What is Your Lifestyle?

[sealybobo]

I haven't paid attention to groceries prices in years. My biggests finanical concern is I WANT the next recession to hit, so that I can see how bad it is, and we can get past it, and I can then see how my long term growth is going to be playing out, past this bubble.

Yes Trump is definitely riding a tech bubble.

I will survive when they cut my social security by 20%. I know that is coming.

You know what would be cool? If they said "anyone who's social security got cut no longer has to pay taxes. ANY taxes. Buy a car, no tax. Buy a vacation home in Florida, no tax. Make 20% on your investments last year, claim zero.

 

[DGS49]

Lifestyle is trying to lose 60 lbs without losing muscle. It's working but slow. I've lost 25. I fight hard every day to lose that 1/4 pound of fat daily. Up at 5:30. Lift weights. Walk for 1.5 hours. No sugar. No preservatives. Few meals. I used to eat tons of fruit and milk and bread, thinking it was very healthy. In reality, I was ingesting sugar constantly, always hungry, and always tired. It was all I could do to exercise. I sharply reduced those things, feel much more energetic, and don't eat nearly as often. I've lost weight before and gained it all back because a lot of it was muscle loss. I wasn't eating enough to support weight lifting, plus, I was doing HIIT three times a week which reduces muscle as well as fat. Now, I'm walking long distance which burns almost purely fat, and have plenty of energy for lifting.

I long for the day I weigh the same as I did at age 21. It will take six more months.

Good for you. At 76y.o., I have lost 29 lbs since Labor Day (typing this on 11/25) using a combination of a 1,200cal/day diet and enhanced physical activity. Gone from 213 to 184, and counting, although I won't lose anything this week.

I have had, not a single cookie, donut, bagel, piece of candy, piece of cake, pie, or bread in that time. I've had a few slices of potato in the course of mixed meals. Most of my dinners are of the frozen variety, choosing those with 300 calories or less, and usually enhanced with a vegetable.

I stretch & lift weights (Planet Fitness) three times a week, take two long bike rides (90 minutes), do two or three interval (H.I.I.T.) workouts on my stationary bike, and have a 3.25 mile hike that I do when nothing else is going on that day. I can actually feel how much better I do stuff without carrying around the excess weight. I have technically reached my goal, but I want to lose a little more "for good measure."

When the diet is over, the plan is to eat one full meal per day, and two 300-cal snacks. No more garbage.

 

[Correll]

Yes Trump is definitely riding a tech bubble.

Something weird is going on with the economy. I am pretty sure there is a major correction needed someday.

At this point in time it is difficult to imagine a scenario where the wife and I really suffer. You have to get really apocolyptic before the pain we suffer gets beyond "no europeans vacations for us ever again".

I will survive when they cut my social security by 20%. I know that is coming.

Yeah, that would not mean much to me either. Not unless combined with a long term bear market.

You know what would be cool? If they said "anyone who's social security got cut no longer has to pay taxes. ANY taxes. Buy a car, no tax. Buy a vacation home in Florida, no tax. Make 20% on your investments last year, claim zero.

I'll just be happy if taxes don't sky rocket as teh boomer retire.

 

[Mashmont]

Good for you. At 76y.o., I have lost 29 lbs since Labor Day (typing this on 11/25) using a combination of a 1,200cal/day diet and enhanced physical activity. Gone from 213 to 184, and counting, although I won't lose anything this week.

I have had, not a single cookie, donut, bagel, piece of candy, piece of cake, pie, or bread in that time. I've had a few slices of potato in the course of mixed meals. Most of my dinners are of the frozen variety, choosing those with 300 calories or less, and usually enhanced with a vegetable.

I stretch & lift weights (Planet Fitness) three times a week, take two long bike rides (90 minutes), do two or three interval (H.I.I.T.) workouts on my stationary bike, and have a 3.25 mile hike that I do when nothing else is going on that day. I can actually feel how much better I do stuff without carrying around the excess weight. I have technically reached my goal, but I want to lose a little more "for good measure."

When the diet is over, the plan is to eat one full meal per day, and two 300-cal snacks. No more garbage.

That's really outstanding. 10 lbs a month. I don't know if I could do 1200 calories, though.

 

[sealybobo]

Something weird is going on with the economy. I am pretty sure there is a major correction needed someday.

At this point in time it is difficult to imagine a scenario where the wife and I really suffer. You have to get really apocolyptic before the pain we suffer gets beyond "no europeans vacations for us ever again".




