Doing the Math in Reverse?

[NomDeER]

When I was in my early thirties, I had my health insurance premiums increased and one pre-existing condition excluded because of a particular condition I've had all my life. I also have had doctor friends tell me stories about their patients who had their insurance terminated or suddenly found themselves unable to continue being insured. We're talking cancer patients. There have been serious efforts to undermine and end the ACA.

I'm not interested in debating the merits or likelihood of that happening or the likely consequences. I personally want a guarantee that I will be able to have adequate and affordable health insurance until I am eligible for Medicare, and I was willing to work a little longer to get that. As I said, other people have different views, but I need to make decisions based on my own experience and knowledge, health, tolerance for risk, and priorities.

Does anybody have any suggestions for learning about digital photography in retirement?

 

[RobbieB]

Forums like this?

 

[scrabbler1]

NomDeER, I can tell you some of the key things I did leading up to my ER in late 2008 at age 45.

First, I split my ER spreadsheet into 2 parts. The main part was getting from age 45 to age ~59.5 intact using only my non-retirement assets. That would be the challenging part because I could not really include money I did not have clear, unfettered access to; only the taxable part of my total portfolio which would be about 2/3 of it. I knew that once I got to age ~59.5, my "reinforcements" would begin arriving: SS, my rollover IRA, and a frozen company pension. If this meant I would spend down some of my principal prior to age 59.5, that's okay because after that things would only improve.

The other big thing I did was to predict my expenses compared to my current ones at the time. It was basically an even exchange. Because I was working only 2 days a week at the time, I would eliminate my FICA taxes and commutation costs in return for paying more for my health insurance (pre-ACA). The other expenses would be roughly the same. This worked out fine until my HI premiums rose 50% in 2 years, from 2009-2011. The ACA had gotten passed in that time but the exchanges would not arrive until 2014. So, I switched to a bare-bones, hospital-only plan which reduced my premiums a lot until the end of 2013 when I would get a broader plan for 2014. Good thing, too, because I developed some health issues in 2015 (they are under control now).

In 2007 and 2008, I was approaching my magic number to retire (a number not anywhere nearly as high as what you have NomDeER). The crashing markets in 2008 actually helped me because they gave me a rare chance to buy shares in a bond fund at rock-bottom prices when I cashed out the company stock in late 2008. That fire sale has given me benefits I enjoy today.

In the nearly 13 years I have been retired, my medical expenses have been quite volatile. Besides what I described above about the pre-ACA years, after the ACA I have had volatile HI costs (and not only because of my health issues). I was sometimes getting an ACA subsidy, sometimes not. The subsidy was small in the early years before I went over the "cliff" in 2017-2019. Then, finally, I got my income more under control to get back on the subsidy train in 2020. I'd still be fine if I were still paying full cost for my HI, but it would be a challenge. The unsubsidized premiums had risen to what they were in 2011 when I dumped the pre-ACA policy for the bare-bones one. I became nervous in 2017 when it looked like the ACA could disappear. It seems very safe now even if it has been weakened in some ways (while strengthened in others). I have 7 more years to be on it.

So, I have made it through most of my pre-reinforcement years. Next year, if I needed to, I could access funds from my rollover IRA because I turn 59.5 next year. But, thanks to better income management and strong market gains since 2009 (total portfolio has doubled despite not adding any outside money), I won't need to.

 

[street]

All good questions, and each is worthy of its own thread. Regarding question 4, what matters is not now much any of us would spend, it’s how much you need.

I suggest you look at this post by Gumby. It presents some questions that are critical for retirement and particularly relevant to your 4th question https://www.early-retirement.org/fo...-answer-before-asking-can-i-retire-69999.html

This ^ is a great place to start to assure yourself what you need to know.

The way I see it, you shouldn't have any problems to start to enjoying life now.

 

[Time2]

That time is approaching. (Plus, in general, I am someone who likes working, but I am not enjoying my current job, and I think my job is having an adverse affect on my health.)

Since you do enjoy working, but it is affecting your health, and you are FI, you have a big advantage. Try approaching your company and suggest the position you want to have! It may be a lower level, but if it fulfills your work need and still makes you some money, keeps your health benefits, sounds like a win-win. Just get your ducks in order and have the ability to really leave if they don't have room for you elsewhere. Good Luck.

 

[Gumby]

... and that includes decisions about how much money to spend.

