Early Retirement

[Greg Reimer 7376]

The "Work Smart" quote is spot on. How many people do you know that could have done so much better if they hadn't done so many "basic stupids" as they went through life. Some things never work, and carrying lots of various debts along with you never works either. The fact of life is that "he who dies with the biggest debt" leaves behind the smallest legacy.All three of my immediate family members have their Master's degrees in education, they all teach, and I have been very grateful to God that He used me to be a part of it. My parents used to say that the greatest thing you have is a reputation. Make it a good one, because if you have a bad reputation, you won't ever get ahead. It has also been said, 'failure loves company". We all know little failures from past years.Thrre are a lot of success stories out there, they are worth repeating. Who wants to talk about being just another little failure?

[jmcarter]

Many of us are locked into what our retirement picture will look like and while I’m likely halfway through my retirement I haven’t changed my outlook on minimizing debt. I’ll repeat my encouragement to follow Dave Ramsey’s principles as best you can and influence the youngsters to do likewise. The apparent lack of basic values and propensity for instant gratification is contradictory to what today’s youth should be learning. Taking personal responsibility DOES NOT include things like waiting for the government to pay off student loans and falling for all the gambling commercials on every sports telecast and billboard. Again, applaud all the racers who’ve planned well, if not then best bite the bullet on eliminating debt or pray there are generous family members to help cushion what could be a bleak retirement.
Sorry to harp, it’s only from the standpoint of being retired do you know some things you’d done differently if someone had harped at you (my wife of 47 years did her best but sometimes those outside your circle can have a larger influence).

[Jeff Niceswanger]

Well, it just not the same Jim. At the age of 13 in 1969 I got my paper route . At first I inherited 100 customers. By my third year I had 200. Zanesville built a ton of low income housing and my route was smack in the middle of them. So before high school I delivered them and on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night I collected the dues. There was no such thing as pay by mail or Online banking. That netted me enough funds to go buy my first car (at 16 years). Pictured below. Paid cash money. A NICE low mileage SPORTS CAR was 1695.00. It was a couple years old but see the difference? These kids will never enjoy what we did. Nice stuff from crappy jobs.We didn't need to have the government to pay off student loans and falling for all the gambling commercials. It took next to no money to have a BALL. No, kids now are being ask to save every dime. We are asking them, well, telling them to do something that we absolutely did not have to do. Heck at just a bit older I spent every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights in the local establishments chasing girls till closing times. Nascar races, Ski Trips, Rock Concerts,Killer Home Stereo's and nice cars. My next car was a 73 fully Loaded L-82 Corvette that took one weeks pay a month. And that was a 3 year loan as that's as long as allowed back then. Not to mention I worked at the biggest craphole in Zanesville.Given the advise their being told, kids of today will never own anything fun, or DO anything fun till they're ready for a grave, and thats so sad. I wouldn't have traded my youth for anything.I'm so glad I was born when I was. WE Were lucky

[jmcarter]

If today’s youth don’t have the luxury of enjoying some of what we enjoyed given the right guidance and mentoring I think they have the same opportunity to pursue their passions (one of ours was cars, theirs may be PlayStation but potato, potahto). My experience is they are also willing to work hard toward those goals. My focus is helping my grandkids, church youth, whoever to be good citizens over their entire lifetime.

Nice Camaro Jeff, I drove a SS396/325 Chevelle….fun car…then my world turned upside down with a 68 Charger.

[Jeff Niceswanger]

Originally Posted by jmcarter

If today’s youth don’t have the luxury of enjoying some of what we enjoyed given the right guidance and mentoring I think they have the same opportunity to pursue their passions (one of ours was cars, theirs may be PlayStation but potato, potahto). My experience is they are also willing to work hard toward those goals. My focus is helping my grandkids, church youth, whoever to be good citizens over their entire lifetime.

Nice Camaro Jeff, I drove a SS396/325 Chevelle….fun car…then my world turned upside down with a 68 Charger.

