What made you decide to retire early?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Small office.  Boss was a controlling, obsessive, threw anybody and everybody under the bus, lied, plus you can add all the other adjectives you want.  I crunched some numbers, said life was too short to be miserable, and gave my notice.  The funny part was since she kept odd hours, I made 2 copies of my letter.  I kept one on my desk to hand to her should I see her and slid the other one under her locked office door, knowing unlocking it to put it on her desk would not be a wise thing to do.  She informed the personnel committee, with feigned disdain, that she had to "pick it up off the floor," of course with no other explanation.

The best thing that came with this boss from hell was wonderful retirement!  Oh how glorious.  Best days of my life!  Shoulda done it sooner!
 
I worked at a well known big box retailer as the #2 manager...woke up one day and knew I was done with the stress of a large corporation.  I retired 8 months ago at 61.  Not real early...but not early enough.  I thoroughly enjoy being retired with my lovely wife.
 
22 years in the Navy SeaBee's as a Heavy Equipment Operator. 23 years in Federal Civil Service in Aviation Fuel and Air Terminal/Cargo Logistics Management.

I loved every minute of it.. wouldn't change a thing, but [I Knew]  it  was  time  for  me  to  go. Was Turning 62, with enough Time In Service, eligible for SSB, was able to Pick and Train my successor... I Retired. Walked away with a Smile on my face, and have never looked back.

For a 17 year old kid from a small logging town in Oregon... Damn Proud of what I have accomplished in 45 years. Still makes me  ;D at times.

DW of now, 50 years.. Retired 2 years later from 20 years of Federal Service. Kids are Up & Out on their own. 9 Grand Kids.

The RV Life Style.. is what we do now.. along with a lot of activities in our local community too.

Life IS, and Has BEEN.. GOOD.  ;)  :)

 
Tom managed drug stores for a major chain listed on NYSE.  He looked at me when he was 52 and said "I don't want to do this anymore."  That was 31 years ago, the happiest years of our lives.  When he retired it was like dating again!  Sure our nest egg has shrunk (a lot!) but I wouldn't trade those years for anything.
 
I retired at 62 and don't regret it except for losing contact with some really great people.

I was working in the medical device field on the tech end of manufacturing, sales, logistics, and product support.  My boss was a ditz but her boss was awesome so it kind of balanced out.  I couldn't take much more of the stress and 60-80 hour weeks were killing me.  I was going to retire January 1 2009 but my bosses boss talked me into staying another year telling me 'good things are coming'.  The good thing was a big layoff which I volunteered for. From that I got 11 months of severance pay, paid life insurance, paid medical until I went on Medicare, and a very nice executive pension.  Every time I see him I thank him profusely.

Now I volunteer at the Red Cross about 15-20 hours a week, take off whenever I want, and only take on the projects I want to.

It's good being a part time bum.
 
I retired April Fools Day of 2015 after a 36 year career as a firefighter. I was a young 59, but it's a young man's game and you can only push your luck so far. My wife had retired a couple of years before me, even though she's three years younger than me. She was diagnosed with breast cancer within a year and now that her treatment is complete, we're very happy to be able to travel as we please without worrying about work schedules.
 
My first day of retirement was also April Fools Day, (in 2009). But the joke was on them.  The guy they chose to replace me was not interested in (or not capable of) learning the technology and only lasted 6 months.

Still laughing all the way to the bank.
 
DW retired at 58 and I retired at 62, 4 years later. We said the heck with work and paid the high insurance until we were both able to get Med-i-Care. We retired because we could and we were ready to travel. Did 3-4 month trips for 10 years and then sold everything and started full time 4 years ago. Just wish we had started full time sooner.
 
In 2005 at age 62, I decided that having worked full or part time and paying income taxes for 50 years was enough. I had spent several years prior to then structuring our income and investments so we would pay little or no income tax after retirement. After retiring, I continued a small sideline one man business that allowed us to take advantage of a NY state subsidized small business health plan at very favorable rates (about $300/month for the two of us at the time). In the eleven years since then, we've never been a bit sorry about doing it the way we have.
 
To answer you question of why.  Because I want to relax and enjoy life.
My first retirement was from the military in 2010` 20 yrs.
I have not retired again just yet but talk pretty regularly with my USAA financial advisor.  Thinking I am on track to be able to retire at 50-55; likely closer to 55.  I am banking as much as I can and should have 1 house paid for in 1-2 years.  Then my primary home will start getting double, triple, maybe even quadruple payments.  Of course this all requires me to keep this well paying job or another with a similar pay scale.  Without that-the whole timeline changes.

My plan is to continue to work part time to keep me active--but it will be a no stress low income just a funny money supplement.
Maybe even be a substitute teacher?
 
I retired at 52. Was begged not to by my employer - BUT they were offering an incentive to retire and with the additional payments for unused vacation and other stuff, my calculations showed I'd essentially be working for free for the next 5 years. So out the door I went, bought my 1st. Class A, and travelled for the next 6 years. Then went back to work for several years. Still get calls to consult.
 
I love this thread! I love reading the retirement success stories. A few of my favorite analogy's are "What is the one line you will never read on a tombstone?  I wish I would have worked longer!"  And of course, "I have never seen a luggage rack on a Hearse". 
 
