@mrmacabre
I hear you about loss of income and retiring before you wanted to. I was hoping to retire when I was in my 60s but had to at 54 due to disability. My disability is only 1/3 of what I made and I am a single parent of a teen son (no family or child support). I am 55 now and had no plan to be retired/disabled but I am so glad I started to invest in my 20s and I was able to pay off my mortgage in December. With the cost of everything going up, it is so hard for most everyone, especially those on a fixed income. My cost of cobra insurance is $1,800 per month and going up to $2,200 per month in May. That does not include meeting the high deductible of $4,500 plus 20% coinsurance amounts. I need the insurance because I am having 3 surgeries over the next few months and my son and I have several medications each. I do not know how families are making ends meet.

Do you live in a lower cost of living area? Do you have an option to move in the future when your wife retires? Have you checked into SSI if you qualify for extra income above and beyond disability payments? I was thinking I may need to move to a lower cost of living state because living in New England is too expensive.