Do we actually need to Retire?

[KhunLA]

I'm more a 'weed, whites & wine' guy myself, though pass on the whites.   Maybe a tab, dot or pane of something else 😎

 

[Photoguy21]

Retirement is the quick way to being deceased. For me I will retire when they take my body to the temple and minute earlier.

[Baht Simpson]

A chap in our firm collapsed and died on a train on the way to his retirement do. It was never an issue for me after that. Quit work at 50 and came here after two years planning. I didn't know how long it would last but it's 18 years and counting. No plans to go home. Being in a relationship helps.

 

“The dead are on their way to work, grey limbs rubbing together in an open grave, stack on stack in the metal containers of car, tube and train. The grisly carriages are painted bright colors, guillotine colors of tumbril and blade, execution-bright. Each man and woman goes to their particular scaffold, kneels, and is killed day after day. Each collects their severed head and catches the train home. Some say that they enjoy their work.”

 

― Jeanette Winterson, Art and Lies

Edited June 5 by Baht Simpson

[KhunLA]

7 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

Retirement is the quick way to being deceased. For me I will retire when they take my body to the temple and minute earlier.

Surprised more than a few would rather work till they keel over, than retire.   Thoughts of retirement gave me the drive to produce as fast as I comfortably could while still having fun.

 

Seriously could not have imagined me working another 20 yrs, to 'retirement age' let along any longer.

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Surprised more than a few would rather work till they keel over, than retire.   Thoughts of retirement gave me the drive to produce as fast as I comfortably could while still having fun.

 

Seriously could not have imagined me working another 20 yrs, to 'retirement age' let along any longer.

Depending of what you are doing of course. But for some work is a lifestyle, and gives great benefits and wealth combined with interesting and challenging days, it can be the drive to not be bored to death

[Dexxter]

8 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Why pension funds are not fully vested, as they know, they'll never need to pay out that much.

My semi-private pension fund will continue to pay out 66% of my pension to my wife after I die. She can even remarry, but only after I die, without losing her pension. She gets this CPI increased pension for the rest of her life. I bet my fund is not too happy about her being 41 years younger than me. She profits more from me being alive so I should be safe for now. 🙄

[Bundooman]

13 hours ago, gargamon said:

Retired at 45. Been with around 1500 different women since. It sure beats working.

Your braggart statement is ambiguous. It could mean in the company of 1,500 women, or it could mean that you are boasting of having shagged 1,500 women.

I can believe the first but do not believe the second.

I could however, believe that you paid for it with each one. That would sound believable.............

But I wonder why we all need to know that you are the world's most virile 'poke 'em payer'? 

[Hummin]

2 hours ago, Baht Simpson said:

A chap in our firm collapsed and died on a train on the way to his retirement do. It was never an issue for me after that. Quit work at 50 and came here after two years planning. I didn't know how long it would last but it's 18 years and counting. No plans to go home. Being in a relationship helps.

 

“The dead are on their way to work, grey limbs rubbing together in an open grave, stack on stack in the metal containers of car, tube and train. The grisly carriages are painted bright colors, guillotine colors of tumbril and blade, execution-bright. Each man and woman goes to their particular scaffold, kneels, and is killed day after day. Each collects their severed head and catches the train home. Some say that they enjoy their work.”

 

― Jeanette Winterson, Art and Lies

what does it really mean to him? He died, and Im sure he do not miss a thing. 

 

Brings us back to every day matters, and if you are not happy with what you doing today, do something about it! If I die today, I do not care, but my family will care, so better keep it going as long I can, and in the meantime, make sure everyday means something.

[pgrahmm]

I worked until 57....During my working years I had exactly 3 "vacations"....My work was stressful & usually the limit was 9 years before burnout or heart attack.....At one point my BP was at 206 over 139 and under pressure I started getting eyebrow ticks.....

I vacationed with my daughter & a lady friend to Australia - where I met Bob....He retired in his early 50's....As we sipped a few beers together he advised me - retire as early as you can....Bob & his wife affirmed most of their co-workers were dying off before retirement age....Shortly after that I found a study that stated only 34% in the US reached retirement age....

After that, I retired as soon as I was able & it has been the best thing I've done.... I've no doubt that if I'd tried to work & claw my way through another 10 years or so, I wouldn't be alive to be writing this comment now.... Unfortunately, my youngest US daughter is one of the ones that didn't make it (26)....

[Baht Simpson]

1 hour ago, Bundooman said:

Your braggart statement is ambiguous. It could mean in the company of 1,500 women, or it could mean that you are boasting of having shagged 1,500 women.

I can believe the first but do not believe the second.

I could however, believe that you paid for it with each one. That would sound believable.............

