Anybody here thinking about retiring early?

[Gailete]

you'd be surprised, it's gone in a blink of an eye

The older I have gotten, the faster time seems to go, but maybe that is because I have so much to do? I'm for sure not sitting around bored all day. When I was reminded of the age of 70 that I would have to start making withdrawals from my IRA and I too thought that it was a long way off. Nope just 7 years and some months! How di that happen? When did I get so old?

[FLA]

The older I have gotten, the faster time seems to go, but maybe that is because I have so much to do? I'm for sure not sitting around bored all day. When I was reminded of the age of 70 that I would have to start making withdrawals from my IRA and I too thought that it was a long way off. Nope just 7 years and some months! How di that happen? When did I get so old?

the last 15 years have flown, part of it is cognitive for me, i've lost a lot of memory but still. I'm going to be 50 in 2 yrs, that just does not seem possible. I keep realizing things, like the kids are probably neve going to live at home again and my son is 4 yrs away from the age that I got married. Too fast, too fast!

[Singuy]

The older I have gotten, the faster time seems to go, but maybe that is because I have so much to do? I'm for sure not sitting around bored all day. When I was reminded of the age of 70 that I would have to start making withdrawals from my IRA and I too thought that it was a long way off. Nope just 7 years and some months! How di that happen? When did I get so old?

Time going by faster has a lot to do with how slow or fast you accumulate NEW experiences. When you are younger, every experience is new so it felt like an eternity to go from childhood into adulthood. But when you are older and have a daily routine, every week will feel like every other week.

If you go on a year long world cruise, it'll feel like the longest year of your life

[TexasHusker]

If you go on a year long world cruise, it'll feel like the longest year of your life

...especially if you're working on the boat's janitorial staff.

[disneysteve]

I'm willing to live in income-based senior housing in a small apt when I turn 55 even though having been a home care nurse, I've been in and out of these buildings and know hardly anyone is 55 and I would be surrounded by the elderly. I'll live there but I draw the line at Bingo and mahjong.

I would like to find a way to volunteer, even if it's just doing a daily phone check-in with an elderly person.

Actually, those two things mesh together perfectly. Being the young person in the senior apartment will give you ample opportunities to volunteer.

My mom moved into a senior apt. building. She was older - about 75-ish I think - but way "younger" and more active than many of the residents. She quickly became the go-to person to help set up events, start the weekly movie because she was the only one who could operate a DVD player, help prep meals in the kitchen, etc. In fact, she volunteered so much that they actually put her on the payroll and she started getting paid for some of what she was doing.

[Gailete]

When you are younger, every experience is new so it felt like an eternity to go from childhood into adulthood. But when you are older and have a daily routine, every week will feel like every other week.

Every week is different for me, and I experience a lot with customers, internet friends, etc. and now I have a grandbaby on the way! Lots to look forward to. Found out yesterday it is a girl which is very exciting and something I wouldn't even let myself hope for after my having had 2 boys!

I feel very much like FLA. Going along with my nursing job and suddenly one day I had to leave work early due to horrific pain and never went back. Just a bit over 16 years ago. Unfortunately, unlike FLA, I didn't have much of anything in any retirement account as I was still recovering from Mr. Big Bucks and had bought a house the summer before using all spare cash. Not sure I will ever feel 'retired' though since I am always busy. I do however have some money saved and invested towards retirement at this point.

[FLA]

. Found out yesterday it is a girl which is very exciting and something I wouldn't even let myself hope for after my having had 2 boys!

Congratulations!

We seem to have a lot in common. Wasn't it very hard to close the door on nursing?

[Gailete]

Congratulations!

We seem to have a lot in common. Wasn't it very hard to close the door on nursing?

Bawled like a baby when it was time to renew my license and I didn't even have the $35 to spare so I had to let it go. I went to nursing school in my 30's with two kids and a husband that was of no encouragement at all. My career lasted 14 years. But I was able to work myself up to substitute house supervisor on 2nd shift/charge nurse, utilization review, and spent 3 years as a prison nurse which was my favorite of all. I hear that to maintain my license at this point, I would need continuing ed and then it is just plain silly to keep it up. Hard enough to take care of myself much less anyone else!

