Price increases

Trail Runner, can’t sell the car. My Honda CR-V has 307,000 miles on it and can’t make another long trip to Pa pulling our little enclosed trailer.

 

Keep the car, make the daughter pay the loan!

 

I recently heard a great thought - "you will outlive your health, before you outlive your wealth"! Take advantage of your healthy days! I recently turned 60 and am heading to CO and UT from MD in my 4R to go mountain biking for four weeks! My work is slow and my retirement account is down - F**k it! You only live once! I don't think I will care about how much money I have or don't have when I am 80 - if I get there!

 

That thought had crossed my mind, lol.

 

Sorry, it was only a joke and apparently a poor one at that, haha. I used to listen to Dave Ramsey a lot, and your post reminded me of one of his shows. The first thing out of his mouth is typically "sell the car!".

 

Yeah, it was only a joke. I agree, if that vehicle is his source of joy he should keep it and enjoy it, because life really pretty much sucks now.

It's funny though, the high resale is what makes me feel guilty about keeping mine. I'm used to buying cars, paying them off, and they're worth very little, so that's not worth really selling. It's just something that gets me around. With the 4Runner, the fact that I've owned it for 4 years and it still worth so much makes me feel guilty about driving around in something worth so much money. I'm not wealthy, I don't need to be driving around in a $20,000 car.

 

That's awesome! I hope you have a great time. I absolutely love Moab, I can't wait to get back. Four weeks would be amazing. Take a rest day every once in awhile though, because the last time I was there we really pushed it every day to get the most out of the trip, and on my next to the last day I crashed really bad. I'd have loved to extend that trip to ride more, not to spend it in the hospital.

And you're fortunate to have your health, a lot of people have neither health nor wealth. Definitely enjoy it!

 

Thank you sir! I am still healthy, so most importantly that makes me feel wealthy! Too many people in this country work to 68 only to die at 78. That's crazy! I feel life is good if you have options and I aim to take them for the next 10 - 12 years!

 

Yeah, definitely. A few months ago they sent out an email from corporate congratulating so and so are on her retirement. Two months later they sent out an email with news of her passing. So goddamn sad.

I'm 44, I'm dead set on retiring by the time I'm 60. I figure as long as my 401K doesn't get completely drained before then, the day I can access that without penalty. I'm at least going part-time. I hate 40-hour weeks as it is, so sick of wasting so much in my life at work.

I don't own a home yet, so I probably missed the boat ever achieving that one. So on the bright side at least when I retire I won't have any responsibilities, so I suppose it will make it easier to travel.

Oh, and speaking of enjoying life, you'll appreciate this. Yesterday was new bike day! I just picked up a Ibis Ripmo AF. Super psyched, can't wait to get it on the trail.

 

These times, are the most unpredictable in my lifetime. Wisdom says we should protect both our health and wealth, because the current level of pain, may very well last, multiple years. Make all your choices...cautiously. I wish you ALL the best.

 

The Ibis Ripley is a great bike! I strongly considered that bike. I have a 2020 Yeti SB130 which is a 150/130 bike and I already had a 2013 Santa Cruz Tallboy 130/100 bike, so I went with the beefier SB130. If I only owned one bike it would probably be a Ibis Ripley. I am trying to encourage my brother to go with the Ibis Ripley. Have fun with that!

EDIT - I see you have the Ripmo! My bad! The Ripmo is for next level riding! Good for you!

My self employed / self funded retirement account has been pounded pretty good since it's high in November, but I am trying to remain optimistic about the future and grateful that my wife, three sons and I are all healthy!

 

Sage advice! I hope you have been able to enjoy The Seamint and put together some good adventures over the past year. Are you done with the mods? In 16 months I finally removed the Predator Steps and removed the entire 2nd row seats in preparation for my trip out west. No one has a crystal ball, but I don't want to say coulda, woulda, shoulda 10, 15 or 20 years from now!

 

Yeah I need to take some of that advice myself. I am 48 saved like mad my whole life always maxed out 401k, Roth and overall saving. My weakness is fishing funds and an old boat I inherited from Grandfather. Never married or had kids so add that savings.

Now I work and care for my aging parents in my spare time. Mom has memory issues and Dad mobility. I got the 4R to tow my boat and take him fishing and here I am a year later with a new truck and could not get boat due to their health issues. What I would not give to fish with my Dad one more time. And what I would not give to see my Moms memory get better.

Meanwhile I am trying to find ways to have fun myself when I can and not lose site of my life and how quickly it passes.

Trust me the money and savings are a blessing but I wish I could balance it all somehow.

