3 Things We Wished We Knew Before Retirement 

Norm and Tina, we love your channel! We watch a ton of RU-vidrs that create retirement and travel content. But, we enjoy yours the most. Many of the others have the same message - but your content is fresh and makes us go, “hmmm.. hadn’t thought of that, but makes sense.” Keep the content coming. Love it!

I don’t think you wasted your early retirement years. You sold your house, moved and developed a social network in your new city as well as travelling.

Tina and Norm you are so right about not wasting your 60s. The 60s truly are the Go Go years. I am 71 and hubby is 74. We still have our health and remain active. We continue to travel however there is definitely less energy than we had in our 60s. Don’t waste a minute. Tomorrow is promised to no one.

I love you two. You’re the most wholesome couple on RU-vid. And actually, really good advice

You're so lucky to have each other 🤗

BEST VIDEO YET-- NEVER EVER HAVE I HEARD THAT YOUR INVESTMENTS MADE YOU RICHER THAN WHEN YOU FIRST RETIRED! HOW ENCOURAGING.

After years of zero interest rates, the need to take heavier equity risk for retirees is on hold. Getting 5.3% interest in a Money Market Fund is helping in our retirement, and for now a larger percentage of our portfolio is safe. The equity side protects us from inflation. Covid slowed our travel down, but we are back out there and enjoying these videos. Around age 70, we realized it's time to spend more after a lifetime of saving.

Remember there are people who do not have large savings and do not have pensions or they are small ones from their employers. Living a middle class life but spending to travel while I was younger took precedence and so I chose to be less frugal then and now I’m going to work until full social security at 66 8 mos. Plus the cost of living has gone up so much so working this last year will be helpful as my income will be only be a third of what it is now. I’m working to pay down all debt. That’s important as these are my highest earning years now. I travel and take vacations to places that will be more too expensive with reduced income. You are totally right though, I’m 66 and after I turned 60 I noticed a huge change in my energy level.

You’ve helped many people heading into retirement! 😊

I really appreciate you sharing this information, especially about the aging (health) part. .

People's mindset and beliefs are so different. I refuse to believe that just because you gain more years, you become sick and less healthy. That is simply not true, it's only true if one has a negative mindset. It is genes, lifestyle, and food we consume and junk that we do NOT consume. You do have some helpful content and glad you ae both doing well in retirement years!

You two are precious 😊

You're so right about everything. And people who aren't retired don't get it. Hopefully they will listen to you and give these ideas some thought. Thank you so much.

People will be jealous of you, especially people older than you who are still working.

What a lovely couple. Thank you for sharing all the concerns of retirement. Your close relationship, no doubt, is the product of years of TLC. Congratulations, and may your health be everlasting.

Yep, I do worry about having enough money in retirement as I've always had to be careful, like most people. 3 years in, age 59 soon, I do have to be careful, but I don't regret going early. If I need to, I can downsize, but for the moment, I'm concentrating on getting to travel more. No putting things off any longer. You guys are a great advertisement for retirement!!! Continued health and happiness to you both. 😊

Excellent points! Just returned from Lisbon and we noticed we were not nearly so agile as we were at 60-65 (we are 71 and 74 now). The uneven sidewalks we see in a number of European cities are much more difficult to navigate even though neither of us has ambulatory issues. We still travel a lot, but plan more days of down time than we did when we were younger.

Being frugal gives us money for travel and eating out. We buy almost-new clothes at thrift stores. Downsized to small house, less furniture, less "things". Read the book "Retire with Zero"..... a lot of food for thought (enjoying your money because you can't take it with you.) The book took away a lot of fear.

You guys are so right! I’m 66.5 now and keep wondering why I have less energy than I did just a few years ago. I still have energy but can definitely tell every year a little less energy.

Good video. I agree that losing weight as you get older is definitely hard. I think that is partly because you simply can't maintain the same sort of activity level that you did when you were younger. We are in our mid and late 70s and have really noticed that age and health are significant factors. For example I spent the afternoon today working on my yacht and now I ache all over. I will be there working on the boat again tomorrow though. Like you we have found that we lived on less that we thought we would. In fact one problem we have is what to do with the money. To me it just seems wrong to be saving money at age 79, particularly since my little brother just died at 71 after only one year of retirement. Keep on enjoying your lives.

