I looked at my family death history and made a wild speculation based on the
family attributes how long statistically I might expect to live. When I
amassed the "toys" that I wanted to enjoy during retirement, when I turned
62, and when I had all the fun at TWA I could stand after 40 years, I
retired.

I made a few initial mistakes by accepting 40-50 hr per week jobs here and
there and amassed a few additional "toys" at the cost of enjoying my
retirement. I did this for the first three years. On year 4 I spent a lot
of time at our home at Lake of the Ozarks, worked at a local business when I
needed "mad money" or when they got in a pinch for help and find this works
much better.

I've out lived most family members by 10-15 years, am having a ball doing
what I enjoy, custom cabinet making for customers, restoring classic wood
boats for customers, restoring antique outboards, home maintenance and all
of it is on a "when I get around to it schedule"! I also maintain the
hardware and software at the local cabinet shop for their computer
controlled wood working equipment. I have been known to take a mid-day nap
now and then!

God has been good to me in spire of myself! I could not have planned it
this good!

Don Dando


"RG" wrote in message
...
Since I've been retired for five years now, I feel I can partially answer
your question...

The best "time to retire" phrase that I've heard is ""When you HAVE
enough,
and have HAD enough" it is time to retire. This was spoken only a few
weeks
ago by a neighbor who is retiring TODAY. After a successful 35 years with
a
major oil company...he has, apparently, "had enough and has enough".

Don't retire unless your job is done. By done, I mean that you have
accomplished all of whatever it is that made you go to work everyday all
those years. Don't retire just because "it is the thing to do". Don't
retire because you "think you have enough"...because you will spend the
next
five years worrying whether or not you actually DO have enough. I said I'd
write a book on the topic after I retired....but I'm too busy enjoying
retirement to do that!

I spent the last 20 + years of my working career as an investment broker
who
worked almost exclusively with retired and retiring clients in the Houston
area. I play golf with a bunch of them weekly now. A few things that I
cautioned them about were...

1. In the first two years after retirement, you will spend MORE than you
expected to.
2. After the first few years, your spending may well slow down to the
dollar
amount than you actually hoped/expected to spend.
3. You won't be bored unless you work at being bored. 99% of my clients
would tell me, one year after retirement, that "They didn't know how they
ever had time to go to work, they are so busy". There are a zillion
things
out there to do, from fishing; golfing; computers; church work;
meals-on-wheels; travel; bowling; grandkids; home repairs ( ugghhh);
working on your boat ( yea! )...and on and on and on.

I guess I COULD write the book on it, I have so many stories to tell,
about
successful and unsuccessful retirees. RichG





"Bill Kiene" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

I was wondering how many people here are retired?

Any words of wisdom about preparing for retirement from the older
retired
crowd?

I want to retire so I can go boating more often.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA
www.kiene.com