I retired 3 1/2 years ago at age 57...shouldn't have really. I was an industrial plant manager, 37 years with the same company and earning a good wage.
"Overly optimistic professional financial advice" had me living just fine from my mutual fund investments.
Yeah, right.
My funds lost 40% of their value shortly after I retired ( long before 9 /11)....so....my income is less than half of what was planned.....and only about 20% of what I made when I was working.
A bit of part-time work here and there is also necessary.
Younger folks out there : Be careful ...DON'T LET your finanacial adviser put all your funds in one type of investment.[xx(][xx(]
Anyway, since I'd been in H0 over 45 years, and had "stashes" of scenic materials, car kits, building kits, scratch materials, etc.,I didn't need much new stuff. In the last 10 years or so that I worked, I spent around $500-600 a year on new stuff.
I now spend maybe $200-250 a year, but generally sell off $700-1000 of stuff I don't really need, so my net expenditures are in minus.[:)][;)]
regards
Mike[:D]