My wife is several years older than me and she was just forced into retirement. I have been out of work for a while now and been focused on completing our full-gut remodel. When she first got laid off we kind of panicked, figuring I'd have to go back to work full time just to make ends meet, and I'd never get the house done, and we'd be stuck here the rest of our lives. But then we started really playing with the numbers and realized that we need a lot less to retire than we thought. We can get by on our savings and my Santa income for the next few years while I finish the house. Once we get to TV she will be eligible for SS and I may very well take on a PT job or some elf-employment opportunities. Then a few years later my SS will kick in. I think that our age difference, and the fact that these streams are staggered is actually helpful for us.
That said, our numbers seem to add up and we are fairly comfortable with the lifestyle changes to come. But even then I don't think we would consider maintaining two residences for more than a couple of months. Especially if one (or both) were still mortgaged. I certainly understand the desire to start the next phase as early as possible, you just want to be sure the plan for the next phase is a 20 year plan and not a no-holds-barred Vegas weekend. My 2¢.
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