The Best Age To Retire

[bmanly]

Jetjock, I have been thinking about your post for the past couple of days and it sounds like you had a terrific career flying 747's, I can see why you said it was the saddest day of your life when you had to retire. You seem to be making the most of your retirement though, well done. I too in retirement find I am much fitter and healthier than when I was working. I just couldn't find the time to do my 10 kilometer walks or any of my hobbies with the 12 hour shifts I was doing. Congratulations on your retirement.

I'd like to add that if someone really wants to work forever because they love their job that is fine. I currently know an Italian/Australian man who works in a fruit shop as a fruit packer, he is 76 yo and he is a millionaire in his own right. I once asked him why he didn't retire and he said "because I'm too scared to die, many of my friends have died within a year or two of retiring". Now if working makes this man happy and keeps him alive then why not keep doing it?

Retirement is not a compulsory transition of life, it just happens to be where most of us (but not all) want to be. It is the stressed out multi millionaires who aren't happy working that are still working hard for no other reason but money that I don't understand. Some people don't know when is enough and are so paranoid about not having enough that they lose the big picture as to why they are working in the first place.

Finally to the next post, I think this is the reason why Guesthouse asked to put the financial part aside. It is that some people can live on 15,000 baht a Month and for others 200,000 baht a Month is not enough. I think if you asked a 1,000 people as to how much is enough to retire on you would get 1,000 different answers. There are some long running threads on TV about this, good luck to all of you.

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QUOTE(Chris.B @ 2007-03-17 23:42:58) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Howdy Guesthouse,

Mate, i cant stop thinking about what you reckon is enough to retire on. I have tried to do the sums, but i need more x perience in LOS before i can come to that conclusion.

Let me ask this: How much money per week would you need to retire on for a family of 4 living in Country area of LOS. ? I guessed 3000 BHT Week. What are your thoughts.

Oh, That is if you own your home, but still got rates, elec, water etc.

429 baht a day? I don't think so. I would hazard a guess at 7000 baht a week or 30,000 baht a month minimum if you are living upcountry. Living somewhere like Pattaya would need a higher income.

[cobra]

Interestingly, my piano tuner told me a string is more likely to break by suddenly reducing tension on it as opposed to increasing it.

We've all heard stories, man works all his life, retires, dies shortly there after. I personally have seen too many people wait to long, (~ sixties and up).

The rational is the same, either related to money or simply not having a plan on what, where, how they would fill their day retired.

It would to say the least be a huge paradigm shift in one's life. Those lucky enough to actually love what they're doing would have no qualms working until they die on the job, others spend inordinate amounts of their daily routine, dreaming of the eventually relief of their daily grind, going over the projections, running the numbers.

Personally I think no latter than 55.

Physically you should still be fit enough to those things (travel, constructing, climbing, whatever) you've always wanted to do and also should have sufficient $$ to sustain you.

I play this little game, how fast has the last 10 years past for you, in a blink ?, in another 10 your 65, in 15 your 70, it's going to happen that quick. Do you want it filled with tedium or some final fun and excitement.

[qwertz]

Take your cue from the people around you, on this board for instance. There's a lot of input on ways and ages to retire. When I was young I was determined to retire at 45, I worked hard and managed it. At 54 my money ran out and I went back to work. I haven't regretted either decision and now I'm 64 and ready to retire again, which I don't necessarily have to do, I just feel like doing it after seeing the walking dead all around me here in provincial Germany. They're bored out of their skulls with retirement and spend their days scanning the streets and hoping for something interesting to happen. So IMHO, the age is not so important as doing it while you still can; don't wait to let others make your decision for you when you're too old and weak to make it for yourself.

[bmanly]

I just feel like doing it after seeing the walking dead all around me here in provincial Germany. They're bored out of their skulls with retirement and spend their days scanning the streets and hoping for something interesting to happen.

Ahhh this is where travel and in particular Thailand solves that problem, never a dull moment here.

