I tried to approach retirement with the same gusto I constantly brought to our career.
I looked at it like a “finish line” of sorts, indicating I had won the race and could spend the rest of our afternoons taking it easy.
Thanks to all of these sound investments and a robust retirement package, I didn’t have to worry about money. In this economy I also understand how scarce that is. I sold the outdated family cabin and moved down south, to a cabin located in between the beach and a hockey course. One of the first things I splurged on was buying a current central heating and A/C plan with a smart thermostat. This wasn’t just any run-of-the-mill oil furnace, this was the best one available for people of our age. The radiant heated flooring I had actually installed in our dining room and bathroom has truly been life-adjusting for me and our own retirement, however radiant heating uses sizzling water pipes under the floorboards to provide a gentle yet constant source of heating. For older people with arthritis or joint problems (I have both) the radiant heating provides a steady source of relief, because frigid floors can make every step painful. The current warm radiant floors reduce the pain in our feet and legs, which makes me assume so much more spry and youthful. This kind of heating plan is not cheap, it’s absolutely one of the most luxurious around. At this phase of our life I needed to splurge a little, and get a heating plan that would make our remaining years a lot more pleasant and relaxing.