So we tell everyone you will own nothing, and now you will work forever. The same peeple tell you to vote democrap for hope and bailouts. Live in pods and eat the bug sandwich
I've been retired now for about 8 years. Earlier would have been too early for me and I would have liked to phase out or work three or four years longer. I enjoyed my work, loved it in fact but the time came to hang up my spurs. The writing was on the wall in a transition I did not want to make. After 40 years I went back to the farm. That was always my plan but I considered others. I am happy I did this. I have a list of meaningful to-do for the rest of my life and hobbies I enjoy but seldom partake of. I see the result of my labor every day and it is good. Everything I do makes an improvement. I don't see my attitude changing just my ability to get things done. Meanwhile, I enjoy a good tired from my labor most evenings and some days I just do something else I want to do.
I have never played golf, never taken a cruise and don't want to, I don't own a single pastel shirt and I don't play any sort of games at all. In my work I traversed the world many times. My wife does not want to travel far, three days is about her limit, and with the mess that goes on traveling these days you could not pay me enough to get on an airplane. We have an Airstream but don't use it. The best part of any trip is coming in the front gate.
My late Dad planned to work to 70, he made it to 67 when his position was abolished. His secretary received the notification by fax from a guy he had mentored and sponsored. He lived another 10 years. They made a great bet on his pension. I don't have one, saved every penny myself and don't figure on being able to spend it all sanely. I started early and never let up but I do wish I had known a whole lot more about investing than I did. We inherited very little in possessions and I paid the heirs for 3/4 of the place I didn't already own. I do have the good reputation my parents left me and I treasure that as all I expected them to leave me. Time will tell but we have three levels of retirement savings and we live on one. I am not smug and not completely comfortable. I think it is important to maintain some tension. We still need to manage our investments.
I could have worked and built the company back after the last bust in the oilfield. I've done enough of that though. At least 9 busts in 40 years is enough. My engineering business was based on good work and relationships. My peer group had just about all left the business. The rules changed and I didn't need or want to play by them any longer. It all became a lot less fun.
One bucket for money, one bucket for crap. When one bucket gets full, you go home. So I did.
If you don't have something to retire to just don't do it. You either wear out or rust out.
If your are not self-driven you may need to stick with the carrot and whip as long as you can. It never was for me, being directed by others. Leave no doubt, we are all directed in some way by others just not all of us fit in that 30 years and a gold watch same ball and chain every day or taking a bullet in the back of the head and not even hearing the shot or knowing where it came from. In some places the financial rewards and being taken care of can be pretty sweet. I tried it for part of my career, not worth the price of poker eventually. I solved problems, hardly ever did the same thing twice in a row, I turned some jobs down that were just not worth doing or doing for someone I didn't need to deal with.
I have a friend who retired in 2018. He was in sales. I told him much of what I've just said. Retire to something most particularly. He didn't and he is dying.
I didn’t plan on retiring but I got Covid a year ago March 1. It was not a bad case, but the fatigue lingered for over a month. I quit mid March because the company had been sold and I didn’t desire to start a new job with a new company. I LOVE not working. I’m a Nester so I stay around the house a lot with my 2 pups. Home and car are paid for and have enough in portfolio to not worry about expenses, especially with social security. I’m not rich by any means but am so grateful I can do what I want, when I want. It’s a freedom I’ve wanted a long time.
You should never retire and enjoy life. Work intil 80 or 90, like Armani, Mung, and Buffet.
Sounds exactly like the advice you would get from “Bartleby”.
Ignore everybody’s advice, they don’t know you and your plan. Plan and do.
I was given the choice of take the shot or retire.
I have never been so busy since leaving the job I loved. I wanted to work at least another couple of years, but circumstances dictated otherwise.
Life is what you make it. If you want to work until you’re dead, that’s your choice. I’m having a great time doing what I want when I want for as long as I want.
If you want to live a life controlled by the whims of work, go for it. I’ll live for MY wants and needs.
I retired 10 years ago and there hasn’t been a single day that I wished I was back at work.
I have always wanted to retire since I started working part time at 15 😁
This year is the year I will start to travel some, drive around the country. Plan on buying my youngest sister a house in Minnesota where she lives. I am in southern Calif.
I always have something to do around my place. I am not the type that needs to be at work. I like having no plans everyday.
Eventually I will buy a house for myself in Minnesota and maybe rent a place in Calif during the winter. You can buy 3 bigger homes for the price of one smaller home in Calif.
I am as of Nov 2021 retired. Six weeks later the AMD stock I have went from a high of $162 and then crashed by 1/3rd then by Oct 2022 down to $54+.
The last two years I worried about the savings after congress tanked the economy but the AMD stock I have has now reached $176 😁 I wished I bought nvidia the past year!! I think AMD will be like Nvidia and the shares will make me more comfortable before I buy Elon Musk Starlink IPO when it comes out maybe at the end of this year or 2025 or even 2026. That stock will ‘rocket’.
I have about 1/3rd less shares as before and had no plans to sell as I expected the stock to go up and not down and down 🙁 so I spent little money. Borrowed from the broker the money I had already paid taxes on. So owed no taxes 😁
ping
I love my job, but when asked when I plan to retire, I tell people it’s “TBD” - Two Bad Days. I can punch at any time I want.
To add a second thought to the retirement equation… NO ONE that is on their death bed thinks “I should have spent more time at the office.”
Don’t know about never, but like working, have flexible hours and like the people I work with. Win-win all around.
Even when an employee reaches their mid fifties corporations start ushering them to the door so they can hire a couple of new grads to replace them for less money.
Plus, your life is pretty pitiful if the most meaningful part of it is your job. A career is a massive waste of life, not its fulfillment.
An issue is as it always is that there is a prejudice against senior people. You can be able to spin straw into gold, but after 65 or so, people don’t want you in the work place,
An issue is as it always is that there is a prejudice against senior people. You can be able to spin straw into gold, but after 65 or so, people don’t want you in the work place,
I worked for Honeywell in the eighties. They had 98,000 employees. On average, they only sent out 18 retirement checks. That meant the average employee died 18 months after retiring. I knew people who retired and lived much, much longer. I noticed a difference between those who died and those who lived. The ones who died had their identity tied to their job. If you asked them “who” they were they’d say, “I’m a radar engineer for Honeywell.” Those who lived would say, “I’m an aspiring author,” or “I love fishing more than anything else.” Those who died early derived their identity from their work. Those who lived much longer derived their identify from family, church or from some deep well in the mountains of their mind.
I’m so glad I retired. I had developed so many physical problems I don’t know how I’d function in the workplace. I often see men much older than me bagging groceries or manning a register. They aren’t doing it for something to do. They’re out of money and must work to eat. Bagging groceries was my first ever paid job. It wasn’t fulfilling then, and it would be agony now.
I'm involved in several ministries, politically active and perform community service volunteering. So I've got plenty to do when I retire.
It's just the finality of it that has me nervous.
I worked to live, I did not live to work.
I disagree. Eight years retired in SW Florida has been great. The best part? No more faculty meetings! No mission statements! No break out discussion groups! I can build computers and motorcycles, mow my lawn, play golf and travel in peace. Also, no snow.
bump for later