To Stay in Retirement or Return to Work?

[Possum092]

Yep. What’s weird is the people that struggle with this type of decision are usually financially well off enough to retire. Me? I’ll likely die on the job. Medicare sucks.

I think it partially comes down to most financially well off folks have advanced degrees, they often plan for the long game, have strong work ethics, and a strong drive the overachieve in whatever their doing. Entering retirement at an early age suddenly gives you endless white space to fill; hobbies only go so far and most of your close friends still have to go to work. I started at age 13 and had an adult career that spanned almost 30 years so having this much free time is still new to me.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I think it partially comes down to most financially well off folks have advanced degrees, they often plan for the long game, have strong work ethics, and a strong drive the overachieve in whatever their doing. Entering retirement at an early age suddenly gives you endless white space to fill; hobbies only go so far and most of your close friends still have to go to work. I started at age 13 and had an adult career that spanned almost 30 years so having this much free time is still new to me.

I am sorry if it came off as a jab, I didn’t mean it that way. Where I’m at now, I am at the point where home life is more important to me than work. I’ve known guys that bust tail until they are forced to retire in their 70s- they live for work. I do work hard and enjoy my job, but when it’s time to go I won’t shed a tear. I am friendly with coworkers, but I don’t get too close. I try to keep a line drawn between work life and personal life.

 

[Possum092]

I am sorry if it came off as a jab, I didn’t mean it that way. Where I’m at now, I am at the point where home life is more important to me than work. I’ve known guys that bust tail until they are forced to retire in their 70s- they live for work. I do work hard and enjoy my job, but when it’s time to go I won’t shed a tear. I am friendly with coworkers, but I don’t get too close. I try to keep a line drawn between work life and personal life.

I didn‘t see any jabs. I will say having the time for family is amazing, but most teenagers don’t want to spend a full 8-hours hanging out with dad. The other great thing about retirement is pushing things until another day if you don’t feel like doing them today. Before I forced to enjoy my hobbies only on Saturday or Sundays, now I can do whatever and whenever the mood hits.

 

[nortac]

I'll be retiring in a few months after 36+ years of Critical Care nursing. While not completely prepared financially to retire, I'm quite burnt out and really can't do it much longer, both physically and mentally. I'm already drawing Social Security and a small pension. Working a few more years would not change things substantially for me. SWMBO has been retired for a few years, her health is not the best and I want to spend as much time with her as possible. I won't have much of a problem filling my time with hobbies, property maintenance and "honey do's". I can't wait. It's refreshing to realize that I can walk away if they tick me off at work! I'll surely miss some of it (but not the stress) and a few colleagues, but it will pass. I've had a lifetime of getting up early since childhood as a morning paper boy, a stint in the military and getting up at 0430 during my nursing career. To sleep beyond 0630 is very unusual for me. Not liable to change in the near future.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I didn‘t see any jabs. I will say having the time for family is amazing, but most teenagers don’t want to spend a full 8-hours hanging out with dad. The other great thing about retirement is pushing things until another day if you don’t feel like doing them today. Before I forced to enjoy my hobbies only on Saturday or Sundays, now I can do whatever and whenever the mood hits.

If your type of job allows for it, I’d do part time consulting. I must say I have toyed with the idea of going back to Ohio retire (just getting hotter and hotter here every year- it’s only going to get worse) because we have a training center in Columbus (a little warmer than Cleveland). I wouldn’t mind doing this part time (I am a flight simulator tech).

 

[Possum092]

I'll be retiring in a few months after 36+ years of Critical Care nursing. While not completely prepared financially to retire, I'm quite burnt out and really can't do it much longer, both physically and mentally. I'm already drawing Social Security and a small pension. Working a few more years would not change things substantially for me. SWMBO has been retired for a few years, her health is not the best and I want to spend as much time with her as possible. I won't have much of a problem filling my time with hobbies, property maintenance and "honey do's". I can't wait. It's refreshing to realize that I can walk away if they tick me off at work! I'll surely miss some of it (but not the stress) and a few colleagues, but it will pass. I've had a lifetime of getting up early since childhood as a morning paper boy, a stint in the military and getting up at 0430 during my nursing career. To sleep beyond 0630 is very unusual for me. Not liable to change in the near future.

