At what age did you retire.........

Best advice my Dad ever gave me was to retire as soon as I could afford to and before your health goes downhill. I retired at 59 and was the best thing I ever did. For 4 years now I have been doing all the hunting I want and the wife and I are enjoying life together. The money has to be watched but we are OK so far. I worked for a state government agency and getting out from there and all its mindless bureaucratic idiots was like being paroled. People who work till death or incapacitating health problems are IMO fooling themselves. The entity you work for will never miss you no matter how vital you think you are to them.
Life is good.
 
I decided to add this as an additional post rather than editing my earlier post about my retirement of some three years and counting.

When asked, by my friends that are still working : How can you stand having all that free time on you hands? My standard answer is: I have never had a problem with not working, my problem was not having any money. And I think I have that covered!
 
A sort of off topic question. Does anyone else still dream about the job? It was really weird for a couple of years, with vivid dreams.

Gary, can't speak for myself (yet - ask me in a year and a half, God willing), but my wife (who retired 6 years ago at age 51) sure does.
 
Retired at 59 because I was fed up with the people I had to work with. I left after 23 years. The bank I worked for sold to a much larger bank and though I survived many changes, I was forced to work with people who were incompetent and some who were out and out dishonest. Senior management didn't seem to care. My wife encouraged me to bail out and I did. A few months later they asked me to come back to help out with high volume and eventually cover for a sick manager. I stayed almost a year but it was under my terms. When things slowed down I told them they didn't need me and left for good.

No regrets.
 
I plan on retiring when I turn 60. Only thirteen more years to go. Unless I win the lottery then retirement will be almost immediately thereafter.
 
I have worked for 41 years, no pension plan, however I have put a little aside and hope to bail in 2 or 3 years. The wife will retire with a pension in a year to a year and a half. Thank God I have only been with out a job about 3 weeks in all those years.

I feel a little bit uncomfortable knowing that soon I will no longer have a paycheck and will go from accumulation to drawing down my small pile. However I realize that the last dress suit you wear lacks pockets!
 
Unfortunately....

.... I had to retire on disability when I was 52. I'm 62 now. My wife is hoping to be long gone as soon as she turns 62. When it get to where you hate who you work for and hate the job, it's time to move on. She loves her customers, but hates about everything else.

Things were changing for the worse when I retired, and I figured that I got out at the right time, though I hated to quit working. Besides, I like money and you don't get much on disability.:D
 
I am amazed...almost dumbfounded...by the number of you who have retired before age 65, and so many in your 50s. :eek:

My hat is off to you. I have to believe that you did some very intelligent saving in addition to working in occupations that you enjoyed and were able to invest substantial time in.

In my case, looking back, I have opted for quantity over quality in my job choices. :D:o

One downside of all that variety is that retirement seems to be a pipe dream for me. I'm already resigned to working until I'm at least 70, and hoping my health holds out so I can enjoy a few years of not working before I start my new job of going to the doctor all the time. ;)

Found out a good high-school buddy of mine retired a couple of years ago at age 60, which was planned and intentional because he wanted to be young enough to enjoy it. My envy knows no bounds. :)
 
I am amazed...almost dumbfounded...by the number of you who have retired before age 65, and so many in your 50s. :eek:

My hat is off to you. I have to believe that you did some very intelligent saving in addition to working in occupations that you enjoyed and were able to invest substantial time in.

In my case, looking back, I have opted for quantity over quality in my job choices. :D:o

One downside of all that variety is that retirement seems to be a pipe dream for me. I'm already resigned to working until I'm at least 70, and hoping my health holds out so I can enjoy a few years of not working before I start my new job of going to the doctor all the time. ;)

Found out a good high-school buddy of mine retired a couple of years ago at age 60, which was planned and intentional because he wanted to be young enough to enjoy it. My envy knows no bounds. :)
I feel like I'm in the same boat. My best friend from highschool retired last year.....at 37!!!!!

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Unlike others who have posted here, I loved my work and didn't retire completely until I was 70. Due to my wife's health problems, we are home bound for the most part. I miss the people I worked with and the challenges associated with my job.
 
I retired in 1997 at the age of 53. That was now 20.5 years ago.

There were too many other things that needed doing.

Example: Saturday morning 10-21-2017

413608671.jpg


413611093.jpg
 
Nice!!!

I first retired in 1997 at 51, so we are pretty close....

I was going to ask who that old codger in the second picture was, but that might not be very diplomatic.

Best Regards, Les
 
I quit working full time in 2000 at 41, have been drawing a small pension since 55 but I won't be retired till I draw soc security


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I retired 9 months ago at age 56.

Now my wife REALLY understands how much I like shooting and reloading, given how much time I spend in the basement and at the range.
 
Cocked and Locked,

That is a pretty good way to spend a day at any age, 14 or 74! I don't see an arrow so I am assuming you did the deed with a forearm of some type?

I don't know much about deer hunting in your area but from watching the outdoor shows, I would call that a trophy buck if it was hanging on my wall. Thanks for sharing!
 
I retired at age 61.5 and started getting my pension that same month. I started Social Security six months later.

Absolutely positively the best move I ever made.
 
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