retirement reality

Took me until about year 54 to figure out that was the actual question, tbh.

ok the semi-retired post got me because my aunt literally just did that and she texts me like 'i'm free now' but then calls me at 9am on a tuesday for work stuff still not me watching her negotiate her own hours down at 61 and then immediately pick up three 'small projects' that are very much full-time jobs. she told me over dinner last week — 'i just can't sit with nothing, it scares me' and i was like ... okay that's a whole thing to unpack i'm 22 and that sentence is already living in my head rent free tbh

ok wait the 'bad year' reply above just hit different bc my parents had like three of those in a row. nobody talks about how one layoff can just erase years of progress. we're literally supposed to retire on vibes and hope at this point

Nobody warned me that 'semi-retired' just means working for less money with more guilt.

my grandma worked 40 years and her social security barely covers groceries lmao

the 'retire at 65' math only works if you started at 22 and never had a single bad year. both of those things can't just be assumed. the whole premise is built on a spreadsheet from 1985 and we're still running it.

Checked my accounts this morning. Let's just say the golf course isn't worried yet.