I'm 44, hubby is 45. We are planning to retire at 59 and 60. Is it bad that we are already counting the years down? My biggest fear is something will happen with our health that is out of our control and we won't get to enjoy the retirement that we've saved all our lives for. I like that you talk about health as so many people I know don't seem to care. Many retirees that we know go out to eat for every meal, are sedentary and take a dozen prescription meds and think nothing of it. We currently cook all meals at home, are very active right now and plan to remain active into retirement. Looking forward to more time for additional healthy movement throughout the day, enjoyment of the outdoors and lots of travel!

While it is not for everybody, I find 8/16 diet is very effective for me. It took merely 3 months to reach my target weight and it has stayed there for a full year now. It does not bother me at all. As to aging, it is true that it can catch up on you silently. Last month my wife and I took first overseas trip since the pandemic. While I do not feel any difference, I found my wife is really struggling physically. It just feels like a completely different person compared to 5 - 6 years ago. It gives me a sense of urgency for planning out more trips

I enjoy your channel. My parents are in their 80s and love having their own garden. My mother sends me pictures of plants and vegetables they are growing. Their car is parked in the driveway, they are able to get around but don't do it too often. They stayed with my sister in her apartment for a few months but they couldn't wait to get back to their house. They of course love my sister

I learned a lot from you guys and some other youtubers , and google . I thank you guys a lot. 🙏🏾

Loving these surprise midweek videos. ❤

Always eat with glasses on, makes your food portions look bigger !

As a 53 year old I have been really focusing on my fitness, diet, and mobility (flexibility). I hope to be as fit as humanly possible to age as slowly as possible. Your comments were a good reminder to keep doing this.

Looking good you two. 👌 You both were almost retiring when Danny and I started our 18 years of saving for 2020 retirement. What a year to start. 😂 No visits no social parties hey but well worth it. Loving our Southwest Ontario home. Have a Great Victoria holiday ❤❤

Whatever you two do or do not do (laundry vs cooking) it seems to be working....keep doing you!!

Good point about prevention of health deterioration after 60. Health does not have to go down quickly after certain age if you watch your diet and exercise regularly. Actually, I feel healthier in my 60 ties than I was in my 40ties, by doing cardio and some weight lifting for the last 10 years. Our most extreme journeys: Base camp Everest, Kenya safari, and more were done in our 60ties.

I loved hearing this today as many retirees share the same fears.

Very good video - one of your best. No waffling/filler, every point hit home. I’m 58 retired at 55 so it’s like a preview of the next few yrs. I play tennis 3 times a week and do a little gym work, but eat what I want which is catching up with me. The thing with having more time in retirement is you also have more time to do the bad things too, like overeating lol. Keep up the good work. I’m a huge Police fan too : )

Great video. I just love the chemistry between the two of you!

Agree 100% about #1. will I have enough money? I can't tell you how many times I did calculations prior to retirement to see how much money I would have and could I live on it. But, happily like you two I have more money now than when I retired 13 years. Also, like you I am a very frugal person and save even now for things I want from travel to a new car. I pay cash for everything and have absolutely zero debt. PS Wait till you hit 80!. Exercise helps.

I would say your observations are pretty much on the mark. In general money isn't the issue you worried about so much before you retired and the effects of aging, that you probably didn't think much about before you retired, come up on you faster than you thought possible. I am in my 70s and still in good condition, I hike twice a week and also go to the gym twice a week, but I am definitely slowing down. Given those two, money and health, you really need to get out and enjoy those early Go-Go retirement years spending the money you saved for retirement enjoying your actual retirement while you can. There's not much sense doing all that saving for retirement and then 20 years later dying with it still sitting in the bank. You are also right about managing your weight but recent studies have shown that once you get into your 70s it is less of a health concern than previously thought. To a certain extent the issues around diet and weight are more long term effect things and by the time you are in your 70s like I am the "long term" isn't all that long anymore. Of course eat healthy, and we all want to look our best no matter what age, but I would say don't obsess over it.

Hi Norm and Tin - we changed to what we called the lunch plate size a few years ago and it made a huge difference as we will always want to fill up whatever size the plate is - Hello from New Zealand

When younger dinner plates were smaller. Not sure when they became so big but I’m with you smaller portions smaller plates makes it easier to take control.

