Retired 4 years ago tomorrow...BEST job I ever had!!!
Congrats Mike.

 

I'm happy for ya. I was all set to retire in February, I thought. Received a letter from Social Security yesterday. I made too much money in 2015 so they want most of what they paid me that year back. Oh well, that just pushes me a few more months into 2017. Then I'll be like you, working around the house, on the cars, and pretty much anything I want to. Maybe I'll do a little fishing too.

Good luck to you and enjoy,

Richard

 

Hey Mike. If you ever get to the north coast, please stop by!

I retired almost a year ago. Best move I EVER made... Advise to all. Retire as soon as you can and don't look back.

 

Advise to all. Retire as soon as you can and don't look back.

So true. No one knows for sure they'll live another day, so do it and enjoy it before it's too late.

 

I took a early retirement 1 1/2 years ago. 37 years of operating heavy Equipment. Busier now than ever. Thinking of going back to work just to get a rest.

 

Try the local race track. I know the ones around here can't find people. They don't pay much, but the job is never repetitive.

Steve R

 

My goal is to retire by the time I hit 57 (if not sooner.) Even taking a week off has my wife threatening me to get out of her hair, so I can just imagine what happens when I'm fully retired lol.

Playing with my toys, fishing, and whatever else I want to do is on my list to keep me busy.

 

Good Luck! Thinking about doing the same this spring after 32 years of firefighting. Still enjoy it but it's starting to hurt once in awhile!

 

Retirement is great! I'm not really sure when I actually retired, or if i really am now... Hard to figure. I quit my last full time job (front end mechanic, 28 years) on April Fools day, 1994. Since then I've been hustling "side jobs" and doing handyman repairs, built decks, custom furniture along with a few other endeavors. Now, at 67, I still make jewelry that sells pretty well online and try to corral 2 college students living in my house (my youngest and the grandson) along with rebuilding my 68 ElCamino. Keeps me young!....and broke.....

 

My first day of retirement will be the day they close the lid on me.

 

Me to, but I have been self employed for 20 years and still have 15 to go before retirement age, but I enjoy working so I will do it until I croak.

 

Well, I have 1 month, 23 days, 1 hour, 56 minutes to go and I will officially retire!

But who's counting?

I am 65 and actually plan on working a few years longer...
Here is my reasoning...Well, first off, I don't have a pension of any kind but probably have enough to retire on. That being said, I am still pretty healthy and don't owe anyone anything except for taxes and utilities. I do make pretty good money and I can put most of it away in tax free things. I still like my job 90% of the time and I do work from home 2 or 3 days a week. I have decent benefits, including medical and 5 weeks off for vacation.

Sooooo, if I put more money away, I can get max social security at 70, I can then be able to pretty much do whatever I want, including travel etc....

But, this is just me..YMMV....grr

 

Sooooo, if I put more money away, I can get max social security at 70, I can then be able to pretty much do whatever I want, including travel etc....

I retired almost a year ago. Best move I EVER made... Advise to all. Retire as soon as you can and don't look back.

Good advise David.

I have had a number of acquaintances with that same plan. They rolled the dice and never made it to the magic 70. They either passed away or their health took a dramatic downturn.

Those that passed away didn't collect one cent of all their SS they paid in and those with health issues couldn't enjoy it.

 

good luck with your plans, we retired in mid 2011 and haven't been sitting still, I don't know how we found the time to go to work, we're busier than ever since we retired!! It is nice to sleep in to 8 AM or so though!

 

I retired the first time at 38 and went to work to stay busy. Quit work at 59 and started my own business. Started SS at 62 and work part time two days a week for parts money. Retirement is great!!

 

I retired two year ago, and I have never looked back. I wish I had done it when I was 62 1/2, but the timing wasn't right so I suffered another 4 1/2 years......I love hearing how much I am missed. Tough Bones......I did my job, to bad they can't keep up. Your going to love it.

 

I retired 11 years ago, At 65. Wonderful way to live. I have two 70s, A trailer queen (one owner LS-5/M-22). And my fun car a 70 SS 468 Sta. Wgn. with a lot of upgrades. I stay very active, Play bass in a band 3-4 times a month.
Today I removed 9-4 tube light fixtures from the garage installing 9 new T-8 units with 4 tubes in each fixture. Went to the Steelers Ravens game last week.
My 6.2 1/2 ton is paid off, Along with the house. Maken payments on the wifes 2016 Sub. Forrester. When I go to the big car show in the sky !
I do not plan on having much money left............. WHY?
" Life is a one way street,,,,, Enjoy it " :thumbsup:
Bob

 

Congratulations!

