "they" run into me:
They:  Wow, Nords, I haven't seen you in a few years, what happened to your hair?!?  Where are you working now?
Me:  I'm retired.
They:  I know that, you longhair, I got your announcement, but where are you working since you've retired?
(Note:  Those three sentences are almost a ritual exchange between veterans.)
Me:  Uh, I'm really retired.
They:  Yeah, so where do you work?
Me:  Well, I'm really really retired.  I'm not working.
They:  Oh, c'mon!  You're too young to be put out to pasture like that!  Get a haircut and get a job!!  I know a friend who has a (contractor's job vacancy)(GS billet opening)(consulting business)...
Me:  Thanks, but I'm not interested in, uh, working.
They:  Sorry about that, buddy.  Call me when you change your mind, I can hook you right up.  Because after all, "what would you do all day"?
Me:  We're raising a teenager.
They:  Yeah, but whaddya do all day?
Me:  Oh, that's right, your 60-hour workweek means you don't spend a lot of time with your kids.  Well, we also do a lot of chores, home improvement, surfing, catching up on our reading, spending time with the family, and lazing around.  Our kid & I have also taken up tae kwon do.  I even volunteered with a non-profit for a few years.  I feel like I'm catching up on all the things I didn't have time for when I was working.
They:  I'd go crazy!  What do you do the next day?
Me:  I went surfing three times last week.
They:  Surfing, eh?  I gotta try that someday.
Me:  After you've lived in Hawaii for 20 years that seems like a good idea...
They:  Well, I'd go crazy with nothing to do all day like you.  Besides, how are you going to get a job when the money runs out?
Me:  Er, my pension already pays for the mortgage and the groceries and the utilities.  We spend a little out of savings, and that should last until spouse's pension starts up in another 16 years.
They:  Yeah, but are you still driving that crappy Taurus?  How old was that thing, seven years?
Me:  It's almost 13 years old now.  But it still runs fine.
They:  Man, I'd never be able to live without a nice car.  My wife & kids would never let me make those sacrifices to live on a budget.  
Me:  We don't feel like we're sacrificing anything.  We went on a cruise last summer.
They:  A cruise, eh?  I gotta try that sometime.
Me:  There'll be three cruise ships working Hawaii this summer.  Last-minute rates are only about $100/day and we can get away whenever school's on break or when Grandma will take care of our kid.
They:  Oooh, don't know if I could afford that much.
Me:  (Needling a little)  We try to do it every year or so to break up the interisland trips or DisneyWorld vacations.  
They:  Oh, hey, I gotta get back to the office.  I just came from a doctor's appointment to sort out my blood pressure & cholesterol prescriptions.  The work never lets up and my boss will be pulling my hair out!  Fax me your résumé, OK?
Me:  Gosh, I don't have a résumé.  I'm retired and I don't want to work.  But maybe you and the family could come over for dinner some evening.  We'll sit on the back lanai, gaze at the sunset, and I'll show you how we managed to save for early retirement.
They:  You're still a big kidder!  Well, let me know if you want any help with the job search.  Gotta run!!

 

[greg]

That's because you scare them off when you tell them about sawing the paper towel rolls in half!

I must say, brilliant idea that I have never thought of. I do, however, rip off partial paper towels if I just need a "little bit".

And it's like the old chopping of firewood saying "It warms you twice." But in this case, as you saw the towels, which is real easy, your armpits get a little extra air, which, of course, um . . . dries you . But hadn't thought of sawing into thirds. Hmm! That one sounds a bit crazy to me.

 

[Nords]

Hmm!  That one sounds a bit crazy to me. 

Well, never mind then, I guess no one will want to see the photos or the plans for our adjustable paper-towel drying rack...

 

[rs0460a]

they say I'm cheap because I don't go out for lunch, or would rather sink a few hundred bucks into my Granddad's old '85 Chevy pickup instead of running out and buying a new one.
I

No, you are not "cheap" - you are however, "frugal"  : .

Remember, "those that fail to plan, plan to fail"

BTW, my "daily ride" is an '89 Olds...

- Ron

 

[astromeria]

How does it go when the ER discussion is with hubby who is still hitched to the plow?

Not sure if this was addressed to me, but assuming so, I often ask my husband if he wouldn't rather retire--probably every couple of weeks. He told me this week that he would do his current job for nothing(!). He seems to regard it like volunteer work. He went from high-stress software engineering managment to relatively low-stress college teaching. He especially loves geeking out with his advanced students, but also gets some satisfaction from the 100-level classes for non-majors*. And he's quite fond of his colleagues.

Except for contributions to his pension fund (and who knows if he'll even work long enough to collect any pension-), we aren't saving any more. His job allows us simply not to take withdrawals yet--it coincidently pays the amount we'd be withdrawing. Since we aren't adding to the stash--and I figure he might stop teaching at the end of any semester, we're invested as if we're retired. You might say I'm practicing 

* He recently heard from a former student now working at her first real job (corporate trainer). Thanks to taking his Computer Literacy class, she was able to set up a budget in Excel and is determined to avoid going into debt like many of her friends.

NORDS--that conversation was so funny--and realistic!

 

[Nords]

You might say I'm practicing 

Excellent... after three or four decades you might feel that you're getting pretty good at it!

NORDS--that conversation was so funny--and realistic!

Oh, I've had plenty of practice at its deadpan delivery. It's even better when your spouse is standing next to you and choking so hard on her laughter that she can't breathe...

 

[Eagle43]

Nords your typical ER"conversation" was on the mark. Last time I had lunch with fellow workers, one of their comments was: "Oh God, he's adjusted." They didn't seem to like it that I really did NOT want to return. Well, I don't.

 

[free4now]

Sawing paper towels is for wimpy LBYMers

I have a roll of paper towels under the sink from about 8 years ago that I keep in case I ever find the need, but what I mostly use in the kitchen is a stack of napkins that I collect from drive thru restaurants and the like. The smaller size of the napkins (compared with paper towels) is usually about right.

 

[sgeeeee]

Sawing paper towels is for wimpy LBYMers 

I have a roll of paper towels under the sink from about 8 years ago that I keep in case I ever find the need, but what I mostly use in the kitchen is a stack of napkins that I collect from drive thru restaurants and the like.   The smaller size of the napkins (compared with paper towels) is usually about right.

A dog or cat dramatically reduces the need for paper towels.

 

[2B]

There were several comments in postings about people keeping SS solvent by continuing to work. I've run into a few people (and I'm sure it's becoming more and more common) that are still working (broke) but started drawing SS at 62. This lets them spend even more. Eventually they will become too ill to work and go bankrupt, get medicaid and die.

I'm not sure if this is a help to keeping SS solvent or not.