25K per year for travel? WOW! That's fantastic❤

You're such a sweet and special couple. I greatly appreciated this video, especially the part about how quickly you felt your health or go-go energy declined after 65 and that if you'd known this when you were 60 you likely would've retired sooner or been more intentional about doing more between 60 - 65. I'm 62 and just retired last month, my husband is 59 and hopes to retire in the next year or two. We certainly don't want to look back and regret that we didn't retire sooner when we likely could've but were concerned the money might run out leading to the OMY syndrome. I hope you'll continue to share your retirement journey, experiences, travels and sage advice. Be encouraged, you're providing a valuable service to those of us just embarking on this new and exciting stage of life. Sending warm wishes...many blessings to you both!

I am 64, one year away from officially retiring. I think the health aspect is incredibly important. In the last 3 years I have lost 30Kg also thanks to an amazing nutritionist. I went from obese to normal in that time. Because of severe back pain I also have started to do exercises, about 20 minutes in the morning and the same before dinner every day. I feel like 10, 20 years younger. My strength has increased a lot and back pain has almost disappeared. I feel great! - I am not sure how long this can continue like that, but at this stage I don't feel my age at all. From my experience it is never too late to improve health.

I appreciate all of your advice here! I'm already basically retired because I am on disability, and it's definitely true that after you turn 60 years old and then get closer to 65 you feel the difference. It's hard to explain but it is a reality. And I think your transparency is really helpful because people giving retirement advice seem to portray themselves as having done everything perfectly and everything was planned well in advance etc. But life isn't usually like that and it's helpful to hear you speak about things that you would like to have done differently. It still seems that you've made excellent decisions and I'm taking all of your advice to Heart❤

Hi Tina and Norm. We got rid of the CC's many years ago. Hubby works from home. And I am the home maker. "He earns the money and I spend it!!" he he he My U.S. Disability check pays the rent. The rest of it is spent on food at the top of each month. Rarely do we eat fast food, or junk meals, or go out for dinner. Except on a special occasions. We cook all of our food. Mostly chicken, of several different iterations. We don't eat much red meat any more either. I make Japanese dinners on Saturdays, and my favorite chicken and dumplings on Tuesdays. Our freezer is stocked with food hubby buys in bundles when meat goes on sale here. We have a "stock box" of toiletries. And with my granny cart, I usually shop for a 5/6 day period. I have munchies to eat, when necessary (I am T-2 Diabetic). But we don't stock a lot of junk food per se. But the tub of Chocolate Brownie ice cream , is in my freezer !! YUM. We live a very spartan life, because of the size of our apartment. If it won't fit, we don't need it. If we can't use it, we don't buy it. Storage space is very small, and all of it is used, to the point, we have storage bins on the balcony outside. (We live 17 stories up with a protected inner balcony) so we can store outside safely. Every year I go through clothing. If we have not worn things for months or at max a year, we give all of our old stock to the folks who live in the building before we throw anything away. We set up a drop shop in the basement for things we no longer need or use. So we don't buy clothing unless we really need them. (Underwear and t-shirts, sox) (We have a large immigrant population in our building and they are not usually prepared for Montreal seasons). Whatever we can help them with, we do that gladly. I also take part in the maintenance of our building. I work with the manager here in keeping the building clean and safe. Since I have the time to devote to that. I do the bulk shopping, the house cleaning, and the laundry. Hubby shops for meal foods (Meats, Holiday birds etc.) We share lunch together while he works, and we always sit at the dinner table for dinner, uninterrupted. We laugh over silly stories and farts !!! (Yes, old men talk about farts at the dinner table !!) We talk about family and our personal news items of the day. We go to bed together and we listen to a podcast or two before we go to sleep. I think mental health is just as important and physical health. And the Pandemic really screwed us both up. On top of the fact that Hubby is Bi-Polar, and if stuck at home with nowhere to go, things got pretty dicey. If you don't take care of your mental health, and your medical health, you won't have ANY physical health, will you ?? We both have medications we take daily, and also with the Ram Q program, our max spend each, on meds monthly is $100.00. After that everything else is free. What we buy over the counter for other needs, is an out of pocket expense. So there is that to factor into your retirement spending if you are infirm, yes?? Gotta have all the bases covered because you never know when Shit is about to go South on you.