 

Turned 63 this Christmas - I can go anytime...just wrapping up some projects before checking out.

 

I retired almost 4 years ago at 49 after 30 years of working for the state prison system. Started my own corrections related business after I retired and sold it about 18 months ago. Now all I do is work on the '66, build wooden gear clocks, and hang out with the daughter and granddaughter. For sure retire as soon as possible, the hours are great and I've never had a better boss!

 

August 19th/2019 is my earliest retirement date. That will be after 35 years of railroading at 55 years old.. Still not sure what I will do, retire or go a few more years. I still like my job and my wife is 10 years younger than me so she can't retire for another 8 years. The nice part will be, being able to just decide not to go to work anymore. I guess I will decide when the time comes. Congratulations on your upcoming retirement and may you have many happy, years to enjoy it!

 

I've decided to leave my job in 6 years at 50. The prospect of working in the shop all day in my 50's isn't so pleasant. The home and all the cars are paid for. The kids will all be on their own by then. So why continue to wear myself out? I'm going to do something part time. Probably either hot shot trucking or flipping used cars, maybe a combination of both. I'll probably work 2 days a week or something.

 

Congrats Mike ,hope you enjoy it ,maybe some day I can try it.

 

Retire as soon as you can afford to. Enjoy!

 

retire as soon as you can, if I had waited until I could afford it I would still be working. Been without a full time job for nearly 6 years. Besides Social Security I work a couple of days a month at my local NAPA and do a little side work on old Chevy's, life has been good.

BTW you planning on being in Marana after you retire?

 

Retired 2004 at 58 years old and never looked backed. Take 3 grandkids to and from school,plus home work. I will NEVER know how got everything done at home while I was working.

 

Interesting thread. I am 65 and still work...because I like to and my wife says she likes it with me out of her way (she retired a yr. ago.) When I turn 66, things may change some as far as hours worked but I can pretty much make my own schedule now and can get the time off to visit g-kids and such. My health is pretty good still so I figure why not keep doing something that I like. When it quits being "fun", I'll stop doing it. Just a different take on this subject that works for me...no pun intended!

 

I'm 48 and I've been at my job for 18 years. My wife is 45 and she's been at her job for 20 years. We had grand plans for me to retire at 55. That would have given me 25 years in the union with a Teamster pension and also my company 401K. She was going to work until 55 as well and retire after 30 years at her company and be able to draw from her pension and 401K. We also have a few IRA's as well as other minor investments that would have carried us over until SS kicks in.

Our original plan as a young couple was to sell our primary home here in Doylestown and retire to our vacation home in the Pocono mountains where the cost of living is much less. We had a plan in place to be able to retire young and live pretty comfortably.

But now as we approach the age where we should be able to begin to implement that plan, we have to consider college for our kids. My daughter turns 14 in 3 weeks. She's an outstanding student and has expressed an interest in becoming a veterinarian which is about 6-8 years of education. My son is 11 turning 12 in 2017 and while a 11 year old boy only really cares about playing baseball, football, or basketball with his buddies and his X-box, he's also an excellent student and we have to consider him attending college.

So our grand plan to retire young could put us in a position where we want to retire with 2 kids in college. I am certain that will throw a monkey wrench into our plans. We'll have to stay tuned to see how it all plays out.

 

Philip - I do NOT plan on moving to Marana - we are thinking about Prescott though. I have a great friend that moved to Casa Grande recently and he wants us to go there. Waaay too hot!

One of my projects is to build a guitar - always wanted to try that. Then there is the car, the shop, the garage, the remodel of the kitchen, finishing the back yard landscape, travel to Arizona, travel to Tennessee (by car!) and try fishing for Ling Cod, Halibut, Sea Bass, and whatever else lurks out there. Most people that I talk to say that they are busier 'retired' than any other time of their life.

For those that have not retired, I am finding that I am lucky to be in the position that I am.... it is important to do some planning. Otherwise, you end up at this point with the depressing thought of working and not retiring.

I did tell my boss (when he asked me) that my last day would be Feb.22 or the next really really bad day at work.

He just looked at me.....

Thanks all for the congrats! I changed my countdown clock so it reads the remaining days - which is 51.