For me, there is no decision about "how much money to spend." Rather, the decision is "what do I want to do?" Really, you could spend an awful lot of money doing very little. For example, you could buy super expensive non-fungible tokens or have all your food gold plated if that would make you happy.

In my case, our life in retirement is almost exactly the same as life before retirement in terms of what we do and how much it costs. Sure, there have been reductions in terms of commuting costs, payroll taxes, wardrobe and the like, but that was easily estimated prior to our retirement. And, even though we already traveled overseas extensively prior to retirement, we estimated a larger amount for travel after retirement since we'd have more time to do it.

However, our decision tree always was and continues to be: 1) what do we want to do or buy?; 2) will we be able to afford it? It seems completely backward to me to first ask "How much can I spend?" and then "What will I do to use up that amount of money?" Even if I could afford to spend 2X, why would I spend that if it only costs 1X to do what I want?

In terms of retirement planning, we were willing to work until we could afford the life we wanted, rather than retire sooner and settle for a life we didn't want due to budgetary constraints.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Some people in this thread have said that I have enough money to be able to retire and that I should retire. That really is not the issue for me right now. I am not trying to figure out whether to retire but instead am trying to figure out how and where to spend my time in retirement and that includes decisions about how much money to spend.

Brian Tracy has some good videos on goal setting. What would be your perfect day now and in 1, 5 and 10 years? Only you can answer that. The posters here on this forum have very different ideas. Even many of our close friends have really different ideas of a perfect day. And then even how much money to spend for the same type of activity can vary.

I used to get Sierra Club wilderness trip brochures where the trips would often cost around $5K per person, but then found an adventure co-op linked to a university with rental equipment and volunteer instructors that cost basically just gas money for the same kinds of trips.

Think about what your perfect life would be like, what would it cost doing it the easiest way, and then maybe with a little research and effort the most optimized spending way, and then pick your lifestyle and associated costs. The Consumer Expenditure Survey is a good starting point on what other people spend by category, age, geographic area, etc.

I find books on happiness research to be real money savers because most of the science based factors that make people happy, like social connections and getting out in nature, aren't really expensive compared to what advertising has conditioned us to believe will make us happy.

 

[Sojourner]

For me, there is no decision about "how much money to spend." Rather, the decision is "what do I want to do?" Really, you could spend an awful lot of money doing very little.

...

However, our decision tree always was and continues to be: 1) what do we want to do or buy?; 2) will we be able to afford it? It seems completely backward to me to first ask "How much can I spend?" and then "What will I do to use up that amount of money?" Even if I could afford to spend 2X, why would I spend that if it only costs 1X to do what I want?

+1

If the OP is anything like me (and I would assume he/she is, based on everything I've read), then trying to figure out how much to spend is pretty pointless. Those of us who are frugal enough and financially savvy enough to save millions of dollars in order to ER are not going to be driven to spend more than they otherwise would just because something like FIRECalc says that it's doable. FIRECalc has been telling me I can safely spend more than $100k/year for many years now (most recently, $170k/year), yet I haven't once spent that much... not even close. I spend however much I need/want to live a comfortable, happy, healthy, interesting life. And that just so happens to be roughly the amount I was spending before I retired, within about 10%-15%.

 

[INTJ10]

+1

If the OP is anything like me (and I would assume he/she is, based on everything I've read), then trying to figure out how much to spend is pretty pointless. Those of us who are frugal enough and financially savvy enough to save millions of dollars in order to ER are not going to be driven to spend more than they otherwise would just because something like FIRECalc says that it's doable. FIRECalc has been telling me I can safely spend more than $100k/year for many years now (most recently, $170k/year), yet I haven't once spent that much... not even close. I spend however much I need/want to live a comfortable, happy, healthy, interesting life. And that just so happens to be roughly the amount I was spending before I retired, within about 10%-15%.

This has been our experience too. It is hard to change your lifestyle in a dramatic way even if the calculators say you can spend more. I agree with Gumby in that if you have enough money to do what you want to do then go for it (retire). The extra money is just a bonus.

 

[RunningBum]

I don't see a problem with the OP's approach. Most people get a salary and that's the limit they can spend. OP is just looking for that limit with their savings. Maybe they have enough that they'd retire, even if they couldn't do everything they'd want to do in retirement. Or maybe they'll decide to keep working until they have enough for their wants. It is backwards from what I did, but so what?

