Planning purchases

About 5 years ago, I made up a list of equipment, tools and stuff I would need when we built our retirement home on some acreage we bought over 10 years ago. The idea was to spread the cost over the years. List included tractor, box blade, utility vehicle, etc. I prioritized it by quarter and year (Q1,2010, etc) thinking about what I could use more immediately and what could wait until we moved there. I haven't followed it exactly, but when I buy something, I cross it off the list.

Anyway, last week I bought a 3 pt Post hole digger at an auction on June 30th. Pulled up the list and there it was: "Q2,2015: Post Hole Digger". Well 6-30 IS the end of the second quarter AND my wife's birthday! I was all excited and showed her the list saying "Now, THAT'S Planning. Plus, it can count as a BD present, too!" There was a long silence and I think I'm lucky that I had already sub-contracted her BD purchases to my daughters who had already given them to her.

Is it just me or do others have wives that could care less about any longer range planning than what's for dinner?

My wife doesn't seem too interested in any long range planning either. We are talking about retirement in about 3 to 3 1/2 yrs. and I'm trying to get her to talk about what we are going to do with the llama herd to reduce the feed and hay costs. No interest in discussing it, other than she thinks a lot of them will be gone on their own since about a 1/3rd are older. Probably won't happen that way, they can be pretty long lived. We have some collections that I'd like to move on to new owners... no interest in discussing that either. I mentioned about wanting to get a newer tractor to replace the 9N and 8N, since they are about worn out, in the next few years (we did get a new Mahindra SCUT last year), response was "you can buy whatever you can pay for, but not until your new tractor is paid off." End of discussion. I can only guess she wants to just retire and life go on as it was, but I wouldn't know since I can't get any dialog going on it.

(quoted from post at 13:03:18 07/07/15)
My wife doesn't seem too interested in any long range planning either. We are talking about retirement in about 3 to 3 1/2 yrs. and I'm trying to get her to talk about what we are going to do with the llama herd to reduce the feed and hay costs. No interest in discussing it, other than she thinks a lot of them will be gone on their own since about a 1/3rd are older. Probably won't happen that way, they can be pretty long lived. We have some collections that I'd like to move on to new owners... no interest in discussing that either. I mentioned about wanting to get a newer tractor to replace the 9N and 8N, since they are about worn out, in the next few years (we did get a new Mahindra SCUT last year), response was "you can buy whatever you can pay for, but not until your new tractor is paid off." End of discussion. I can only guess she wants [b:52490042d6]to just retire and life go on as it was[/b:52490042d6], but I wouldn't know since I can't get any dialog going on it.

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Yeah, my wife is about the same. Her Fidelity planner said she could retire "anytime she wants". I showed her my planning spreadsheet that includes debt reduction, 401ks, expenses, SS, purchases, health insurance (Medicare+ supplemental). It showed that we should be able to retire 2 years from her last BD when she'll be on Medicare, have all debts paid off and be able to live within our means w/o depending upon our kids. If she retired today, sure we wouldn't starve but there'd be a financial impact to our current lifestyle. Her answer? "It would all work out somehow". :roll:

You mean she is ready to retire and you're holding her up? My wife was all set to retire the end of this year THEN both hips had to be replaced (we're right in the middle of that now) and she has changed her mind. Now I think she wants to wait till she turns 70--4 more years. I had the run up to retirement all planned and coming together. Oh Well.

She is correct, and she and I think alike.

You can plan all you want, but I have never, ever, heard any retired person say they wish they had worked longer. I have heard a great many of them say they wish they had retired much sooner.

Too man people delay retirement until they can "afford" it, and that is a mistake.

(quoted from post at 19:00:54 07/07/15)
She is correct, and she and I think alike.

You can plan all you want, but I have never, ever, heard any retired person say they wish they had worked longer. I have heard a great many of them say they wish they had retired much sooner.

Too man people delay retirement until they can "afford" it, and that is a mistake.

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I've heard many who've left here say they don't regret it a minute. I guess I shouldn't worry about affording it and just do it when the time comes. They say we'd gross more than we are making now but that will have to last until we die, so with inflation and medical costs we'll have to put it off a few years. It would still be "early" for both of us but since she's at least said she wants to go out in 3 years I'm looking forward to it more and more. Lots of projects planned!

For quite a while I started lots of conversations with,
"I just bought you a present!" I've found that things
like power washers, mixer grinders, grain trucks,
and tractors aren't considered good gifts by some
people. I figure any implement upgrade that makes
my day easier is a gift to anyone that has to be
around me. Some in this house don't see it that
way, unfortunately.

(quoted from post at 12:58:00 07/07/15) For quite a while I started lots of conversations with,
"I just bought you a present!" I've found that things
like power washers, mixer grinders, grain trucks,
and tractors aren't considered good gifts by some
people. I figure any implement upgrade that makes
my day easier is a gift to anyone that has to be
around me. Some in this house don't see it that
way, unfortunately.

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LOL me too!

Rick

My wife plans ahead, plus I have never given her a present. I have a keeper! LOL

(quoted from post at 15:58:00 07/07/15) For quite a while I started lots of conversations with,
"I just bought you a present!" I've found that things
like power washers, mixer grinders, grain trucks,
and tractors aren't considered good gifts by some
people. I figure any implement upgrade that makes
my day easier is a gift to anyone that has to be
around me. Some in this house don't see it that
way, unfortunately.

Click to expand...

I once bought my wife a frying pan and popcorn bowl for a BD present. She was not impressed. 2 years ago at Christmas, I bought her a Stihl loggers helmet with face shield and ear muffs as she had been helping me clear land and running our wood chipper. Figured it showed that I cared for her safety. She said it was by far the stupidest gift I had ever given her. My 3 daughters agreed and since then, I sub-contract her gift purchases to them. You know what I got her for her BD this year? A pedicure, manicure, SPA day certificate. (Girls picked it out, of course). She was thrilled. :roll: Go figure.

I think I could say much the same here too. She atleast tries though. I do have some money set aside for repairs and that's nice. If it's a bigger maintenance item I try to prepare for it and make sure the money is there, but surprises for the most part are taken care of.

She looked at the budget once and that was the first thing she wanted to chop to free up some money for other things.

Donovan from Wisconsin