Don't Wait

"DO NOT WAIT" is all well and good ... ASSUMING that while you're making memories when not too old that you're also making provision for where the money is going to come from when you are in fact "old and making memories". Everything I read nowadays predicts that upcoming U.S. Baby Boomers are in general going to be in trouble in the retirement department.

The real trick is to somehow be able to do both. If doing both does not look like it's going to be possible, then my vote goes for making provision for where the retirement money is going to come from. Not eating dogfood and having to reuse your disposable diapers have to rank as higher priorities than being able to go on RV trips ... IMHO.

Just don't do it before you can afford it.

Absolutely great advice. I and probably the best male friend bought motor homes together and planned all the trips our families would take when we retired. We kept putting off retiring and talked and planned. One day he went to the doctor not feeling. Four days later he was diagnosed with cancer and four months later he passed away. 30 days late I retired and DW and i were on the road. Kind of the hard way but I learned if you want to do something, do it, do not put it off. You don't know what tomorrow brings. Been doing exactly that for last 15 yeard.

A number of union pension funds (and other funds) went bust few years ago. Not good to have all your eggs in one basket. Is your fund paying you based on current workers paying in? If so I'd be nervous..like SS.

I have preached this notion for years and although most of the younger set agree they make little effort to do it.
I really preach the union thing especially in this economy. My union gives me a pension based on hours worked, I get another pension based on years worked, I get a third pension based on years also but at a lower rate. I also get health care and an entity. Sounds unreal doesn't it. Well then you never meet a union electrician from Detroit.
Unions provide normally some form of pension plan that is hard to beat otherwise. It is just easier to save when someone else does it for you.

This is just my example i am sure other folks may have other experiences but
I know mine is hard to beat.

Oh and guess what ... most kids today don't like getting their hands dirt so they don't want a trade. If you do look into this and you'll find Detroit is hiring and wanting apprentices
right now.

I agree 100%. We bought our RV 12 plus years ago now, when we were 50 and 52.
Because we bought it, we used it, starting taking, much more time off. Hiked up and down canyons, took the GD on many trips, so many memories, so much fun. Had we not bought it very sure we would not have done 90% of that. In other words it changed our life. And these last 12 years have been great.

To often I hear, folks say gonna wait till I retire, to often they are to old to sick or dead to do much of anything. Both the DW and I have come down with some knee issues, would we hike those canyons now? Maybe, maybe not. ( somehow, and it came a surprise to us, anyway WE GOT OLD)

And while I am on my soap box, although paying cash for a MH is obviously a great choice, problem is by the time many of us can do it, kids and grandkids are grown up and we are old.

To often, in my opinion people are great at the business of saving money, but very poor at the business of life. And in the business of life the CLOCK IS TICKING,

Others may take a different view point, it is not up to me to judge or comment, on their choices. I can only say what has worked for us

Great advice, Jplante4.

gbopp wrote:
X2, do it as soon as possible. You don't know what life will hand you tomorrow.

Yet your still stuck in winter:S

X2, do it as soon as possible. You don't know what life will hand you tomorrow.