Hug your family guys and be thankful for the what’s in front of you and in front of all us. I fail to do this myself sometimes and need reminders in life myself.

 

Better hurry....much of the west may soon become the Kansas and Oklahoma of the dust bowl era. Kidding - not kidding. Hope you have a great time! Seamint remains a work in progress and I'm adventuring as much as life allows.

 

Well said! You just never know! A buddy told me that "you are just one doctor visit away from your life possibly changing forever"! It might not even be your doctor visit as you are experiencing MAC1USA and anyone of us may experience at any given time. I'm not suggesting one run around willy nilly squandering money in a quest for self satisfaction, but as I just turned 60 it's time to enjoy what I worked so hard for over the past 40 years - LIKE WE ALL HAVE! Raising three boys - two in college and one in the Army. My wife and I are self employed and have had to self fund our retirement and our annual health insurance bill is $30,000 - unbelievable!

I have always been active - playing sports, fishing, hunting, skiing, mountain biking, jumping out planes in the military - I just want to be a kid again, one last time - for the next 10 -12 years! I have the irresponsible Fuck It attitude! Sorry to bore you chaps with this!

 

Mac1usa, yeah, we have 3 cars also. 1997 Ford F-150 with 296,000 miles on it, but, still runs fine. Rarely use it anymore, but, do haul trash every once in a while cuz we don’t have trash service. 2013 Honda CRV with 307 ooo miles on it, use it almost every day. I also have a 1964 Ford Falcon convertible that just sits in the garage. Owned that fo

 

Mac, my hat is off to you for taking care of your parents. It ain't easy, but you'll be glad you did. Been there.

 

I have been wondering when you westerners are going to gravitate to the east seeking water and greenery!

 

Trail Runnah, retirement is great. I retired when I was 58 (2005) after working for the Post Office for 30 years. My goal is to be retired for at least 30 years. Got a few medical issuses that eventually may get in the way, but, I stay active flying the birds. Have traveled a little the last couple years, but, just to keep the wife happy. Leaving Friday for a trip to Houston to see my sister and then heading to Pa for a month and a half stay at our little fishing cottage. We don’t drive at night, so, usually takes us about 5 days to get to Pa.

 

It’s not far off for me to retire. Wife’s been retired a little over 3 years. I have a year and half and I will be calling it quits. October I will have 34 years in. Still like my job but it’s time to leave soon. I love all my vehicles I have but that’s coming to a end.

 

RusPro17. You will enjoy retirement. But, you have to have something to keep you occupied.

 

I agree. Friends say what are you going to do. No more working for anyone. Between our house and my vehicles it will keep me busy. I enjoy detailing them. And when I’m not. The wife and I will be doing a lot of road trips in my Z06. And vacations.

 

Thanks Moon Landing. Yes I am glad I am doing it. It is not easy as it sounds that you know that first hand. It would be nicer if my sister helped out. I do not understand the mentality of just send them to a home. They raised us and it’s our turn to give back.

 

We count ourselves lucky. I actually just did the math and I am at 15% average since I started with this company 5 years ago between promotions and raises. My wife is averaging right at 11% for the last 4 years (5 years ago she switched companies for a 168% bump in pay so didn’t want to include that in the averages). We have actually still been growing as a company and I am thankful we haven’t had to lay anyone off.

My father just retired for the third time this year in his mid 70s and has decided he isn’t buying a new vehicle again because the prices are just ridiculous

 

Sorry that you had to take a trip to the hospital! Damn! What kind of spill did you take and what did you hurt? What trail?

I have never been to Moab or Grand Junction before!

I am kinda late to the game and started riding at 46. We have some really good technical riding here in the Frederick Watershed in Maryland, but I don't do drops. I am too old to learn and suffer through that at this point in my life.

Sorry that I didn't catch that you said Ripmo and I thought Ripley. The Ripmo is a bad ass big mountain bike. Good climbing and descending where you are located? Have fun!

 

Sorry for the late reply, for some reason I stopped getting notifications on this thread. Last time I was in Moab was 2018, we were almost done with a 10-day trip. We decided to go ride the Whole Enchilada. We actually weren't able to do the whole thing, in early May you can only get to a certain point and then the road was closed because there's still snow up in the mountains. We started around 8K elevation, and had about 3K feet of descending to get back down to town. So we were maybe 1/3rd down, and I went over the bars on Upper Porcupine, and landed on my side. I've gone OTB plenty of times before, but this was like landing on cement. I couldn't walk, and luckily I was with a few people that had a clear head. They scouted the trail in both directions, and found that back up the trail about a quarter mile there was an exit to the Jeep road. One of my friends went to the road to hopefully flag somebody down, and the other two helped get me and my bike out to it. Luckily two girls in a JKU came by, they were shuttling their boyfriends up to that point to ride down. So they loaded me iand one of my buddies nto the Jeep and brought us to the ER. They' were able to x-ray me right away, turns out I broke my left hip. The surgeon happened to be in town that weekend, so I was in surgery first thing the next morning. Day after that was my 40th birthday lol. It was definitely a memorable one!

