Originally Posted by illini90

You’ve all flown with those captains that bragged about getting to 150 hours/month or more, working their tails off to make a pile of money. One of my favorite guys retired recently, hardly able to walk anymore, but hit 180 hours/month regularly. Now he’s 65, and probably hasn’t taken his kids or grand kids fishing or skiing in the last ten years, because there was flying to be had, money to be made. “Sorry, kiddo, I was going to take you fishing today, but Skeds just called with a greenie…maybe next week, depending on the coverage.” With the money we pull down, working a normal ALV, and investing what will be 18% in a couple years…how can you be trading time today for incremental gains in the future? What do you want to do with a zillion dollars when you’re 65? Count it all day? I’m sipping an Aberlour 18 yr whiskey as I type this, that I picked up today on a layover for $140. I made that back before I turned the landing lights off, passing 10,000’. My buddy would have had a heart attack, spending that much out of his 180 hour month. I choose to enjoy it today, because I’m pretty sure 18% of my W2, over the years, will set me up just fine. I don’t want to look back and see what I could have done with this pile of gold, if only I would have used some of it earlier to be with my friends and family, or buy the fishing pole or hockey stick I always wanted. That’s why I’ll max out my 401K, take my spill cash, and make my own decisions with it. You can do all your analysis, all day long…knock yourself out. I’ll be in the South Platte River, with my family and my dog, reeling in some sweet rainbow trout, enjoying life.