Good news here OT

[38plymouth]

Even gov. employees are losing health benefits after retirement. I work in county law enforcement and we have a pretty good retirement package. I only have to work 20 years and I get half pay forever. It sounds great considering I could retire at the ripe old age of 43. The problem is everyone's getting rid of medical benefit's after retirement. We have been trying to negotiate medical with no luck, it's too expensive. The best I can hope for now is that I can get on my wife's insurance until we reach 65. I'd like to work part time for 10 more years after getting my 20 in and then retire completely.

[JIPJOBXX]

Hay retirement is great but just a little to much time on my hands. But the best part is that I can get up when I want to get up! The only one I haft to please is my wife and my cat! I retired with 42 years of government service and receive about 80 percent of my pay check. After I figure out what I was putting into my retirement account while working it just didn't make sence to keep on trucking into work everyday and so I pulled the plugged. People as me why I don't get another job but you know what I really don't need another job as I would probably just spend what ever extra I made on JUNK and so I can watch Dr. Phill anytime I want to.

Anyway if you can retire I would do so if your not happy with where you are at. Some people have jobs that they live for but most of us just work to live or did? Jon:cool:

[Plymouthy Adams]

yeah..our oldest employee just died a week or so back...he was 89 and still going strong..he had outlived his spouse, kids and etc..work was all the boy had for company through the day..

[1949P17BC]

Well here is a really tough question for those lucky enough to quit early (I am only 52 and figure and want to stay at it until 60ish) What kind of money, cashola do you need?

[Norm's Coupe]

Well here is a really tough question for those lucky enough to quit early (I am only 52 and figure and want to stay at it until 60ish) What kind of money, cashola do you need?

Thats something none of us can answer. Everybody's financial situation and lifestyle is different. The same applies to health insurance because everyones health conditions are different as well. You'll just have to sit down and crunch the numbers, etc. like Normspeed did. You can also check with a financial planner.

[PatS....]

You mean I wouldn't miss Dr. Phil and Oprah?

Where do I sign???

There's always a big line-up at the Pick n Pull at 4pm. That's how you can tell Oprah's over!!!

[RobertKB]

Like Australia, medical care in Canada is basically free. My wife has had two full hip replacements and two full knee replacements. Total cost - Zilch. Waiting times can be a problem at times but if you get yourself on the list before things get bad, the wait is not too bad. We pay more in taxes up here than in the US but when you take the lower taxes you pay and if you have to pay for medical insurance, we are way ahead. At least that is how I see it. I kept my extended insurance plan I had when I was teaching as my wife takes a lot of medication but that is paid for as well. To each their own but I kinda like what we have. My extended health coverage even covers travel anywhere in the world for emergency situations so I don't even need to get travel insurance when going to Hawaii!

[Plymouthy Adams]

not to step on toes..but I put Oprah and Dr. Phil right up thee with getting a tooth pulled..without novacaine

[Captain Neon]

I don't expect to retire for another 50 or so years. My great-grandfather lived to be 97, and my grandfather turns 90 in July with his only health issues being macular degeneration and some stiff joints. I figure I'll live well past 100, and need to stash away enough hard assets to pay the bills for my last 20 years or so. I'm gonna guess that I'll need about 1000 oz. of gold bullion buried some where before I can retire.

[Norm's Coupe]

not to step on toes..but I put Oprah and Dr. Phil right up thee with getting a tooth pulled..without novacaine

My wife will watch Oprah once in awhile, but not that often. Never Dr. Phil. Actually, when you get right down to it, there isn't much worth watching on TV today, even on cable. We don't have cable but have the listings in the TV guide. When I look at the cable guide it looks like just a bunch of stations showing the same thing as on regular TV, except different times. Now with summer coming on there is even less to watch, unless you like watching reruns. About the only thing I'll watch is Law and Order, CSI Miami, NCIS and Stark once in awhile. Other than those, just watch the news. Almost forgot, also Cold Case when I remember it's on.

[oldmopar]

Oprah , Dr. Phil ??? Not for me I retired to play in the garage before I am too old to enjoy it . I just drove in retirement project 1.

