My father has just retired at 59.5.
That is the age when you can begin drawing on your 401K. He set himself up pretty good and was able to retire in good health and relatively young. I hope to be able to do the same but much younger. Well I guess I don't want to retire I just want to author novels or write scripts or something else that gives me lots of free time to spend with my family and friends while still earning enough to live comfortably. The savings and frugality make that comfort level more affordable and hopefully easier to attain.

I am very happy after seeing how hard my father worked - he did a lot of carpentry, electrical work, and general hnadyman work for the neighborhood while being laid off periodically in the 70s and 80s and then when the steel industry came back he worked a lot of OT in a not so friendly environment, that he is finally able to rest. When he first started at the mill in 1973 they had probably 20 men per shift plus a dozen steady daylight and several specialists. One man for the coiler and one each for the front and rear motor rooms, a welder or two per shift crane repair personnel pipe fitters wire gang etc. Now they run about 4 per crew and have one or two pipe fitters to cover the entire day. My Dad's department were all trained or supposedly trained on the coiler the motor rooms, crane repair and so on to absorb all of those lost men. I can imagine how much hardr those 4 men are expected to work.

Some of it ended up being pretty cool. For instance he was sent to welding school and later used the skills that he developed restoring his truck. I know for a fact that he could have lived without ever answering a crane call though. I learned a lot about electricity and mechanics from watching and talkng to him. I hope that he continues to use the welding skill, maybe on a new vehicle to either add to his collection, or to sell to increase his pension income.

I also hope that he knows how glad I am to have a Father like him to look up to all my life, to learn from, have a positive role model and know what being a Father should be like. I would love to be able to retire early and have that same positive impact on my children that he had on me. As a side note, both of my parents and quite simply their being happy and loving with each other, my brother and I, and our children, gives such a strong root to our family tree.

Picture of said truck to be added, stay tuned!