Big news for my wife and I. We will both be retiring in the next few days. My last day/nightshift workday will be the 31st of this month and my wife's last day will be Jan. 4th. I have recently said to @noelekal in a private message, that some people share too much information on such forums as this one, but I can't help myself from telling you folks. We are still young by retirement standards, 58 and 57 and have done this on our own, no inheritance, too young to draw SS, and no, we didn't win the lottery. We saved our money and lived within our means, it can be done. This makes me especially proud of us. My company has been getting worse and worse over the years. They recently announced a significant downsizing, and because of seniority, my job was safe.....even if it wasn't making me happy. I wanted to retire, but my wife wasn't sure we could. But, as it happens, our 15 year old daughter is best friends with a girl who's father is a financial planner. A couple of phone calls and a sit down meeting later, he assured us we could live in the same manner for now, at 62 and the beginning of SS things would be even better, and in the end there would even be more money left for my daughter when we are gone, than we are starting with today. 2021 has to be a better year for all of us, I know it will be for my wife and me. I won't miss another field hockey or softball game, provided Covid allows games to start again, and I will get to spend more time with my wife and sleep in my own bed at night. There may not be any more Rolex's in my future and I may have to be content with the occasional $1-5 yard sale find watches, but I think I can live with that. LOL So, if any of you are selling a watch and I reach out to inquire about it, remember, I am on a fixed income now. Thank you all for reading.

McK

 

Congrats.

Unfortunately for me, my brief seven-month, Covid-inspired unemployment, and the concomitant increased home time, convinced me I will die in my office...

 

Congratulations, I retired eight years ago now and I can certainly recommend it.

 

Congratulations on your retirement. My wife and I are 57 and 59. She retired from nursing several years ago and I am hanging in for a bit longer. I had a nice surprise a year ago when I went to a retirement seminar, did the calculations and discovered that I could retire now if I wanted. As an academic administrator in the college system, this last year has been quite a challenge, so my retirement timeline varies depending on the week that I am having.

Good luck with the watch hunting; you will have lots of time to scour the countryside for bargains. I just hope you don't live in Fred's neck of the woods, or you'll need to get up pretty early to avoid missing out.

 

As an academic administrator in the college system, this last year has been quite a challenge, so my retirement timeline varies depending on the week that I am having.

I used to say that my retirement time line and nest egg varied or depended on if the DOW was up or down 100 points and whether or not my wife had been to the mall that day. LOL

McK

 

A huge congratulations on your soon to be retirement and another for being able to do so early!

I'm of the generation in the UK where I have to keep going until 67... offically although like you, I hope to be in a position to get out of the game a few years before then.

 

Congratulations! You deserve it after having the discipline to make it happen for all those years! Enjoy it!

 

Congratulations.

Done the math and doing the planning for mine....few years left to buy my hobby supplies so I have something to do in the shed

 

Congratulations! I'm afraid I need to work untill my 67 because the city I'm living in is so damn expensive. Maybe I should move to Spain...

 

Great News.

You have to buy a retirement watch! I wish you luck on finding that deal at the garage sale.

Earlier this year we sold our home in San Diego, CA and just last month moved to SW Florida. It was a game changer for us. Our dollar seems to go much further here.

 

Congrats!

This brought back several memories of all the times cuts were being made, when I would get the call to go down to the conference room to find out yet again if I still had my job or not. I admit I was usually relieved to get the thumbs up that I was still employed, but always knew that with people going away around me, it meant "more work with fewer people" and it was only going to be more difficult to get things done.

I have to say that when I finally was cut, it was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I was the senior mechanical engineering guy there, but they kept the young guy who had been there for just 5 years. He was much cheaper, and would say yes to pretty much anything...glad I wasn't around for the end of it. The manufacturing plant I used to work at is now the location of a series of strip malls and big retail stores...

 

I’m teetering On the edge of retirement, mainly because the company reorganized this past summer and i found myself promoted back into management. I’ve walked away from The automotive industry twice now and left management once before and I keep falling back into it. my wife thinks I should just leave for good and go work at the local hardware store.

i’m starting to think she’s right!

 

Congrats! I retired from my crazy global job at 63 in April 2019. I was pedal to the metal right up till 4pm on my last day. I miss my work friends and because of Covid, the fun aspects of travel. I don’t miss work! I’ve dropped 35 lbs and My doctor, who’s been howling at me to dump the job for years is super happy. The only downside is Mrs S has slapped the embargo on inbound watches. No export restrictions are in place however. Enjoy.

 

Many many congratulations on reaching a sound sensible decision. I live by the phrase “your a long time dead”
Hope you enjoy many years happily retired.
I sure your kids would want you to enjoy retirement, as I always told my now departed parents, spend your money now regrets and if there is something left then so be it.
I also inherited nothing maybe as a result of that sound advice I gave!! Worked 22 years in the military paid off my house at 44 after accepting redundancy in 2012 and now work 3 days a week (nearly 50) As you say it can be done and I will gladly join you in 10 years. As I said, well done and enjoy the next chapter you’ve both earned it.

 

Congratulations and welcome to the world of stress free relaxation.

My wife and I are 57 and 59 respectively, we have no plans to work again, our small savings pot is working hard and should ease us through to when our official pensions start and allow a reasonable standard of living. I have to be honest getting made redundant was the best thing that could have happened to me, it made me realise that there was more to life outside of work, my kids now have their own properties, the family home is being sold in 2021 and we are moving to the south west of the UK to enjoy a more relaxed way of life and maybe become a pair of ageing country bumpkins and occasional beach bums.

Enjoy your new life, its great.

 

Congratulations. My wife and I are both retired , It can be done

 

Congrats! I had a co-worker who retired at 57 with 30 years in at a federal job (you don’t get rich but it’s steady income despite the economy with good benefits). She lived frugally, planned well and now has two small retirement homes- one in AZ for winter and one in ME for summer. I saw her last year and she looks 10 years younger, dropped 20lbs and has lost all the bitterness and hostility she was always known for- I am joyous for her.
As for your watch hunting- join us over on the bargain thread! There are several of us who were big game hunters who have taken our skills and applied them further downstream. It can actually be more challenging to find flawless $100 Bulova’s and Elgin’s than $10k Rolex’s. It’s all about the thrill of the hunt.

 

@JwRosenthal, If you visit your old co-worker in ME, be sure and let me know. As far as fishing down stream, I am an old hand at that, although, as you say, finding a flawless Bulova, Elgin or I will add Hamilton is tough to do as they were worn to death and daily by most Maine Yankees.

McK

 

Congrats !

Assuming the retirement age doesn’t change in Switzerland (for now it’s 65 for men) I am supposed to work another three decades till 2050...

We’ve already started our very own savings plan to retire somewhen between 55 and 60 and enjoy life as long as our health allows us to.

All the best for this new life and enjoy all of your hobbies. Now you’ll be able to practice them full time

 

Congrats! am on track to join the On-permanent-Vacation club myself in about 24 months I have been very fortunate and staying engaged in the job at this moment is a want and not a need, dunno but I might just get up one morning and say Hasta la vista baby! For the last week I have been enjoying some relaxing time with these little ones, and these are the moments that make you realize what's important in life.