Dear Snow birds

I'll be repeating everything the others have said.....BUT, boy we sure are enjoying ourselves in retirement! I was in the same boat as you, knowing I wanted to retire ASAP, and now the years have gone by and we are in the middle of it. We were able to retire at 54 & 55 and it took a lot of planning during the working years. We are also lucky enough to both have pensions + our 401K, 403B, retiree medical, etc....A couple of things that have caught us off guard: Medical expenses beyond your insurance coverage. We have been very healthy, but a knee replacement here, a gallbladder removal there, and bingo, you end up using your 'stash' for deductible etc.... Home and auto up-keep surprises..again, a dishwasher here, tires there, etc...We knew this going in, but reality hits you and messes with your budget. Retiring before 59.5 years of age prevents you from getting to your investments easily, so prepare for that also. Enjoy the present years, SAVE, and enjoy the days when the time comes!!