Recently I've heard of a lot of old collegues and some family passing on, it seems like every week someone I knew or know of, or a movie/pop star I liked as a kid has popped off. Its time to check the obits to see if I've kicked it.
And yeah... it has me contemplating my time, which is probably on the horizon.. Since my youngest brother passed on a few years ago from a heart condition it just makes it clear that any moment now your time is up..Even if you are fairly fit and healthy, which I'm not.
I'm not viewing this with any kind of dread or fear, just a realisation that the time I have left is far less than the time I've had so far.
Added to that a range of physical ailments which are starting to get in the way of everyday life and you start to realise the road ahead is getting a bit bumpy, and I'm very much over the top of the hill getting ready for that last big bumpy dip on the rickety rollercoaster of life.
I'm making some changes, financially, phusically Im still fucked :D, but Im going to be pretty ok when I retire in 7 years, and we're putting money into our pension pots as much as legal limits allow. We won't be rich but we certanly won't be British OAP pensioner poor.
7 years... yup, that and a few months, is all the official legal time I can work here in NL before I get the boot into the retirement home... Though I can probably get a few years more if I'm fit..I'm pretty sure I won't try to extend that time
I'd much rather retire a little earlier but I don't see that as being possible, so we'll aim for that 67 and 3 months retirement age.
The plan is simple, retire to Thailand, sun, cheap prices, easy to buy houses from the proceeds of selling here, and excellent medical care for when things are less easy.
Enjoy the last of the summer wine somewhere interesting fun and exciting, that time in our twilight, needs to be used well, if I get 15-20 good retirement years I'll have done well..
oh taxes... yeah nothing much to say about that... quite happy to pay taxes here in NL, they are high but you clearly see the benefit of them in the roads/streets and so on.... Thailand has lower taxes, but no idea if my pension is taxed at source or at desination, I'll check that out.
We're going to be making another trip to Thailand in Oct, to scout for nice places, we're still too far off the time to be buying but making enquires abut things and ensuring all is in place is fun.
edit, just 2 days ago, I heard of another collegue and friend who passed away quite suddenly, his wife would like us to not put details on Social media so I won't say too much.. But a lovely warm hearted man, just 51...there's no way to rationalise such a loss.