Ed

[knighthawk]

I'll be able to sign up for Social Sec., this fall, at 62 , been retired since 52. Have a union pension (30 years) Cars ! If your into cars at all, there is not enough time in the day to get to even what HAS to be been done ! I spendmost of the day and every evening ( and half the nite ) in my shop ! The money is always 'short'.... we moved a couple times, made some money off the real estate deals, the wife went back to work ' for a while' , for 'extra' money, there's always handyman work, car work, odds and ends for neighbors , etc. There is absolutly NO way I could find 8 or 9 hours now to get a job !............PS..... My friends know, not to call me BEFORE 10 AM ! I think , it's close.... go for it ! You ( or I ) could die tommorrow !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Norm's Coupe]

I'll be able to sign up for Social Sec., this fall, at 62 , been retired since 52. Have a union pension (30 years) Cars ! If your into cars at all, there is not enough time in the day to get to even what HAS to be been done ! I spendmost of the day and every evening ( and half the nite ) in my shop ! The money is always 'short'.... we moved a couple times, made some money off the real estate deals, the wife went back to work ' for a while' , for 'extra' money, there's always handyman work, car work, odds and ends for neighbors , etc. There is absolutly NO way I could find 8 or 9 hours now to get a job !............PS..... My friends know, not to call me BEFORE 10 AM ! I think , it's close.... go for it ! You ( or I ) could die tommorrow !!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm 64 and not retired myself, and not ready to yet. I'm one of those who enjoy my work since I don't have to answer to anyone, and set my own work schedule. So, I'll probably work as long as I'm able. My son claims I'm already partially retired. However, my wife retired several years ago when she was 61. Since she retired, she's always busy. If not working in her flower garden, crafts, baking (I like the baking part best:) ) etc., she's out meeting one or more of her lady friends. She's busier now than she was when she worked full time.

I can't get full social security benefits until I'm 66, so I'll hold off on that until then. You have to pay it back if you retire early and make over a certain amount. Don't want to do that. If I wait until 66 then I don't have to pay any of it back if I keep working. That way we can just bank the social security check each month, or take some really nice trips without going into the savings.

[Don Coatney]

or take some really nice trips without going into the savings.

Norm;

With the increasing price of gasoline for a really nice trip to the end of the driveway and back you will soon have to tap the savings account just to get enough gas:eek:

[JIPJOBXX]

I was kind of kidding about the Dr. Phill stuff but I know quit a few of my friends watch some of the law shows on TV in the afternoon. Most people just do this to relax and waste a few moments of time as I know I do. I'm kind of looking for another car project I think? but I do not want to get involved with a complete rebuild of any rig, just something to fiddle around with. Oh by the way I'm looking for a brake cylinder for my 42 anyone got any ideas of where to get one? Oh yes there's one thing I hate about retirement and that is getting old and all the pains that go with that but the other option well I guess the first is the best.

[Norm's Coupe]

Norm;

With the increasing price of gasoline for a really nice trip to the end of the driveway and back you will soon have to tap the savings account just to get enough gas:eek:

Don,

Like you and probably everyone else, I don't enjoy paying todays gas prices either. However, at the same time I won't let it interfere with what we want to do, when we want. Just last night I had to move the coupe out of the garage to get something over the rafters down. I just left the coupe running for about 10 or 15 minutes, then pulled it back in when I finished in the garage. Didn't give burning the gas a thought. I don't worry about the gas in the tank until it's gets down to about a quarter of a tank, then just go to the station and pay whatever that price is today without thinking about it.

We are trying to decide where to go on vacation this year. Just this morning my wife was worried because of the gas prices and thought we might not go somewhere. Told her not to worry, unless there is an actual shortage and you can't buy gas everywhere, we'll go where ever we decide, regardless of the price of gas.

[JIPJOBXX]

Yea Norm that's the way I look at 42 as its not a real everyday driver so I can afford a few extra bucks to fill it up and us it every once in a while. I think parades are out of the question for the Dodge especially if it hot! I would rather show it oft and sit in a nice easy chair and bs with people about my rig. I have my old motor home topped oft and so it must at least by today's prices have around 900 dollars worth of fuel in it. How would you like to fill that old baby up!