Of course, if you love your job, you wouldn't retire from it, you'd just take a long vacation like the man above.

I've worked close to 35 years for Canada Post and I don't love my job. I don't hate it either, but I get the feeling that I should move on to something more creative like writing.

Having a pension will enable me to devote more of my time to writing and other creative pastimes like karaoke singing, basketweaving and religious myth collecting. 

More than a week ago, I added up my non income tax expensives from my pay stubs for 2007. They totalled over $7,000. This included CUPW union dues, Canada Pension Plan premiums, Canada Post Pension premiums, Unemployment Insurance premiums, Disability Insurance premiums, etc.

By next year at this time, I won't be paying into plans where I get nothing back. I'll be collecting from investments that I paid into for a long, long time. 

Part of this plan involves buying and paying off the mortgage on a well maintained house. You can then live mortgage free or sell the house and take every red cent as profit.(In Canada, you can do this.)

One, also, has to invest in a pension plan that's into the stock market. This will help pay off the mortgage and pay for an income distribution plan that you'll need in your golden years.

The long range view is that some risks have to be taken to earn some decent savings. Unless you inherit a great deal of money, your mental smarts have to be there in house buying/selling and in stockmarket buying/selling.

If you do the above, maybe you can obtain early retirement or a long, long vacation.