[qwertz]

I just feel like doing it after seeing the walking dead all around me here in provincial Germany. They're bored out of their skulls with retirement and spend their days scanning the streets and hoping for something interesting to happen.

Ahhh this is where travel and in particular Thailand solves that problem, never a dull moment here.

I kid you not, it's worse than "Sean of the Dead" here. They're out there now, polishing their DBs and Audis, which they only drive, very badly, twice a week to the shopping centre. Afterwards they'll pull out their Nordic walking sticks and strut over red lights like they're colour blind. Amazingly, the motorists brake for them. When is it right to retire? For me - right now. To quote McQueen in "Papillon" - "I'm f...ing dying here". As I said, take your cue from what you see.

[AmeriThai]

Ahhh this is where travel and in particular Thailand solves that problem, never a dull moment here.

I agree with you. However, there are people who do find themselves dissatisdied in Thailand for various reasons. Sure, there can be some downsides, but overall, I never really find myself bored. You're quite right. There's never a dull moment.

[qwertz]

Ahhh this is where travel and in particular Thailand solves that problem, never a dull moment here.

I agree with you. However, there are people who do find themselves dissatisdied in Thailand for various reasons. Sure, there can be some downsides, but overall, I never really find myself bored. You're quite right. There's never a dull moment.

Agreed. At least not after dark. And even boredom is relative; I'd rather be bored there than bored here.

[westcoastnative]

If like me you are still working, then I'm sure your mind drifts to retirement - Mine certainly does.

I've done the sums on the accounts and I think, well really I could retire more or less anytime after this next two years or so. Finances are sorted, but do I actually want to retire? And what is the right age to do so?

The word “Retirement” has typically had a negative connotation here in the West. Retirement was the time when you stopped working and you were no longer useful to society. Many people, me included enjoy going to work and being challenged. I don’t know if I’ll ever see a day when I stop working entirely. I would like to maybe have a 50/50 work/retirement schedule where I work for half a year and play the rest. I’m still trying to figure out how to accomplish this.

Edited March 18, 2007 by westcoastnative

[qwertz]

If like me you are still working, then I'm sure your mind drifts to retirement - Mine certainly does.

I've done the sums on the accounts and I think, well really I could retire more or less anytime after this next two years or so. Finances are sorted, but do I actually want to retire? And what is the right age to do so?

The word “Retirement” has typically had a negative connotation here in the West. Retirement was the time when you stopped working and you were no longer useful to society. Many people, me included enjoy going to work and being challenged. I don’t know if I’ll ever see a day when I stop working entirely. I would like to maybe have a 50/50 work/retirement schedule where I work for half a year and play the rest. I’m still trying to figure out how to accomplish this.

Please PM me if you hit on a workable plan; this is exactly what I'm planning too.

[Naam]

I just feel like doing it after seeing the walking dead all around me here in provincial Germany. They're bored out of their skulls with retirement and spend their days scanning the streets and hoping for something interesting to happen.

but that has nothing to do with Germany 'qwertz'. it's the individual who arranges his/her life to be boring or not. i would have liked to retire in Germany. i miss the seasons, the fogs in november, the Weihnachtsmärkte and the Glühwein in december, "Der Tiger von Eschnapur" running on ZDF on second christmas day, my neighbours complaining "it's too hot, too cold, too much rain... etc.".

unfortunately i cannot afford to live the life style i got used to in my native country Germany as Herr St€inbru€ck would demand 46% taxes of my worldwide income, the house i built in Thailand would cost ~2.5 million €UR, live-in housemaid, fulltime driver for my wife or gardener completely out of my financial range.

as far as Thailand is concerned... i don't really live in Thailand but in my home which happens to be located in Thailand.

[dclaryjr]

Glühwein in december

I spent six years in Berlin and some of my fondest memories are walking through the Grünewald in the winter and stopping at a stand for a glass of Glühwein!!

