How to deal with the drudgery...

[night0wl]

A long time ago, I decided I wanted to retire early and go cruising. So, I put in a plan. We moved down to Fort Lauderdale. We bought a house with a canal. We bought a boat! Things were lining up nicely till this malaise came over me.

I've been in the working world since 2001. It seems like every year is a recession. My plans for a marginal 3% annual merit increase in come aren't eve holding up. They chopped 401k matches now too. I guess I should be "lucky" to have a job, but it seems like prior generations never had to be thankful to have a job in America. All the spreadsheets keep pushing back my date of retirement. First 45...then 47, 48....the latest update this month. 50. *ugh

After 9 years in corporate America and more 70 hour work weeks than I can remember, my body is breaking down. I feel it slowing down, taking longer to recover from the small day to day injuries. Its tough to roll out of bed without creaks aches and groans. I'm 29 now...and at the rate I'm going, I dont know if I'll make 50...or my cruising dream. One illness which my medical plan at work will only partially cover (yet another cutback) and I can kiss cruising plans good-bye.

So, to all you old timers still slogging it out in the daily grind. How do you keep going? I've gotten about 1/3 of my working career knocked down...how do you keep the energy and stamina to keep working towards retirement in today's corporate America? It seems like things have changed from my parents era...my generation will be the first of the ones that doesn't have as good a life as our baby-boomer parents. What ever happened to "if you were willing to work hard, there was a career for you and reasonable job security to afford a good life."

[MtHopeBay]

You sound like a guy I work with: he's 50something, has a huge (to me) 401k and mulitple real estate properties. He has enough money to retire and support himself and and my wife and I as well for the rest of our lives. Sailboat habit and all. He whines incessantly about how he wishes he could retire. I wish he would.

I was 30 years old before I could go to college and have been working hard all my life. I learned not to whine about hard work when I was 12 years old working in crop fields. I learned when I was 18 serving aboard ship 3,000 miles from home.

My wife and I have raised 5 kids and now get to help them raise our grandkids. We were in our late 30's before we could afford to buy a home. I'm 54 and just got my first sailboat. Not my dream boat, but a start. I learned at an early age that hard work was going to be required of me if I wanted anything in life.

Whenever I feel like whining I remember how lucky I am to have a good job. My feet are killing me, my back aches and I'm tired all the time. I lost 18% of my 401k in the past year but hundreds of my coworkers are unemployed. I get to sail as much as I can stand and love it when I'm out with fellow sailors instead of at work listening to whiners.

[ramminjammin]

this is a v shaped recession, we are recovering
sell your stuff , pay off your debt
live within your means, debt free
sail in a boat thats paid for
I could pay a premium to live on the ocean but why ;
if I am going to be sailing i'll be enjoying the ocean so i don't need to live there too ?

work less and enjoy life in the present

back when i bought my first house , one income , wife, two kids interest rate 18 %.
I took up refereeing hockey as a hobby and exercise and second income . I did that for 10 years , earned 40,000 cash and that paid off my simple home.

[cruisingdream]

I'm 29 & falling apart .... you will never reach retirement so end it now so we don't have to listen to any more whining

[painkiller]

Hey, man. Don't listen to these dopes. I get where you're at. Hang in there.

[peptobysmol]

Its hard to feel sorry for you fella. Yes your at the old age of 29 and good for you your working hard. But you and 99% of the rest of us must work to achieve our dreams. You have a plan which is better than about 80% of people. The nice thing is that you plan includes an obtainable goal. The only modifier is that sometimes Life gets in the way. That puts you back into the large majority of the "rest of us" I'm 42, don't know when I'll retire, maybe 60-65. I work 36 hours a week, sometimes more. I love doing what I do. But I love working for my time off. I see very little point to busting my butt for 30 yrs working 70 hours a week and scarcely taking time to enjoy life. Mr. you need to live your life NOW. Like another poster said get a simple life, boat thats paid for and do what you like now. Imagine after you "retire" you or your loved one(s) (i know you never mentioned family but I'm playing the odds) have a catastrophic illness that requires a prolonged hospital stay. Now how are your finances. Many things can make a rich man a poor man, but a poor man feels rich with only a few things.
Good luck with your goals.

[cesarid]

Grow up. We don't need 29 year-old guys crying about they can't retire. Go someplace else if you want sympathy.

[RainDog]

I think you need to change your plan. Here are a few ideas:

1) You already have a boat. What are you waiting for? Why wait until you are 50? Pay off the boat, sell the house, and go now.

2) It sounds like you are budgeting carefully. The income side of your plan is changing, but you are holding the cost side fixed. Attack that side of the equation. Change your assumptions about what you need to be happy. Get a smaller or older boat. Live on less money. What would make you happier, working 10 more years or retiring 10 years earlier but living more simply?

3) If you are really working 70 hour weeks, change jobs (if you are on salary). If you hate your job, change careers. Go back to school or start your own business. Most people who work 70 hours do so because they are workaholics. Workaholics should be in business for themselves. Get to know some entrepreneurs in your area, find a mentor.

4) Get some Pardey books and read them for inspiration. It will help you reduce your ideas of how much it will cost to cruise. Start with "Self-Sufficient Sailor."

[blt2ski]

THen again, at 48, self emplyed in construction, worst year EVER in 28 yrs, one little thing, and ALL is gone right now. At 29, you have a job yadda yadda........ enjoy life and quite bitchen! I have 1$ coming in vs $4.50 last year! and $2-3 going out for every one going in! Yesterday I tossed 7 tons of concrete block around. If you're some desk pusher complaining.......oh well. "life's a beach, then you die" so enjoy what you got! There is no guarentee.

My dad whom has a million in 2 retirement accounts, can only pull $750 amonth vs the planned on $3200 right now due to the corp screw ps, and the government putting limits as to how much one can pull out of some IRA's etc. At the rate he can pull out, even my unborn great and double great grand kids will never spend all the money. I know of a couple others in the same boat. Money, but no way to spend it! as they can not get to it!

Marty

[Boasun]

If you view your JOB as Drudgery, then you are in the wrong job.
In all the years that I have been making a living I have worked very few of those years... Mostly I have enjoyed my work... thus making it a form of play.

Find something you enjoy doing and make a living at it...