This is pretty much the worst case

[Danmar]

I read this thread with interest. Obviously it strikes a chord and is an easy one to "justify" our ERs. And, for us, that is okay because we’re savers.

Where the notion of this thread becomes destructive is if it is used as a justification for bad financial behavior: I could die tomorrow so I should buy/do xyz now while I still can. All to often that is the excuse I hear people use to spend today instead of saving for tomorrow.

Personally I MUCH prefer dying with too much money than living with too little...

I’m with you. Life is certainly fragile and it’s really a crap shoot as to how long we have. But around here at least, being good planners, we usually overestimate our longevity as to be “conservative” in our spending. It tends to work the other way when retiring though, ie sooner the better “because you never know”. The two concepts are not totally consistent but understandable I think.

 

[CaptTom]

Personally I MUCH prefer dying with too much money than living with too little...

Wouldn't we all? You are very fortunate to have that choice.

In order to get to the "too much money" plateau, I'd have spent another decade at MegaCorp. A soul-killing and very unappealing prospect.

I prefer to look at it this way: I have a pretty good handle on how much money I have, and how that will allow me to live. I have no idea how much TIME I have, or how my health will be during that time.

I know which one *I* want to maximize.

 

[Floridatennisplayer]

I really appreciate hearing these stories. We are all in this together for sure. Three years ago my family physician who also was a friend and lived 5 doors down, had a heart attack in his office one morning in May. Lived 7 days at OSU intensive care before giving up the ghost. He was 56. Ugh, tough one for me.

A week ago Saturday we had a snowfall and a wonderful physician that I call on every month was shoveling his driveway.....poof, gone. Went into his office that Monday...girls were crying just getting the news. He was 62. Such a great guy. My dad passed at 58.

Makes you really contemplate your financial decisions. I’ll be 63 in March. My plan was pulling the plug at 65. Megacorp is crushing my lifestyle. Think I’m only good for 12 more months, then I’ll just pay for my own health insurance for a year. Like some of you have said I feel like I’m running out of life .

 

[Chuckanut]

I just had coffee with good friend and the subject of retirement came up. He wants to retire at 70. His reasoning is that his 90+ year old father is still up and about, keep his own home, drives and generally lives his life without needing care.

My neighbor passed a few months ago. He as 92 and active until the few months before he died. Oh, he retired from the Post Office after 30 years. A few years back he commented that he had reached the point where he had been retired longer than he had worked!

Just sayin.......

 

[Walt34]

A few years back he commented that he had reached the point where he had been retired longer than he had worked!

That's one of my goals!

 

[Clone]

In the past 3 weeks, we know of three people who have slipped on ice and hit their heads hard. Brain damage. Different types, all ended up in hospice and died. All roughly 60 years old.

Those of you who have sworn off living where there is ice and snow may have it right.

I need to convince myself to be more careful about walking on snow and ice, perhaps even think about a light skiing helmet or similar. And to stop working on ladders...

Getting old has it's issues, but it is better than the alternative!

 

[Carpediem]

This week one of my best friends from high school was diagnosed with acute erythroid leukemia. The prognosis is not good. He will start chemo after a blood transfusion. He is 59, married with 3 kids and was still grinding away at work with lots of travel at times. Just another sober reminder that life (and good health) is precious.

 

[RobbieB]

Yes.

No snow, no ice and no stairs. Falls kill old people.

 

[MRG]

In the past 3 weeks, we know of three people who have slipped on ice and hit their heads hard. Brain damage. Different types, all ended up in hospice and died. All roughly 60 years old.

Those of you who have sworn off living where there is ice and snow may have it right.

I need to convince myself to be more careful about walking on snow and ice, perhaps even think about a light skiing helmet or similar. And to stop working on ladders...

Getting old has it's issues, but it is better than the alternative!

Yaktrax!

https://www.rei.com/product/760280/yaktrax-walkers-traction-system

 

[Scrapr]

Yaktrax!

https://www.rei.com/product/760280/yaktrax-walkers-traction-system

ditto. Last winter was long and cold. Lots of snow. And freeze thaw cycles. I had never had traction devices. After a fall on our short (5') steep drive approach we got some that we leave by the door. I hit my head pretty good. Didn't go unconcious but I laid there for a minute or 2.

 

[FI_RElater]

yep scrapr, that was “fun” last year... won’t happen again (as i’ve got a snow blower now ) now if they’d done something about all the fires and smoke last year...

in one of my previous jobs, there was a guy drop at his desk— 42 years old. another gone a few months after retirement (65 for him). some profs at one of my schools were gone at 45 and 50... and I knew a coworker that lost his wife who was in her early 30’s.
my parents never made it past 62... one much earlier... sometimes you never know. that’s why we took advantage of opportunities to travel earlier, many of which were international, so we wouldn’t wait too long and have to ask what if’s

(alas, I had to wait until we could have HI throughout retirement... well after FI otherwise, and now aren’t even at 2.5% WR. )

 

[kevdude]

My father died when he was 54 and my wife’s father died when he was 51. That was plenty of incentive to want to stop working by 50. Made it with a few months to spare.

