How do you guys retire?

[Flip]

Finances are set. Over the years I've had rental properties (bought and sold), investments, and always managed to secure a well paying job despite a few corporate downsizings.

At this point I am LITERALLY going Friday to Friday holding off giving notice.
I'm waiting for the weather to break which is just another lame excuse not to retire at this point.
I don't need the money.
I love my career as a Sr. Mech Design Engineer. Currently I design custom machinery that prints (ink & laser) and laser drills Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals, and Confectionery products. Think 'M' on M&M candies and the 'S' on skittles to mention a few. I did design on the M&M machine that 'prints' a custom image provided by a customer at those kiosks found in a few stores, Vegas, Mall of America, Disney Springs, and one in Berlin, Germany.
Gotta admit, it does suck hitting the alarm clock @ 5:50am each morning then driving into the city.
Maybe I should put an hour glass on my desk as a reminder that time is slipping by.

I retired last July. Time quickly became my enemy. I had way too much of it. I never thought that would be possible. It was easier during the summer months but by the time November rolled in, having almost no social interaction. I was going bananas. This feeling was very unusually and new for me. I missed my job, I missed my co-workers. I don't want to volunteer at a homeless shelter. I worked my whole life and retired, paid my taxes, supported the economy, paid off debt, invested for retirement and now I'm supposed to go babysit those bums! I found a part time job in town, sitting in a fuel hut 3 days a week. I found a Church I enjoy going to and help out on Thursday evenings. Thats 4 days a week that are filled, this has been vital for me.

Stay busy my friends.

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[rsmith56]

Retired two years ago yesterday…….am still learning how to be retired. Would love to travel more, and getting better at it. Still have an elderly mother in law that takes some time. Invested and saved well so money has not been a problem. 1st world problems?

 

[DarthAWM]

Most days if feels like my retirement strategy is

 

[roaniecowpony]

Finances are set. Over the years I've had rental properties (bought and sold), investments, and always managed to secure a well paying job despite a few corporate downsizings.

At this point I am LITERALLY going Friday to Friday holding off giving notice.
I'm waiting for the weather to break which is just another lame excuse not to retire at this point.
I don't need the money.
I love my career as a Sr. Mech Design Engineer. Currently I design custom machinery that prints (ink & laser) and laser drills Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals, and Confectionery products. Think 'M' on M&M candies and the 'S' on skittles to mention a few. I did design on the M&M machine that 'prints' a custom image provided by a customer at those kiosks found in a few stores, Vegas, Mall of America, Disney Springs, and one in Berlin, Germany.
Gotta admit, it does suck hitting the alarm clock @ 5:50am each morning then driving into the city.
Maybe I should put an hour glass on my desk as a reminder that time is slipping by.

It's a great thing to have a job you really love. I was on the fence about retirement. But i got to thinking about my father passing just 3 years after retirement and wondering about just how many sunrises i have left. I gave 12 months notice right away. They hired someone to work with me for about half a year. I really enjoy my freedom with my time.

 

[Twisted10]

I try not to think about it because its one step closer to death. Im investing and working my fool head off now, so that way when my body says no more, hopefully I can at least slow down. Ive been self employed most of my life, so doing nothing, watching the news, and being bored scares the fucking shit out of me.

 

[Grayone]

One must learn to live deliberately.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I try not to think about it because its one step closer to death. Im investing and working my fool head off now, so that way when my body says no more, hopefully I can at least slow down. Ive been self employed most of my life, so doing nothing, watching the news, and being bored scared the fucking shit out of me.

Lotta truth in that.

 

[roaniecowpony]

When I start thinking about my mortality, I think about dogs. My old pointer is past his breed's life expectancy, buy hanging in there with as much as we can do and afford for him. He'll tap me to go outside, then sometimes just look around at the neighborhood, sky, etc, take it all in slowly for a few minutes, then just head back in. There's a dog guy on TV, that I'm not in total agreement on his methods, but he has a saying I like, "live in the moment". Once you take care of "business", that's an inspirational thought.

 

[jadmt]

I am 66 yoa and retired at 60 yoa and my only regret is I did not retire when I was 50 lol. I have seriously never missed a single day of work. for the first couple years my old co-workers would ask if I would think about coming back as they were short handed and I would think for a minute and say nope....nada no way. My wife who will turn 62yoa shortly has put her paperwork in and will retire the end of May. hardest thing for me about being retired is I want to go and be gone for extended periods of time and my wife has to be back at work..She has summers off and it is always great but we want to go in the winter too.. I started working when I was 12yoa of age and my social security history goes back to 1971 strangely enough at 12 I worked for an honest guy who actually did things by the book.

 

[flyer92]

My wife's retirement strategy: serve honorably in the Army for 10 years, Federal service for 25 years, all with exemplary service, and receive an email telling her she's fired with no reason or coordination with her management.

 

[BRuby]

I retired last July. Time quickly became my enemy. I had way too much of it. I never thought that would be possible. It was easier during the summer months but by the time November rolled in, having almost no social interaction. I was going bananas.

Stay busy my friends.

Funny, my time goes flying by. What with skiing SB sailing hiking e-biking family and friends seems I am always running out of time. Daughter marrying this summer - son proposing this Friday.

Do still have responsibilities running an investment company but only spend maybe a day per month overseeing that.

Many on the slopes think I am maybe 40 or max 50 - so that keeps with always do something that keeps your brain and body firing to stay and look and feel young. I guess controlling the effects of stress helps a lot too.

Noticed that doing free weight squats and DL and bench etc has allowed me to maintain slow twitch muscle mass while calisthenic muscle-ups help for dynamic fast twitch firing. Apparently big risks are loss of muscle and loss or balance as you age. My aspirational goal is to keep doing MU until I am 70 and see how it goes from there. Yeah right. Haha! We will see!

Oh also very important to get blood tests and body scans for fat muscle and bone density to make sure all is good.

But yeah staying busy is spot on - probs the most important thing one can do.

 

[plex]

My wife's retirement strategy: serve honorably in the Army for 10 years, Federal service for 25 years, all with exemplary service, and receive an email telling her she's fired with no reason or coordination with her management.

No politics? /s

 

[flyer92]

No politics? /s

Not politics mentioned. Just stating a fact and answering the question.

 

[wibornz]

I try not to think about it because its one step closer to death. Im investing and working my fool head off now, so that way when my body says no more, hopefully I can at least slow down. Ive been self employed most of my life, so doing nothing, watching the news, and being bored scared the fucking shit out of me.

Do nothing???? There is a whole world out there and you can control your time and pace. I think we spend more money at home then we do traveling at times.

 

[Twisted10]

Do nothing???? There is a whole world out there and you can control your time and pace. I think we spend more money at home then we do traveling at times.

Im not much into traveling but ya I get it.

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