[FLA]

Bawled like a baby when it was time to renew my license and I didn't even have the $35 to spare so I had to let it go. I went to nursing school in my 30's with two kids and a husband that was of no encouragement at all. My career lasted 14 years. But I was able to work myself up to substitute house supervisor on 2nd shift/charge nurse, utilization review, and spent 3 years as a prison nurse which was my favorite of all. I hear that to maintain my license at this point, I would need continuing ed and then it is just plain silly to keep it up. Hard enough to take care of myself much less anyone else!

I cried also when I didn't renew my license, it was $250 and I had really expensive medical bills, it just didn't make sense to renew it even though I was nowhere near acceptance. But to get it back all I have to do is pay the money and take an infectious disease class is I still hold out hope. A prison, huh? My friend did that and loved it, too.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

congratulations Gailete! Amazing blessings!

I am just annoyed right now at my husband. He's become quite difficult about money. He refuses to talk about it in anyway shape or form recently. More intransient. He literally doesn't care. Now that I've taken back control he just ignores me. When I try to discuss about our future and the retirement he balks and says no. When I point out what we can afford or if he wants to quite he argues.

I think at this point he's becoming my dad. My dad is 88 and still working part-time. He will die working i believe. It's not money but it's the self-satisfaction. My mom volunteers and helps people but sometimes I can tell the itch to work is there. She loves making money.

I have a strong suspicion my family loves working. I suspect most can afford to not work but they choose not to stop working. My MIL doesn't work and is bitter but my FIL still works and though he closed his business he "consults" and takes calls from clients and earns. He also seems to enjoy it. They are in 66 and 67. My Mom is 66.

I'm thinking I may never drag my DH away. I keep trying to tempt him with traveling and he says he hates traveling. He does it to please me. He likes to stay at home. He says he wants to work in his head minimally until DK2 is done with college. That is 15 more years He'll be 55. I told him we can retire in 10 without changing a thing about our lifestyle. He said we'll there is college and weddings and homes and cars for the kids. EVERY excuse.

I think the only way I'll get him to scale back is to keep bringing it up now. Or else I'll never get through to him.

Does anyone else face this? I mean most of us live so frugally here. Do you find the idea of retirement terrifying for most?

[FLA]

I didn't find the idea of retirement terrifying. I planned to go at 62. I'd downsize and travel, volunteer, take classes. I'd work per diem if I felt like it. That was the plan, I saw enough people work until they literally died and I knew I did not want that at all.

[Gailete]

I was hoping to be able to get my house paid off in 15 years and then retire to PT if possible at around 60. Well the best laid plans can change. I turn 63 in October. I don't foresee me ever quitting working for money as my husband doesn't seem to have the work ethic I do. I get up every day whether I feel like it or not and take care of my on line store. If he doesn't feel good (which is just about always at this point) he watches movies or surfs the net. Considering the minimal funds that we have towards retirement, he is probably going to regret not pushing himself a bit more as he is 6-7 years before he turns 60 and can collect any SS benefits on his own. When we got married, his potential SS benefits at 65 was $300, although he has gotten up to around $800, still definitely not enough to live on.

I've been basically supporting myself since I was 17 and would have enjoyed having a year or two to get up and decide what I want to do that day that didn't involve earning money at all. Okay I would be happy to just have a couple weeks to get up and do nothing but have fun,

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I was hoping to be able to get my house paid off in 15 years and then retire to PT if possible at around 60. Well the best laid plans can change. I turn 63 in October. I don't foresee me ever quitting working for money as my husband doesn't seem to have the work ethic I do. I get up every day whether I feel like it or not and take care of my on line store. If he doesn't feel good (which is just about always at this point) he watches movies or surfs the net. Considering the minimal funds that we have towards retirement, he is probably going to regret not pushing himself a bit more as he is 6-7 years before he turns 60 and can collect any SS benefits on his own. When we got married, his potential SS benefits at 65 was $300, although he has gotten up to around $800, still definitely not enough to live on.

