Life Expectancy

[expat]

That's the spirit!

I was off work sick for eight weeks last year (while in contract ), which really refocussed by priorities on what I wanted to do at the moment and in the future.

I don't need to work more than 4 months a year to fund my lifestyle, and I don't want anything more than I already have, apart from to be able to fund a bit of the same in retirement (without needing to bump off the family in the right order to maximise my inheritance ). What I want is to spend more time with my family while I can, and watch them grow up. I want to live healthier. I want to grow my own veg.

Simple little things to make me feel better, and get the most pleasure from family life.

I'd recommend reading How to Be Free as a good starter (and I've even found you the cheapest place to buy the paperback online as well!)

Unfortunately I do need to work full-time: I have no housing equity (not positive, anyway), no savings, and some debt. On the plus side, the decree is now absolute.


Solidec: I wish. I have no hope of retiring at 65.

[ThomasSoerensen]

Unfortunately I do need to work full-time: I have no housing equity (not positive, anyway), no savings, and some debt. On the plus side, the decree is now absolute.


Solidec: I wish. I have no hope of retiring at 65.

wow - a good phrasing of the need to steer clear of divorce - I assume

[BlasterBates]

Living into your 90's is becoming the norm. Average life expectancy is 80 so you might. Apparently the Queen has automated the telegram because of the explosion of centagenarians.

[Mich the Tester]

Unfortunately I do need to work full-time: I have no housing equity (not positive, anyway)

Equity is just an expensive sounding weasel word for ‘imaginary money’ and it’s what’s got us all into this bleeding mess.

No need for it; a house is for living in, not for making money.

[expat]

wow - a good phrasing of the need to steer clear of divorce - I assume

Exactly right. Not getting divorced is the biggest single thing that you can do to preserve your retirement capital.

In my case I didn't contest anything either, which might have kept me some. We had had plans, and I attempted to ensure first that my ex-wife was still on track for some reasonable sort of retirement as we had imagined it, and then secondly to look at my own. Since she makes a lot less than me, that meant handing over the bulk of our assets. That was what I wanted to do; so I practiced never saying "no", in order at least to keep lawyers out of it (at one point, in anger, she threatened to sue me for every penny I had. I had to point out that she was already getting more than that ). But it does leave me now with the work still do do for mine.

[TheFaQQer]

Unfortunately I do need to work full-time: I have no housing equity (not positive, anyway), no savings, and some debt. On the plus side, the decree is now absolute.

No, you don't need to work full-time. You may need to change your lifestyle, and what you want to be doing, and where you want to do it, but there is nothing to stop you changing that - apart from your desire to do it.

Seriously - read the book. You may not want to do everything that he suggests, but it really is an eye opener and might help.

[expat]

Equity is just an expensive sounding weasel word for ‘imaginary money’ and it’s what’s got us all into this bleeding mess.

No need for it; a house is for living in, not for making money.

I am not speaking of "equity" as some kind of giant ATM, I mean it in the sense of the converse of how much I still need to pay out over my life to have a place to live in; whether bought and owned, or rented for the rest of my life.

[Solidec]

Don't spend beyond your means during your working life, dont have too many kids, 2 is enough to replace you and your partners DNA when you die!

In todays money, if I was mortgage free, I could easily live on a retired income of about £1000 a month between me and the mrs. A combined pension (be it an annuity, savings interest or whatever) of less than £12K a year is not that hard to amass imo. Hell even one good fully paid off investment property + basic state pension would hit that mark without much trouble.

No mortgage, no kids to support, just quietly enjoying life somewhere tranquil and idyllic. The Simple life.

[ratewhore]

Expat, from what you've posted today, my recommendation is you become a personal trainer. A win-win situation as you will get out of the rat race, lose weight whilst at work and get to look at women all day (of various shapes and sizes).

[Mich the Tester]

Expat, from what you've posted today, my recommendation is you become a personal trainer. A win-win situation as you will get out of the rat race, lose weight whilst at work and get to look at women all day (of various shapes and sizes).

I'm actually qualified as a fitness instructor and your suggestion just happens to be my Plan B.