You wanna live into your 90's? Retire early!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

39. In 1969 my base pay was $440/month.

I was living in the DC area. I forget my exact rent, but it was about $90/month. I do recall that it was almost an entire bi-weekly paycheck if I had no overtime in it. I was having $25/paycheck put in the credit union. I didn't own a car. I took the bus to work and everywhere.

I was an airline employee, so I did make more money with overtime, which helped. Travel benefits were an important part of the reason I took that job, and I took full advantage of them. Because the pay scales were published, we all knew pretty much what each other made. both at our airline and at all the other airlines. One time a fellow employee asked me, "Poindexter, how can you possibly afford to travel so much?" I replied, "I don't own a car." It was that simple.

Once my ex and I did buy a house for cash. He still lives in it. We're divorced and I now have a mortgage, which at this point in my life is well worth it. I constantly stress that I can afford the payment. Sometimes life experiences make owning a home free and clear not possible at the present, but that's okay.

I do always pay cash for my cars, and recently bought a two year old car to replace a sixteen year old one I'd been driving for fourteen years.