Congrats on your pending retirement! Wow thats a really long nursing career. I‘ve met a few nurses who switched careers after 10 years because of the job stress. Thank you for your service.

 

[Butch Waxx]

No sir….No second thoughts as my 1st year retirement date of June 28th quickly approaches.

 

[Wishoot]

"Consultant"

That's the job title for most of the previously retired folks in my industry. They pick up jobs working 15-20 hours a week and make pretty decent money depending on experience.

 

[selbedj]

Make work one of your hobbies. I plan to retire from full time work in 4 years but am already greasing the skids with consultants to teach their new folks some institutional knowledge in my retirement.
Then I’ll milk that cow for as long as she stands.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Forgot to tell you that I posted the package on Monday. Should have it tomorrow.

 

[sentrydriver]

I probably have posted this before but since it is a new thread, I‘ll repeat my story. My goal was to retire completely at 55. After an Air Force career followed by a shorter one at a regional airline, I missed my goal by a year. I called it quits at 56 with a new home in New Mexico, a nice pension, health insurance (Tricare), lifetime travel benefits at a major airline (standby) and a healthy nest egg. I loved retirement and was never bored. I hiked every day and established volunteer opportunities that suited me. Our other big ambition for retirement was to take short term leases in places we always wanted to live. Unfortunately, COVID put the clamps on this.

Before COVID, I received a robo-email from the State Department that they were accepting applications for a job that always intrigued me. My wife and I decided that it was better to put in an application and be rejected than to let the opportunity go by and then always wonder “what if?”

If you’ve ever applied for a Federal job, you know the aggravation well. It took over two years but here I am. We now live in an exciting world capitol in a fantastic apartment and I have a very well paying job that demands that I travel constantly. I feel like we hit the lotto.

The job is demanding but I’ve had a lifetime to prepare for it. The rewards are great and even more so because they were completely unexpected. We quip that we are going from a comfortable retirement to a luxurious one. I know this will be a short-lived third career but we know we have a great retirement waiting for us back in New Mexico.

 

[Possum092]

I probably have posted this before but since it is a new thread, I‘ll repeat my story. My goal was to retire completely at 55. After an Air Force career followed by a shorter one at a regional airline, I missed my goal by a year. I called it quits at 56 with a new home in New Mexico, a nice pension, health insurance (Tricare), lifetime travel benefits at a major airline (standby) and a healthy nest egg. I loved retirement and was never bored. I hiked every day and established volunteer opportunities that suited me. Our other big ambition for retirement was to take short term leases in places we always wanted to live. Unfortunately, COVID put the clamps on this.

Before COVID, I received a robo-email from the State Department that they were accepting applications for a job that always intrigued me. My wife and I decided that it was better to put in an application and be rejected than to let the opportunity go by and then always wonder “what if?”

If you’ve ever applied for a Federal job, you know the aggravation well. It took over two years but here I am. We now live in an exciting world capitol in a fantastic apartment and I have a very well paying job that demands that I travel constantly. I feel like we hit the lotto.

The job is demanding but I’ve had a lifetime to prepare for it. The rewards are great and even more so because they were completely unexpected. We quip that we are going from a comfortable retirement to a luxurious one. I know this will be a short-lived third career but we know we have a great retirement waiting for us back in New Mexico.

Enjoy living your best life and thank you for your service.

 

[FarmerTan]

My last job was as an ACT RN....best job ever. My cardiologist made me quit, and I nearly killed myself by becoming one with my Lazyarseboy. So, obviously, I didn't give any thought to what I would do if this happened, and I KNEW better. I guess my plan was really to just die on the job. Nursing is harder than the good nurses make it look. I think I was addicted to the job. Then I was forced to quit cold turkey. So I have really only been happy about my lot in life for about 6 months, and by happy I guess I mean finally starting to realize just how blessed I am.

I don't think I would be happy doing volunteer werk. Not in healthcare. It's been the one good thing about being away from people in need: I'm finally able to be with my wife. We laugh all the time. Usually AT each other, but, hey, it's laughter.

