Retirement VS working

[Robert R]

* one can apply for Medicare at 64 1/2 so that there is no lag time.
* if health is influencing work there is SSI-D which includes health care.[/I]

Oh, I'll apply for it as soon as possible. If I have my way, I will retire effective my 65th birthday, if not sooner. My health is not affecting my work, but I'm rapidly getting tired of the whole routine of getting up to go sit in an office all day, rinse and repeat.

 

[GeoffMcG]

I started to retire about 5 years ago by cutting back to 3 days per week, I'm 67 now. Initially all time was in the office but after about year or so I built a house in the country on a a few acres and started working mostly from home, only going into the office for a day once every couple of weeks. Then I reduced to 10 hours per week but still went to the office occasionally. Covid stopped that. So now fully from home on my own schedule. I'm very appreciative to the company I work for, so lucky.
I've have planted a small vineyard (160 vines) and a built wine room in the shed. We subdivided our property so now our daughter and grand kids live next door.
When I first reduced to 10 hours I found myself rushing for no reason, just a habit learnt over the years. I look back on my full-time work life and realise I must have been stressed and rushing most of the time.
Anyway, loving it!!

 

[JohnT]

@Riledup5

I had this dear friend. On day I got a call from his wife. He had struck a utility truck rolled his SUV into a ditch. He was DOA at age 58.

It really brought "here today and gone tomorrow" home. You just never know.

Congrats @sour_grapes !

 

[Old Corker]

Good for you @sour_grapes! Enjoy!
I’ve been thinking a lot about retirement recently too. Still have a few years to go. Love my work but it is demanding and pressure packed. One thing I learned about myself during the lockdown is that I will be OK with retirement.

 

[Old Corker]

I'm headed to Port Isabel/South Padre Island (Texas Gulf Coast) in a few weeks to look for a winter home. You should check it out. Weather there is great. There have been a few hurricanes, however. But, no sense living in fear!

We moved to Texas from N. CA 13 years ago. My wife is born and raised Californian. Two things about the Texas Gulf Coast. The sun sets on the wrong side and the beaches sometimes have oil on them. We don’t go to the coast much now.

 

[Kraffty]

I somehow missed this thread until this morning, busy busy busy you know. I agree with everyone's sentiments and plan on getting much better at this whole retirement thing over the next few decades. Congratulations to you and your wife Paul, the additional time you'll have to explore any and everything that interests you is amazing. We've been fortunate enough to kind of slide into retirement, I still put in a few hours each month if needed and Lori is available as customers need her. I started taking my SS a little over a year ago and it just goes straight to savings. We never really had a long term plan in place other than get debt free, put some money away and as Lori is fond of saying, "just keep your head down and work".
Enjoy all the time you now have, you're all earned it, and them some!

 

[mbrssmd]

Like other threads on this forum, this one has delivered a lot of worthwhile and good-humored wisdom especially by the ‘regulars’ whom I’ve come to appreciate reading these past years.

I’m 66 and retired now 10 years, after 30 years in a government job that in its final years consisted of too many airports and unhealthful amounts of pressure (my saintly wife had far less polite words).

I always remembered that on the day my dad retired, back in the 1980s, he pointedly never again put on a watch, just leaving it out on a counter as a reminder.

A year or two into my own retirement, one evening I was sitting on the porch as a gloriously majestic thunderstorm was sliding by way off in the distance to the north, lit up by the setting sun. And I had this sudden revelation that I was completely missing the moment because, as usual, I was fiddling around with my smartphone, looking at radar and whatnot, probably trying to get the exact location of the storm.

The very next day I traded the smartphone away for a dumb flip phone – good for calls and texts but nothing else. I’ve never regretted it. I think it may have been the equivalent of my dad never putting his wristwatch back on.

 

[Mc vintner]

Retired 4 years ago and went from being a pharmacist to a farmacist on 10 acres with 230 vine vineyard, small orchard, and large veggie garden on the mid coast region of Maine. Eased into retirement by stepping down from management then 2 years later cutting down to 3 days a week for 2 years before calling it quits after 38 years. Now really enjoying the good life developing the art of growing our grapes and making our own wine (four different varieties). If at all possible, I recommend retirement as early as possible and enjoy life while you can.

 

[Kraffty]

@mbrssmd I like that thought. My wife took my watch from me years ago saying simply if you're in a situation where you need to know the time, it's available. There are clocks in your car, on your computer, on your stoves, night stand, radio, TV and outside many buildings.

 

[Kraffty]

I meant to mention that the sentiment being expressed here is a reflection of what many Americans are feeling in the wake of the pandemic. At least according to TV news and internet and we know they're always 100% accurate.

 

[Robert R]

@mbrssmd I like that thought. My wife took my watch from me years ago saying simply if you're in a situation where you need to know the time, it's available. There are clocks in your car, on your computer, on your stoves, night stand, radio, TV and outside many buildings.

I quit wearing an actual watch after surgery for a fractured left wrist in 2007 left a scar right where the watch sat, and the watch irritated the scar. I've worn a Fitbit since recovering from heart surgery in 2017, more for the activity tracking than keeping time.