My desire to retire in Thailand is based both on the economics you describe, and to please my wife who followed me for two decades while the USAF sent me all over the place!!

[rono]

I think there is no general best age to retire, it's all up to each individual. I am 50, my TW is 37 and we have a 12 years old kid. I loved to run my business but now see that I don't love it as I used to, still love to do the field work but hate all the paper work involved.

Nowadays, I mostly spend 1-2 hours per day running the company so I have time for other things.

I have been thinking about retirement but seen the time I spend to run the company I may say I am now semi retired. The main problem I have is my wife is getting tired of doing nothing, she wants to do some business.

We just bought a guesthouse 150 km from Bangkok and will move in this week. It has the right size, there are some busy moments but there is time to sit down and enjoy a chat and a drink with the guests and the family.

I have arranged my business in such a way that with a phone line and internet I can do all the work for my business from wherever I am.

This will be my retirement, 1-2 hours per day running my company for the next 5-10 years and spend the rest of the day running the guesthouse with my wife

[Naam]

Glühwein in december

I spent six years in Berlin and some of my fondest memories are walking through the Grünewald in the winter and stopping at a stand for a glass of Glühwein!!

My desire to retire in Thailand is based both on the economics you describe, and to please my wife who followed me for two decades while the USAF sent me all over the place!!

you are lucky Texan as you are obviously married to a thai lady. although my wife is asian she still has to try hard to adapt to Thailand and would have preferred to live in Germany.

[glaitong]

Retirement is different for each of us. My retirement age is certain to be the day I die.

[inf]

Retirement? Don't know what it'll be like or if I'll even ever get it.

I'm 48, just left a boring job, and spending about 4 months or so in what I call 'semi-retirement,' i.e. walking, eating healthy food, writing, and thinking of what I will start doing four months from now. Still don't know what it is - Internet stuff, food, art - but it must be something I like doing for years on end.

I can't imagine ever retiring the way my parents did, just sitting at home watching telly and pottering about in the garden.

Call me stupid for leaving a stable job without winning the lotto, but I think it's more important now for me to do what I'm happy with rather than just staying put and wondering what could've been.

BTW, I don't want to make any publicity here, but my resignation was partly 'inspired' by a Canadian guy called Ernie Zelinski and his book 'Real Success without a Real Job.'

[qwertz]

I just feel like doing it after seeing the walking dead all around me here in provincial Germany. They're bored out of their skulls with retirement and spend their days scanning the streets and hoping for something interesting to happen.

but that has nothing to do with Germany 'qwertz'. it's the individual who arranges his/her life to be boring or not. i would have liked to retire in Germany. i miss the seasons, the fogs in november, the Weihnachtsmärkte and the Glühwein in december, "Der Tiger von Eschnapur" running on ZDF on second christmas day, my neighbours complaining "it's too hot, too cold, too much rain... etc.".

unfortunately i cannot afford to live the life style i got used to in my native country Germany as Herr St€inbru€ck would demand 46% taxes of my worldwide income, the house i built in Thailand would cost ~2.5 million €UR, live-in housemaid, fulltime driver for my wife or gardener completely out of my financial range.

as far as Thailand is concerned... i don't really live in Thailand but in my home which happens to be located in Thailand.

Your post hits the spot, Dr. N. Germany has been good to me and there are many things I'd miss, quite apart from the things I described in my OP, so I don't plan on completely breaking my ties and starting yet again somewhere as an expat. My financial situation is simpler than yours and my little house here is secured. Having a wife would have been different but I'm recently widowed and that fact alone has set me to thinking outside the frame. There must be something better to retirement than what I'm seeing here, which you say is not exclusive to Germany.

[Naam]

Having a wife would have been different but I'm recently widowed and that fact alone has set me to thinking outside the frame. There must be something better to retirement than what I'm seeing here, which you say is not exclusive to Germany.

i can only wish you best of luck! besides the sentimental facts i have mentioned there's more outside Germany than inside.