I REALLY do need to quit talking about writing that book and do it. My life has been as blessed without being boring as anyone else's story I've read. I really want my only begotten to know something about me. LoL! Warts and all. The odds are I'll be dead or the statute of limitations will be up on most of my deeds by the time it is ever finished.

 

[ChriWilson]

In my 50s here in SoCal; IT and Quality Management for Pharma/Life Sciences (20+ years)

We are actively planning retirement relocation to Oahu which reallocates private school funding.
I will have to prep two Undergrads and plan for their weddings; after that all bets off.

I'm structuring the next level of my career which would involve independent consulting - work where and when I want to.
This will also fund our retirement travels and my fishing disorder(s)


I've been waking at 0530 since middle school. USMC made that concrete.
Sleeping in to me is 7am and that's rare

Oahu is going to have to wait another 3-5 years for us. We had just started escrow on a new development attached to a great H/S when we received confirmation on our eligibility for a CalVets tuition waiver program. In a nutshell, so long as our children retain their CA residency (1 year prior to applicability date), they will be waived of all tuition in the CSU or UC system until aged 27.

Though HI does not have a comparable program, it also means we will be able to expand our home search to areas of the island we were more preferential to...

 

[emwolf]

Retirement is fast approaching for me. I intend to use my time to pursue community theater and maybe get a part time job.

 

[FarmerTan]

Oahu is going to have to wait another 3-5 years for us. We had just started escrow on a new development attached to a great H/S when we received confirmation on our eligibility for a CalVets tuition waiver program. In a nutshell, so long as our children retain their CA residency (1 year prior to applicability date), they will be waived of all tuition in the CSU or UC system until aged 27.

Though HI does not have a comparable program, it also means we will be able to expand our home search to areas of the island we were more preferential to...

I've been to Hawaii once, and I told my wife the next time it's a one way ticket only. I will NEVER come back from that place.

 

[ylekot]

As soon as I can get someone to pay me NOT to show up for work they will never see me again!

 

[FarmerTan]

As soon as I can get someone to pay me NOT to show up for work they will never see me again!

THIS is the korreck attitude my friend. Unfortunately, I didn't learn to embrace it when it was forced upon me, and I was financially "as ready as I'd ever be".... But my brane had a different attitude than my body!

If I'd had my way, I'd have approached retirement exactly like I have all the major decisions in my life: wait and see.

THIS IS STUPID! But, as the great philosopher "Popeye" taught me when I was just a wee lad: "I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam!"

So, just like all the other times in life that were crossroads, I stood in the middle of the road and God, in his infinite wisdom and patience, decided to not let me be run over!

He aligned all of His stars are made my paths straight.....but not without a few speed bumps!

It's taken me 60 years to learn that there is supposed to be "JOY in the journey!" Because, it's really all about the Journey when all is said and done.

 

[Dodger59]

I’m a bit late to this thread, but really enjoyed going through it. Retirement for me is 18-36 months away. My concern, among other things, is not as much about finding things to do, but who to do some of them with. Most of my friends are really from work. I’ve seen how those relationships fizzle after someone retires, so I know I’m going to need to cultivate some new relationships.

But, I know I’m blessed to have this “problem “.

 

[FarmerTan]

I’m a bit late to this thread, but really enjoyed going through it. Retirement for me is 18-36 months away. My concern, among other things, is not as much about finding things to do, but who to do some of them with. Most of my friends are really from work. I’ve seen how those relationships fizzle after someone retires, so I know I’m going to need to cultivate some new relationships.

But, I know I’m blessed to have this “problem “.

Oh, I get ya. I miss my work friends. Most were women, so I knew those wouldn't last. But I never had really deep friendships with guys until my last job, and covid messed that up. Join a church, or a Bible study. Join the Freemasons. Volunteer for the local guvmint planning commission. DO NOT DO WHAT I DID! It will kill you.

My wife and I have gone to lunch with some of my old "girlfriends" from work a few times, as she also REALLY enjoys their company. Or joining in with them making fun of me. LoL, women are ruthless!