How do you guys retire?

[Deleted member 59498]

30 years at FedEx was all my back could take.

Yeah I hear ya good on you though! Congrats!

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[DKAwildcat]

I retired at the age of 55 after working 30 years 7.5 months for a very successful employee-owned engineering firm here in Kansas City. My advice to anyone entering the workforce is to start saving early, live within their means, pay off the house and cars ASAP, and marry someone like-minded. If they’re unable to pay off their credit cards at the end of the month, then they shouldn’t buy it. Also, don’t waste their money on worthless college degrees for their kids.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

I retired at the age of 55 after working 30 years 7.5 months for a very successful employee-owned engineering firm here in Kansas City. My advice to anyone entering the workforce is to start saving early, live within their means, pay off the house and cars ASAP, and marry someone like-minded. If they’re unable to pay off their credit cards at the end of the month, then they shouldn’t buy it. Also, don’t waste their money on worthless college degrees for their kids.

Hell yeah, I have a bunch in savings been saving a long time and have a pension but just wanted to check with others. Just seems weird not working. I did not nor would I pay for my kids education that is a scam invented in the last 20 years to scam parents to pay for FAR OVER priced educations.

My son works 6 weeks in Valdez on the pipeline makes as much as I do per week. Which is pretty decent. Of course he works 70 hours a week for 6 weeks. But still he tried the university 2 times for nursing and then engineering. Was not for him, I didn't pay tuition and would not. They just keep raising them to the max of what clowns will pay.

 

[dragoneggs]

Lots of career paths out there. It is hard to find your path. While I agree that there are many ways to be successful and money isn’t everything… happiness and ability to provide is paramount. Developing a skill or trade is extremely valuable… this gives you the tool and then it is up to you.

Granted, it isn’t for everyone, but unilaterally discouraging higher education is ignorant. Many people and our society have benefited immensely from college educations. I am raising my hand here personally as a degreed engineer that has given me the tools to participate in ‘missions of consequence’ and travel the world. Yes lucky I guess... but I positioned myself.

Taking out future burdensome student loans isn’s prudent either... don’t do it! But if you have a passion… follow it and if you need to invest in that passion, then yes do it wisely. This is the conundrum, however I will contest that using your passion, you can find the avenues without mortgaging your future.

There are lots of ways to get to ’the finish line’. Work hard, work smart, get lucky, whatever. Thing is… you never know when/where is the finish line. So… do your best to enjoy the journey and share it with your loved ones and the others you touch.

I am 3 or so years from retirement. My journey to this utopia is almost complete. But is it?

 

[DKAwildcat]

Hell yeah, I have a bunch in savings been saving a long time and have a pension but just wanted to check with others. Just seems weird not working. I did not nor would I pay for my kids education that is a scam invented in the last 20 years to scam parents to pay for FAR OVER priced educations.

My son works 6 weeks in Valdez on the pipeline makes as much as I do per week. Which is pretty decent. Of course he works 70 hours a week for 6 weeks. But still he tried the university 2 times for nursing and then engineering. Was not for him, I didn't pay tuition and would not. They just keep raising them to the max of what clowns will pay.

It was weird for me at first to not work, too. It was somewhat as a shock to me to go from working 60+ hours/week to nothing when I retired. Since I was generally in the office all day, I was totally surprised by the number of people running around during the day Monday thru Friday. Why weren’t all these people working? Not all of them could be working late shifts or be on vacation, I thought. Again, I was totally surprised.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

Lots of career paths out there. It is hard to find your path. While I agree that there are many ways to be successful and money isn’t everything… happiness and ability to provide is paramount. Developing a skill or trade is extremely valuable… this gives you the tool and then it is up to you.

Granted, it isn’t for everyone, but unilaterally discouraging higher education is ignorant. Many people and our society have benefited immensely from college educations. I am raising my hand here personally as a degreed engineer that has given me the tools to participate in ‘missions of consequence’ and travel the world. Yes lucky I guess... but I positioned myself.

Taking out future burdensome student loans isn’s prudent either... don’t do it! But if you have a passion… follow it and if you need to invest in that passion, then yes do it wisely. This is the conundrum, however I will contest that using your passion, you can find the avenues without mortgaging your future.

