Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

[ovrszd]

Yep.

You know another great way to pile up cash in your savings account?

Kick the kids out!

Honestly, both of ours our now out and on their own. The last one graduated from college a couple years ago. We've been able to bank my entire paycheck for 2 years!

Amazing how those pesky kids can nickel and dime you.

All in jest, of course, and I love them dearly, but they do cost some coin.

Other than my payroll retirement deductions and building Annuities I gained nothing monetarily until my kids were gone. When talking to young families I point that out. When you have kids at home every dollar that lands in your hand is already spent. That never bothered me. I value family. I've never understood what a man does with his life that never has any kids.

 

[riptides]

.... I've never understood what a man does with his life that never has any kids.

People that don't have kids seem very successful and happy in my immediate family and circle of friends.

You can choose your friends, family, not so much.

 

[newbury]

Why should one income "support middle class life" for more than one person?

Why don't we just start with one income supporting middle class life for one person? Any company that doesn't pay a living wage for 40 hours of work is not a "healthy company," it's a sickness on our society.

That's what I was getting at. I consider middle class life including a child to raise per adult.
2 adults, 2 children. If you want more work more.
As it is it seems society is tending towards the results in the movie "Idiocracy" link.

It's just too much fun to breed and it's tending that the government will support everything born.

 

[ovrszd]

People that don't have kids seem very successful and happy in my immediate family and circle of friends.

You can choose your friends, family, not so much.

Based on Moss' and my comments they most certainly will be more financially successful. My comment was directed at what they do with their time? And when they are my age will they find contentment and happiness?

I know people that never had kids. They seem to have more of a sadness than those with kids. Who shows up for their Thanksgiving Dinner? Maybe they just go to Golden Corral instead? We'll have 40 people in our shop for Thanksgiving Dinner. All related. My Sister, my wife Terry and I will be the elders.

Being an old military guy I use odd analogies. I could shoot up a flare right now and within 15 minutes have 4-10 vehicles pulling in my driveway coming to the rescue. I'm very Blessed.

 

[dmccarty]

I raised my 3 kids with a stay at home Mom, early 70s thru late 90s. It was tight. But I have never regretted that choice.

We just did it, well almost did it, since the kids are in college, with one income.

One of the big traps people get into his having a huge house payment. My first house was 1250 square feet built in the mid 1970s. The McMansions near the house were 2-3 times that size. We saw people buying houses where the mortgage payment would be at least 2-3 times what we were paying and would require two professional incomes with not much left over. People make choices. Sometime good. Sometimes bad.

The real estate broker that was involved with the house purchase was a top seller in the area. She said I would be selling the small house and buying larger in a few years. She was wrong about me since we kept the house for almost a decade. But she was certainly right in that must of her clients would have sold quickly and moved into a more expensive house...

The house was interesting in that it only had a singe car garage. People do not realize the expense in a second job, higher taxes, clothes, commute expenses, lunch, etc. I knew a family, where the wife usually did not work, because what she brought home after expenses, was not much.

 

[MossRoad]

Other than my payroll retirement deductions and building Annuities I gained nothing monetarily until my kids were gone. When talking to young families I point that out. When you have kids at home every dollar that lands in your hand is already spent. That never bothered me. I value family. I've never understood what a man does with his life that never has any kids.

Become a priest!

Just kidding. I can only think of two bachelors in our circle of 60 years of age ish group of friends and families. One is my cousin. He's retired military and has a large group of siblings that he lives near. A very tight knit family. He may as well have kids with all of his nieces and nephews. He just seems genuinely happy with the way things are in his life and doesn't appear to be missing anything from his life. Good guy.

The other I'm glad isn't reproducing. He's got women issues and I think the women are on to him. He's genuinely not a nice person.

 

[MossRoad]

Based on Moss' and my comments they most certainly will be more financially successful. My comment was directed at what they do with their time? And when they are my age will they find contentment and happiness?

I know people that never had kids. They seem to have more of a sadness than those with kids. Who shows up for their Thanksgiving Dinner? Maybe they just go to Golden Corral instead? We'll have 40 people in our shop for Thanksgiving Dinner. All related. My Sister, my wife Terry and I will be the elders.

Being an old military guy I use odd analogies. I could shoot up a flare right now and within 15 minutes have 4-10 vehicles pulling in my driveway coming to the rescue. I'm very Blessed.

Well, I have 4 sisters and only 1 of them had kids of her own, two married men that already had children, and one might as well be married because she's been living with the same man for 30-40 years. They just never felt the urge to have kids of their own. They have families and friends that fill their social needs. None of them seem to have any regrets about their decisions.

Maybe it's because they're all teachers in some form or another, and get their nurturing fix through their students and stepchildren.

 

[ovrszd]

Become a priest!

Just kidding. I can only think of two bachelors in our circle of 60 years of age ish group of friends and families. One is my cousin. He's retired military and has a large group of siblings that he lives near. A very tight knit family. He may as well have kids with all of his nieces and nephews. He just seems genuinely happy with the way things are in his life and doesn't appear to be missing anything from his life. Good guy.

The other I'm glad isn't reproducing. He's got women issues and I think the women are on to him. He's genuinely not a nice person.

For clarity, I was referring to married couples. People that remain single their whole lives always raise my eyebrows. Not saying bad. Not saying good. Just unique.

 

[MossRoad]

.... I could shoot up a flare right now and within 15 minutes have 4-10 vehicles pulling in my driveway coming to the rescue. I'm very Blessed.

If I did that we'd have the cops at our house in 2.... we live near the airport.

 

[ovrszd]

Well, I have 4 sisters and only 1 of them had kids of her own, two married men that already had children, and one might as well be married because she's been living with the same man for 30-40 years. They just never felt the urge to have kids of their own. They have families and friends that fill their social needs. None of them seem to have any regrets about their decisions.

Maybe it's because they're all teachers in some form or another, and get their nurturing fix through their students and stepchildren.

Very possible.