How much capital do I need to retire comfortably on ?

[percy]

You and Birman deserve each other, for not listening properly and jumping to conclusions

Utopia will be better than today. All the good things remain and get better but we won't have all that greed and other stuff we have now.

And the sandwiches at Akaroa will be freshly made with local produce by a lovely person enjoying the great new world. Maybe a salmon and avocado one ....sounds um

No need to get nasty and threaten me with a life of purgatory with Birman!!!![Although it may be better than a life with the daughters,and their partners and offspring]!!!!
Utopia..I know you and I try to be better people,life better lives,and improve our outlook to others,but unfortunately we will never change human nature. Fear,greed,honesty,dishonesty,good,bad is the way people are.It appears to be the same with all races.Diversity does not equal Utopia.!
And from google; Akaroa village is home to a great bunch of imaginative chiefs! Sounds like utopia to me.
Do you remember carless days,and think big?

[percy]

I watched Mad Men - everyone was drunk, all the time. And they smoked like they had not a care in the world LOL

One of my jobs at the local Ford dealer when I first left school, was doing the weekly cigarette order for staff.Most ordered a carton of their favourite brand.The Rothams rep was a well known local sportsman.A lot of money up in smoke.Yes, nearly everyone smoked.
Friday night was fun.Finished work at 5pm and drunk by 6pm when the pubs closed.Think there was more beer on the floor than on the tables.!
Madness.!
Even madder was when I worked at Bass Charrington Brewery in The Mile End Road, London.
Free beer for staff.A stubbie [or two] for morning tea!!! The old timers went to the pub over the road at lunch time for spirit chasers!!!!!

[fungus pudding]

Sorry I could not bear to turn back the clock.
Huge ques at the Post Office.
No service stations open during the weekend.
Sandwichs at Akaroa on a Sunday were made on the Friday,if you were lucky..!
Muldoon in full swing.
Priests raping the choir boys.
Charities's overheads eating up all funds raised.
Waiting for approval to take funds out on NZ for a holiday.
Stinking kerosene heaters.
And British cars that broke down all the time.[Morris Minors exempted]
Waiting lists for years for a new car.
Import licensing meant over priced goods.
Pubs closing at 6pm.
Today is the best of times,and I expect tomorrow to be even better.!

A few other things some will recall:
Doctor's prescription required to buy margarine (from a chemist)
Illegal to have alcohol within 1 mile of a dance hall.
Illegal to dance in a hotel bar.
Strict limits on taking money overseas. If you couldn't bludge accommodation - it wasn't worth going.
Shopping in weekends allowed only in Brighton, the Christchurch suburb and a Wellington suburb.
Having to collect up 50cent postal vouchers - 1 per day- till you had sufficient to subscribe to an overseas magazine or a 'car coat' a popular style of jacket in its day.
And if you wanted a business or school shirt, you had Hobson's choice of Lichfield. A rugged garment made of sandpaper I think.
The only allowed crockery was govt. owned Crown Lynn brand. Not unlike concrete. You could sometimes buy, smuggled in, decent stuff if you hung round the wharves. The ship crews at great risk used to bring in such forbidden items, crockery, transistors etc.
Almost impossible to get a license to sell liquor in a restaurant, or run a BYO.
One of the most controlled economies and societies in the world. Sir Roger Douglas certainly deserved his knighthood for dismantling much of the nonsense.

[777]

A few other things some will recall:
Doctor's prescription required to buy margarine (from a chemist)
Illegal to have alcohol within 1 mile of a dance hall.
Illegal to dance in a hotel bar.
Strict limits on taking money overseas. If you couldn't bludge accommodation - it wasn't worth going.
Shopping in weekends allowed only in Brighton, the Christchurch suburb and a Wellington suburb.
Having to collect up 50cent postal vouchers - 1 per day- till you had sufficient to subscribe to an overseas magazine or a 'car coat' a popular style of jacket in its day.
And if you wanted a business or school shirt, you had Hobson's choice of Lichfield. A rugged garment made of sandpaper I think.
The only allowed crockery was govt. owned Crown Lynn brand. Not unlike concrete. You could sometimes buy, smuggled in, decent stuff if you hung round the wharves. The ship crews at great risk used to bring in such forbidden items, crockery, transistors etc.
Almost impossible to get a license to sell liquor in a restaurant, or run a BYO.
One of the most controlled economies and societies in the world. Sir Roger Douglas certainly deserved his knighthood for dismantling much of the nonsense.