Yeah, that would not mean much to me either. Not unless combined with a long term bear market.



I'll just be happy if taxes don't sky rocket as teh boomer retire.

I was not surprised when the Great Recession hit us in 2008. The value of the dollar was really low. Unemployment high. Debt skyrocketing. Housing prices were high. Bush tax breaks to the rich. Like you now, I was sure the Great Recession was done on purpose. They had to increase the value of the dollar so what better way to do that than to have the market crash and everyone loses half their life savings? Suddenly people weren't sitting on mountains of cash.

And a lot of people lost their homes. The rich came in and gobbled them up for cheap. Now those people who lost their homes RENT from the rich people who purchased their homes cheap.

Let's not forget all the baby boomers are retiring and we got to pay them all social security.

And don't forget all those baby boomers are dying too and leaving their kids those homes.

Unfortunately every year more and more middle class people are finding their parents aren't leaving them anything.

Generation X is poised to inherit approximately $1.4 trillion annually over the next decade, marking the start of the "Great Wealth Transfer". This windfall comes as Baby Boomers pass away, and it is happening at a pivotal time for Gen X, which is often "sandwiched" between caring for children and aging parents. While this transfer is expected to be substantial, many Gen Xers doubt an inheritance will be a significant source of retirement income due to factors like healthcare costs and the possibility of insufficient savings from their own parents.

I think rich kids are going to get most of that $1.4 trillion.

I should get $400K.

 

[DGS49]

That's really outstanding. 10 lbs a month. I don't know if I could do 1200 calories, though.

I learned the concept from a book by Ellington Darden. The point is that after 300 calories you are no longer hungry. We teach ourselves to eat until we feel full, but you just have to un-teach yourself that need.

 

[Correll]

I was not surprised when the Great Recession hit us in 2008. The value of the dollar was really low. Unemployment high. Debt skyrocketing. Housing prices were high. Bush tax breaks to the rich. Like you now, I was sure the Great Recession was done on purpose. They had to increase the value of the dollar so what better way to do that than to have the market crash and everyone loses half their life savings? Suddenly people weren't sitting on mountains of cash.

And a lot of people lost their homes. The rich came in and gobbled them up for cheap. Now those people who lost their homes RENT from the rich people who purchased their homes cheap.

Let's not forget all the baby boomers are retiring and we got to pay them all social security.

And don't forget all those baby boomers are dying too and leaving their kids those homes.

Unfortunately every year more and more middle class people are finding their parents aren't leaving them anything.

Generation X is poised to inherit approximately $1.4 trillion annually over the next decade, marking the start of the "Great Wealth Transfer". This windfall comes as Baby Boomers pass away, and it is happening at a pivotal time for Gen X, which is often "sandwiched" between caring for children and aging parents. While this transfer is expected to be substantial, many Gen Xers doubt an inheritance will be a significant source of retirement income due to factors like healthcare costs and the possibility of insufficient savings from their own parents.

I think rich kids are going to get most of that $1.4 trillion.

I should get $400K.

The idea of us being a nation of renters comes from the super rich status quo types. They are a big part of your side of this divide.

I am all up for pushing back on that one.

 

[sealybobo]

The idea of us being a nation of renters comes from the super rich status quo types. They are a big part of your side of this divide.

I am all up for pushing back on that one.

Really because to me it seems like your side is the one making the argument maybe it's better to rent and not own. That was your sides argument in 2008 when everyone was losing their homes.

My side has always wanted home ownership.

Your side is talking about this now because it's an issue with voters. But it's not like your side has done anything to fix the problem. In fact Trump's policies made things worse. For example, instead of giving countries that send us wood tax breaks, he tariffed them. So the price of building materials went up. Cost of homes went up.

Have you noticed every Republican on USMB who's successful without a college degree seems to own real estate? Those are small business owners. Those are Republicans. Landlords

Did you hear about the site landlords use to determine how much they should charge in rent? They use this national website. Every landlord who uses the site jacked their rent up. Landlords who don't use the site tended to keep their rent down.

For landlords to determine rent, you can use websites like Zillow's Rent Zestimate, Rentometer, RentCast, and Redfin. These platforms provide estimates based on location, property specifics, and comparable rentals in the area. Some are free for basic estimates, while others offer more advanced, paid features for detailed market analysis.

Any landlord that uses these sites has jacked up their rent.