 

[Telly]

My recollection is that you could stay in the same plan but they jacked up the rates the next year. Healthy people switched to another plan with similar rates as before, and the high risk people were left in the old plan that now had very high rates. They couldn't switch to the new plan with their new health issues. I don't have any links nor first or second hand knowledge as proof, this is just what I recall hearing. Maybe it didn't really happen.

No, you have it right!

I picked up private medical insurance after my extended separation benefits ended. "Guaranteed no increase in premium the first year". "Your premium will not increase unless all the insureds in your state group are increased". So at the 12 month point, the first increase. Then the next was at 9 months, then 6 months...
I coined the term "Dead Duck Pool". As rates were increasing rapidly, healthy ducks flew off to another pool. The sickly ducks could not, they were stuck in The Dead Duck Pool. When I called to cancel, the lady I talked with was very apologetic and understanding. There was nothing she could do about it. Yeah, you would not be dropped for ill health... what a comforting thought.
This was circa 2003/5-ish, before ACA.

 

[NomDeER]

[/B]
This ^ is a great place to start to assure yourself what you need to know.

The way I see it, you shouldn't have any problems to start to enjoying life now.

As I have said, I am going to retire. That is not the issue.

Since you do enjoy working, but it is affecting your health, and you are FI, you have a big advantage. Try approaching your company and suggest the position you want to have! It may be a lower level, but if it fulfills your work need and still makes you some money, keeps your health benefits, sounds like a win-win. Just get your ducks in order and have the ability to really leave if they don't have room for you elsewhere. Good Luck.

I like working, but I don't like my current job. I think they probably would prefer me to work half-time than to leave. But, knowing them, they would pay me half but dump a ton of time-consuming work on me that couldn't really be done in half the time. The job is very stressful. Also, I need a break. Not just mentally, but because work is taking a toll on my back.

For me, there is no decision about "how much money to spend." Rather, the decision is "what do I want to do?" Really, you could spend an awful lot of money doing very little. For example, you could buy super expensive non-fungible tokens or have all your food gold plated if that would make you happy.

In my case, our life in retirement is almost exactly the same as life before retirement in terms of what we do and how much it costs.

How much I want to spend and what I want to do are not unrelated. You have not changed what you do or what you spend. However, I absolutely intend to spend more money in retirement than I do now and to do different and more things in a different location. That does not mean suddenly buying a luxury car or fancy clothes or anything like that. And it will not be to spend money just to spend money. I do not want to continue living where I am living, and all of the places I am considering living are significantly more expensive. Also, when I am not working, I will have more time to do things that I want to do.

In addition, because of my back injury, it is important that I not do things that would make it worse. (That includes my job.) So, I am going to be paying other people to do some things that I would have done myself in the past. I don't want to do something stupid by being a tightwad. I also am going to be paying for things that will help with my back. That includes doctors and physical therapy, but also other things like the right (expensive) shoes or paying for a personal trainer. (Maybe if I had paid for a personal trainer in the first place, I wouldn't have injured my back working out!)

I've always loved to travel and have been willing to spend money to travel (on a budget), but work often interfered. I also want to be able to travel to visit family that does not live anywhere near me. If I can handle traveling in a healthy way, I intend to do it, even if I have to do it in a more expensive way now and without the backpack.

Brian Tracy has some good videos on goal setting. What would be your perfect day now and in 1, 5 and 10 years? Only you can answer that. The posters here on this forum have very different ideas. Even many of our close friends have really different ideas of a perfect day. And then even how much money to spend for the same type of activity can vary.

. . .

I find books on happiness research to be real money savers because most of the science based factors that make people happy, like social connections and getting out in nature, aren't really expensive compared to what advertising has conditioned us to believe will make us happy.

I totally agree. I've recently bought some books on retirement, and none of them are financial. They are to help me figure out what I want to do that will make me be happy in retirement. A lot of those things do not cost very much money at all. But, I've realized that I do have to do some financial planning to make sure I can do some of the things that I hope will help me have a healthy and enjoyable retirement without stressing about the money. The single biggest thing probably will be figuring out where I can afford to live.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

The single biggest thing probably will be figuring out where I can afford to live.

We have members here from all over the world who can give you local advice if you can narrow down your choices. A big part of where you can afford to live depends on what kind of housing you want. It is easier to live some place high cost if you are okay with a smaller home. We moved to the Bay Area knowing we could get a much bigger / newer house for the same price elsewhere, but for us we prioritized arts and culture; weather and scenery over a bigger house.