The funny thing is, I went to Moab in 2017, and did that trail for the first time. I made it all the way down to the bottom without incident. The second time I was either cocky, or I think I was just enjoying the scenery a little bit too much. I was going over short ledge, and didn't notice the wedge shaped rock that perfectly acted as a wheel chock and stopped my front wheel cold. My bike and I proceeded to keep going up and over and I fell from a decent height.

I advised you to take a rest day because that morning we were hanging out in the pool, and I felt like just having a lazy day hanging around the condo, spending time in the pool and drinking some beer. My other my friends wanted to ride, so I went along.

I live in RI, for most of the trails here the Ripmo is probably a little bit more than I need. But there are a few areas that have more enduro style trails that this thing will shred on, and I also like to go up north to some of the bike parks in the mountains and some of the great trails up there that have nice descents. This is a 160/150 bike, I really wanted a 150/140, but this thing does pedal really good, better than my old 120 bike. I'm hoping to finally get it out on the trail this weekend.

And I'm with you, I don't jump and do crazy stuff. I was never good at jumping even when I was a kid, and at 44 I don't think I'm really going to learn that stuff now. I do like riding technical terrain, and getting up and over stuff, so I think this bike will be pretty good for that. When I go to bike parks, I tend to stick to the flow trails more than the jump trails, I do really enjoy berms and cornering, not so much crazy jumps and drops.

Here's a photo from Upper Porcupine in Moab, this is probably about 10 minutes before the crash.

 

Wow, 15% is fantastic! I should hit you up to see if they're hiring, haha. We got bought out a couple years ago by a global company, and we went from getting merit-based raises to 3% across the board non-merit-based increases. I probably should leave, I don't feel like I'm really going anywhere there, and 3% a year does not even remotely come close to keeping up with inflation. On the other hand, 5 weeks vacation is nice.

Congrats to your dad for finally retiring AGAIN lol. I can't imagine that, but I know people who have done that. There's some people who retired at my company that came back kind of part-time, and my girlfriend's uncle was so excited about retiring, but he's had a few part-time jobs since then. Her other set of aunts and uncles are both retired and work part-time jobs too. I hope I'm financially secure enough by that time to not have to go back, but I can see having a little part-time hobby job for some spare cash. Or I would like to volunteer at one of the many animal shelters or rescues in the area. I'd love to do that now, but don't really have the time.

My mom took an early retirement package when she was 62 from the hospital that she worked at for 40 years, however, she ended up going back to work because her health insurance costs were going to be so exorbitant (because 'murica!).

I also want to retire early because Alzheimer's and dementia runs in my family, so I want to have at least a few years to enjoy myself before my brain turns to mush.

 

Awesome! I hope you have a great trip. 30 years in the post office, that's great. I wish I had gotten into something like that when I was younger. Do you have some sort of a pension from them? I see that it seems like they're often hiring now, I've thought to myself that if I were to relocate, I would look at the post office for potential employment. How did you like it?

 

Damn, that healthcare cost is appalling. That really infuriates me, that system that we have here. That's probably the one thing that would keep me from retiring early, is the healthcare. I commented to somebody else, my mom actually retired and then went back to work because she found that the insurance costs were going to be so much for her and my dad.

My goal is to keep myself in good enough shape so that when I do retire, I can still be out on my bike having fun. I have a friend that's about 10 years older than me, she's got a bunch of retired friends. When the weather's nice they ride their road bikes probably a couple hundred miles a week, they ride almost everyday. My girlfriend has a set of retired aunts and uncles, they travel quite a bit, and spend a lot of time going to breweries throughout New England.

 

Kudos to you for taking such good care of your parents. My dad has issues that sound similar to your mom's, so I can relate. It's really heartbreaking. I think about my parents, they worked their whole lives and did everything right, now in their retirement my dad is not well and they can't even really enjoy it together. His mom had Alzheimer's at a fairly young age, and he is not anywhere near that bad, but still he is not the same person that he was even 5 years ago. Luckily my mom is in good health, she does a good job of taking care of him and managing his care, however, my siblings and I try to spend some time with him as often as we can to take a little bit of the burden off and give her a break once in a while.