30 and seriously Skint or 60 and seriously loaded...
Discussion
I used to be the guy always planning for the future at the expense of today.
Then recently, a close colleague who had worked his entire life to work his way to the top, and was only a few years from retiring and seriously enjoying all he'd worked for, was killed in a road accident. At 52 years old, having gone from the very bottom to the very top in his industry. He will now never get to reap the benefit of all he'd worked for.
Since then, my outlook has changed drastically. In moderation of course. I'm an accountant after all. Live for today but with one eye ahead of the game.
Then recently, a close colleague who had worked his entire life to work his way to the top, and was only a few years from retiring and seriously enjoying all he'd worked for, was killed in a road accident. At 52 years old, having gone from the very bottom to the very top in his industry. He will now never get to reap the benefit of all he'd worked for.
Since then, my outlook has changed drastically. In moderation of course. I'm an accountant after all. Live for today but with one eye ahead of the game.
Was OK at 30, skint at 45 (divorce) , OK now at 66, not the slightest regret. No desire to be 30 again, had amazing fun most of the time and enjoyed careers. Still having amazing fun. I have always known that all the bucket list nonsense was not for me. Now is better than later.
I know very well that I will ease off on fast cars, and the 991 RS I am picking up in September might well be my last tracky car, but we all get old. At least the ride is fascinating.
I know very well that I will ease off on fast cars, and the 991 RS I am picking up in September might well be my last tracky car, but we all get old. At least the ride is fascinating.
RDMcG said:
Was OK at 30, skint at 45 (divorce) , OK now at 66, not the slightest regret. No desire to be 30 again, had amazing fun most of the time and enjoyed careers. Still having amazing fun. I have always known that all the bucket list nonsense was not for me. Now is better than later.
I know very well that I will ease off on fast cars, and the 991 RS I am picking up in September might well be my last tracky car, but we all get old. At least the ride is fascinating.
Apart from the fact that I'm 52, you are me.I know very well that I will ease off on fast cars, and the 991 RS I am picking up in September might well be my last tracky car, but we all get old. At least the ride is fascinating.
Edit to say: or I am you!
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 27th March 20:40
If there's one thing that we humans seem to fail miserably at, and which dogs excel, it's living in the moment. Buster73 said:
A mate of mine in his early 70's who has been very successful and ended up seriously wealthy harps on about two things.
Good health and time.
Both now far more important than his wedge.
Sensible preoccupations. Still, what often surprises me is that these things seem to be the words of the old.Good health and time.
Both now far more important than his wedge.
When I was 20 or so it occurred to me that thee were many unknowns in life, and that there would never be enough time to do all I wanted to do. So I resolved to go for it, use the time as if I had little left. This dod not mean I did not plan. I did, However, I knew that the planning was not some straitjacket, but a way to have options when the unexpected happened. I could never have predicted how my life turned out in the least,but I was resolved not to look back with disappointment and regret.
As I got older I saw the beginnings of who things could go wrong...
- Old guys ( all of 40!) hanging around clubs and bars, typically overdressed and on the hunt for young girls. What had they done as teenagers?
-Guys getting divorced and losing contact with their kids, then regretting it later when they could not repair the rift.
-Guys stuck in dead end jobs and doing nothing about it
-People of 40 dreaming of the freedom of retirement without a plan of any kind to finance it beyond the usual "sell the house" strategy.
If you think go it, if you are average, and you reach (say) 75, there is a very good chance you have a variety of ailments. Also, as medical care improves, they can keep you around longer, ( no idea why, personally). If you retire at (say ) 55, do you have the mean to support your self and your widow..say..another 30 years?...work 35 years and reties for 30?
Then there is the idea that "my personal life and freedom to live now is more important than a career". This assumes that you cannot work and have lots of fun. I started at 11 to work,the the scholarship thing, lived around the world and enjoyed the experiences despite often long hours.
This enabled me to have some financial safety...and to have incredible experiences. If you go the lifestyle route, your runway keeps shortening. What you do in your twenties turns into you thirties, and eventually the fun turns into a resume....and if you marry and have dependents, and no proper career goals,, then it is difficult to see how to get to 60 and be loaded...( not even loaded, but capable of financing a modest retirement.)
Basically, its never too early to think about this stuff. The unexpected WILL happen, You will hit some rocks on the way. The trick is to have the means to recover.
Work pretty hard at an OK job (50k pa), wife lies to you for ten years, throws away 100k then demands divorce because you found out, 
then takes 70% of the remainder, end up mortgaged and working to 70; yeah, do all the planning you want......... it may not pan out how you intended.
Bloke with chip on shoulder!
then takes 70% of the remainder, end up mortgaged and working to 70; yeah, do all the planning you want......... it may not pan out how you intended.Bloke with chip on shoulder!
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