Took The Plunge

[CASD57]

Originally Posted by bil

Well, I did it. I’m 62, our finances are in order and we have no debt. I filed for my pension and I retire on August 30th. My uncle says every day is Saturday when one is retired, I hope he’s right. I’m like a little kid waiting for school to let out for the summer.

Well just hit 62 but i started life over at 50 so I don't see an end to working but i do see a less stressful job when get to FRT, (when i will take my SS) something easier, maybe I'll be a greeter at Walmart lol, or busk in the summers, who knows, life is full if adventures

[Bridgepin]

Congrats, I am so looking forward to that day, I have 16 months to go and I can't wait.

[alnico5]

I waited till 66 to get da check, on advice of my tax lady. I like working and continue to do so part time. My first year of SS went into savings. I have lots of guitar playing time.

[Mr. Jelly]

Originally Posted by Nyghthawk

I am getting out of the rat race 06/30/2019 myself. Enjoy yourself, you earned this!

My last day is 6/27/19. Beacha!

[Rodger Knox]

Congratulations! I'm getting a little short myself.

I'm 67, and I started working as a draftsman when I was 16. I always thought I'd work as an engineer until I died, because I do still enjoy the work and it's not physically challenging. About 20 years ago, I started building guitars, and I like that even better than engineering. My last day with a real job will be 07-20-2019.

[Mandobart]

Congratulations! Four years to go for me. Particularly difficult for me since we are in our biannual refueling outage, when hours are long and hard. Six 12-hour night shifts per week for two months straight during the spring and early summer make it hard to enjoy anything else in life. I've got finances in order, been debt-free for years. The toughest part is convincing my wife that I'm not working a day past 60. I figure 60 to 70 will be the best years, and I'm not spending any of them working. She of course likes the paycheck, healthcare and not having me at home playing music (she works as well as an RN for nearly 40 years, but she's been half time days for the past 15).

[dkstott]

I retired a few years ago and love it.

Get yourself some type of schedule and unplug the TV.

A friend of mine retired and one day got bored. He decided that all the stuff in the kitchen cabinets needed sorting. By the end of the day, he'd alphabetized everything. His wife came home from work and had a fit. She threatened to make him go back to work if he didn't get a hobby that kept him busy.

[Earl49]

Probably another 3-4 years for me about half time, but I still like the engineering work that I do - and most clients. Rather than picking a specific day, it will probably just peter out over time. Being self employed I have become considerably more picky about what consulting projects will be taken on, and mostly work about 50-60% of capacity. Those 60-70 hour weeks and long stints of field work are a thing of the past now. Maybe once in a great while while the meter is running ($$$$) but not two weeks in a row.

My wife retired early from her EE job in the power / utility industry last year, and is certainly enjoying that. I plan on taking SS at 62, the first moment I can and while it is still actually there to take, and while I am still here to get something back. This strategy may not maximize the long term payback, but I candidly don't see myself living much past the mathematical breakeven point anyway. She will, but I won't.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by dkstott

She threatened to make him go back to work if he didn't get a hobby that kept him busy.

I love this! A friend of mine retired from doing IT for the FAA and his big hobbies are constantly updating operating systems on three different computers, and doing largely unneeded home "improvement" projects.

[bil]

Lots of sound advice here! As for hobbies, besides playing guitar and writing songs, I stay pretty busy. I’m an avid diver, both open water and cave. We have a boat and enjoy boating and fishing. I hike, mostly sections of the AT and the Pinhoti Trail. And those are only the main hobbies - there are several minor ones as well.

Also - May I suggest - look to volunteering in your community too. My wife has been busy for a few years with volunteer work in our county library system. I’m looking forward to something similar. Getting out of the house is important!

[KenL]

Wise words by bil. I agree, you have to find some things to get you out of the house.

I retired 9 years ago. We moved from Nebraska to Colorado, and that kept me busy for a year.

Now that we are in the High Rockies, I work a day or so a week as a substitute school teacher, and am in high demand; subs are badly needed. I also volunteer one day per week as a docent in our local Heritage Museum, and was recently give the paid position of "handyman." The building was built as a courthouse in 1882 and is in constant need of repairs and maintenance.

Like I said, it gets me out of the house, and gives me something to chat with my wife about at dinnertime. That's important.