Sounds a little like me. My retirement was somewhat enforced but expected and planned for two years before it actually took place (I have planned a long time and am probably one of the few 22 year-olds that asked the HR manager about the pension trust and how it was managed). Never did get that pension but we have saved a lot for a long time. I only hope it all works out. We have done the best we could. Less than some but better than many I’m told. We didn’t get a gold watch like my Grandfather did from Fisher Body. I have just left my work. Better that way to me. The ones who got the retirement party are just as forgotten.
I too was going to consult some more after a break but when the Contingent Labor Program Providers at my previous client started wanting releases to do obscene background checks I decided I didn’t need or want to consult that much so I’m now on sabbatical waiting until someone wants work done badly enough to dispense with all that background check nonsense. I have nothing to hide mind you but I will preserve my dignity and privacy. It is a principal thing for me. If the people in the industry don’t know me well enough after 40 years to trust me, my qualifications or judgement they don’t need me and I don’t need them. I promised myself after crossing a certain point that I would no longer work under conditions without mutual respect. I’ll keep my shingle out, keep networking but less and less as time goes by.
We left the city almost a year-ago. I retired to something, lots of projects and as much hard work here on the place as I can stand but things I want to do still and there is another list after that. No lake but nice ponds, long drive way, big heavy locked gate and enough open space around me to qualify for much more than a 400 meter kill zone. These are the things we worked for so long. For the most part, save for the obama care mess, life is pretty good for us. I pray it continues.
Great quote by Twain. Most mountains look a lot higher from the bottom than they really are I suppose. I know there are many things I fretted about spending money on in the past or doing but most of them I can’t even remember now. Poppa said, “Too old soon, too late smart.” a Dutch saying I’m told.
This is a great thread as have been some others on similar things. We that are 60ish are the first generation to “retire” as we have, mostly on our own and often without a defined pension. It is good to know most of us have the same doubts and concerns and think we can make it.
For me, Obamacare has been good. After the low-income subsidies my health insurance premiums are about $300 per year. High deductible, but I doubt I've had more than one year in my life that I would have passed the deductible amount if it was only $500, (and that one was almost twenty years ago) so the high deductible plan is a non-factor. I consider my health to be my own responsibility, and not to be delegated to doctors or pharmaceutical companies. Nice to have the Obamacare policy in place in case of a significant injury though. I don't know what the replacement for Obamacare will wind up being, but I don't see any point worrying about it. I'll figure out what to do when the time comes.
In seeing ads from companies with advice for people planning for retirement, I see them talking about people wanting to be able to "maintain their lifestyle". The problem that most people seem to have is that they want a lifestyle of pissing away money like there's no end to it. When I was still working, I certainly did plenty of that myself. Since retiring though, my attitude has changed about spending money. I no longer think it is necessary to try to have the fanciest hummingbird feeder in the neighborhood. The birds don't care, and my neighbors either didn't care one whit about just how impressive my hummingbird feeder might be, or they thought I was foolish for trying to impress them. I spend hundreds of dollars a year on birdfood, but most of my feeders are home-made. The birds aren't complaining.
I don't go out to eat anymore if I can avoid it. Partly that's because I get annoyed having to spend more for my one restaurant order than it would cost me to make the meal for the four or five of us at the table myself. That just aggravates me somehow. If it was better food at the restaurant it might still make sense to eat out though. So I spent some time learning to cook better, to where the meals I prepare taste better than any I've had in a restaurant. So now for small family get-togethers, instead of meeting at a restaurant we'll usually meet at my place and I'll cook up something (fresh from the garden if it's in season) and we can have a lakeside view with lots of birds to watch while we eat.
bbb 53 twain quote is good