What should my 75yo self tell my 50yo self?

[Anonymous]

Just turning fifty and wondering what advice I'd give my 25 yo self. But it's too late anyway.
Help me think what my 75yo self can tell my 50yo self now. So I can avoid any regrets.
Life is so short.

[Anonymous]

Put more $$$ away for retirement because I'm going to live at least 30 more years!

[Anonymous]

You can still turn your health around.

[Anonymous]

Hard to know, and you shouldn't live your life with regrets. Here's what I am thinking about:

- really pushing on saving for retirement now that kids are in college (we already saved for that)
- having a career plan for the next 10-15 years
- finding some new interests now that the kids are gone
- focusing on my health - exercising and losing/maintaining weight
- thinking about where I want to travel over the next few years
- thinking about when and if to downsize our primary house

[Anonymous]

I'm also 50. For those that have BTDT what do you recommend that we do to turn our health around? What do you wish you had done differently at this stage of your life?

[Anonymous]

You thought that 50 year old's headache was bad ? Wait until you turn 75.

You thought your 50 year old back hurts bad ? Wait until you turn 75.

You think you look old now ? Wait until you turn 75.

You think your memory, eyes and balance are bad now at 50 ? Wait until you turn 75.

Enjoy your driving now at 50 because at 75 it's hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hard to know, and you shouldn't live your life with regrets. Here's what I am thinking about:

- really pushing on saving for retirement now that kids are in college (we already saved for that)
- having a career plan for the next 10-15 years
- finding some new interests now that the kids are gone
- focusing on my health - exercising and losing/maintaining weight
- thinking about where I want to travel over the next few years
- thinking about when and if to downsize our primary house

I agree on really pushing on saving for retirement but then wouldn't spending money on travel work against that goal? Everything I read about saving for retirement says that it will cost more than we might expect, just as college costs increased so greatly in the last twenty years. It would be great to travel now that the kids are out if the house, but what if my 75 year old self needs expensive ongoing medical care? Would that self tell my present self that we shouldn't have spent that $5000 on that trip to Europe because if we had kept it in investments it would have given me that little bit more peace of mind at 75?

We've saved all our lives and are getting kids through college without any loans. We will probably also pay for at least part of grad school for a couple of them, too, and have already paid out a lot for a wedding. It seems selfish or short-sighted though to ever spend anything on us.

[Anonymous]

Tell your 50 year old self to not be sedentary, do Pilates or yoga or body weight exercises, lots of walking, whatever it takes to be mobile and strong down the road. Travel now, because we are not promised tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Keep chasing tail as long as you can because once you stop, that's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to know, and you shouldn't live your life with regrets. Here's what I am thinking about:

- really pushing on saving for retirement now that kids are in college (we already saved for that)
- having a career plan for the next 10-15 years
- finding some new interests now that the kids are gone
- focusing on my health - exercising and losing/maintaining weight
- thinking about where I want to travel over the next few years
- thinking about when and if to downsize our primary house

I agree on really pushing on saving for retirement but then wouldn't spending money on travel work against that goal? Everything I read about saving for retirement says that it will cost more than we might expect, just as college costs increased so greatly in the last twenty years. It would be great to travel now that the kids are out if the house, but what if my 75 year old self needs expensive ongoing medical care? Would that self tell my present self that we shouldn't have spent that $5000 on that trip to Europe because if we had kept it in investments it would have given me that little bit more peace of mind at 75?

We've saved all our lives and are getting kids through college without any loans. We will probably also pay for at least part of grad school for a couple of them, too, and have already paid out a lot for a wedding. It seems selfish or short-sighted though to ever spend anything on us.

I was actually going to add to my list not to suffer along the way. So yes we need to save aggressively but I don't want to do that at the expense of enjoying life a little as well. I don't think my retirement is going to be made or broken based on taking a decent vacation once a year. I'd rather do it now while we can enjoy it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to know, and you shouldn't live your life with regrets. Here's what I am thinking about:

- really pushing on saving for retirement now that kids are in college (we already saved for that)
- having a career plan for the next 10-15 years
- finding some new interests now that the kids are gone
- focusing on my health - exercising and losing/maintaining weight
- thinking about where I want to travel over the next few years
- thinking about when and if to downsize our primary house

I agree on really pushing on saving for retirement but then wouldn't spending money on travel work against that goal? Everything I read about saving for retirement says that it will cost more than we might expect, just as college costs increased so greatly in the last twenty years. It would be great to travel now that the kids are out if the house, but what if my 75 year old self needs expensive ongoing medical care? Would that self tell my present self that we shouldn't have spent that $5000 on that trip to Europe because if we had kept it in investments it would have given me that little bit more peace of mind at 75?

