Early Retirement - How do you like it?

It kinda sucks....I've been looking for "something to do", as in a job, for years now. Nobody will want you due to your age. Those that do want you, have a list a mile long of others looking for the same positions.

You need to find things to keep the brain busy though, or it turns to mush. Though I'm retired from the construction industry, even jobs at Home Depot, Loews, Menards...don't want ya. Kinda gets depressing too, because you have so much to offer, in so many different ways, and they just don't want to waste the time training you thinking you'll quit in a few years to collect your SS.

You might have to give up weekends, seems most will hire you for that. I figured I worked the majority of my life on weekends, screw that now. Some geographical locations are obviously going to be different. You might get lucky, who knows, tap your sphere of influences and see whats available to you. In the meantime, if you retire early, grab a hobby to keep the brain busy....or just make it a career making fun of Russ, like I do.

I'd say, if you are financially able to do it, then DO IT! Travel, pick up hobbies, golf, learn new skills, etc.

I am confident that I will have no problem filling up my days when I retire. I am a serial hobbyist, so I will always have something to occupy my mind and keep me busy.

I see so many people work until 62, 65, etc then come down with cancer or die within a few years. That SUCKS! I say retire as soon as you are able to. That is, unless you enjoy going into your work each and every day. Most people don't. Why keep going into a place that stresses you and makes you miserable?

with your background, have you thought about doing consulting on the side. Cities are looking to downsize anyway they can and not be on the hook for benefits (retirement) you'll be surprised at the many opportunities that could come your way.

I've been partially retired for the past 30+ years; weather related layoff for 4 months yearly. Remodeling our old house kept me poor and busy for the first 20 years. Then I picked up this crazy hobby some 15 years ago and it still keeps me entertained. I don't watch much tv but somehow I can always find things to do to keep myself busy and I'm never bored. I'm very much looking forward to full time retirement in 2 more years as there's so much more to do in the summer months.

Wish I could get my wife to make this change.

Polkitup2 wrote: »

I too don't watch much TV, it has been replaced by audio.

I did get her to sit in the sweet spot of the new Polk Blackstone TL3 speakers I just recently purchased for my computer.

She had an "Oh wow!" moment when she heard how nice they were imaging and said "the sound seemed like it was coming from underneath and behind the speakers."

I think she was describing soundstage depth.

Baby steps!

Polkitup2 wrote: »

My wife hasn't made that change. We generally occupy separate floors of the house - lol

verb wrote: »

Everyday's a Saturday when you retire!

That's the BEST part. I get to go the hardware store and a wide range of other errands when nobody else is doing them!

I retired 21 years ago at the age of 51.

My experience of my own early retirement experience and the experiences of others in my area who have retired early can be grouped roughly as follows:

The first group consists of those who after six months of retirement are bored, anxious about their being, and find a way to plunge back into full-time work.

The second group consists of those who after six months of retirement wake up one morning and wonder how they ever had time to go to work because they're so busy.

I fell into the second group.

I decided to retire in part because my family was far more important to me than my work. My two young daughters were growing up rapidly, and I was traveling 35-50% of the time -- often internationally. I not only wanted to see them grow, I also wanted to play a part in rearing them. My first dozen years were invested in this worthy activity.

In addition, when I moved to my current home, I got deeply involved in volunteering for land conservation projects, serving on our local planning board, and on our regional planning commission, which I now chair. I have also been a member of our town's select board, as well as various other committees.

My theory is that individuals who have really devoted themselves to their professions or work throughout their lives have trouble adapting to retirement -- unless all the time that they functioned as workaholics, they harbored suppressed desires to pursue a lot of things for which they did not have time while working -- or at least thought the did not.

Just my $0.02 worth.

I have mixed feelings about retirement. On one hand, I can see the benefits of not working. On the other hand, I love the paycheck, and a positive cash flow is better than a negative (retired) cash flow. So, as long as I am healthy, and mentally sharp for writing software, I plan to keep working until into my 70s. Since I am now 68 that is another 2-4 years, at least. One benefit here is that after 66 you can collect full SS no matter what your yearly income. That pays for beer and weed for that year.

Yeah Bud but can you afford your audio bug upgrades, after the paychecks stop?

gudnoyez wrote: »

Yeah Bud but can you afford your audio bug upgrades, after the paychecks stop?

No. Of course not. As I said, that is the benefit of a positive cash flow.