 

[Surewhitey]

We have members here from all over the world who can give you local advice if you can narrow down your choices. A big part of where you can afford to live depends on what kind of housing you want. It is easier to live some place high cost if you are okay with a smaller home. We moved to the Bay Area knowing we could get a much bigger / newer house for the same price elsewhere, but for us we prioritized arts and culture; weather and scenery over a bigger house.

True this ^^^.

We've lived in Louisiana, Dallas, LA & Mexico over the past 25 years. All have good/bad about them. LA obviously is the most expensive, but we found that our vacations ended up in CA during this time (less travel budget).

Mexico was half-cost living, but we traveled A LOT more as we had more time to.

We've been nomads, but eventually we will settle down or live in 2 places. There are so many variables to consider. We returned to earning 6 years ago, but we are currently in a good place with Covid around... I've been CoastFI for a few years now and enjoying building for very local clients.

If DW would ER, I'd be ready. We have our basic needs budget and then an approximate annual budget for travel, medical events, home maintenance & a "new" car every 6-7 years. This is in the spreadsheet until we are 90 with a little leftovers. We anticipate 3% inflation and 3-4% growth above that (very conservative) ACA will be expected, but we have wiggle room for worse case. If it's still available, we'll have enough post-tax funds to engineer our MAGI.

We spent <$50k for the past 2 years (even with 3-4 trips annually in travel) and have $80k available (4% rule). We could & eventually go to 1 vehicle and lower expenses even further. Point is, we make adjustments all the time for the circumstances...

 

[NomDeER]

We have members here from all over the world who can give you local advice if you can narrow down your choices. A big part of where you can afford to live depends on what kind of housing you want. It is easier to live some place high cost if you are okay with a smaller home. We moved to the Bay Area knowing we could get a much bigger / newer house for the same price elsewhere, but for us we prioritized arts and culture; weather and scenery over a bigger house.

That's exactly what I'm considering. I'd like to move back to the Bay Area, but I need to make sure I can afford to do that. I used to live in a studio in San Francisco. But, if I'm spending lots of time at home, I think I'd want something bigger than that- at least a decent sized one bedroom. And, if I'm not spending tons of time at work, I may want to have a pet. One of the many reasons I'd like to move to the Bay Area is because of the year round moderate climate with great year round hiking. Walking and hiking are good for me as long as I do it right. But, driving really aggravates my back, so I want my home to be close (even walking distance) to a good walking/hiking area - woods or beach, etc. And close to grocery, etc. I would end up with what I consider very high housing costs, though they might not be super high by Bay Area standards. And I need to make sure I can afford the housing and other higher costs associated with the Bay Area and still not be jeopardizing my needs down the road.

So, that's the main reason I want to figure out what is a reasonable amount to spend each year and what that is likely to cover.

I've lived in the Bay Area and have friends there. But, it may not be a great financial choice. So, I want to at least consider other moderate climate places along the West Coast that have not only natural beauty but good heath care and lots of interesting things to do. That could be San Diego or other parts of coastal California or it may be less expensive parts of the Pacific Northwest. It's something I need to explore. But, I do think that I need to get a handle on what I realistically can afford before I can come up with a short list to consider and then make a decision.

 

[Gumby]

That's exactly what I'm considering. I'd like to move back to the Bay Area, but I need to make sure I can afford to do that. I used to live in a studio in San Francisco. But, if I'm spending lots of time at home, I think I'd want something bigger than that- at least a decent sized one bedroom. And, if I'm not spending tons of time at work, I may want to have a pet. One of the many reasons I'd like to move to the Bay Area is because of the year round moderate climate with great year round hiking. Walking and hiking are good for me as long as I do it right. But, driving really aggravates my back, so I want my home to be close (even walking distance) to a good walking/hiking area - woods or beach, etc. And close to grocery, etc. I would end up with what I consider very high housing costs, though they might not be super high by Bay Area standards. And I need to make sure I can afford the housing and other higher costs associated with the Bay Area and still not be jeopardizing my needs down the road.

So, that's the main reason I want to figure out what is a reasonable amount to spend each year and what that is likely to cover.

I've lived in the Bay Area and have friends there. But, it may not be a great financial choice. So, I want to at least consider other moderate climate places along the West Coast that have not only natural beauty but good heath care and lots of interesting things to do. That could be San Diego or other parts of coastal California or it may be less expensive parts of the Pacific Northwest. It's something I need to explore. But, I do think that I need to get a handle on what I realistically can afford before I can come up with a short list to consider and then make a decision.

