[Pgcacace]

It is her choice to have so many material things. She could easily be on easy street if she downsized. Simplify and be happy!

[Villagesgal]

Thank God I'm one of the 4%.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

That "4% are living the nightmare" that their talking about can be determined by your living with pain through health issues.

My wife had a uncle 85 years old some years back had a lot of medical issues and begged every day that he could die.
He had issues with his back and legs and always lived in pain and no doctor could help him.

He fell walking out to his mail box and died shortly after at 86 years old..

Now there's 4% I don't want anything to do with.

that’s tough , your health is everything , but many others with same issues push through and make the best of it . I’m thankful that I’m still living the dream , I’m 85 ,retired 25 years,,I still travel outside country alone ,workout at planet fitness in Leesburg 5 days a week and ride my bike , walk or run everyday and still shopping for clothes at the Mall of Millenia lol ,Yes I’m Still Living The Dream and Thankful Every Day

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by huge-pigeons

A lot of people are in the bottom tiers because they didn’t save for retirement. I know people that was making really good money while they were working but they spent everything they made and some even went into debt to compete with the Jone’s.
We are very comfortable because we saved and invested everything we could. Have any of you calculated what you make per hour while you are retired? You should. For the last 6 months, my total income from investments and social security, we made $130 an hour, 24 hours a day, while we were sleeping, playing golf, playing in the pool, etc..

This is called Passive Income, what can you make on your investments while not doing anything.

$130x24x365= $1,138,800 per year. Not bad! Congratulations!

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

[B]A new survey shows that only 4% of retirees are living the dream.

Also depends on what your dream is.

So true. My "Dream" is youth, health for my wife and myself, and wealth enough to enjoy it. That ain't gonna happen. Still, we are comfortable and content, for now.

[pablo cruze]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

A new survey shows that only 4% of retirees are living the dream.

44% are comfortable; 34% said they are not great; but not bad; 15% said they are struggling; and 4% are living the nightmare.

I think that we are lucky to be living in the Villages.

Access Denied

I've heard 4% of people call villages Florida's friendliest home town....then 96% call it Florida's friendliest bunch of ***holes. I heard it used to be good before the morse yoots and their goon kennyblockhead and the crooked sales agents selling non compliant properties turned the "dream" into the NIGHTMARE

[Number 10 GI]

The dream life of a guy I served with in the Army was a pickup truck with a camper and 8 coon dogs.

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by huge-pigeons

A lot of people are in the bottom tiers because they didn’t save for retirement. I know people that was making really good money while they were working but they spent everything they made and some even went into debt to compete with the Jone’s.
We are very comfortable because we saved and invested everything we could. Have any of you calculated what you make per hour while you are retired? You should. For the last 6 months, my total income from investments and social security, we made $130 an hour, 24 hours a day, while we were sleeping, playing golf, playing in the pool, etc..

This is called Passive Income, what can you make on your investments while not doing anything.

Don't forget to find time to enjoy your savings.
Some on TOTV seem to want to be the richest person in the cemetary.

[Laker14]

My mother, born and raised in Italy, came to the US immediately after WWII. One of many women abroad who married US servicemen, they were called "War Brides".
She had a clever little saying, which in Italian rhymed, making it more clever than the English translation, but it translated into,
"He lives on dreams, dies in sh!t"...
I think that was her way of telling me that dreams don't come true unless you buckle down and do the work.
Mom's are smart.

[PersonOfInterest]

Originally Posted by huge-pigeons

A lot of people are in the bottom tiers because they didn’t save for retirement. I know people that was making really good money while they were working but they spent everything they made and some even went into debt to compete with the Jone’s.
We are very comfortable because we saved and invested everything we could. Have any of you calculated what you make per hour while you are retired? You should. For the last 6 months, my total income from investments and social security, we made $130 an hour, 24 hours a day, while we were sleeping, playing golf, playing in the pool, etc..

This is called Passive Income, what can you make on your investments while not doing anything.

