| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 5/11/2008 1:19:03 AM | Agree with you completely Uncle Enrico and all those other that agree with getting away from "work". I think calling it retirement though is a reflection of what our parents did and does not reflect on the realities or possibilities of today.
My Dad retired at 64 and died less than a year later, the ex's parents retired early because of her Dad's health and her Mom, fantastic lady, died young from breast cancer ... big lessons there. The minute you can afford to get away from work and do what you want, regardless what it is. do it.
The only thing that is not for sale in this world is time ... you can never buy it back, use it wisely. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 5/11/2008 4:09:52 AM | | Personally, I have used my early retirement to do things I could not do while I worked 56 hours a week for 30 years. I volunteer. I can spend more time on my hobbies, I can invest more wisely because I have more time to do so. Only down side, is you have to budget accordingly. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 5/11/2008 8:01:18 AM | I have a couplle of questions for those early-retired and semi-retired people out there. What happens when you meet a person who isn't there yet? Is it a consideration when they can't spend as much time with you because they are still working, and are saving for their own future? Is having a relationship with someone who is not as available or as financially secure as you are a problem?
Cheers! | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 5/11/2008 8:31:21 AM | Reply to Tesserae, Msg. 28:
This is a very good question, Ms. T, and (I would think) very applicable to people meeting of the age to be posting in this forum. When a retiree and a working person meet, the main obvious conflict is with how much and how flexible the time is that they are able to spend together (should they choose to begin a relationship). If the working person is somewhat ‘locked in’ to a schedule that is building for something in the future (but has not yet arrived), it would really be unwise to change that. Therefore circumstances for that person are a bit out of his/her control. If I was in that type of situation personally (from either side of it), I’d want to sit down with my potential partner and discuss how much we both wanted to be together. If we found that we’d agreed on this, but were not able to do so because of one’s work commitments, I think it might make finding a compromise a little easier, at least enough so we’d be able to start building a relationship.
cdn guy | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 5/11/2008 9:34:03 AM | Early retirement is a blessing if you have a plan. If you don't have a plan and just sit around doing nothing you will probably shorten your life. The longevity statistics for people who retired from my company in their early fifties and early sixties who just sat around is not good.
I also learned from the people who didn't start paying down expenses long before they retired and ended up not being able to retire because of a lot of debt. I see more and more people at my job who are very well-off and are ten years or less away from retiring doing things like: brown bagging it to lunch, ironing their own shirts and not sending them to the cleaners, and holding on to ten year old Hondas. I am following their lead. (Except for the shirts thing...my ironing sucks!) They are opting to stay away from car payments if they are close to retirement and will buy a brand new car for cash a few months before they retire. Honestly one guy pulled his credit card out of his wallet and it was dusty. He says if he HAS to use it he pays off the bill when it comes and if he can't afford it he won't buy it.
In exactly six years I can retire and have already started preparing for another career involving some of my hobbies and life long passions. Now I can and may stay longer but I don't want to be one of the ones who keeps working at their current job because they have nothing better to do or are afraid. Over the past few years I have lost a few friends who were months away from retirement...one as recently as last November. These experiences have convinced me that I should retire while I am still young and healthy enough to enjoy my life, rekindle old and pursue new interests and spend more time with my friends and family. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 5/12/2008 11:22:21 AM | Jim in NB -- you are correct. My dad retired in November of 1987 at age 62. On January 1, 1988, he dropped dead of a heart attack with two uncashed checks in his wallet -- one was his government pension check, and the other was his social security check....
He never got to do the things that he said he would do "someday" when he retired.....so for those who can get away, get away, and LIVE! | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 5/12/2008 12:38:23 PM | I retired at 55 and seem busier than ever, but at least it's doing stuff I want to do - when I want to do it. FredHH is right - my net (take home) pay is more now, than when I was working, and since I quit smoking, I have even more pocket money. 
I worked for a govt dept. for 35 years and during 20 of those years also took care of 2 elderly parents, so I was more than ready for retirement. It takes a little adjustment as some of your social life changes when you leave work, but it is easily replaced. I now have the time and energy to get out and make new friends.
I think I would prefer to have someone at the same stage in their life to go out with, but I wouldn't discount anyone on the basis he was still working. I believe if you care enough about someone, you will find compromises that you both can live with happily together.
I don't view retirement as a end to my life, but rather a beginning to the life I have always wanted, and I am answerable to no one but myself for the very first time in my life. Life is good for this retiree. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 5/12/2008 2:33:37 PM |
What happens when you meet a person who isn't there yet? Is it a consideration when they can't spend as much time with you because they are still working, and are saving for their own future?
They can get envious. And they may not have enough time to do things with you. It can be a problem. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/12/2008 5:26:59 AM | Err!
How did an "aggressive man hater" do so well, in a high tech co oporation. Those places don't tolerate either women haters or man haters these days. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/12/2008 5:32:48 AM | I have a couplle of questions for those early-retired and semi-retired people out there. What happens when you meet a person who isn't there yet? Is it a consideration when they can't spend as much time with you because they are still working, and are saving for their own future? Is having a relationship with someone who is not as available or as financially secure as you are a problem?
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Happened to a work collegue of mine when her husband retired. She had left the wofrforce to become a mum and returned much later. When he husband retired she had just landed her first big promotion and didn't want to give it up.
So they just role reversed for a few years. She became the main breadwinner. Her husband learned to cook, for the first time in his life, and became pretty good at it to everyones surprise, paticularly his. When he wasn't gooking and cleaing he was geting into a lifetimes backlog of home repairs and renovations.
The company did the predicatable sudden downsize a few years later and wrote her of with a handsome severance package and her superannuation pensions as well.
