​​​​​​​While we all may be taking a pause right now due to the economic uncertainty, at some point you to need to focus on YOUR own (un)retirement plan.

The fact is I'm spending more money at this stage of life. Specifically, I mean that I am spending more than I probably should according to the target "100% success rate" of my retirement financial plan. My current spending level means that as of today, there is only about a 70% chance I will still have money at age 92. But I still think these are pretty good odds. I want to do all the things in life I've worked hard for and dreamed of while I have the time and energy. Yes, I want to enjoy it all while I'm healthy, which means TODAY. I don't know what my future health situation is going to be.  

What about you?

Personally, I'm not spending my money on things. I'm spending my money on experiences. For my wife Diana and me, our passion is travel. We're taking a couple of international trips and many in the U.S. Ideally, we want to experience new countries, new cultures, new experiences all over the world while physically fit. I know that at some point, we're not going to be able to do all this traveling. So, I'm taking full advantage of the opportunity now.

Go figure out what you have a passion for and do it NOW! For you, it can be something totally different from travel, but don't waste this special time of your life. One of the saddest things to watch are these soon to be or retired people depriving themselves of all the fun things they can be doing and instead are fixated on the amount of savings they have. They say, "I'll do all those fun things when I'm older". Really? How much older? Why not have amazing experiences now when you can fully experience your life's bucket list? Plus, then when you really are older, you'll have those memories to savor much longer.

My wife hates when I (occasionally) talk about how long I have to live. To me, it's a good reminder to fully live out my (un)retirement years. I encourage everyone to look at a life expectancy calculator based on your age and your current health. In my case my life expectancy is about age 84 That's 16 years for me! Trust me that I'm doing my best to live a long and healthy life. But that statistic doesn't scare me, it motivates me! And let's get real. Our travel expenses will drop considerably when we're in our 80's and 90's, so that's why I'm spending and doing NOW!

Note: I do have a budget set aside for any future health stuff.

What do you think?  What's your plan for your Go-Go years?

Tags:    The Carl Diary   unretirement   travel   finances   health   aging   Go-Go years  

Is there some movie that you've never seen for some reason and the whole world except you has seen it? Well this week to calm ourselves with the craziness of 2020 we decided randomly to watch "On Golden Pond". That’s right, I had never seen it. 

I am sure that 99% of you have seen this movie but for those 1%-ers (the non-movie-watching people, not the super rich people). It's about this older couple, played by Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn, who return to their beloved cabin on a lake and are dealing with aging. For Norman (Henry Fonda) it also means dealing with his tense relationship with his daughter, played by Jane Fonda, in the movie and in real life. BTW: Jane Fonda rocks her bikini in this 1981 movie--probably still does now.

Norman is turning 80 in the movie. What is striking is how an 80 year old is portrayed 40 years ago. He seems ancient. Today being healthy and active at 80 is so common. Many people in their 80s are doing amazing things. This week, for example, I had Richard Turner in our tiki bar studio for a socially distanced interview. Richard is 82 with a thriving photography and writing career. My wife's Great Aunt Vera is 89 and a total live wire who keeps all of us on our toes. 

Things have changed so much in the aging process. It's encouraging for us all. The key is to keep on GOING...MOVING...BE POSITIVE...THINK THE BEST OF OTHERS. This terrible COVID time has made me and everyone else slow down. In some crazy way, it has given us time to be more patient and reflective with ourselves and others.

Tags:    the carl diary   retirement   aging   thriving