My husband has spent years preparing for early retirement. I've been doing the opposite.

"I grew up so aware of how young she was when she passed that I was always very intentional about how I spent my time, even as a child. Then, in my 20s, my father passed away at age 55. He was just about to retire that year and had plans to spend most of his time traveling to his favorite places, particularly Italy."

"Many Americans retire in their mid-to-late 60s, when they can enjoy benefits like Medicare, but my husband has always wanted to follow in his parents' footsteps and retire in his early 50s. To work toward this goal, he's always put the maximum amount possible into his retirement accounts, and he's careful about saving as much money as he can. At 40, he knows he doesn't want to be a full-time teacher for much longer."

One spouse experienced the early deaths of both parents and as a result prioritizes living in the present, travel, family time, and work that excites her now, even at the expense of retirement savings. The other spouse has saved consistently since high school, maximizes retirement contributions, and aims to retire in his early 50s to pursue part-time, passion-driven work. The couple holds contrasting financial philosophies but exchanges lessons: the saver emphasizes future planning and security while the present-focused partner emphasizes making meaningful use of time now. Both negotiate priorities around travel, family, and long-term financial goals.

Read at Business Insider