When did you retire?

[Wwdnet]

Originally Posted by TrainerBob

DW is going to be 63 and I am going to be 60, both in September. My question is When did you retire?

What led up to the decision to retire, forced retirement, decided enough was enough, hit your financial retirement goal, etc.

Did you regret retiring when you did? If so, should you have retired sooner or later?

Any insights would be appreciated. Financially, we can do it. Our fear is that after working for the last 40+ years we are not sure what to expect that 1st morning when there are no emails to respond to can no calls to return. Logically, we know it will be awesome. However, our concerns are more on the emotional side of hanging it up.

Thanks in advanced for your input.

Bob

I retired 2 months shy of my 66th birthday. My job had become unbearably stressful due to a series of managerial changes and the subsequent changes in direction for IT and QA. I've loved every minute of it! I still do maintenance for website clients, but mostly I cook, clean, and swim.

My husband retired this year, 6 months shy of his 66th birthday after a number of health issues. He works on that durn motorhome almost every day😉 It's a work in progress but it's 24 years old so not unexpected.

[JOHNMN]

Wife retired at 66, then I retired a month later. I married her, not my job. We had the financial resources to retire at 60, but had a great time working and living. Her job changed and she just felt right leaving. I followed her to keep her company. Had 3 years together before her medical problem became so difficult we had to take a year off just to get her repaired. If she is up to snuff in the Spring, there we go again!

[Humozeha]

I retired at 44 after going into remission from lymphoma. We decided life was too short and we sold our 2 houses and just about everything to go fulltime. I cashed out of 4 individual retirement accounts and have a military pension for sustained income and medical insurance. Haven't regret it one bit!

[ridesolo]

Retired from the USAF at 41, then from civilian (and civil service) work at 59, and then finally from part-time work at 62. Not looking back.

[Tuscany3680]

First time around was 13 yrs ago and tried full time Rv. Wife wanted a log cabin after the 1st year because of a trip to Yellowstone. Went back to work and forced into retirement in 2015 at 47 years old. Now just kicking back and trying to enjoying life including part time Rving.

[Maggiedad]

I gave up the rat race at 58 and never looked back. I'm 61 now, and honestly I don't know how I had time for a job! Plenty of projects to do, interests to enjoy. DW and I buy and sell antiques, old cars, anything else we can find at local auctions and sales, travel in our DP doing about 12 shows/flea markets a year. Also spend a lot of time caring for our house and 21 acres. It's a great lifestyle and we love it!

Secret to success: debt free at retirement, emergency fund in place, and retirement account fully funded. This all happened as a result of working hard, living below our means for many years, and dedicated saving/investing.

[2cyber71]

I work 3 days a week to keep busy.
My career has been winding down since 2013
First a 4 day week, now a very easy 3 day week. Done at noon on Wednesdays.
I take several weeks off to RV (6 this summer, 3 this winter) on top of all my 4 day weekend trips. (7-10 a year)
So i feel like I’m not really working.
Back in the day I worked70-90 hour weeks for 20 + yrs.
These days are a distant memory, feels like a previous life.
I can quit anytime, but the longer I work the more I don’t take out my retirement.
No 401 K, Minimal in IRA (( by design)) but I saved it all, so my retirement will be 100% tax free.
With the new Social Sec & IRS rules on income, my CPA says I did the right thing.
Paid the tax long ago.

[Charlie and Martha]

I retired in 2002 at 55 years old. It's been so long that I am good at it now.

[Recalculatin]

Originally Posted by TrainerBob

DW is going to be 63 and I am going to be 60, both in September. My question is When did you retire?

What led up to the decision to retire, forced retirement, decided enough was enough, hit your financial retirement goal, etc.

Did you regret retiring when you did? If so, should you have retired sooner or later?

Any insights would be appreciated. Financially, we can do it. Our fear is that after working for the last 40+ years we are not sure what to expect that 1st morning when there are no emails to respond to can no calls to return. Logically, we know it will be awesome. However, our concerns are more on the emotional side of hanging it up.

Thanks in advanced for your input.

Bob

I retired at 62 because of an Idiot store manager running off the older and better paid employees. I would have waited until 65 if that would have been possible, but I would have spent the difference on medication. All in all I do not regret it.

[rluxt]

I retired in 2000 at 58 and my wife officially in 2002 at 55. Never looked back! Never regretted it. There is as much to do or learn as you can conceive. And there is as little to do and learn as you wish.

Two months after retiring my portfolio dropped by 50%. I reviewed why I had it like it was and held the course. It is now 2.5 times what it was at retirement and has provided more income than we need. We buy what we want but our wants are modest.

Our motorhome is gas, 25 years old and well maintained. It has all the amenities of a new one...I almost bought a new diesel last season but did not.

We travel seasonally and regionally. A motorhome is a very small domicile on the road based on our longest trip 1500 miles each way andv2.5 months.

We flew and cruised before the virus for ling trips....tough to drive to Hawaii!

If you need a focus or outlet, try mentoring thru SCORE or take up woodworking or pick your interest and location. You will be surprised at what you will find locally to help (volunteer), learn, see, or who you can meet.

Anyone who misses the politics in larger organizations and seek the Machiavellian outlet, well ... grind away.

Rich 78, Cathy 74 and two Shih Tzus both 3

[TWV]

I retired at 57 when my employer offered a buyout. I never missed going to work for a minute.

The best advice on retirement I was given when I was a long way from retiring. 'Don't retire from working but retire to doing what you really enjoy.' If you look forward instead of backwards, you will not miss what you are giving up.

[Deneh]

I was in the Navy for 11 years, joined the Army as a General Service employee for 12 years. I retired after 23 years of combined service as a GS-13 Information Technology Director at age 62.
Why? Because I reached the age where I couldn’t stand the BS from the top, and the bickering and laziness from my staff anymore. Not everyone was awful, but enough folks that I hated working anymore. The IT field is extremely competitive and I didn’t want to get eaten!
I retired, bought a motor home, and sold everything to travel the US! NEVER regretted it and have time to stop just to look at flowers along the highways of America.

[BCam]

Another consideration is, whether or not you're retired, don't put things off that you really want to do, if you can afford to do them. At some point you or your spouse's health is going to catch up with you, and it can do so unexpectedly. And you never know when something like a pandemic will get in the way.

And, back to the health insurance issue, if you currently have good coverage through work, you probably don't want to risk transitioning to something with lower coverage as long as the pandemic is with us.

[Layton100]

We retired 10 years ago, when we had enough! Enough of work and enough financial support. Haven't look back at all!