I've always questioned the rationale of sacrificing throughout your life with the anticipation of a 'golden' retirement. Working hard, saving and investing during your 'good' years to live well in retirement when health and longevity are questionable does not always seem like such a good plan. Some make that sacrifice for so many years only to die before being able to retire or after only a few short years of retirement. Many are in their retirement years with health issues that detract from their ability to enjoy life and also depletes the funds they have to weather retirement. We just don't know what will transpire in our lives.

Its difficult to plan for an unknown future. Many of us are here trying to make the most out of whatever we have left and finding that there's a lot more to deal with in retirement beyond the financial picture. I'm fortunate to be living beyond my expectations and still finding enjoyment in life. I don't know how much money I make in retirement nor do I care. I place more concern on staying active and healthy both in body and mind.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by PersonOfInterest

I've always questioned the rationale of sacrificing throughout your life with the anticipation of a 'golden' retirement. Working hard, saving and investing during your 'good' years to live well in retirement when health and longevity are questionable does not always seem like such a good plan. Some make that sacrifice for so many years only to die before being able to retire or after only a few short years of retirement. Many are in their retirement years with health issues that detract from their ability to enjoy life and also depletes the funds they have to weather retirement. We just don't know what will transpire in our lives.

Its difficult to plan for an unknown future. Many of us are here trying to make the most out of whatever we have left and finding that there's a lot more to deal with in retirement beyond the financial picture. I'm fortunate to be living beyond my expectations and still finding enjoyment in life. I don't know how much money I make in retirement nor do I care. I place more concern on staying active and healthy both in body and mind.

Longevity is a crapshoot. I have family members who lived decades longer than their parents, and family members who passed away while their parents were still living. It's not necessarily easy to find the balance between spending resources while young, and saving them for a lengthy retirement.

One thing is for certain. In the long run we all wind up in the same place.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by La lamy

Living the retiree dream takes a lot of work, saving and planning. So grateful I was able to make it happen!

Yeah we had done that. We were going to retire the following year. And then the department was eliminated and the job ceased to exist. Had already maxed out pay, were living within our means, and no one would hire a 55-year-old to become a brand new employee at a maxed-out pay. Getting a job at "entry level" pay would've meant getting paid less than Unemployment benefits paid. We couldn't pay the mortgage on that. So we sunk our savings into survival while spending 9 months trying to sell our house and move to a house we could afford to live in. Our dream for retirement was cut short ONE YEAR before we could grab it.

Living the retiree dream depends on the dream, and depends on circumstances.

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Yeah we had done that. We were going to retire the following year. And then the department was eliminated and the job ceased to exist. Had already maxed out pay, were living within our means, and no one would hire a 55-year-old to become a brand new employee at a maxed-out pay. Getting a job at "entry level" pay would've meant getting paid less than Unemployment benefits paid. We couldn't pay the mortgage on that. So we sunk our savings into survival while spending 9 months trying to sell our house and move to a house we could afford to live in. Our dream for retirement was cut short ONE YEAR before we could grab it.

Living the retiree dream depends on the dream, and depends on circumstances.

The best layed schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Yeah we had done that. We were going to retire the following year. And then the department was eliminated and the job ceased to exist. Had already maxed out pay, were living within our means, and no one would hire a 55-year-old to become a brand new employee at a maxed-out pay. Getting a job at "entry level" pay would've meant getting paid less than Unemployment benefits paid. We couldn't pay the mortgage on that. So we sunk our savings into survival while spending 9 months trying to sell our house and move to a house we could afford to live in. Our dream for retirement was cut short ONE YEAR before we could grab it.

Living the retiree dream depends on the dream, and depends on circumstances.

During my grade school years my father worked as a sales clerk at a Montgomery Ward store. He noticed that as long time salesclerks were nearing their magic retirement date, when their defined benefit plan would become effective, the company fired them. These were hard working people with years at the company. He saw the writing on the wall and found work elsewhere. This was during the late 1940s and early 1950s.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

During my grade school years my father worked as a sales clerk at a Montgomery Ward store. He noticed that as long time salesclerks were nearing their magic retirement date, when their defined benefit plan would become effective, the company fired them. These were hard working people with years at the company. He saw the writing on the wall and found work elsewhere. This was during the late 1940s and early 1950s.

It's good that he had that opportunity. We didn't. No one got fired, in our case. The department was eliminated. It ceased to exist.