I retired in July 2012 with $1.55 million mostly in "Income Investments", rent apartment, drive the same old truck, managed to grow my investments to $2.45 million (and growing). Turns out my retirement plans changed due to my parents getting old and needing assistance, they weren't on my radar, had planned to buy a sailboat and head for the Caribbean but went with Plan B to help parents, which is hiking in the mountains every spring. Didn't know before I retired but I really love hiking, load up my backpack and head off to Appalachian Trail every spring, could have (wish I had) retired much earlier if I new I loved hiking, that is a really low budget retirement. Approaching 70 and got weaker last trip, started out doing 12-11 miles a day up/down mountains carrying 32lb pack for first 70 miles then got weaker, had to drop to 9 miles a day and wore out at end of day, would have to drop to 7 miles a day if I continued, something is wrong. Don't know if there is something a person in their 70's can do to increase strength & endurance, trying to strengthen my legs doing 100 squats daily wearing 40lb vest. The oldest person to hike the Appalachian Trail was 83 so age isn't a limit, he had a support crew to transport food & gear ahead of him so he didn't have to carry much weight. I have a support crew named "Franklin" and "Jackson", Franklin is on the $100 and Jackson is on the $20 and they help me get everything I need.

we are 50 and we could retire next year. Even if we are a little bit younger than you, your tips are very helpful. We have no an old Hymer and are testing our traveling abilities, and just ordered a new one for next year, to start to travel more. I love how you look each other and the respect between you. You are a beautiful couple.

Great video Tina and Norm! Thank you for always sharing your journey. My husband and I recently retired in our late 50's. We sold our principal residence and moved to a more affordable area in Ontario. We were watching your videos for the last year before we made the jump.

I haven't commented in a long time but a lot of this hit home with me. I am in the USA. I am 65 still working because I want to. I am not drawing social security yet and I have been in a 401-k plan since age 21. Everything is paid for and no debt. The money thing for me is that I have watched it grow all my life as I contributed and one day I will have to start withdrawing from it because of RMD'S. I struggle with that. But I know it will never run out either. I am very active at my age but I have noticed recently I am not 20 anymore. As far as eating because I am so active I still have that mentality I can eat all I want. Now my wife and I do have a garden so we grow a lot of healthy vegetables, herbs, and some fruit. I have always been someone that if I see something that needs to be done I just do it. I wash the cloths a lot. But with that being said I also get fussed a lot for not separating the whites and colors. Oh well I can't win them all can I. Great Video as usual!

I always had a fear of running out of money, like you mentioned. But I ended up having endless time to do my own chores -- like installing brake pads on my car last week. Cooking at home also decreased the budget dramatically.

Very valid points. Great video again . Stay well you two

Thank you, you have helped so many people with your tube channel❤

Tina and Norm you both look so happy and relaxed. Really enjoy watching your videos and getting all the good advice.

You are a sweet couple. Thank you for your videos. I'm learning a lot. I am retiring next spring and your content is helping me prepare. Thank YOU!

Thanks for mentioning laundry, because I almost forgot to mention this. I saw another RU-vid video where the use laundry sheets like the dryer sheets. They would be ideal for cruises and such. They said they got them on Amazon. I thought that would be a good frugal tip.

That was a great video, thanks for the personal insights. Makes a person think about the things you said. I just turned 64 last week. Still working part-time by choice. Waiting for spouse to retire at the end of this year (at age 63.5) then I will give it up at myself. As you, we believe we will have plenty of money and can do whatever we want.

I am retiring at end of month. Husband already retired. Excited but nervous. All valid points. Stock market has been up. Still have concern that a downturn is on the way which could affect all of us and kill next egg to some degree. I like your idea of travelling now because I see your point that it might be harder in the future.

Thanks so much for the great information. Happy Victoria Day weekend!

Loved this video. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom, what works, what doesn’t and what we all can do for ourselves to accomplish a successful retirement!

Another great video, keep them coming. I really enjoy the multiple vids per week format.

I just turned 59 and will retire at the end of the year, your advice is fantastic! The best one was to stay active, I see a lot of overweight people in the States and they are still quite young.

Still working at 63 but I feel my age more. Good advice here but there are always external factors. Your kids, maybe wanting to sell your house etc. or losing a spouse.

