How decades of saving, investing, and planning can create the freedom to enjoy life during your healthiest years.
Disclaimer: This article reflects my family’s unique financial situation, including our pensions, retirement timeline, and investment strategy. It is not financial advice. Everyone’s circumstances are different, and the right retirement plan depends on your own goals, responsibilities, and resources.
What Are We Really Building Wealth For?
Most of us in Gen X spent decades doing what we were told was the responsible thing.
Work hard.
Save money.
Invest.
Delay gratification.
The goal was always retirement someday.
But as we get closer to that stage of life, I think many of us are starting to ask a different question:
Are we building wealth only so we can have more money later, or are we building wealth so we can actually live the life we’ve worked for?
That question changed the way I think about money.
For years, I searched for ways to accelerate financial success. I experimented with different strategies, including options trading and crypto. Some experiences worked out better than others, but each one taught me something.
Eventually, I realized something simple:
Money is a tool.
Its greatest value isn’t the number on a statement.
Its greatest value is the freedom it creates—the freedom to spend time with people we love, explore the world, and experience life while we still have the health and energy to enjoy it.
A Conversation That Changed My Perspective
One of the biggest influences on how I think about retirement didn’t come from a financial book.
It came from an older couple my wife and I have become friends with.
They are now in their mid-80s, and we regularly talk about life, retirement, and experiences.
Financially, they have done very well. They could comfortably afford experiences many people only dream about, including chartering a private jet and traveling almost anywhere in the world.
But today, money isn’t the limitation.
Health is.
Over time, their mobility has declined, and some of the adventures they could have enjoyed years ago are now much more difficult.
During one of our conversations, they shared a thought that stayed with me:
Their biggest regret wasn’t that they didn’t save enough money.
It wasn’t that they invested poorly.
Their regret was that they didn’t spend more on experiences when they were younger and physically able to fully enjoy them.
That conversation reminded me of something important:
Money compounds. Time does not. Health does not.
The opportunity to experience life has an expiration date.
Living the Go-Go Years
This is why my wife and I are intentional about planning for our “Go-Go Years”—the period when we still have the energy, mobility, and curiosity to make the most of life.
But this isn’t just a future goal.
We’ve already started living this philosophy.
Over the past 11 years, my wife and I have traveled to more than 35 countries.
We’ve explored different cultures, experienced places we once only dreamed about visiting, and created memories that no investment account can measure.
And we’re not slowing down.
We already have three more international trips planned.
The reason is simple:
There will always be another opportunity to make money.
There won’t always be another opportunity to climb that mountain, walk through an ancient city, experience another culture, or create memories while our health allows it.
Using Wealth With Purpose
One advantage we have is that our pensions are expected to cover our essential living expenses.
That means our investments serve a different purpose.
They are not just numbers on a spreadsheet.
They are a tool that gives us flexibility and the ability to create experiences.
I use a 5% withdrawal rate as a planning guideline—not a guarantee or a rigid rule.
Markets change.
Life changes.
Our spending will adjust based on circumstances.
If markets perform well, we may enjoy more experiences.
If markets struggle, we can slow down and protect the long-term plan.
The goal is not reckless spending.
The goal is intentional spending.
The Investment Lesson I Learned
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that chasing quick wealth usually creates more stress than success.
The market will always create excitement.
There will always be a new trend.
There will always be someone promising an easier path.
But eventually, I realized that consistency wins.
Today, our approach is built around disciplined investing, broad-market funds, patience, and letting time work.
It may not be exciting.
But it provides something more valuable:
Confidence.
Why Gen X Needs This Conversation
Gen X is in a unique position.
We grew up as latchkey kids.
We watched our parents work hard.
We’ve experienced recessions, market crashes, housing cycles, and tremendous economic change.
We’ve seen both sides of the financial equation.
We’ve seen people spend without planning.
We’ve also seen people save everything and postpone living until they were no longer able to enjoy it.
The lesson isn’t that everyone should spend more.
The lesson is that everyone should understand what they are saving for.
For some people, wealth means leaving a legacy.
For others, it means traveling the world.
For others, it means having the freedom to spend more time with family.
There is no single right answer.
The important thing is aligning your money with your values.
The Bottom Line
My goal isn’t to literally die with zero dollars.
My goal is to avoid reaching the end of life wishing I had waited too long to enjoy the opportunities I had earned.
Building wealth is important.
Protecting your future is important.
But so is remembering why you built that wealth in the first place.
That’s why I’m building our Financial Command Center.
Not just to track net worth.
Not just to watch investments grow.
But to make sure our money serves its ultimate purpose.
A life well lived.
Because the greatest return on wealth won’t be found on a spreadsheet.
It will be found in the memories we’ve created, the places we’ve seen, and the experiences we shared while we were healthy enough to enjoy them.