 

[Correll]

Really because to me it seems like your side is the one making the argument maybe it's better to rent and not own. That was your sides argument in 2008 when everyone was losing their homes.

I don't recall any republicans ever making that argument. This seems to be a push solely from the super rich limo libs, like the Davos World Economic Forum.

My side has always wanted home ownership.

Your side is talking about this now because it's an issue with voters. But it's not like your side has done anything to fix the problem. In fact Trump's policies made things worse. For example, instead of giving countries that send us wood tax breaks, he tariffed them. So the price of building materials went up. Cost of homes went up.

Trump's bandwidth is clearly focused on trade and immigration. And the lefties RESIST nonsense.

So this issue is one for either the congress or the next president.

Have you noticed every Republican on USMB who's successful without a college degree seems to own real estate? Those are small business owners. Those are Republicans. Landlords

I have NOT noticed that. You sure this isn't your weird thing of assuming the rich are republcians, like it was 1945 or something?

Did you hear about the site landlords use to determine how much they should charge in rent? They use this national website. Every landlord who uses the site jacked their rent up. Landlords who don't use the site tended to keep their rent down.

For landlords to determine rent, you can use websites like Zillow's Rent Zestimate, Rentometer, RentCast, and Redfin. These platforms provide estimates based on location, property specifics, and comparable rentals in the area. Some are free for basic estimates, while others offer more advanced, paid features for detailed market analysis.

Any landlord that uses these sites has jacked up their rent.

I did not hear about this. I landlorded for several years, and did not use that site.

 

[MarathonMike]

Lifestyle refers to an individual's unique way of living, encompassing their habits, attitudes, behaviors, and interests. It is a combination of what people repeatedly do, including their work, leisure, and social patterns, and can be healthy or unhealthy, active or inactive.

What got me thinking about this? This guy called in to the Howard Stern Show and said every morning he wakes up at 6am, takes a bath and then plays tennis. Then he sees 8 clients a day. I think he was a therapist. It got me thinking, is this all there is? Every day, bath, tennis and then work? What is my lifestyle? What's my routine? And what's yours? What makes you happy?

I live by myself. SINK. I have a dog. My main habit has to be walking the dog. Morning, first thing we do. If I'm off, mid day walk and a walk before dark. 3 walks a day. If that sounds boring, I actually like it. But like the guy who takes a bath and then plays tennis, walking the dog helps me pass the day. Pass the time. But are we all so bored that we have to find things to do? I guess if I didn't have the dog I'd be going to the gym 5 days a week like that guy goes and plays tennis. Only I would go after work. 6-8pm. Then come home and watch TV till midnight. I would get to sleep in an extra hour in the morning if I didn't have a dog.

A lot of us are weekend warriors. What do you look forward to on your days off? Besides walking my dog, I go with friends on long Ebike trips. We have lots of trails in Metro Detroit. Old railroad tracks tore out and pavement put down. Each city pays for their own section of the trail and these trails go on for miles and miles and miles. Connecting many many cities. I do this any chance I get except Winter.

In the Winter I work from Florida for a month. Actually I take the Ebike with me. But this is huge as far as giving me a break from Winter in MI. I hate the cold and so does my dog.

I don't go out to eat as much as I used to. Or go see movies at the theater. I don't go to bars anymore. Why do we stop doing these things later in life when we have the time and money to do them? I don't play video games either. I should get my 81 year old dad hooked on a PS3 or Xbox. Call of Duty shit. LOL. But he wouldn't even try it. Getting old sucks.

I show up early to work but I leave right at 5pm. Proper work/life balance. But I work really hard when I'm here. Well, I get a lot done.

I heard somewhere recently it's not the destination it's the journey. So instead of wishing or waiting for retirement, appreciate that you are on track to retire on time and you have a good job now and you are putting a lot into your 401K.

I'll never forget Keith Urban sang "these are the days we will remember" It's so true. In 10 years from now you'll look back at today as the good old days and wish you could go back. But that's because future you knows nothing bad happened to past you. Past you is worrying about reaching that finish line.

And when you do reach that finish line, then what? I have recently run into a lot of people recently retired who bought a home up north in the country, bought a RV and are going to travel the country, bought a place in Florida, or they go rent a place in Florida for 4 months. One guy showed me him and his wife's itinerary of where they are going and it looked amazing. I'm so jealous.

