[badgersandjam]

This. Plus its fucking miserable dying slowly over the space of 20 years. I've watched it happen to so many people. Avoid work, retire early, spend everything, eat everything, do what you must do as early as you can before probability becomes your worst enemy.

Edit: The people I've watched die had one regret only: Waiting until retirement to do what they wanted at which point they can't. Perfect cogs with pensions and private healthcare paid up through slavery for 40+ years. Nothing to show other than some bricks and a hip replacement and a nice plot in the graveyard.

[Joeri]

The classic example is travel. Some people wait until their retirement before they travel the world, which means they can no longer do the physically demanding adventures and they have only a few years to enjoy the memories. Others travel before they start a career and family, allowing them to appreciate the memories for their whole life. Others still just find ways to travel their whole lives, and make it a part of who they are and what brings them fulfillment. It doesn't have to be travel, but I believe most people can find ways to be fulfilled their whole life instead of postponing it until retirement. I see plenty of examples in my surroundings of people who have psychologically locked themselves up in a non-fulfilling life. I can see the ways they could break out of it, but somehow they can't.