After 40 years at the same manufacturing company, I retired at 59. Started as foundry laborer and ended as Project engineer. Burned out, health issues and personal life issues and I wanted out. First two years, traveled the lower 48. Came out to Oregon, from Wisconsin to visit friends and stayed. After 6 years of kicking around, I got bored and picked up a part time job at Cabelas. No need for the money, but something to keep me active. And I found that I missed a work "family". Been there for two years and looking at another retirement, somewhere in Texas. Life is good.
 
I retired from the USAF in 2002 at age 47.  Went to work for a BSC (blood sucking contractor) for eleven more years during which I saved 30 percent of my income.  I liked the hands on engineering position I had, but my gray hair pointed toward a management position and lots more money.  I hated it to the point that my health was beginning to suffer, mainly from stress.  Pulled the plug at 57 and have no regrets.  Sliding into age 62 this year.  Tricare Prime has been a great health benefit to me and my DW and I could not have left work pre-medicare without it.
 
davismills said:
I retired from the USAF in 2002 at age 47.  Went to work for a BSC (blood sucking contractor) for eleven more years during which I saved 30 percent of my income.  I liked the hands on engineering position I had, but my gray hair pointed toward a management position and lots more money.  I hated it to the point that my health was beginning to suffer, mainly from stress.  Pulled the plug at 57 and have no regrets.  Sliding into age 62 this year.  Tricare Prime has been a great health benefit to me and my DW and I could not have left work pre-medicare without it.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your service. I retired in 1979 from USAF and taught school for another 20 years and retired in 2002 from school. My son retired from the AF in 2005 and now works for DOD.
 
mikef said:
After 6 years of kicking around, I got bored and picked up a part time job at Cabelas. No need for the money, but something to keep me active.
Click to expand...

davismills said:
I retired from the USAF in 2002 at age 47.  Went to work for a BSC (blood sucking contractor) for eleven more years during which I saved 30 percent of my income.  I liked the hands on engineering position I had, but my gray hair pointed toward a management position and lots more money.  I hated it to the point that my health was beginning to suffer, mainly from stress.  Pulled the plug at 57 and have no regrets.  Sliding into age 62 this year.  Tricare Prime has been a great health benefit to me and my DW and I could not have left work pre-medicare without it.
Click to expand...

My "Plan" mirrors these two posts incredibly...  At least I know it is doable....lol
 
I turned 59 today. Bought my RV in Aug 2015 with plans to go full time in a year or so. I wanted to leave last fall but decided to wait till June. At that time I would leave to meet up with a caravan going to Alaska. Now that time is not too far off I am debating about waiting another year. -I would get about 200 dollars more per month pension, put maximum amount into 403b, and have Rv nearly paid off. If I leave this year I would pay off RV with money from sale of house and should still have at least 100,000 to put into bank.

I would not retire but cut back working 6-8 months per year at temporary nurse practitoner jobs. Travel the rest. I make really good money at this job and sometimes I think I am crazy for thinking about leaving. But then there has been a lot of changes at this job and we know more is coming-which may be good or not.

Then I think my brother died at 58 and my mom at 49. I have nothing holding me here really other then the job. Both parents are gone and I never married or had kids. I am really tired of taking care of the house. As a matter of fact it was the basement flooding yet again that made me look into getting an RV and leaving. I nearly fell on my a** today taking the garbage out. Didn't see the patch of ice. Getting fed up with winter.

I read all this comments of people having no regrets leaving their jobs. May be time to pay off the Alaska trip and get my resignation letter ready.




 
IN my case there was a mix of things.... I worked for the State of Mi for over a quarter century.
Well the outgoing Govermanure decided to give a gift to the Incoming Governor so he penned an Early Retirement program.. You qualified based on years plus age and you could "buy" a year or two by cashing in yoru 401K if you had it.. I did, and I did.

There was an attempt to get me fired.. The attempt backfired (the people responsible got 30 days no pay, I was cleared of any wrongdoing, And I mean 100% cleared, proven that I did my job right) but they did not stop with me... And I had every reason to believe there might be a 2nd attempt (I'm not one of the "in Crowd" that's In the bar drinking you see, Strictly a coffee-holic)

(I am also an ex-Union Steward and still assisted the site steward a few times,,,, Totally pissing off management (What I called a good day by the way, I'm actually proud of that)

I also saw the workforce shrinking while the workload grew (Predictions now history it happened) so given the handwriting on the wall, and the depth of the Male Bovine Fecal Matter (It was a 2nd floor office so you know how deep it had to be) I ..  Shook the dust from my feet as it were.

I might add the things I forsaw. Happened, as expected.

I retired at 52,, 10 years later I signed up for SS, and .... My Wife died... (there is actually cause and effect there believe it or not)  But I'm not sorry I retired young.
 
There is a downside to running out of money in retirement.  But there is a bigger downside to running out of time.  Sounds like you have earned a pension.  Will you receive any health insurance benefits after retirement?  That could be one of your biggest expense in retirement.  If that is addressed, I'd retire in a heartbeat. 
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 850 (members: 30, guests: 820)

Forum statistics

Threads
132,000
Posts
1,388,867
Members
137,744
Latest member
yycwrangler
Back
Top Bottom