I don't envy people sitting at home bored wasting away with nothing to do. And a lot of them have the money. It's not that they can't afford to do things they just don't do shit. Stay home and watch TV. Then again, I love doing that too. But I can't even get through an entire movie without the dog bugging me to take him out for a walk. God I love that guy.

Good post! I'm fully retired, wife is semi-retired and she will probably stay working part time because she is a worker. A lot my friends who are retired engineers went back to work because they say they "need the money" but it the work that gives them purpose, in their minds. And that's fine.

There are some things I miss about my work, solving complex problems and working with people. But I love the total freedom that retirement allows. I am usually doing something related to music or golf. But within those pastimes are a wide variety of things to do like writing lyrics, doing the musical arrangement, how to sing the song, doing Open Mic performances, working on tracks with other musicians. Golf is usually more practice than playing but I enjoy both maybe practice even more because I don't have to wait for slow golfers in front of me.

I also go on short hikes with my wife usually, meet friends for lunch, have a variety of exercise and stretching routines I do, watch sports, dabble with sports betting, and do a fair amount of reading on topics of the day. My wife and I don't like to travel so we are mostly home bodies, but I'm never bored.

 

[sealybobo]

Good post! I'm fully retired, wife is semi-retired and she will probably stay working part time because she is a worker. A lot my friends who are retired engineers went back to work because they say they "need the money" but it the work that gives them purpose, in their minds. And that's fine.

There are some things I miss about my work, solving complex problems and working with people. But I love the total freedom that retirement allows. I am usually doing something related to music or golf. But within those pastimes are a wide variety of things to do like writing lyrics, doing the musical arrangement, how to sing the song, doing Open Mic performances, working on tracks with other musicians. Golf is usually more practice than playing but I enjoy both maybe practice even more because I don't have to wait for slow golfers in front of me.

I also go on short hikes with my wife usually, meet friends for lunch, have a variety of exercise and stretching routines I do, watch sports, dabble with sports betting, and do a fair amount of reading on topics of the day. My wife and I don't like to travel so we are mostly home bodies, but I'm never bored.

You sound like you are in a great place. I don't think I'll miss working once I know I have enough money to do what I want. I just know me. If I have enough money, no amount of money is going to get me to wake up and go to a job 5 days a week. Work from home? I might do that. Why retire and make $2000 a month in social security and have to buy private insurance from 62-64 when I can work from home and make $85K? Hell, if I could work from home and there is no pressure, I'd do it for $50K. But don't tell them that.

My cousin in in that exact situation. They want people to come back to the office, she will retire before she does that, and they might let her go. She says she's okay with that. She would never quit. It's too good of money and working from home. But she would retire if they said come back to the office 5 days a week.

It's the getting up at 5:45 I hate. Walking the dog, shower, shave, brush teeth, make coffee, find underwear and socks and something to wear that I hate. When I work from home it's get up at 6:30am, walk the dog, brush teeth, make coffee. Sleep in 45 minutes and less steps.

How do you practice golf? Do you mean at a driving range? I would think playing golf and practicing golf are the same thing unless you are talking about going to a driving range or hitting balls in your back yard?

I love playing my guitar but I can't seem to get back into it. I need other musicians I can jam with.

I don't know where you live but around me we have lots of bike trails. All the old rr tracks were dug up and paved and now we have bike trails that go from city to city to city in Metro Detroit. If you live in a place with lots of bike trails, get all your friends to buy Ebikes. Trust me, you'll all feel like you are kids again. We do. In our 50's and we go on 50 mile Ebike rides in some of the coolest places.

I've also taken the bike to Fort Lauderdale, FL and Up north Michigan.

Little Traverse Wheelway, a 26-mile paved trail connecting Charlevoix to Harbor Springs along the Lake Michigan shoreline. It's known for its beautiful views, scenic towns like Petoskey, and amenities, with popular sections including the ride from Bay Harbor to Petoskey State Park. Class 1 e-bikes are permitted on the trail.

Or local

The Huron Valley Trail is the primary trail that connects Pontiac and Milford, running along the former Grand Trunk Railroad. It is part of the larger Michigan Air Line Trail system and offers a scenic route through woodlands and wetlands

 

[MarathonMike]

It's the getting up at 5:45 I hate. Walking the dog, shower, shave, brush teeth, make coffee, find underwear and socks and something to wear that I hate.

One of my favorite parts of being retired is waking up on Monday morning and realizing I don't have to hustle out of the house and drive across town to make that stupid 8 am standup meeting.