Now they are both very comfortably retired and, with the house all fixed, they have the time to travel to all those places they put off.. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/12/2008 6:30:53 AM | I will be retiring in a year or two, (46-47) hopefully the sooner the better, My career has burnt me out and I will be well compensated for it, however I probably will only semi-retire, it will be a blessing because I know I will feel such much better when I'm away from my work, and finally carrying on with things I did in my younger years, only this time my son will have these experiences with me. I see it as a down fall on the romance side because some women see it as (working =income) retired/No money ) which in my case is the exact opposite, I see many women's profiles that say they want a man that's working. That's asinine, when I can retire making just as much money if not more when I retire and more than likely, than my companion.
I love Gardening (landscaping), so that's one option which I would love, and I also have my music to fall back on and also a rescue center for animals. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/12/2008 6:35:47 AM | | Semi-retirement sounds pretty good to me, a breaking in period so to speak. Yet at the same time my life has been pretty structured and I'm not sure I could handle having more time on my hands unless I'd have someone to share it with. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/12/2008 7:16:54 AM | Curse or blessing? I guess it's all in one's attitude.
I was forced to retire at the age of 40 after a tractor/trailer rearended my pickup twice. I was told I'd probably never regain the use of my legs. I spent 6 years learning how to walk again (it was much easier when I learned that the first time). I walk (unaided most of the time), I ride horses and motorcycles again, I dance, I use a push-mower. I've learned to do things myself; it just sometimes takes me longer. I've never been one who could be idle, but after the accident I had to learn. I failed miserably, which is probably why I've regained so much the doctors told me I wouldn't. Shows you what they know!
Now I'm trying to find a job which will allow me to work from home. I still don't like being idle. I enjoy lots of crafts and try to stay busy, but I need to feel productive.
After 37 years of driving truck, my father retired. He couldn't handle being idle after all those years of working 70 hours a week, so he got what started out to be a part-time job. He ended up working full-time until his death at the age of 76.
I guess if you can plan your retirement, it's a blessing because you know what you want to do with your life after that. For those of us with retirement forced upon us, it can be a curse. I know that I was left struggling for a lot of years and am now trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. Those long years were a curse, but I guess it has turned to a blessing since I can pick and choose what I want to do from here on. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/12/2008 8:56:31 AM | I worked in a steel mill for 30 years,believe me I was very happily retired at 53.I am 57 now and enjoying every moment.  | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/12/2008 3:36:12 PM |
The years after 55 are too vlauable to be spent in any way other than by one's own choice.
I love this philosophy about retirement. Today, for me, it's a blessing to be retired. I'm leaving tomorrow for Roatan, Honduras. Yeah, I know some of you might be thinking I'm a rich-boitch goin' for the beach and drinks with little umbrellas. And, you'd be right. I'll probably do a little of that. LOL
But, I'm also going to volunteer my time with children who were orphaned by parents, who died of Aids. I'm also going to visit families who are still presently living with Aids. I'm bringing medical supplies they are in need of, along with some books for their local school.
If I was still working I wouldn't be able to do this. I know many retirees who are using their knowledge and skills to help and teach others not only locally but also in third world countries. As I said in a prior post, sometimes it's about paying it forward. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/13/2008 1:18:39 PM | It is always a blessing to be healthy,happy,debt-free and being able to spend time with family and friends fruitfully and travel whenever/whereever you please! I was blessed to be able to retire early but choose to take on an interesting p/t job on the golf course which is closed during the winter months.
During winter I travel to somewhere warmer and sunnier than home in BC. The job gives me lots of healthy exercises and keeps my brains functioning - which with full retirement or inactivity went into a rut! The benefits of free golf etc add to the fun of working with a few other like-minded colleagues.
Life has never been better balanced except perhaps to find someone compatible to share this life with. Who knows what tomorrow brings! | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/13/2008 3:59:50 PM | Cliche but!
The one thing you will near hear a person say, on their death bed, is, "I wish I'd spend more time at work" | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/15/2008 8:20:15 PM | | I retired last summer after 33 years in the same job, and I loved (almost) every moment of it -- just couldn't wait to get to work some days. Even so, taking early retirement while still only 60 was one of the best decisions I ever made. Most days are filled with activities I choose to do, and some days I have to get up really early and/or stay up late to get them all done. But I equally enjoy the days when I decide to take the paper with me to a coffee shop and spend the morning sipping and reading, or just sitting out on the deck enjoying the sun. I'm fortunate, I know, because although I still have two children to see through university, I probably have more discretionary income than I ever had before. I find the best way to spend life right now is to pretend I'm going to live forever but that today is the last day of my life. :) | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/16/2008 10:55:27 AM | I wish I could retire like my dad did, when he was the same age as me. I watch how my dad took on projects that to this day, he enjoys being involved. My folks had the freedom to travel, moved away from the lower mainland to live a lifestyle that wouldn't effect them drastically in retirement years. I have watch my folks live a life that they have enjoyed and I don't think my dad has any regrets retiring at a young age.
Retiring should be positive, its a way to start something new, and maybe you wanted to start a hobby, projects, volunteer to travelling. | |
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| Early retirement: curse or blessing?
Posted: 6/16/2008 12:11:23 PM | I retired a little early, but way later than I wanted to.
I have many hobbies, and projects, and friends, and family...I love every minute of it. I can sit at the computer all day, or not. I get up when I want to, and go to sleep when I want to. I can, nap, or go for a walk, or pack my car and go somewhere for a week if I want to. It's wonderful.
LOL...I just hope my money lasts as long as I do.
Your sister is bored. Be patient with her, she will get a new life and quit meddlin. | |
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