Mr.Quinn,I always look forward to your articles and questions because even though we are different in some of our views (I'm pro Medicare Advantage plan and an anti Annuities guy) our "keep it simple" views are so similar.
My wife and I are a no debt (our home was paid off ten years before we retired and we pay cash for our cars) , no budget (everything's gets charged on a credit card that we pay off completely every month), we are still investing a portion of our income and saving up a cash portion , weather it is quarterly or annually we look and see that our net worth is the same or has increased from the previous time period.
Keep On Keeping Life Simple
I smiled when I read your line "we are frugal by nature". My son who is 45 years old , married raising three children, and making house payments told me that their income is more than they could have ever imagined and I talked another exact thing last week.
He asked me"What are we going to do with all of our money when e retire?". He sounds like his Mom who regularly asks me"Why do we have so much money and what are we going to do with it" 😂 He said that they still live a financial lifestyle they always have because"It's just who we are".
My decision was fairly simple. For 33 years I was a Rite Salesman for Hostess Cake, I worked 60 to 70 hours a week,I worked every Saturday, and I started at four in the morning. The day the pension company let me know that I could retire and make 50% of my higher year of income I started looking for a part-time time job. I retired January ,2010 at the age of 52
For us, our giving is as much a spiritual as well as a financial decision. Giving of monies or time are both selfless and the world needs more selfishness.
As numbers go, we give our tithe if at least 10% of our gross income to our local church congregation. We also donate $1 a day to two Christian radio stations we listen to ,$1 a day to Tunnels to Towers , and we fund a miscellaneous account to help out families in need
After I write I always wish I would have added more for clarity. We used to have about 5% of our financial assets in cash . We have been adding our excess income to our cash portfolio and it is now approximately 13% of our total portfolio. We believe that will carry us through any future downturns
I know it seems like a dangerous cliff to some, but with an income stream that is well above our expenses and no debt of any kind for the last fifteen years, we remain 100% in stock passive Vanguard index etf's.
Through Thirty years of funding our retirement accounts and through four bear markets our portfolio has remained basically the same.
Our accounts are for the most part are our children's and grandchildren inheritances
If I would have put the percentages in bonds that most people recommend I would be so far behind that I might not but because of where the markets have taken our accounts , we don't have any financial worries or stress
I agree that"we are common sense people" that are a minority. But I disagree with your statement"we are not blessed". Knowing that ALL that we have ARE Blessings helps me to stay appreciative every day for our finances, our health, our family, and our accumulated stuff. For all of it, we thank God
Good question. I truly believe everyone and there journeys are different.
After 33 years of commission route sales and the hectic pace and hours that went along with it I knew I didn't want to sit around or start a similar rat race in retirement.
Living in a smaller town it's all about connections, everybody knows someone so it's fairly easy to find a job. A lot of it is not what you know but who you know.
I retired for three days 😂 before starting to work at our Middle School as a teachers aide. After almost fifteen years of that I retired again. I have now worked seasonally for the last eight years in our city's Parks department, enjoying the outdoors at a much slower pace along with no pressure of any kind
Even though I am retired, I cannot bring myself to settle for accepting low returns in exchange for "feeling" safe. Because of our high income stream we have always been and still are 100% invested in Index etf's.
Comments
Mr.Quinn,I always look forward to your articles and questions because even though we are different in some of our views (I'm pro Medicare Advantage plan and an anti Annuities guy) our "keep it simple" views are so similar. My wife and I are a no debt (our home was paid off ten years before we retired and we pay cash for our cars) , no budget (everything's gets charged on a credit card that we pay off completely every month), we are still investing a portion of our income and saving up a cash portion , weather it is quarterly or annually we look and see that our net worth is the same or has increased from the previous time period. Keep On Keeping Life Simple
Post: Dickies simplistic view of personal finances
Link to comment from November 4, 2026
I smiled when I read your line "we are frugal by nature". My son who is 45 years old , married raising three children, and making house payments told me that their income is more than they could have ever imagined and I talked another exact thing last week. He asked me"What are we going to do with all of our money when e retire?". He sounds like his Mom who regularly asks me"Why do we have so much money and what are we going to do with it" 😂 He said that they still live a financial lifestyle they always have because"It's just who we are".
Post: Dickies simplistic view of personal finances
Link to comment from November 4, 2026
My decision was fairly simple. For 33 years I was a Rite Salesman for Hostess Cake, I worked 60 to 70 hours a week,I worked every Saturday, and I started at four in the morning. The day the pension company let me know that I could retire and make 50% of my higher year of income I started looking for a part-time time job. I retired January ,2010 at the age of 52
Post: The Leap of Faith
Link to comment from November 3, 2026
For us, our giving is as much a spiritual as well as a financial decision. Giving of monies or time are both selfless and the world needs more selfishness. As numbers go, we give our tithe if at least 10% of our gross income to our local church congregation. We also donate $1 a day to two Christian radio stations we listen to ,$1 a day to Tunnels to Towers , and we fund a miscellaneous account to help out families in need
Post: Jonathan Clements Initiative at the Bogle Center for Financial Literacy
Link to comment from October 24, 2026
After I write I always wish I would have added more for clarity. We used to have about 5% of our financial assets in cash . We have been adding our excess income to our cash portfolio and it is now approximately 13% of our total portfolio. We believe that will carry us through any future downturns
Post: Doubling the Bear Market Low
Link to comment from October 24, 2026
I know it seems like a dangerous cliff to some, but with an income stream that is well above our expenses and no debt of any kind for the last fifteen years, we remain 100% in stock passive Vanguard index etf's.
Post: Doubling the Bear Market Low
Link to comment from October 23, 2026
Thank you for your article. I always appreciate reading and understanding investment options. Thank you for explainingTips
Post: Feeling TIPSy?
Link to comment from August 26, 2026
Post: Americans and their credit cards
Link to comment from August 25, 2026
Good question. I truly believe everyone and there journeys are different. After 33 years of commission route sales and the hectic pace and hours that went along with it I knew I didn't want to sit around or start a similar rat race in retirement. Living in a smaller town it's all about connections, everybody knows someone so it's fairly easy to find a job. A lot of it is not what you know but who you know. I retired for three days 😂 before starting to work at our Middle School as a teachers aide. After almost fifteen years of that I retired again. I have now worked seasonally for the last eight years in our city's Parks department, enjoying the outdoors at a much slower pace along with no pressure of any kind
Post: How Did You Find Paid Work After Retiring from Your Primary Career?
Link to comment from August 25, 2026
Even though I am retired, I cannot bring myself to settle for accepting low returns in exchange for "feeling" safe. Because of our high income stream we have always been and still are 100% invested in Index etf's.
Post: Feeling TIPSy?
Link to comment from August 22, 2026