We've saved all our lives and are getting kids through college without any loans. We will probably also pay for at least part of grad school for a couple of them, too, and have already paid out a lot for a wedding. It seems selfish or short-sighted though to ever spend anything on us.

Your kids are out of the house already? Mine are still in elementary school. They won't be out of college until I'm in my mid-60s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep chasing tail as long as you can because once you stop, that's it.

That's it how? Death?

Do you really view your AP as tail? Do they know that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to know, and you shouldn't live your life with regrets. Here's what I am thinking about:

- really pushing on saving for retirement now that kids are in college (we already saved for that)
- having a career plan for the next 10-15 years
- finding some new interests now that the kids are gone
- focusing on my health - exercising and losing/maintaining weight
- thinking about where I want to travel over the next few years
- thinking about when and if to downsize our primary house

I agree on really pushing on saving for retirement but then wouldn't spending money on travel work against that goal? Everything I read about saving for retirement says that it will cost more than we might expect, just as college costs increased so greatly in the last twenty years. It would be great to travel now that the kids are out if the house, but what if my 75 year old self needs expensive ongoing medical care? Would that self tell my present self that we shouldn't have spent that $5000 on that trip to Europe because if we had kept it in investments it would have given me that little bit more peace of mind at 75?

We've saved all our lives and are getting kids through college without any loans. We will probably also pay for at least part of grad school for a couple of them, too, and have already paid out a lot for a wedding. It seems selfish or short-sighted though to ever spend anything on us.

Your kids are out of the house already? Mine are still in elementary school. They won't be out of college until I'm in my mid-60s.

Our youngest is in middle school so we will be right around 60 when he is out of college. Our oldest will be done when we're in our late fifties. We're a little bit ahead of you but we still got a ways to go..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to know, and you shouldn't live your life with regrets. Here's what I am thinking about:

- really pushing on saving for retirement now that kids are in college (we already saved for that)
- having a career plan for the next 10-15 years
- finding some new interests now that the kids are gone
- focusing on my health - exercising and losing/maintaining weight
- thinking about where I want to travel over the next few years
- thinking about when and if to downsize our primary house

I agree on really pushing on saving for retirement but then wouldn't spending money on travel work against that goal? Everything I read about saving for retirement says that it will cost more than we might expect, just as college costs increased so greatly in the last twenty years. It would be great to travel now that the kids are out if the house, but what if my 75 year old self needs expensive ongoing medical care? Would that self tell my present self that we shouldn't have spent that $5000 on that trip to Europe because if we had kept it in investments it would have given me that little bit more peace of mind at 75?

We've saved all our lives and are getting kids through college without any loans. We will probably also pay for at least part of grad school for a couple of them, too, and have already paid out a lot for a wedding. It seems selfish or short-sighted though to ever spend anything on us.

Your kids are out of the house already? Mine are still in elementary school. They won't be out of college until I'm in my mid-60s.

Funny that on the over 50 forum people are shocked, SHOCKED at the idea of kids being out of the house! My youngest is a college sophomore and I was teen mom by DCUM standards - 35 when DC was born!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to know, and you shouldn't live your life with regrets. Here's what I am thinking about:

- really pushing on saving for retirement now that kids are in college (we already saved for that)
- having a career plan for the next 10-15 years
- finding some new interests now that the kids are gone
- focusing on my health - exercising and losing/maintaining weight
- thinking about where I want to travel over the next few years
- thinking about when and if to downsize our primary house

I agree on really pushing on saving for retirement but then wouldn't spending money on travel work against that goal? Everything I read about saving for retirement says that it will cost more than we might expect, just as college costs increased so greatly in the last twenty years. It would be great to travel now that the kids are out if the house, but what if my 75 year old self needs expensive ongoing medical care? Would that self tell my present self that we shouldn't have spent that $5000 on that trip to Europe because if we had kept it in investments it would have given me that little bit more peace of mind at 75?

We've saved all our lives and are getting kids through college without any loans. We will probably also pay for at least part of grad school for a couple of them, too, and have already paid out a lot for a wedding. It seems selfish or short-sighted though to ever spend anything on us.

Your kids are out of the house already? Mine are still in elementary school. They won't be out of college until I'm in my mid-60s.

Funny that on the over 50 forum people are shocked, SHOCKED at the idea of kids being out of the house! My youngest is a college sophomore and I was teen mom by DCUM standards - 35 when DC was born!

Not pp but haha. You'll be pushing late 50's yourself by the time your kiddo is out of college. If your kid goes to grad school you may actually be in your 60's by the time he is done with school.

I had my youngest at 36, btw. I'm really not teasing you! But it's not like you are 42 with a college grad already - and there are people in that situation.