With a small pension and cash in the bank to back it up, we live comfortably on our limited income because we paid cash to build our house and have no mortgage. No auto payments. No credit card bills. Just monthly utility and insurance and regular living expenses that everybody has. We can go our to eat every so often or take in a movie. We travel three or four times a year.
We own three other homes besides our residence. A rental in Arizona, and beach home in South Carolina and a lake house just ten miles from our homestead. Only the rental in Arizona has a mortgage. The others are free and clear.
We live on agricultural acreage in rural Florida and get an exemption from country property taxes by raising cattle on the land. We sell our calves in the late summer to pay for the taxes on the house in the fall. We both are veterans and get our medical care at the VA in the big city about a 1/2 hour from here.
We're not well off by many standards but we have a nice home, decent cars, and a property that brings us income to cover taxes. We also have farm equipment, tractors and trailers to run our farm. We are not wanting.
Retire when you want and go with your gut. If you don't have the money, cut back on your lifestyle or get part time jobs to make up the difference. You can do whatever you want if you want it bad enough.
Have something to do. Hobbies, volunteer, travel, gardening, etc. We bought a farm and it keeps us busy, healthy and active. Without it, you'll die quickly if you are just bidding your time rocking the time away on the front porch.
I tell people I am retired but run a 25 head beef cattle operation. They object that isn't retirement but just more work.
But I say that I don't have a boss, a time clock to punch, a commute to make, nice clothes to wear, or co-workers to put up with. Never been happier in our lives.
Good luck and go for it.
You have 25 head of cattle, you have a time clock! HA I'm the grandson of two farmers, I know of such things.