Excellent advice about weight management. I am 59 and the weight just does not come off. Back in my 30s and 40s, all I had to do was diet for a week to drop 10 pounds. Eating healthfully and staying active isn't enough; even reducing portions won't get you quick results.

I’ve been enjoying your channel from your first video , how both of you seem to enjoy each other, and work very well together. I have a question for you regarding compound interest ? In theory it sounded good but the practical truth with low interest rate and the up and down of the market, I just not seeing how wonderful it could be.

Feel so good after watching you guys. Thanks for the work you do. This one pushed me to finally order the 9" plates, which I've put off for a long time. They do make a difference on the portions; you are so right about the psych aspect.

So agree with all your points. Money unfortunately for us will always be an issue ,and our health has definitely declined since hitting our 70’s but we manage ok. We have been married for 54 years and have been friends for 57 so that says a lot. Norm sounds a lot like my husband who makes my coffee each morning and treats I don’t need but enjoy. You both look great and I love watching you both enjoy life and travel.

It is sobering to find one’s health slowly ebbing. My days of adventure are not behind me but going solo are. It is both prudent and safer to travel with someone as the years increase. That doesn’t prevent me from eyeing last minute travel bargains !

I moved to a smaller town when I retired and purchased a house near the downtown core so IF if want to go to a local restaurant for breakfast at least for now I can walk up and back to it. It sort of limits my selection a bit but IF I drove to a restaurant I know I'd be even more pudgy than I am today. It's a good thing the local mc donalds isn't participating in the .50 cent egg mc muffin, mc griddle deal , I'd be there every morning.

Great and sincere video- I agree with all your comments - compounding, health and having a loving marriage- makes life so enjoyable.

Cripes guys! 😮 I am 64 and aiming to retire at 66 when the state pension will begin, my financial advisor doesn't really want us to move house, but we need to, to reduce some of the stress where we are now. So, he said, move and save like crazy as I only have a 100k private pension after the house move. I'm using a small inheritance to fund that. And then you pointed out the very thing that I have been thinking about, regarding energy and health! I have to say that, after not watching for a while, that you're both looking really well!😊 The small plate mentality is obviously working well. ❤

Your advice was delivered warmly and with a lot of sincerity. A video about retirement that is not scary: who knew!!! I like that you support each other in the way you talk and in your body language. It's a pleasure to listen you. Thank you for your content. 💯👍❤

Thank you so very very much for these videos. You both are so encouraging and have made me rethink many things in the past few years, so again, thank you! Tina, not that you needed to, but thank you for explaining how you two take care of each other. Ppl gave Norm a bit of ribbing over the laundry because we think everyone needs to do all the things. When we tryly take care of each other, we don't each need to do all the things. I appreciate you both!

Appreciate you both! Thank you for sharing your life experiences. Even your relationship serves as an example for many married people out there including me. ❤

Great advice once again.

Love your content Tina and Norm, thank you. I just booked my train trip from Halifax to Vancouver! I live on Vancouver Island so I will be flying to Halifax from here. Going to go back and watch your train trip again.

WOW! Love you both! Helpful Tips! Took notes. Thank you! Please share more for those under 55yrs - what they need to do now or stop doing. Stay well! Cheers!

I just love you two! So genuine and cute. Thank you for the content 🤗

Wow, nearing retirement, so you truly spoke to my " fear"...thanks for the encouragement!.

Love this video. So wise and sensible. Your points about the value of data be it for budgeting intel or indeed health is vital. My husband is retired. He gets a private health check up every year. Such valuable information from your body to make small health / lifestyle adjustments before they become problems. Same way as you have your bi annual budget check ups. Paul is 64 and from his annual health check ups he has a metabolic age of 49 .. your health ultimately is your wealth. Thanks for all you are doing for the retirement and soon to be retired community. It’s been a life changer for me to watch your videos and has given me confidence as I approach retirement. Thank you. Loving the Police t-shirt also. A wonderful British brand! Susan and Paul (Uk/Liverpool)

I am retiring at 57 in 5 months and an very thankful i have a lifetme pension from the government and dont have to worry about money

Loving all your insight and advice - its is greatly appreciated. I have recently found myself invited to retire early 😮. I am fortunate for the options my company has provided so now I am working on adjusting my plans and financially I will be just fine but mentally my family and friends are really pushing me saying I am too young to retire. I don’t feel too young and actually think it is perfect for me while I am in good health to enjoy life. My Dad had always wanted to work until he was 60 and he ended up passing away the day before his 60th birthday. You both have a great outlook and the most important point is the friendships and bonds with each other and friends❤❤❤

Totally agree with you and find ourselves in a similar position, I have started booking choice seating when flying, but I’m still too tight to order from the airline menus, still taking sandwiches and potato chips. I even ordered a drink on our last flight….love your videos.