Most of the above was was changed before Roger Douglas arrived.

[Biscuit]

A few other things some will recall:
Doctor's prescription required to buy margarine (from a chemist)
Illegal to have alcohol within 1 mile of a dance hall.
Illegal to dance in a hotel bar.
Strict limits on taking money overseas. If you couldn't bludge accommodation - it wasn't worth going.
Shopping in weekends allowed only in Brighton, the Christchurch suburb and a Wellington suburb.
Having to collect up 50cent postal vouchers - 1 per day- till you had sufficient to subscribe to an overseas magazine or a 'car coat' a popular style of jacket in its day.
And if you wanted a business or school shirt, you had Hobson's choice of Lichfield. A rugged garment made of sandpaper I think.
The only allowed crockery was govt. owned Crown Lynn brand. Not unlike concrete. You could sometimes buy, smuggled in, decent stuff if you hung round the wharves. The ship crews at great risk used to bring in such forbidden items, crockery, transistors etc.
Almost impossible to get a license to sell liquor in a restaurant, or run a BYO.
One of the most controlled economies and societies in the world. Sir Roger Douglas certainly deserved his knighthood for dismantling much of the nonsense.

You're making me feel all nostalgic FP, it's about time we brought back car-less days don't you think?

[fungus pudding]

You're making me feel all nostalgic FP, it's about time we brought back car-less days don't you think?

Yeah, they were a laugh. Best ignored, or that's how I handled it.

[BIRMANBOY]

By now all the "young" investors will be shaking their heads and starting on their second latte. W69 that was very unkind, uncharacteristically so I must say. Having to deal with Percy is hardly Purgatory.....Hell would be closer to the mark.

[dingoNZ]

I'm relatively 'fresh' to the work force after only finishing university 5 years ago and now a 'working professional'. I am comfortable with my living arrangement. I aim to save about 25/30% of my gross wages, with this I am putting about 75% into equities which I have researched and am comfortable with holding (investing, not trading). The rest I am putting into a interest bearing account and using this to fund trips/activities/emergencies. I am yet to dip into my share portfolio and have been watching it grow over the past 5 years happily.

At some point in the near future I will look at purchasing a house, I am not read to do so now due to career advancement and I may be moving offshore in the next 12 months for a working holiday/OE.

I was told one thing when I was younger, if I was given a stupidly large sum of money, enough to retire off early what life style changes would I make? - my answer is next to none, I would still work, perhaps reduced hours if it permitted and I would do more travel. I would maintain all my current hobbies and activities.

Given my saving pattern I am comfortable that when I do retire (in say 45 years) I will have a comfortable retirement. All assumption above exclude my partners income.

[percy]

By now all the "young" investors will be shaking their heads and starting on their second latte. W69 that was very unkind, uncharacteristically so I must say. Having to deal with Percy is hardly Purgatory.....Hell would be closer to the mark.

lol.Yes I did rather leave myself open for that.!!!!!

[Biscuit]

I'm relatively 'fresh' to the work force after only finishing university 5 years ago and now a 'working professional'. I am comfortable with my living arrangement. I aim to save about 25/30% of my gross wages, with this I am putting about 75% into equities which I have researched and am comfortable with holding (investing, not trading). The rest I am putting into a interest bearing account and using this to fund trips/activities/emergencies. I am yet to dip into my share portfolio and have been watching it grow over the past 5 years happily.

At some point in the near future I will look at purchasing a house, I am not read to do so now due to career advancement and I may be moving offshore in the next 12 months for a working holiday/OE.

I was told one thing when I was younger, if I was given a stupidly large sum of money, enough to retire off early what life style changes would I make? - my answer is next to none, I would still work, perhaps reduced hours if it permitted and I would do more travel. I would maintain all my current hobbies and activities.

Given my saving pattern I am comfortable that when I do retire (in say 45 years) I will have a comfortable retirement. All assumption above exclude my partners income.

I'd give up everything I've worked for, everything I own to be in my twenties again. If I was 21 again, I'd do exactly what I did then - think not for a second about retirement, grab a backpack and hitch hike round the world. But then I think that life was easier back then.