We still have kids in school (15 and 13) so can’t totally enjoy our time (but certainly enjoy being with the kids) so still have a very p/t job managing our rentals. But we certainly take advantage of our time off during their school vacations.

 

[GravitySucks]

Early deaths and illnesses is why I got out early too.
Ice.
Mom's doctor told her not to leave the house if it's snow or ice. That pretty much means stay inside all January in CNY so I rented a place for the month in Myrtle Beach and took a trip with her down here. All the locals saying it's the coldest January they remember.
I had to walk the dog, slipped on the ice, wrenched my back and hit my head. No noticeable brain damage. Took ten days for the back ache to end.
No noticeable brain damage.

 

[RobbieB]

Sucks.

My previous girlfriend lived in Tahoe. I got a new dog after Christmas. A young energetic dog that needed exercise. Lots of snow and ice. She said "here try these yak tracks"

I almost fell over before I removed them. They suck too.

 

[haha]

Yaktrax!

https://www.rei.com/product/760280/yaktrax-walkers-traction-system

These are excellent. In Seattle we get little snow, but people often do no bother to shovel the snow so our sidewalks are slick. Yaktrax make a real difference.

Ha

 

[joeea]

When you start out looking for it, it's not hard to gain confirmation bias for the thoughts of retiring early. If you intended to retire at 35, you'd start noticing stories of people who died in their 40s and 50s.

Just remember, these are the exception, not the rule. Try harder to notice all the folks you see in their 80s and 90s.

I semi-retired a few years ago at 60. My wife is still working. She enjoys her work and plans to continue for at least a few more years, and that makes me happy.

I'm in the middle of cancer treatments and working toward a complete recovery. I'm not going to change any of our plans just because of that. We expect to live a long life. It's been happy so far and we have saved and planned for it to continue to be happy for a long time.

I believe the best thing is to find a way to be happy with your life as you live it. Find work that makes you happy. Find retirement that makes you happy. Find activities that make you happy. That way, no matter when it ends, you've lived a good life.

 

[jimbee]

Yaktrax!

https://www.rei.com/product/760280/yaktrax-walkers-traction-system

Thanks for the tip. I just ordered a pair.

 

[Gumby]

I have attended too many funerals recently, and it has really brought home to me how fleeting life is. My original plan was to retire in June 2019, but I'm starting to think about advancing that by a year and just going with the belt and suspenders approach instead of belt, suspenders, buttons and velcro.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have lost 3 friends between the ages of 59-67 so we are doing lots of traveling now while we can (63). I had a concussion 3 years ago power walking with our big dog. I had a headache for 2 weeks. Now I walk much slower. I also broke my finger 2 years ago tripped outside over an uneven sidewalk both times. Now I look down while I walk.

 

[FI_RElater]

I have attended too many funerals recently, and it has really brought home to me how fleeting life is. My original plan was to retire in June 2019, but I'm starting to think about advancing that by a year and just going with the belt and suspenders approach instead of belt, suspenders, buttons and velcro.

but Gumby, you’re supposed to have bailing wire and duct tape as backup

 

[Maenad]

My mom was just diagnosed with dementia. She's 75, and we've been seeing signs of cognitive decline (in her math skills) for a good 5 years. She retired at 65 and got a whopping 5 years before things started to go downhill. I'm pulling the plug ASAP - currently forecast about 2 years out, when I'm 45.

 

[Senator]

I worked extra hard so that I could retire and get out of working. Life is short. I guess I worked hard because I was lazy...

These are excellent. In Seattle we get little snow, but people often do no bother to shovel the snow so our sidewalks are slick. Yaktrax make a real difference.

Ha

These are what I used plowing snow. Great traction. Well worth the extra cost. When I was out by myself shoveling snow on potentially icy driveways and sidewalks at 2 AM in sub-zero weather, my life was at risk. I trusted them.
https://www.rei.com/product/806475/yaktrax-icetrekkers-diamond-grip-traction-system

 

[irishgal]

Long ago I worked as the EAP director of a large aerospace company. A very nice man, one week before his retirement, came to see me to ask for some help finding resources. His wife had just been diagnosed with aggressive ALS, and their plans for post retirement travel and fun had just stopped. He said to me, after I gave him all the info he had asked for, "don't wait to have fun, travel, and enjoy life. You have no guarantees".

His words really made an impact on me. 20 years ago, seems like yesterday.

 

[irishgal]

My mom was just diagnosed with dementia. She's 75, and we've been seeing signs of cognitive decline (in her math skills) for a good 5 years. She retired at 65 and got a whopping 5 years before things started to go downhill. I'm pulling the plug ASAP - currently forecast about 2 years out, when I'm 45.

I am sorry to read this.