Theoretically thinking .

I guess most of the members here will not have a problem when they retire because they already have a hobby. In my experience the people who struggle when they retire are the ones who don't have a hobby.

I know that without a hobby or two I'd go round the bend very quickly.
 
No Mike , I'm retiring in my mind only . I'm set financially to go but I'll continue until it's not fun any longer . I do plan on changing shifts and leaving my floor position for better work . :big grin:
I’m guessing if your this close to thinking/wanting to retire it you won’t be working much longer lol I had a great job bosses people I worked with . Was thinking of waiting a few more years. After figuring out not paying SS , state income tax (Pa) union dues etc . I was working for much more . As much as we all like money , all the money in the world won’t buy you yesterday . I ended up going this past Oct
 
My wife was very conflicted about retirement because she just couldn’t figure out what to do with herself. But when she was off for 6wks for a hip replacement and saw firsthand how busy I am and saw how much we could get done and enjoy our time together she’s had a change of heart. She’s counting the days now and the main goal now is to pay off the house to bring our overhead as low as possible. We are both looking fwd to her waving bye bye to the salt mines.
 
I didn't intend to retire, I just sold the business without a thought as to what came next. It took someone else pointing it out for me to realize that I was, in fact, retired. I've just been winging it for the last 20 years. It's funny, I worry much less now that I have minimal income than I did when I was rolling in it. When you don't have a house or car payment, it doesn't take that much.
 
Dave,

Best of luck in your retirement (or not) whatever it might be....

For me I'm still too young because I can't get Medicare for ~10 more years (4 for my wife) and the $1800/mo we were paying for our health insurance last year before I got my regular job is just too much.

Before that when I was an independent contractor I figured I'd work well into my 70's because I liked the work and I got to travel, all while making decent money only working 10-15 weeks/yr. Now that I'm doing a 9 to 5 type job I've found myself fantasizing about being able to retire early. I think we have the assets but health insurance is the biggie and I'm starting to envy our friends in countries where everyone gets health care regardless of employment status.

When my dad retired in 2000 I thought he wouldn't last but a few years without his work since it was such a big part of his identity. But he started traveling, fishing, getting more involved in family, community and church. Ultimately he had a pretty decent retirement until he couldn't live by himself in 2014. Even then he spent his last years with my sister and her family and enjoyed what he still could.

So, I guess what I'm saying is keep working if it makes you happy but realize there's only one thing you can't get any more of in this life. Why they don't make Medicare and Social Security active at the same time in the US continues to baffle me but if your situation allows for full retirement at 62 I say go for it.

I know you have plenty of other things to do with your time and probably the excavation gig will take off if you want it to. But, one thing I learned in the 16 years I had working for myself is that being in charge of your own time is a true blessing.

John
 
I think you're going to love retirement. I've been working at it a long time (over 15 years) and can say with some certainty it's far more hassle free than working 60 to 80 hours a week. My situation was just about the opposite of yours. I was 57 when I walked away from it all, and have enjoyed being retired as much if not more than working. I loved my job and enjoyed going to work each and every day. Each day was a challenge, but in a good way. Engineering was downsizing, and buyouts were available for those with enough time with the company.

The downsizing was due to the fact that the "new" management didn't want to continue to follow the same path as previous managers. Over a 50 year period the company had developed outstanding research and engineering organizations. Between them they developed hundreds of new products and the processing and packaging machinery to put them into the market place. The new generation of management saw those organizations as overhead, and expenses they could eliminate.

Rather than develop new products from scratch they thought it would be easier and less expensive to copy and improve on those made by others. Rather than design and build efficient and innovative machinery it would be easier and less expensive to contract an outside firm to do the work. That way they would only have engineering expense when a new product came along. Theoretically if there were no new products in the pipeline they wouldn't need new processes or equipment, and they could replace existing inhouse built machinery with less expensive although less durable and less efficient commercially available equipment.

The ideas looked like winners on paper, but the practicality of the situation was much different. Contracting with outside firms to design and build new machines raised the cost over 6 times what was being spent to do it inhouse. When they couldn't handle that expense they went the commercial route. Then they were purchasing machines that required 40% more labor to operate, needed triple the dollars in repair and replacement parts, and had an overall lifespan of less than half the inhouse built machines they replaced.

With the research and engineering departments decimated they had more or less sealed their fate. Rather than be a world leaders and innovators they've chosen to be followers. Income and profits aren't what they were, and it gets harder each day to attract people to a run of the mill company.
 
I worked with quite a few hands over the years who retired but failed to let the boss, or the payroll office, know. ;)
LOL , you got my point ! :big grin:
 
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