Funny how cars transform Jim. Here is a picture a year later after the wheels were changed, the 302 came out and a new crate motor 427/425 with all L-88 cam and valvetrain was installed. A set 0f 4.88s went in, Moroso Cable drive tach and shutoff (pretty rare and its still laying here somewhere), Hookers, Lakewood,11 lbs Hayes Aluminum Flywheel. 11.80s was pretty good back then for high school kid. This picture was taken in my parents driveway which was a hundred miles from my home of Zanesville. Bet that drive there was sweet with those 4.88's .. LOL
BTW. The yellow Z in the first picture was owned by a kid named Lawson and shortly later had dual 4's and a tunnel ram sticking through that hood, but my big block ate him for lunch. .. Good times

[Eddies66]

Originally Posted by Jeff Niceswanger

Well, it just not the same Jim. At the age of 13 in 1969 I got my paper route . At first I inherited 100 customers. By my third year I had 200. Zanesville built a ton of low income housing and my route was smack in the middle of them. So before high school I delivered them and on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night I collected the dues. There was no such thing as pay by mail or Online banking. That netted me enough funds to go buy my first car (at 16 years). Pictured below. Paid cash money. A NICE low mileage SPORTS CAR was 1695.00. It was a couple years old but see the difference? These kids will never enjoy what we did. Nice stuff from crappy jobs.We didn't need to have the government to pay off student loans and falling for all the gambling commercials. It took next to no money to have a BALL. No, kids now are being ask to save every dime. We are asking them, well, telling them to do something that we absolutely did not have to do. Heck at just a bit older I spent every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights in the local establishments chasing girls till closing times. Nascar races, Ski Trips, Rock Concerts,Killer Home Stereo's and nice cars. My next car was a 73 fully Loaded L-82 Corvette that took one weeks pay a month. And that was a 3 year loan as that's as long as allowed back then. Not to mention I worked at the biggest craphole in Zanesville.Given the advise their being told, kids of today will never own anything fun, or DO anything fun till they're ready for a grave, and thats so sad. I wouldn't have traded my youth for anything.I'm so glad I was born when I was. WE Were lucky

I believe there is and was merit in your statement. We bought our oldest daughter her first car for $2800, she wasn't making that much in her part-time job to pay for it. The car made it through two kids in college. Like yourself I bought my first car, '55 Chevy, off a used car lot for $495. Took it to college but needed a project car for my Industrial Ed classes. I had been working for NAPA for a couple years and eyed a '63 Split-window Corvette at a body shop that I mixed paint for. No engine or trans and no title, bought it for $900, applied for an abandon title, came back clear. Went looking for a little more reliable transportation and found on a campus bulletin board a 1969 Nova for $1600, turns out to be an SS L78 396, this is the car I wish I still had. The young lady that owned it said it didn't get very good gas mileage. Kids these days will never have the joy of educating themselves with the help of an ole car. Fond memories, if I had 10 bucks on Friday night, I could top off my car with Chevron Custom and buy a case of Coors long necks...life was good.

[nickh]

So want to thank you guys for the advice, I completed my last job last monday. I am getting to old to climb 200 ft towers..LOL, Getting ready for what is next. The company I was working with said that they can use me for 4 weeks out of the year (limit to $21,000 annually). Will have social security done here shortly and they already have me a turnaround scheduled for July for about 4 weeks.

Got some projects lined up around the house that keep me busy for a while just sweat equity on getting things done.

This year went to Canton Ohio damn near froze to death, do not know how you guys can survive in cold weather I was working nightshift 530 pm to 630 pm. Got off on a Thursday morning and the company wanted me in Corpus Christi Texas that saturday morning to go to work on days, told them absolutely not, I reported to job wednesday morning of next week working 530 am to 630 pm. Will not miss anymore home cooked meals, nor living out of a suitcase, staying in motel rooms that smell like ***! Except for 4 weeks out of the year! LOL