# Did your retirement turn out "way different" than you had planned?



## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

I started planning my retirement by the time I was 55 when I was 23 and established at the lower level in my career by on my father's advice , buying a $25 for $50 maturity EE savings bond each pay period since I didn't have enough time in to qualify for the company matched savings plan.

He also guided me on making my budget and maximixing my savings plan investment to have it and my savings bonds to go with the interest bearing saving / investment accounts he set up for me with the small beneficiary inheritances bequeathed to me when my grandfather and uncle passed away in my preteen years,

As my life went on , I continued saving and investing with his advice with retirement by 55 as my brass ring goal.

When my company merged and I was offered the buyout package and pension, my father told me to take the deal , pay off my place , forget the retirement RV stuff and retire like a military lifer.

Now I use my savings to maintain my place and my company pension to pay my bills and have a bit for entertainment.

Since I followed my father's advice as I planned for and eventually got a "silver parachute early retirement", it occurred to me that just as a kid even though now a old adult, in a sense my father still keeps a roof over my head and food on my table as I do my household chores as I did before starting my own journey into adulthood even though he passed away years ago.

Often when I drift off to sleep at night with my dogs in bed with me now as I did in my youth years , I sometimes feel as if I am in the house I grew up in, especially if I happen to be playing one of the albums I inherited from him in the living room as drift off to sleep music.

Sure over the years I bought a tag behind camper for flea marketing and now short weekend outings, but I don't miss the retirement travel ideas I had so long ago and enjoy following his advice as I spend minimal time a few days a month and spend the rest of my time doing chores and stuff as I did when he actually took care of all the necessities. 

I guess since he spent his life teaching me all I needed to know , maybe he is still taking care of things from beyond the grave as I make minor adjustments as needed.

Anyone else have their retirement play out almost like their "raising years" because of their elders lessons?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Thank you for writing that out. It’s beautiful!


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## CKelly78z (Jul 16, 2017)

My Dad is risk averse, so no talk of investments from him. I have been talking with my son, who is into BITCOIN, and other risky investments (that have great growth potential). We are connecting on different ideas of investments, and we both have individual Charles Schwab accounts that we do a bit of day trading with. I have preached about the virtues of getting the company match on his 401K, and maxing out his Roth accounts, but also encourage him to explore his options. My Dad is still one to be overly cautious, and warns me of impending doom every year (even after me clearing 30% last year, and 12% YTD so far this year).

I'm trying to change the family narrative to being active investors rather than safe savers.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

My father advised me to mix investment between land and low risk /low return and higher risk / higher return investments with the logic that land for farming /pasture or timber harvesting provided agricultural lease use and timber profit and land is something that they are not making any more of.


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

Shrek said:


> I started planning my retirement by the time I was 55 when I was 23 and established at the lower level in my career by on my father's advice , buying a $25 for $50 maturity EE savings bond each pay period since I didn't have enough time in to qualify for the company matched savings plan.
> 
> He also guided me on making my budget and maximixing my savings plan investment to have it and my savings bonds to go with the interest bearing saving / investment accounts he set up for me with the small beneficiary inheritances bequeathed to me when my grandfather and uncle passed away in my preteen years,
> 
> ...


Thankyou Shrek for sharing such a meaningful tribute to your father who taught you so much. You must have been a good son too as you listened to him. Have a nice day.


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

As to advice I got from my father about retirement I really didn't get any per-say.... Although shortly after I got married my father told me the following:
"You are now responsible for more than yourself; you need to keep a roof over both your heads, put food on the table, timely pay the bills and save for the un-expected."
Maybe retirement fell in the "un-expected" category I don't know. 

Although the way I took the OP "Did your retirement turn out "way different" then you had planned?" 
My answer would be no it didn't. Although as most of us "older" persons don't and can't foresee the health issues that tend to tarnish those "golden years".....


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