Seeking HT Wisdom - Retirement Edition

hank4elk said:
"Moving to Montana soon, gonna be a ..."

16 years this month.
Small ranch in NM. 2 wells. A handful of neighbors I never see. A small home and a shop. 1 dog.
I go to bed when I want & get up to pee. Talk to the ex once a month, for fun.
Elk mow the lawn.
Click to expand...

... dental loss tycoon for sure.

@hank4elk - Extra points for the Zappa reference.

Those little ponies are too high maintenance though.
 
Time to get your pile in order. Do it while you can think clearly and remember names. LOL Any name.
Or wait and the list is small...

Walk. Early mornings and cool sunsets are best. Get the wife involved.
Fishing rod for the G-kids.


44hunter45 said:
... dental loss tycoon for sure.

@hank4elk - Extra points for the Zappa reference.

Those little ponies are too high maintenance though.
Click to expand...


"On Ruth!"
 
I retired at 58, now 61

I assume you have financial figured out before Medicare and SS

My general advice is "what will you do with your time?" People who have an answer are happy in retirement.

I work 2 shifts at the local golf course bar, I get to pick on golfers and get free golf
 
Congrats!


My dreams, which might not work for everyone:

  1. Get your health right. Start to lose weight--coupled with a manageable diet, the wonder drugs out there today work great if you are well above where you should be. Any lingering issues figure out so you know what you are facing in your retirement years.
  2. Get a new bird dog puppy
  3. Retire right before hunting seasons start and hit it hard--but if you ice fish, start building or get a house first. Make sure it is big enough to handle a few grandkids. No games allowed. Get some tip ups for pike for when things are slow, kids love running to them when the flag is up. No better way to impart your wisdom to them and keep up with where they are at than spending time with them in an ice house!
  4. Start thinking of bucket list items (start a list if you haven't yet) and which ones you want to knock off and when--take your health and future health into account, the classic go-go/slow go/no go years...
  5. Whether you have been a money tinkerer or set it and leave it guy, consider finding a good team to manage your money so you don't have to spend much time or worry about it--start with the large no load/no fee mutual fund companies, their fees tend to be 1/2 or less than regular managers charge
  6. Get some Vikings season tickets, if not flush with money sell enough of them to pay for the package, find a relative or friend in cheese land who is an "owner":rolleyes: that has tickets there, and swap games with them. Be sure to be as purple and loud as you can be in Lambeau, trust me they love that there...
Re: Roth conversions, so many on this board seem to suggest that routinely, but be sure it works for your situation--for many it doesn't pay to do a lot of that. Talk to a good planner or accountant, not some yokel from a web board. Taxes are lower for most anyone in retirement anyway and in our state the bill passed a few years back lowers SS taxes for most as well.
 
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Still far from retirement but know several people who have retired and my observations are that those who retire without any plans, hobby or something to keep them busy, usually go down quick. I know of at least two young-ish/fit-ish military buddies who took an early pension/retirement and did nothing to keep busy, they went downhill fast.

Find something you like that keeps you busy, hunt and fish a lot, and enjoy retirement!
 
I have a buddy who retired you two years ago. He’s constantly sending me messages asking if I want to fish or hunt the next day during the week. I sadly say I have to work the next day. He sends me pics of what I’m missing.

I’ve been doing the math on my retirement. I could possibly retire next year at 55. Wife needs to keep working for cash flow! Definitely can retire at 60. There isn’t a whole lot of reason for me to work to 65 except for the extra salary cash flow. Variance in retirement funds for the extra 5 years of work aren’t meaningful enough unless I saved all my excess salary. I’m not sure I want to work that hard. Wife might be able to retire with me. She was a stay at home mom but a nurse now. My joke to her is I worked the first 25 years of our marriage, she needs to work the second 25 years.
 
VikingsGuy said:
After decades of 60 hour weeks I am pulling the plug this winter. So, for those who have walked this path before me I welcome your insights, wisdom, suggestions, learnings, watch-outs, must-dos, anecdotes, funny stories, etc. I look forward to hearing from you all.

(If the context helps, I just turned 59, am out of shape but in general good health, have a great wife, 3 adult kids (plus 1 SIL) in various phases of "adulting", 1 grand-daughter, a solid core of buddies, zero interest in any part-time work/consulting, and way too many hobbies and interests that have sat on the shelf.)
Click to expand...
No doubt...
 
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