I now better understand your thought processes and I can see why you are doing it this way. For those of us who stay put, it is a much more simple process. Best wishes on your search.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

That's exactly what I'm considering. I'd like to move back to the Bay Area, but I need to make sure I can afford to do that. I used to live in a studio in San Francisco. But, if I'm spending lots of time at home, I think I'd want something bigger than that- at least a decent sized one bedroom. And, if I'm not spending tons of time at work, I may want to have a pet. One of the many reasons I'd like to move to the Bay Area is because of the year round moderate climate with great year round hiking. Walking and hiking are good for me as long as I do it right. But, driving really aggravates my back, so I want my home to be close (even walking distance) to a good walking/hiking area - woods or beach, etc. And close to grocery, etc. I would end up with what I consider very high housing costs, though they might not be super high by Bay Area standards. And I need to make sure I can afford the housing and other higher costs associated with the Bay Area and still not be jeopardizing my needs down the road.

So, that's the main reason I want to figure out what is a reasonable amount to spend each year and what that is likely to cover.

I've lived in the Bay Area and have friends there. But, it may not be a great financial choice. So, I want to at least consider other moderate climate places along the West Coast that have not only natural beauty but good heath care and lots of interesting things to do. That could be San Diego or other parts of coastal California or it may be less expensive parts of the Pacific Northwest. It's something I need to explore. But, I do think that I need to get a handle on what I realistically can afford before I can come up with a short list to consider and then make a decision.

I'm not sure if this would work for you, but some of the retirement villages start at age 55+ and tend to be lower priced than the surrounding areas. Many have asset and income requirements you would meet, but I think a lot of retirees do not, which tends to suppress the prices. One of our adult kids was disappointed to find out they weren't old enough to move to Laguna Woods (near Laguna Beach but a lot cheaper) when they saw the relatively low home prices for the area and and all the activities. Most of the big retirement village also have their own bus services or at least are located near public transportation.

 

[NomDeER]

I'm not sure if this would work for you, but some of the retirement villages start at age 55+ and tend to be lower priced than the surrounding areas. Many have asset and income requirements you would meet, but I think a lot of retirees do not, which tends to suppress the prices. One of our adult kids was disappointed to find out they weren't old enough to move to Laguna Woods (near Laguna Beach but a lot cheaper) when they saw the relatively low home prices for the area and and all the activities. Most of the big retirement village also have their own bus services or at least are located near public transportation.

When you say that there are asset and income requirement, are you talking about low income places? Or, are you saying that you need to have a lot of money to qualify?

I just turned 56, so I'm technically old enough for these communities, but I somehow don't feel like I'm old enough and that most people would be at least ten years older than me. My grandparents lived in one of those retirement villages in Florida, and it doesn't seem like something I would enjoy. At least, not now. But, I'm sure that they vary quite a bit and are located in a variety of places. It's something I should look into so that I can make an informed decision.

One possibility is to live somewhere fairly expensive for the next ten years. Then, when I'm older and not as active or able to take advantage of the city where I'm living, I could find a 55+ community that would be more affordable and that might suit me in a location I like.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

When you say that there are asset and income requirement, are you talking about low income places? Or, are you saying that you need to have a lot of money to qualify?

I just turned 56, so I'm technically old enough for these communities, but I somehow don't feel like I'm old enough and that most people would be at least ten years older than me. My grandparents lived in one of those retirement villages in Florida, and it doesn't seem like something I would enjoy. At least, not now. But, I'm sure that they vary quite a bit and are located in a variety of places. It's something I should look into so that I can make an informed decision.

One possibility is to live somewhere fairly expensive for the next ten years. Then, when I'm older and not as active or able to take advantage of the city where I'm living, I could find a 55+ community that would be more affordable and that might suit me in a location I like.

I meant you have to have a decent income or asset based income to qualify. The places with those restrictions in place seem to be cheaper than the surrounding communities.

We didn't end up moving to one either, but considered it. We ERed a little younger than you and never really found many people our age who retired early and stayed in a HCOL city. Most of our friends these days are from senior clubs and actually are 10 - 20 years older than us, but we're okay with that. Many have kept pretty active. We only had a couple of sets of friends closer to our age who ERed and they moved to lower cost of areas so we don't get to see them that often.

 

[NomDeER]

I meant you have to have a decent income or asset based income to qualify. The places with those restrictions in place seem to be cheaper than the surrounding communities.