 

[ibglowin]

I still wear a watch. Not for time telling so much as time telling to get up off my arse and move it, move it! It also keeps track of my blood O2 levels (nice during this pandemic), tells me if I am in need of hearing protection (loud noise for too long), tells me if I am in A-Fib or sinus rhythm and if I should fall down and can't get up it will call 911 as well.......

 

[Boatboy24]

I still wear a watch. Not for time telling so much as time telling to get up off my arse and move it, move it! It also keeps track of my blood O2 levels (nice during this pandemic), tells me if I am in need of hearing protection (loud noise for too long), tells me if I am in A-Fib or sinus rhythm and if I should fall down and can't get up it will call 911 as well.......

I like my Apple Watch for all of those reasons. And though I haven't been running much in the last several months, it was great to have on runs. Hoping to get back to it soon. Also liked that if I ever fall on an early morning run, I'm not totally out there on my own. My 87 year old mother in law got one a few months ago for the fall sensing/notifications. She lives alone, and that's a huge piece of peace of mind for me and my wife.

 

[ibglowin]

I slipped on the ice about a month or so ago putting out the trash on the side of the house. Didn't hurt myself but it was enough of a jolt that it activated the fall protection and asked me if I was OK or in need of help. I think I had 30 seconds to respond/cancel or it was going to call 911!

I like my Apple Watch for all of those reasons. And though I haven't been running much in the last several months, it was great to have on runs. Hoping to get back to it soon. Also liked that if I ever fall on an early morning run, I'm not totally out there on my own. My 87 year old mother in law got one a few months ago for the fall sensing/notifications. She lives alone, and that's a huge piece of peace of mind for me and my wife.

 

[Boatboy24]

I slipped on the ice about a month or so ago putting out the trash on the side of the house. Didn't hurt myself but it was enough of a jolt that it activated the fall protection and asked me if I was OK or in need of help. I think I had 30 seconds to respond/cancel or it was going to call 911!

I have 13 and 11 year old boys. We end up wrestling frequently. My watch has asked me on more than one occasion if I'm OK.

 

[VillaVino]

Will retire in 2 years. House will be paid off. That is the only debt. Doing double payments to make this work. 38 years of stress will be enough. Been all over the world and enjoyed it all. 1600 vine vineyard will keep me occupado until I can’t get on the tractor anymore. Will always wear a watch. Retirement job will hopefully be working in a local winery for dirt cheap and responsible for nobody but my familia.

 

[Rocky]

Great thread here!

I retired from my professional career at age 57 (I will be 79 in May), moved to the Columbus, Ohio area and worked in a few "after retirement" jobs to make some additional cash and until SS would kick in for me. Tried the "great elephant graveyard of all professions," Real Estate, for about 5 years and then really hung up my spurs. I have had mixed emotions about retiring at 57 and, on balance, I would count it a mistake. I had a nice job in Corporate Purchasing and could have worked there a few more years, assuming I did not get "tagged" by the essentially annual "right-sizings" that occurred. But, hey, a card laid is a card played.

I had worked at something every year since I was 11 when I had a paper route. I enjoyed the independence it gave me in doing and buying whatever I wanted without having to "grovel" before my parents. (I am overstating here, but you get the idea.) I always had some type of job at least part of the year (golf caddy, nursery worker, delivering beer, delivering groceries, construction, etc.) and I enjoyed working. My bride was the same and began working when she was 14 in a pharmacy at the soda fountain. She eventually became a pharmacist and worked at that profession until she was almost 70, because she loved that profession so much.

Lastly, I would like to point out that virtually every company that I worked for in my professional career either failed or was significantly reduced after I left its employ. (Westinghouse, Digital Equipment Corporation, NCR, Kodak) Not drawing any conclusions, just sayin'...

 

[sour_grapes]

Retired at 60 (pension, 401K, Roth) and have never looked back. Don't miss it at all (except for the cooler talk maybe). 2020 sucked as we were stuck at home (like everyone else) but now that things are looking better in 2021 we can't wait to travel again. Doesn't suck to live in a place with 350 days of sunshine, blue skies and zero humidity either!

Hey Mike, just a few years to go until you don't have to pay state income tax!

https://www.freetaxusa.com/help/dis...s and credits available for low income filers

Do I qualify to deduct income if I'm 100 years old or older?
The income of a person 100 years old or older is exempt from New Mexico income tax if both of the following apply to that person:

• They cannot be claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They must be 100 years or older at the end of the tax year for which they claim the exemption.

 

[ibglowin]

So for all you folks retiring or thinking about retiring in a few years. Will you stay put or relocate? Is your home state "retirement friendly"?

New Mexico is not terribly retirement friendly. They have a state income tax but its fairly low in comparison to other states. They also tax all forms of retirement income including SSI (except for very low income persons) Of course all pension payments, IRA, 401K distributions are taxed.

We have thought of moving a little further West to AZ to be closer to our grandkids out in CA but have not decided either way to make that jump. No state tax in AZ but it seems the state will get there $$$ one way or another. Those states that have no income tax seem to have much much higher property taxes compared to what we pay.

Seems to me its a wash for the most part.

We really love where we live now and have lots of friends we have made over the years who retired and stayed here.

What are people thinking of doing?

 

[Robert R]

I'm not moving again, except to the crematorium, and if I can convince my wife to plant me under the muscadines, not even to the crematorium.