Originally Posted by
jumppilot
Just goes to show, every 10 years this career gives us a swift kick in the nuts. Plan your financial life accordingly and it’ll all work out.
The scars of 2009 are still raw to me. It was a terrible time and motivated me to put that extra 5% in my PRAP, make that extra mortgage payment, put that extra $5,000 into my kids 529, my keep my 15 year old car running, etc etc.
Stressful times indeed, but this saying has guided my financial life:
“If you will live like no
one else, later you can
live like no one else”
That's very true. Dave Ramsey's stuff is what we try to follow.
The lost decade has made it tough to capture funds. The poor contracts of the early 90's has also had a negative effect.
I have been saving aggressively. However, the costs of childrens education has out-paced what I could reasonably plan for. The irony is we waited a long time to have kids because we couldn't afford them while flying in the commuters. I was just getting to the point where I could afford their educations.
I am sure everyone has their financial challenges. But, living like no one else is something that is still a lofty goal. I drive a used car, so does my wife, and i have a modest home. still the first wife. 10 years to retirement, and only half way to that goal. Interesting, a 30 year career has only gotten me half way to my retirement goals.....