Happily Retired - Avoiding the Top-10 Dumbest Retirement Moves

Here is the latest E-mail that I received about How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

----- Original Message -----
From: Ted L Wilson
To: vip-books ( at ) telus.net
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 7:26 AM
Subject: How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

Dear Ernie,

Just finished your book and I couldn't agree more with you! I took early retirement at 55 with a minimum pension and depended on the savings I had from my 401K as the primary source of income. I also now work 125 days a week for one of my former retailer customers and I work in sales. I get to pick my 125 days a year that I work and take most of the winter off and travel to Florida and long four day weekends all of the summer where, we spend our time at our small lake cottage. The primary reason I continue to work half time is for the benefit of health insurance. I am privileged that my employer agreed to provide health insurance if I would work 125 days a year.

I have to tell you that I really enjoyed the section in your book about taking risks. When I first retired I made it my goal to bicycle accross the USA from coast to coast. I divided the USA into three chunks and took three-three week periods in the summer to bicycle from coast to coast (Astoria Oregon to Camden Maine.)

I met so many great people in this country, it helped to restore my faith in humanity. The final motivation to push me forward on my goal of crossing the USA via bicycle was an 84-year-old friend of mine who said to me that he retired early at 50 and has not regretted a day of his early retirement. He challenged me to not be a member of the "Wish I would-a club" but be a member of the "I did it club".

I used this to encourage me to take early retirement and to take the bicycle trip. Since I have retired I have had the privilege of taking fly in fishing trips in Canada, South Dakota and Iowa pheasant hunting trips , spending three winter months in Florida since my retirement. Watching the sunsets over several of the Great Lakes, Cruises in the Caribbean, week long bicycle trips across five different states with my wife. Took two classes in a local University-fiction and nonfiction writing, and have written 7 articles and have 5 published. I would like to write more but just have to take the time to do so.

The thing I have to say I enjoy the most is that I take every Friday and spend it with my grandchildren.

Thanks for your book and I can't wait to read Career Success Without a Real Job.

Happily Retired,

Ted Wilson

Here are some new website posts to help you retire happy, wild, and free during a recession:

Why Hard Work Can Kill You:

Fashion Will Liberate Your Money

Top-10 Dumbest Retirement Moves

How Retirees Can Survive a Recession and Even Profit from One