You make a good point about money, I find that you don't need as much as you think you do. If you completely change your lifestyle, yes, but if you don't, it is doable, and people are afraid because they don't know what to expect.. I retired 4 1/2 yrs ago. I did a fair amount of traveling while I was working throughout the USA, but I have never traveled to Europe, simply because I'm afraid of air travel. For discounts I use AARP, do you have that in Canada. They give great discounts on travel. I, too, had to wait until I was 65, to get my job's pension & another year to get my govt pension, we call it Social Security in the USA. You were lucky, I wish I had had, the opportunity to retire early, but when I crunched the numbers, I knew it was not going to happen, so I stayed the course. Frankly, I don't know how I ever worked as long as I did. But I think a bit of insanity helps to get you thru it. Great video.

It is always good to look back, but all things being equal, you did well.

You both are great! Love watching your videos. The information you share is very helpful!

Love your message (in a bottle).

Protecting your health is paramount as you get older, as it is your most precious resource, definitely more important than money. I am trying to prioritize my health now and carry that initiative into retirement when the time comes. I also like what you said about cultivating relationships which, as a bit of a loaner, has always been a struggle for me. I'm working on that!

Both of us are 67. We just became mortgage free by selling our home and purchasing a condo. My husband wants to work 2 more years. Fifa cup is coming. I am not sure I want him too as I am retired and alone a lot. Waiting. I plan to do more walking. Work my way up.

I worry about being able to carry my suitcase when I get older and do so e travelling.

You guys just rock. I love your tips.

Wonderful tips as always Norm and Tina, need to show my hubby so we can both be on the same page!😉Thank you and stay well

❤lovely video, so helpful and upbeat and loving…..thank you for sharing!❤

We are approaching 60 and weighing retirement. You hit all our fears on the head. We eat very healthy. It's the fear about money, even tho I've gone over our finances time and again and we both have a small pension, no mortgage and modest investments. My sister is in her early 70s and I see her energy and body has deteriorated significant ly. She still wants to travel alone like she used to, but she body and mind are not as active as they used to be, so it's just not prudent. It's a wakeup call for me I think. I've worked all my life and the thought of not working makes me feel guilty somehow, like I should wait and get the maximum cpp and save even more.

Another great video with nice reminders. We just noticed that we have recovered the 50% of our money spent on buying a condo in Spain a year ago, a pretty hefty increase in our portfolio. We also walk a lot more when we are in Portugal or Spain, or when traveling in general. So, we don't put up weight although we eat much more in Europe. Maybe, it is due to the non preservative foods and general healthier lifestyle there?

Thank you again you two!

Would love a video on how you do your twice a year budgeting. Not your actual numbers but just how to do it.

Coming up on retirement and it scares me, I hope I can ease into it like you guys.

It's amazing how adding a routine of semi-vigorous exercise.... (or maybe just adding an exercise "challenge" can improve your energy levels). Enjoy.

Super video, thanks for posting. And I'd also like to say that I think the colour balance and lighting in your video looks really nice, and is complimented by good clear audio!

Hi! I'm new to your channel 😊 I'm wondering, if you sold your home, do you rent, have an RV, or where do you hang your hat? I enjoy your videos😊

Another great video and advice! Your last words about each other are very special. How blessed you are to have each other as partners and friends. I am blessed as well in my marriage. ❤️❤️❤️

I do the cooking, my husband does everything outside. , been married 37 years....yes , would I love him to take up cooking - absolutely but not happening so we all have to make the compromises......

And, can you create a video about credit cards that you’ve found give the best return - I.e. hotel credit cards that convert to free nights, sign up bonuses, points for air travel or simply cash back. Would love to hear your experiences and how you make them work for you.