Many years ago, I had a very smart friend tell me there are 2 basic ways for the average person to be wealthy. One, cut your expenses and live within your means, or two, work more and live within your means.
We were drowning in credit card debt, and made the first decision. It was a hard struggle, but it was well worth it.
The thing we found out 15 years ago when we paid off our home, was that the expenses really didn't drop much. Taxes, Insurance, maintenance, etc, was almost as high as our mortgage, and we had no interest to write off.
Dave, I'm right behind you, and am planning on retiring late this year. My problem is that my pension, although very outstanding, is a target right now, as defined pension plans are under attack in both the private and public sectors. There's nothing to say that my pension will remain intact several years from now, and that makes it really hard to make long term plans.
Luckily, my wife also has a great job she's very happy with, so I can keep her working while I play. That's if playing is doing the laundry, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, and feeding the cats is considered playing.
EDIT MY ME: I've already been told, that blowing out the house with my backpack blower is not considered cleaning.
Last edited by FireIsHot; 07/26/12 05:43 AM.
