A lady I worked with at the library retired last week. She’s 50, and her husband is 55. He’ll be retiring in May from the Postal Service. They have two twenty-something sons who are out on their own. My friend and her husband paid off their mortgage “years ago” and just finished paying off the motor home that they’re planning to live in this summer. I don’t know her husband, but my friend seems much younger than 50 – she’s bright and energetic and wears clothing in every color of the rainbow (mostly found at thrift stores and clearance sales). They are going to have a blast in retirement. It’s inspiring to see people – who have obviously managed their money very well – getting to reap the rewards of careful planning. They still live in the house they raised their sons in, they drive modest cars, they’re the classic example of the millionaire next door. They own a house and a motor home and two cars outright. They have no consumer debt. Their only bills are day-to-day living expenses. And they have saved enough money to be able to retire at 50 and 55. He will have a pension from the Post Office, but they’ve also saved enough to make up the difference in her salary. Very impressive. Gives us all something to aspire to. Even if a person has no desire to retire and go rambling around in a motor home at 50, it would still be nice to have a choice. To be able to switch to a new career, maybe work in the nonprofit sector or devote yourself to something that had been a side interest. Keep on saving!
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