Retire? I don't really expect to ever see it. I enjoyed my free time while I was young, healthy and full of energy. Retirement sounds rather like surrendering to time and decay. If my mind isn't healthy enough for work, how could I enjoy anything else? I'd rather work until I'm gone.<p>I think we've got this whole life thing backwards. Enjoy your youth and have happy memories. "Retire" when you're dead.
I think middle ground is healthier. Not too frugal, not too consumist. Enjoy life, money is just something that happens to be there at the time.<p>We're living in an age where we can get our kicks from something else than having the latest iPhone or the biggest car. Humans have infinite ways of realizing themselves, being money the most toxic of them in my personal opinion.