How much do YOU think YOU need to retire? ...and at what age will you (and spouse) retire? (Part 1)

<p>^Thanks, IxnayBob.</p>

<p>My husband has been paying to his national insurance every year. He technically never left. He also will get a pension and thatā€™s the reason he is still paying.</p>

<p>My sister called and said she finally signed the paper and contract. She didnā€™t know she got a corner lot. She sound much happier with her decision. Similar house in the next phase has already gone up $3K. But it beats paying for repairs to an old house. She paid $6k to repair some external last year. Such a money drainer to live in an old house.</p>

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<p>You have to do your research, but there are several countries with first-world facilities and U.S. trained doctors that are ā€œmedical touristā€ destinations and provide high-quality care for a fraction of the cost for the same care/procedures in the U.S. DH has been an international road warrior for close to 20 years and has a nice list of countries where the ā€œfreeā€ care may be substandard, but those with insurance policies (native or ex-pats) have access to top-notch care, and the highest full-coverage policy in the countries on the short list is about $70/month . He has been a recipient of care in these countries and has been astounded at the quality and low cost ā€“ and he had to pay out-of-pocket as he was just visiting. We have friends who moved to one of these countries 8 years ago for the weather and the health care and couldnā€™t be happier or healthier. A visit to their home is first on our list of exploratory vacations. I would share the list, but I donā€™t want to turn this discussion into a debate on the merits or drawbacks of living in these countries or outside of the U.S. Suffice it to say, that there ARE countries where quality health care can be obtained for very low cost by ex-pats along with a very attractive quality of life/cost of living that are not politically unstable or more dangerous than living in the U.S.</p>

<p>I find that leyning Torah at synagogue is an excellent way to keep the brain sharp. Also good for overcoming stage fright!</p>

<p>Whatā€™s ā€˜leyning Torahā€™? Is there an iPhone typo there ?</p>

<p>Itā€™s an old Jewish custom.</p>

<p>No typo ā€“ leyning is a Yiddish word. When I read Torah at synagogue, itā€™s not in English, and itā€™s not the Hebrew letter transliterated into our alphabet. And Iā€™m not reading, either ā€“ Iā€™m chanting with specific melodies, or tropes. </p>

<p>I learn the reading in Hebrew, with the vowel markings and tropes. Once I have learned it, I then start practicing from the actual scroll from which I will read ā€“ and that has NO vowels or trope marks. Imgn rdng ths n frnt f ppl ā€“ and having to sing precise notes, the correct words ā€“ in a language in which you are not fluent. If you make a mistake, you have to go back and correct it. I often get up to read and find that the reading Iā€™ve prepared just flies out of my head. It takes me about three weeks to prepare a reading that consists of 4-6 verses. If I lose the trope, I am sunk. That is probably because I sang so much in HS and college ā€“ had no problem with memorizing words, as long as I had the music to put them in context.</p>

<p>I started learning to do this when S1 was preparing for his Bar Mitzvah in 2003. He had a fabulous teacher, and I sat in on sessions with both of my kids. By the time they were through, I had soaked up a fair bit, but it still takes a lot of work for me to leyn. So, when any of you go to a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, appreciate how much work it takes that young person to accomplish this! :)</p>

<p>And here I was joking because I too, thought it was a typo.</p>

<p>ROFL, busdriver!</p>

<p>How can you use a non-standard word without any explanation as if we should all know what it is?</p>

<p>Google is your friend.</p>

<p>She used a non-standard word and assumed we knew what it meant. Yup. She either assumed we knew what it meant, which compliments our knowledge base. Or she assumed that people on a college board could find out, which compliments our abilities. </p>

<p>hayden, what a twist of words! Why do you make it so complicated? Of course, anyone, not just on a college board can find what anything means. However, you donā€™t expect to run to a dictionary in a conversation. It would have been the simplest if the poster just said chanting or reading with intonation, etc.</p>

<p>Oh, for Peteā€™s sake, igloo. Appreciate that you learned something new! </p>

<p>Maybe I will keep my brain sharp by reading CC postsā€¦ long past the college graduationsā€¦ </p>

<p>Colo, I thought I quit after my last kid got into college but I came back for that reason and the laughs.</p>

<p>All good advice, I will get an SB, learn to play the guitar, and follow all the discussions on CC. That should keep me in good shape for a long retirement.</p>

<p>*and sing in Hebrew of course, thatā€™s a given.</p>

<p>Having an SB will make me have to re-figure how much money Iā€™ll need for retirement. Not sure I can afford a wife and an SB. ;)</p>

<p>@notrichenough, affording an SB and a wife is tough enough, but affording an SB and EX-wife is almost impossible :)</p>

<p>^ Some people like to have challenges in life.</p>