Woah there big fella. Nothing personal. Just commentary. ;)

I didnt take it personal, but it seems like all I hear is save,save,save, I say screw that I live for the moment and if god forbid I die tomarrow I will die with a smile on my face :D

Seems like such basic and simple advice, problem is like dieting - most people know what they should/not do, but don't have the discipline.

Yep. But failure to follow thru means that later in life the rest of us have to pay for someone's lack of disipline.

motordavid - I see stories like this all the time. What is missing in these stories is the details. Okay so you bailed at 53, are you willing to share some numbers? How much did you have total? How much do you pull a month? When do you expect your savings to run out? Do you own a house (owning cost money and typically increases every year)? Did you have to change your lifestyle or do you live the way you did before retirement?

I am a saver also. My 401k is almost maxed out and my company matches 25% unlimited. If I can keep this up I should be able to walk away earlier than 65-67.

NextGen, I toss up articles all the time; some are entertaining, informative,
interesting or, just for fun. That art. was not meant to be a "guide"; it was
intended for what it is: a reminder to some of my younger Gang here, that
a little planning and saving will serve anyone well over time. Any saving is
better than none or, not much saving.

The article had, imo, enough detail to get one thinking about some
scenarios and a bit of simple arithmetic showed the advantage of
some painless tweaks that compound very favorably, over time.

I congratulate you on your saving effort. Imo, max that 401k every
year, look hard at throwing most/all of it into a Roth and keep between
the fiscal/common sense shoulders of the road. It will serve you well.

Do you really want to hear my details?
BR,mD

I guess when I think about it I really don't need to see the details. Everyone has a different view on life. The path you chose may not work for me. I try and live a balanced life with putting some money away while living on some today (as tomorrow is not promised).

I have always been a saver so it comes natural for me. I save money to get the things that I really want instead of junk that looks good today but is worthless tomorrow. Most people I know don't understand that. They make plenty of money but still have an enormous amount of debt or have very little wealth.

Thanks for a great post.

I think asking Dave for numbers in a public forum is a little out of line and puts him on the spot.

Another principle I live by is never use debt to buy a depreciating asset, and that has served me well through the years. Either I have the cash to afford it or I don't buy it.

I'll skip the autobio and boring/self-serving details, lol!

Both you, NextGen & AutoXer, and a few other smart guys
and gals here, have it figured out: unless one is making
WallStPartner type dough, and one has a big contract,
spend a little to a lot less than one makes, save, and it works!

Some things that have worked for us, though not a rec'd:

-We both had co. cars for most of the last 20 yrs of our
working careers; huge benefit.
-We lived in a modest house for 14 of those last 20 yrs
of our careers. Sold it to build our first retirement joint.
-We both had jobs that req'd some, to in my case, huge
travel; thus, living on the road on exp acct. vs "living"
at home.
-Stock options I got way back when we went public in
'83, paid for two kids' college, some cars, some stuff and
the rest of that option dough got banked/invested; nice
"egg" 15 years later.
-We have been Mort Free since late '95. Same situ on our
two current homes.
-We don't deny ourselves our hobbies; we just don't go
crazy. "Crazy" is easily discernable & definable by most, imo.
-Yes, our life style is "different" in 6 3/4 yrs of retired
BumDom than it was when wearing 800 buck suits and
carrying the bag...we've adjusted, but not denied ourselves.
-We are totally debt free and have been since about late '95.
Normal bills and some doozies, but they, and all CCs are paid
on time. We have no debt...
-We peel about 5+% outta the "port" every year. The "burn" was a
tad higher the first couple years, (contrary to the bean counters'
advice), but we were building a new house, cash, and we
have recouped, port-wise, quickly. Our port is way bigger than it was
back in 2000 when we bailed out, parachuteless.
-Am aprox 58% equities and 42% cash, cash equiv., etc.
I am sliding that "cash" % up, every month.
-I keep stops on every equity I own...and sell points on
every stock. I like stocks & indices; mut funds are not my
fave. And, I like cash & cash equivs. a lot!
-Barring calamity, End of the World, total econ meltdown, etc.,
I will not run outta dough during my fun run on the planet.
And, there's always the paid for real estate, when I need to
downsize and head for the drool and stare center.

My 50Cent is up. Good luck to all and,
live well 'til the dough runs out.
BR,md

No debt is a good thing.......I will follow the way my parents (well, my mom) manage the cash flow. Yes, saving is important. I make realistic goals and budget my spending allowance, whether its short or long term. Not a terrible mindset for a 17 year old, although it does keep me behind the technology curve. But that's something I'm willing to give up.