But I wonder why we all need to know that you are the world's most virile 'poke 'em payer'? 

I dunno. 1500 women, 20 seconds a time. That's only 8 hours and twenty minutes. 🙂 

 

 

[RT555]

I've seen grandfathers, uncles friends of friends etc... retire @ 65ish and some sooner and just a few years later health deteriorated.

I'm a chef 66 yrs old and will continue to work because I like it, the energy, the people great food and hospitality so I think it's a way of life-living. Researching foods, wine festivals (whichI rarely drink now), going to farmers markets, hiking and foraging for mushrooms...etc..

I have worked at top-notch hotels here in Asia for 35 years and have saved enough money to retire. <--- what's that?

 

I had moved back to the US just before COVID, worked in some fun places in Washington and Oregon until this last place I'm currently in is so toxic that it's laughable and moving on next week. In all my travels working I've enjoyed it 100%. This place is so full of Self-generated @$$@//~!^es that I only read about these types of people in fictional tales, but these people are real... having been in a union business that they are protected from their EGO and laziness......anyways Texas here I come.....sorry for the boredom.....

[Fat is a type of crazy]

Delete

Edited June 5 by Fat is a type of crazy

[still kicking]

That is what mopping does to you 

[it is what it is]

 

retiring doesn't mean stopping working, it means being financially secure enough to take control of your life. i've been semi-retired for years, and am a long way from 'retirement' age. i have been, and am, living an amazing life, and no, it has absolutely nothing to do with the sex industry, thankfully i've never needed to pay for someone to like/spend time with me.

[still kicking]

2 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

 

retiring doesn't mean stopping working, it means being financially secure enough to take control of your life. i've been semi-retired for years, and am a long way from 'retirement' age. i have been, and am, living an amazing life, and no, it has absolutely nothing to do with the sex industry, thankfully i've never needed to pay for someone to like/spend time with me.

Look he has no brains at all, he claims I am over 80 years old and live in a state housing commission flat and when I answered with A pic of my house, he falls silent he is just a troll who lives in Redfern 

[khunPer]

10 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

It wasn't a good decision 

Now you have NO property to go back to ???

Excellent decision, because I'm not going back – and are you aware of Scandinavia property taxes and how much it costs to heat...😟 – I've changed to have property here and live here...

[Hummin]

11 hours ago, khunPer said:

 

 

At age 56 I was able to stop working for money, got rid of my small business and sold my property in my home country. That was probably the best decision I ever made, and now 18 years after I don't regret it; I'm sitting under same palm trees on the same beach as in 2001 and are still capable of fully enjoying my life.... 

You had probably the best 18 years Thailand could give you, but for me who is 55 now, I will not gamble on the next 18 years. So therefore I will not leave my home country, I will rather establish a new company and make sure I will retire when I have to. I already got more than 15 years as a tourist, and 8 years living here permanently. Now I go back to less time in Thailand and more back home.

 

 

[Hummin]

45 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Excellent decision, because I'm not going back – and are you aware of Scandinavia property taxes and how much it costs to heat...😟 – I've changed to have property here and live here...

The quality life you have (can have) in Scandinavia is priceless 😉

[Rhys]

I was ready and planned my activities; it has worked out.

[khunPer]

27 minutes ago, Hummin said:

The quality life you have (can have) in Scandinavia is priceless 😉

Unfortunately not any more, things have changed a lot. My friends back home says that I shall be happy that I left. I follow closely what is happening in my Danish home country – my half Thai daughter is studying there at the moment – and even with the "back door" that one can always travel back again, it's not attractive for me any more. I however can afford to buy a home there again, if I'm forced to move out of Thailand, but the public service level is not that good anymore, and for retirees it can be rather bad. I'm better off in Thailand and can afford to buy help here – if ever needed – that would be difficult in my home country.

 

Furthermore "happiness" is a very important factor – more important than money, even you need some money – happiness seems also to be important for health ang longevity. We are all different and have different preferences – mine are here and I fell happy being here.

[newnative]

     It's all up to the individual.  I retired at my regular job at a college library in my early 50s and then worked part-time at the same job until age 59.  Then it was off to the races to do something completely different--fixing up a condo, living in it for awhile, and then moving on to the next one.  Did that in the US, starting when I was still working at the college, and now here with my Thai spouse since 2010.  We've since moved on to houses in 2020 and are currently on our 4th one.   I'm 72 but I still like to keep active and engaged in what interests me--it's whatever works for you.

[KhunLA]

19 minutes ago, newnative said:

     It's all up to the individual.  I retired at my regular job at a college library in my early 50s and then worked part-time at the same job until age 59.  Then it was off to the races to do something completely different--fixing up a condo, living in it for awhile, and then moving on to the next one.  Did that in the US, starting when I was still working at the college, and now here with my Thai spouse since 2010.  We've since moved on to houses in 2020 and are currently on our 4th one.   I'm 72 but I still like to keep active and engaged in what interests me--it's whatever works for you.