We didn't end up moving to one either, but considered it. We ERed a little younger than you and never really found many people our age who retired early and stayed in a HCOL city. Most of our friends these days are from senior clubs and actually are 10 - 20 years older than us, but we're okay with that. Many have kept pretty active. We only had a couple of sets of friends closer to our age who ERed and they moved to lower cost of areas so we don't get to see them that often.

Thanks so much for the information.

I think my perception of retirement villages is colored by my family's experience because I've never known anyone else who lived in one. My grandparents were in poor health and not very active. They mostly just stayed in their little air-conditioned condo. My memories of them when they were there are of them doing crossword puzzles, taking naps, and once in a while playing bridge with family and friends who they had known for many years and who had retired to the same retirement village. I'm sure I'll get to that point eventually, but I'm not there yet. Twenty-five years ago, I was traveling in New Zealand and met a number of retirees who were traveling and hiking, and I've had that image in my head ever since of how I wanted to spend my earliest retirement years.

I think I just need to check out some of these retirement communities and have a more informed perspective on them.

The Bay Area is so expensive that I assume that most people who retire there do not retire very early and that you are more of an exception. My friends where I am now tend to be a little older than me. But, my friends who are still in the Bay Area are in their 40s and have young kids. They dream of early retirement in the Bay Area, but don't know how they possibly could do it. I know of people whose homes are their children's college funds. It's great that you found a way to make it work for you!

 

[RetiredHappy]

The Bay Area is so expensive that I assume that most people who retire there do not retire very early and that you are more of an exception. My friends where I am now tend to be a little older than me. But, my friends who are still in the Bay Area are in their 40s and have young kids. They dream of early retirement in the Bay Area, but don't know how they possibly could do it. I know of people whose homes are their children's college funds. It's great that you found a way to make it work for you!

Don't forget that many people who live in the Bay Area have alot of money, working for high tech firm and earning high salary and stock options. We are talking about many families having net worth of $5M and above. I was in the high tech industry for many years but I blew through most of my money.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

The Bay Area is so expensive that I assume that most people who retire there do not retire very early and that you are more of an exception. My friends where I am now tend to be a little older than me. But, my friends who are still in the Bay Area are in their 40s and have young kids. They dream of early retirement in the Bay Area, but don't know how they possibly could do it. I know of people whose homes are their children's college funds. It's great that you found a way to make it work for you!

We bought our house a long time ago when prices were cheaper, and Prop 13 keeps the property tax low, so it doesn't cost us that much to stay here. Most of our assets were in our house, retirement accounts and small businesses, which were exempt from financial aid assets tests, so once we retired and could manage our income, the kids received 100% grants for tuition, had internships, took community college courses, utilized transfer programs, etc. so college didn't really cost us much out of pocket.


Have you thought about looking in a place like Petaluma? That was on our short list when we were thinking of moving. it is a bit cheaper part of the Bay Area since it is a long commute into the city, but since you will be retired that won't matter to you. There are lots of nice hiking parks and wineries in Sonoma County.

 

[NomDeER]

Have you thought about looking in a place like Petaluma? That was on our short list when we were thinking of moving. it is a bit cheaper part of the Bay Area since it is a long commute into the city, but since you will be retired that won't matter to you. There are lots of nice hiking parks and wineries in Sonoma County.

Yes, I am considering that area, though I haven't been to Petaluma. I don't know anybody who lives there, but my friends in the Bay Area have jobs and young kids, so it's not like I'm going to be spending all my time with them.

I'm also considering pockets of the East Bay that may not be great for commuting and are more affordable. I'd also consider places known for being foggy that are more affordable.

 

[NomDeER]

Update:

I am officially retired! When I told the retirement specialist, he wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing. Most people don't retire at my age, and I know I've given up a plenty of money to retire early. My supervisor asked if I wanted to go half-time instead of retiring. I said no. Then, almost as soon as I left, my supervisor told me that, if I came back to work part-time, I could telework and choose the type of work I wanted to do. Even if I believed that they would stick to that deal - and I didn't - I know it wouldn't be half the stress. I said no. They said it was an open invitation, which is good to know, but I won't be taking them up on it. However, it is a good lesson about not slamming your bosses when explaining why you are retiring, as tempting as it may be.

I thought I would be a little stressed receiving my last paycheck but wasn't stressed at all. I haven't been stressed about the market falling so much this month either. I think that's the biggest luxury of having significant savings, including some cash. Not luxury cars or vacations. Piece of mind.

 

[Morgan22]

Update:

I am officially retired!

Congratulations!!