There are lots of ways to get to ’the finish line’. Work hard, work smart, get lucky, whatever. Thing is… you never know when/where is the finish line. So… do your best to enjoy the journey and share it with your loved ones and the others you touch.

I am 3 or so years from retirement. My journey to this utopia is almost complete. But is it?

It is not about ignorance or discouraging higher education. You missed the point.

Of course we benefit from education. But there are far better educations outside of the crazy universities of today who push social bullshit more than physics. But if you are going to take gender studies as a education than you are the ignorant one. Because no one gives a fuck in the real world. It is not real it has no bearing.

My point was and is my son didn't want to deal with school anymore. Maybe he will later. Who knows. But to spend all of my retirement on his education? Absolutely IGNORANT. He can join the Army like I did and go off and get an education or join the Air Force or pay for it himself. I am not going to spend thousands of dollars on over cost education then ask the tax payer to forgive the loans. Forget it. Not my cup of tea. My point was not against secondary education it was the cost that these scumbag universities charge. Right on the cusp of the max loan these kids can get. Sort of like a payday loan or a buy here pay here auto loan.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

It was weird for me at first to not work, too. It was somewhat as a shock to me to go from working 60+ hours/week to nothing when I retired. Since I was generally in the office all day, I was totally surprised by the number of people running around during the day Monday thru Friday. Why weren’t all these people working? Not all of them could be working late shifts or be on vacation, I thought. Again, I was totally surprised.

Yeah the biggest benefit and worse benefit is I work from home 100%. It is good for my life stuff but I need more exercise. Use to I would walk all over the building and talk with people every day which is great exercise. Now I might do my thing on the computer for 10 hours a day nonstop. Not healthy brother.

 

[smokeythecat]

I retired at the age of 55 after working 30 years 7.5 months for a very successful employee-owned engineering firm here in Kansas City. My advice to anyone entering the workforce is to start saving early, live within their means, pay off the house and cars ASAP, and marry someone like-minded. If they’re unable to pay off their credit cards at the end of the month, then they shouldn’t buy it. Also, don’t waste their money on worthless college degrees for their kids.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michae...but-other-factors-matter-too/?sh=e87b64d35cdc

 

[dragoneggs]

It is not about ignorance or discouraging higher education. You missed the point.

Of course we benefit from education. But there are far better educations outside of the crazy universities of today who push social bullshit more than physics. But if you are going to take gender studies as a education than you are the ignorant one. Because no one gives a fuck in the real world. It is not real it has no bearing.

My point was and is my son didn't want to deal with school anymore. Maybe he will later. Who knows. But to spend all of my retirement on his education? Absolutely IGNORANT. He can join the Army like I did and go off and get an education or join the Air Force or pay for it himself. I am not going to spend thousands of dollars on over cost education then ask the tax payer to forgive the loans. Forget it. Not my cup of tea. My point was not against secondary education it was the cost that these scumbag universities charge. Right on the cusp of the max loan these kids can get. Sort of like a payday loan or a buy here pay here auto loan.

Hi Scott,

My point was sort of directed to @DKAwildcat but to the audience in general. I don’t think I missed ‘the point’. BTW your original post was literally “Crap”. ‘

I think I iterated that higher education should be considered with passion, happiness, and security in mind. I deliberately tried to stay away from our downward ascent toward social progressivism. I too do not want to contribute to the funding of the institutions that promote this ideology. I put both my children through ‘higher’ education with must consternation.

I had to tread the waters of indoctrination while seeking my passion to be an engineer. I only was offering my POV. Apologies if my message was not received as intended.

 

[Gossamer]

Whelp, got my 30 years on July 26th and I have 1 foot out the door, hopefully will get the other foot out end of the year.

Started working at 14, I would sub for multiple paper routes in the area as needed and was basically an hvac apprentice to a friend's dad, installing air conditioning, as not many people had it back then, but wanted it. Then, did some fast food and was a car porter.

Hired into Chrysler in '93 as a toolmaker apprentice. Worked a ton of overtime for the first 20 years. Heck, one year I only had 17 days I didn't get paid, I took some time off, but it was paid, holidays or vacation time.

Back in the '90's, we were getting really nice profit sharing checks. I put those bonuses directly into the 401(k). Heck, bonuses got taxed so heavily then, like 35% federally iirc that it made sense to throw it Into a tax deferred account. Maxed my 401(k) for about 15 years straight.