I've been basically supporting myself since I was 17 and would have enjoyed having a year or two to get up and decide what I want to do that day that didn't involve earning money at all. Okay I would be happy to just have a couple weeks to get up and do nothing but have fun,

Gailete this is going to sound stupid but why do you think he's going to suffer by not working? I mean you are married so isn't his lack of fund your lack of funds? Why would it be his problem and not your joint problem?

Also why get married if you didn't want to deal with his financial problems? What was the reason or benefit?

[Gailete]

Gailete this is going to sound stupid but why do you think he's going to suffer by not working? I mean you are married so isn't his lack of fund your lack of funds? Why would it be his problem and not your joint problem?

Also why get married if you didn't want to deal with his financial problems? What was the reason or benefit?

Not stupid, but I am 9 years older than he is. I'm on SSD until 2 years from now when it becomes SS retirement. I think with the new rules he can not get a full SS benefit until he is 67. Another 13 years from now. So if I drop dead, any time between now and the time he is 62 he will find that my SS check is done as is the less than $100 pension from my ex. He will have no regualr income at all coming in. He can get SS partially at 62 I think but his amount is way lower than what I get. We are barely making ends meet as it is. I can't see him doing it on his own. I can't see him selling off the house, which is something I would have to do if something happened to him. I can't begin to maintain it. The taxes and cost of heat and electric are astronimical. They are killing us now financially and they will only be going up. One of the reasons that I have been setting aside money as I can to have some spare. I know it isn't enough for retirment, but when I hear stats that say we have more saved than the average Amaerican, I am shocked.

Yes, it is definitely our joint problem while we are still alive, but as I said if I died tomorrow, he will be in a world of financial hurt. We have been married 16+ years now and things have changed over the years. When someone tells you constantly that they don't feel good for one of about 100 different reasons, how can you decide that they aren't that bad and tell him to get to work? Before we had gotten married we had talked about me quitting owrk and he was okay with that when we got the finances sorted. Once in a while I have overheard him talking to his brothers about how much I was making when we got married and now it is just SS, plus the pattern businesss. He sounds so disappointed that he didn't get to live with a wife hauling in the kind of money I did then. It makes me think that he didn't think I actually would have quit working, since he thought I liked getting up every morning and driving through blizzards and Lake Effect snow to get to work 5 days aweek. He had been self-employed for so many years, he can't remember what it is like to make a grueling drive like that in the winter. Spend 8 hours at work, turn around and drive back. Rinse and repeat. So me 'quitting' work never happened. I couldn't go out to work anymore, but can adjust my life so I can do the sewing pattern business, but he works to a schedule that only he understands. If I get on his case about it or talk of lack of funds, he gets stressed. Mind you everything else is fine, he does help around the house, helps me when I need it, etc. but he is a very different man than the one I married. He deals each day with poor vision that people what that kind of difficulty knows it takes extra energy each day to try to see clearly enough to do his work. The last couple of years things with his health seems to have gotten especially bad and I don't know why, nor does he or his doctors.

Taking away the money part, he is my very good friend and we can talk about anything (except his work or money). When a person gets married, they can't forecast so far into the future to even guess how things will work out. People change. I'm doing the best I can to get us prepared for the future although I really wish that our future would be in a senior housing apartment with no yard work, a limited cost to live there, etc. That will be my future is something happens to him.

[jpham540]

I'm currently 31 years old now, but in my mind would like to retire at 40 years old . I know that will not happen and I will probably be bored to death if I do retire early. I rather travel the world but that will require a lot of $$$$. Anyways my plan is to have passive income when I retire from several income streams like rental properties, dividends stock/index funds dividends, and online income like my blog , needs a lot of work though.

I'm currently in my accumulation stage where I'm maxing my 401k, IRA, HSA, investing in taxable/dividends stocks, trying to buy more rental properties, and improving my blog. Hopefully I can semi retire one day @ 40 but can still produce some passive income. I also imagine myself doing handymen type of work for clients here and there, whenever I need the extra income.