Episode Details

Early retirement sounds like the dream. No alarm clock. No commute. No bosses.

But for some people, it also feels out of reach. And even if you could retire early, would you actually know what to do with your time?

Because it turns out, stopping work is the easy part. Figuring out how to live well without it, that's where things get interesting.

In this episode of Money & a Good Life, Steph and Ryan sit down with Christine "Wags" Wagner and Steve Kruk, a couple who both spent more than three decades at Ford before retiring in their 50s with teenage daughters, busy lives, and no intention of slowing down.

They loved their jobs. But they realised they didn't want to wait any longer to actually live their lives.

What we talk about:

• Why they walked away from long, successful careers they actually enjoyed
• Why early retirement is as much about emotional readiness as financial preparedness
• Whether they had a plan to get out
• Why people don't treat time with enough respect
• How retirement gives you a clear sense that your days are finite
• The confronting reality of 7,300 days in a 20-year retirement
• Why most people avoid thinking about finite time altogether
• The weird social reactions to early retirement
• Being in the "hobby phase" and what that actually entails
• Finding yourself busier than you were while working
• Personal goals they're trying to hit
• Setting collective and independent goals to balance big aspirations with day-to-day life
• How new interests emerge (gardening, learning guitar, curating plants)
• The importance of investing in relationships and friendships
• Learning to spend money as a practiced skill
• Recognising that without health, life quality deteriorates
• Talking positively and proudly about being retired

If you've ever questioned your own timeline or wondered whether early retirement is realistic, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and show you what's possible.

Here's to your Good Life. And thanks for listening.

Find us at www.tribecafinancial.com.au

Our guest:

Chrstine Wagner & Steve Kruk 

Our hosts:  

Ryan Watson, CEO, Tribeca Financial  

Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn 

Stephanie Coombes, podcast expert and media strategist  

Connect with Steph on LinkedIn

Tribeca Collective Pty Ltd, ABN 54 604 005 209 trading as Tribeca Financial has been appointed as a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No.1008603) of My Dedicated Advisory. My Good Life ® is a registered trademark of Tribeca Collective Pty Ltd.  

Advice given in this podcast is general in nature and is not intended to influence decisions about investing or financial products. Our listeners should always seek their own professional advice that considers their own personal circumstances before making any financial decisions.  

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