About then i realized, I don't want to work until 59.5 years old when you can collect 401(k) money without penalty. So I found a financial advisor and started my "portfolio"

I had to back off the overtime about 10 years ago because of foot issues. Concrete floors and hammer toes don't get along forever, I guess. Four foot surgeries later, now the toes are doing pretty good. Also, we ended up on an "alternate work schedule" that helped because there wasn't any forced overtime with that schedule.

So, here I am, 51 years old ready to go. Planned to go spring of '24 but Stellantis offered a buyout this year in June and I took it. But, they can "hold" me until the end of the year, which seems to be their plan. So here I am, in a holding pattern, until December. Or spring, if the company figures out a way to pull the buy out offer, lol.

 

[wibornz]

Yeah 25 here thinking of just giving up a couple hundred a month and go live life!

You will not miss a couple hundred a month. You spend that going to work. You can spend time, but you can't buy it. I stay very busy and it is easy to just do all the things that you put off. Also, it is easy if you want to, to pick up a side hustle to replace that couple hundred a month.

 

[DKAwildcat]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michae...but-other-factors-matter-too/?sh=e87b64d35cdc

I completely agree with this article… college grads (in general) make substantially more than those without, but it all depends on their major. My BS and MS degrees in civil engineering were certainly worth my investment of time and money.

I saw on the news one day a reporter interviewing a college grad who was complaining about her $125,000 in student loan debt. She found out after graduating that there was no demand for someone with a MS degree in history. We the taxpayers are now on the hook for it.

 

[TheBirdie72]

yeah… that’s about it.

 

[DKAwildcat]

Hi Scott,

My point was sort of directed to @DKAwildcat but to the audience in general. I don’t think I missed ‘the point’. BTW your original post was literally “Crap”. ‘

I think I iterated that higher education should be considered with passion, happiness, and security in mind. I deliberately tried to stay away from our downward ascent toward social progressivism. I too do not want to contribute to the funding of the institutions that promote this ideology. I put both my children through ‘higher’ education with must consternation.

I had to tread the waters of indoctrination while seeking my passion to be an engineer. I only was offering my POV. Apologies if my message was not received as intended.

I should have been more clear in what I stated. My intent wasn’t to dismiss all college degrees. I followed my passion, graduated with a BS and MS in civil engineering, found my dream job with a great company, and benefitted greatly from it. The issue I have is universities pushing degrees that have little demand and/or have a poor return on the investment. We keep hearing story after story of kids graduating from college with huge debt burdens and finding out that their dream job (if they can find one) doesn’t pay enough to live on. I just wish someone would have warned these kids what they were getting themselves into.

You mentioned that you are a few years away from retirement. Because of the benefits I received from my education, in my retirement I have been giving back by mentoring civil engineering students at Kansas State University and volunteering in our local school district. If you have the time and opportunity to do that with your alma mater and/or local school district when you retire, please consider it. I promise that you’ll love it and your time will be greatly appreciated.

 

[dragoneggs]

I should have been more clear in what I stated. My intent wasn’t to dismiss all college degrees. I followed my passion, graduated with a BS and MS in civil engineering, found my dream job with a great company, and benefitted greatly from it. The issue I have is universities pushing degrees that have little demand and/or have a poor return on the investment. We keep hearing story after story of kids graduating from college with huge debt burdens and finding out that their dream job (if they can find one) doesn’t pay enough to live on. I just wish someone would have warned these kids what they were getting themselves into.

You mentioned that you are a few years away from retirement. Because of the benefits I received from my education, in my retirement I have been giving back by mentoring civil engineering students at Kansas State University and volunteering in our local school district. If you have the time and opportunity to do that with your alma mater and/or local school district when you retire, please consider it. I promise that you’ll love it and your time will be greatly appreciated.

Sounds like we are in the same boat! I am in the coaching/mentoring mode as I am actively trying to pass some wisdom to the next gen engineers and business folks in our company.

What I am seeing now are too many college graduates think they already understand the world as they burst upon it. Sorry... nothing beats experience. In my mind, college studies should provide you with the critical thinking ability and an understanding of physical and natural laws. Please take those learned tools and make the world better.

Don't come out waving a bleeding heart, blaming others, make it right, no accountability attitude around me and all those that served our country in one way or other. I'm losing patience for those that think they are righteous and entitled.

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