Mirrors part of my like in the USA, aside from 1 employer, me-30+.   

 

Overpaid for my 1st house (from parents) after first divorcee @ 27 yrs old.   Big ol' 4 bedroom house, detached 2 car garage on double lot, which required a complete rehab.   In the process, turned it into a triplex.   With that minor investment & sweat equity, I also was off to the races, (for me, retire ASAP) and RE provided rent free housing, basically the whole time I lived in the USA onward, after 1st house.   Then it was the next house, then the next.   Same as in TH now, with 3 RE investments.  If something works, stick with it.

 

USA RE provide a small income, if any, since most went to paying down/off the mortgages in about 5 yrs.  Renter paying, and I got 3 free houses out of the deal.  Liquidated and rolled over into the stock market.   Making retirement easy & early.   Lots of work & time invested for ~5 yrs, then 10 yrs of fun, before coming to TH.   

 

The rest is history ... 

[Dljohnt]

Di I regret it, no. It wasn't vulontairy though. I stopped at 54 due heart problems and no cooperation by my boss. I had a stressfull job but I loved my job and would have stayed till in my 60's but I probably would not survived it. It took a few years to get used being out of work and still have good memeories about it. I made the switch to Thailand soon after I stopped working so the changes in my life were complete. 

I can so imagine that if you are healthy and love your job there's no stopping needed. On the other hand I love being free of stress, hassle and doing the things I do today.

 

[john donson]

many people work all their lives or till 65 in the hope they finally can go live their dreams, dropping dead a few years later, maybe out of boredom

 

enough illegals now in europe, that social security built by generations of workers will not be sustainable...

[newnative]

52 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Mirrors part of my like in the USA, aside from 1 employer, me-30+.   

 

Overpaid for my 1st house (from parents) after first divorcee @ 27 yrs old.   Big ol' 4 bedroom house, detached 2 car garage on double lot, which required a complete rehab.   In the process, turned it into a triplex.   With that minor investment & sweat equity, I also was off to the races, (for me, retire ASAP) and RE provided rent free housing, basically the whole time I lived in the USA onward, after 1st house.   Then it was the next house, then the next.   Same as in TH now, with 3 RE investments.  If something works, stick with it.

 

USA RE provide a small income, if any, since most went to paying down/off the mortgages in about 5 yrs.  Renter paying, and I got 3 free houses out of the deal.  Liquidated and rolled over into the stock market.   Making retirement easy & early.   Lots of work & time invested for ~5 yrs, then 10 yrs of fun, before coming to TH.   

 

The rest is history ... 

Thanks for sharing--so interesting to read!

[newnative]

19 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

It wasn't a good decision 

Now you have NO property to go back to ???

    Nonsense.  It's what works for the individual.  So what if he has 'NO property to go back to'.  Neither do I.  It's not like you lose your citizenship if you don't own a property in your native country.  Why keep a place--with all the expenses--if you are not there and have no intention of being there--or being an absentee landlord?  If I ever return to the US--doubtful--I'll just buy a property at that point.  

[thaibeachlovers]

On 6/5/2024 at 2:32 PM, ColeBOzbourne said:

 A friend used to say that retirement was like a big, long orgasm that never stops. I completely agree.

Can't say that I feel very orgasmic, but I am very happy to be retired.

[Hanaguma]

Just about 60, thinking of teaching for 5 more years max, then....  depends on a few factors.

1. Wife's parents are now in their late 70s, we really shouldn't abandon them entirely.

2. Son is just about to become a father, would like to have a bit of time with future grandson

3. Who knows the tax implications nowadays?

 

So, looks like a 50/50 split for a few years- half year in Japan, half year abroad (probably mostly Thailand, depending on if we can rent out our condo). Maintain residence in Japan and still be on national health care, still be able to be with the in-laws until the end, etc.  Figure spring and fall here, summer and winter SE Asia. 

 

Man plans, God laughs.

[susanlea]

6 hours ago, john donson said:

many people work all their lives or till 65 in the hope they finally can go live their dreams, dropping dead a few years later, maybe out of boredom

 

enough illegals now in europe, that social security built by generations of workers will not be sustainable...

They can live their dreams. Holiday every year or twice a year. Have your cake and eat it to. 

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, Dljohnt said:

I stopped at 54 due heart problems and no cooperation by my boss. I

My boss was the cause of my stress. She wasn't going anywhere, so I took early retirement and best thing I ever did.

I love being retired, even if I can't live in LOS and don't have a lot of money.