Getting ready to retire, what did you treat yourself with?

[fried1765]

"She

I think the hardest part was learning to slow down some. Stay active, but back off the throttle, so to speak. I treated myself to the LX2610SU, her to a brand new Chevy Traverse, and we're tackling a few more renovations as we go. It ain't an easy thing to do with a bad back, but I love the renovation work and love seeing the difference in the quality of what I do myself. It isn't going as fast as we'd like because of more emergency family stuff, but hoping to change that starting next summer. We've travelled some while I was still working (but on the DL) to Europe and Australia. We both like to travel and experience other cultures, and will probably do so as much as we can while we're still able. She's 10 years younger than me, so 'still able' is a relative thing.

"She is 10 years younger than me".
Always a good thing!
She can drive at night!

 

[Siesta Sundance]

Working harder now than before!

Retired at 47.

 

[Freeheeler]

Just finishing up the first of my 5 year plan. I've got 4 more years to think about it.

 

[ayak]

The other half of my half-a-slinky from childhood.

 

[DustyRusty]

Just finishing up the first of my 5 year plan. I've got 4 more years to think about it.

Time flies as you have fun.

 

[Whatscooking]

 

[leveraddict]

Years ago I thought I would never be able to afford to retire, but I did and at 57 and the wife is done in July! As far as treating myself, I already have everything I want/need and now I have the time to enjoy it all. Unfortunately my crippled body limits me some. Just got to do everything a bit slower.

 

[Botamon]

As far as treating myself, I already have everything I want/need and now I have the time to enjoy it all. Unfortunately my crippled body limits me some. Just got to do everything a bit slower.

This is me, to a tee.

Spent most of my life exploring the western states on a dirt bike whenever I had a few days off, and I'd curse the nasty weather when it coincided with my days off. And I always thought how wonderful it would be to be able to take off whenever the weather forecast was for great riding conditions. Now that I'm closing in on 80 years old I can go riding anytime I want. Problem is, I'm so clumsy any more I scare my self. Plus, I know if I hit the ground bones will probably break. Put less than 100 miles on my dirt bike this year. And all those mountains I was going to climb...now I just look at them from a distance.

 

[skeets]

I hear you guys, getting old sucks, but I think it beats the alternative. Fat old and crippled yep all the things I wanted to do are ,well still just dreams. I cant climb, the HD just sits in the garage, I guess she will head back to Ca with the Kid this year. I cant still cut wood, I just cant do it in the woods any more. I hunt deer off the back porch just to say I got out. But as long as I can move its a good day,, And yeah I got my B to do all kinds of stuff, it can do it, its just that I cant

 

[RBsingl]

I retired in 2016 and gave myself a 2016 Corvette Z06 with museum delivery, something my then 12 year old daughter really enjoyed.

I retired at 55 following the advice of a friend who told me he had run into a lot of people who wished they had retired earlier but he hadn't met any who wished they had retired later.

I continue to do some consulting work in retirement but only for projects that I consider fun and interesting. I am going to teach three sections of a senior capstone strategy course next year which will cover the cost of the Kubota F2690 I took delivery of on Friday. It will be fun having to be somewhere a couple of days a week again so that maybe I will appreciate weekends again!

So the Corvette was my retirement gift to myself and the Kubota mower is my "slightly back to work" gift to myself

Rodger

 

[PapaJ]

I retired after 25 years, 17 days in the military. My list of toys is below.

1. 20 Ft Pontoon
2. Ram 2500 Hemi
3. BX (Sold, will get an L in early 2023)
3. Road Glide Special
4. A full time job to pay for it all where I work rotating shifts, weekends and holidays.

 

[lugbolt]

retired?

well I left the job and didn't plan on doing anything, everything's paid for

along comes this dude says I'll pay you this much to work for me. Oh and by the way it's fun and I think you'll like it. He weren't wrong; still there. But the good thing is, bills is all paid off and what I get from here on out is retirement money. Problem is, if I work til 60, my body will be long gone by then. It's already getting harder to do things and I still got 10 years or so to go.

that is what retirement is. You work for 40-50 years and retire just to find out ya can't do what ya thought you could.

if you can retire early DO IT.

 

[LFP57]

retired?

well I left the job and didn't plan on doing anything, everything's paid for

along comes this dude says I'll pay you this much to work for me. Oh and by the way it's fun and I think you'll like it. He weren't wrong; still there. But the good thing is, bills is all paid off and what I get from here on out is retirement money. Problem is, if I work til 60, my body will be long gone by then. It's already getting harder to do things and I still got 10 years or so to go.

that is what retirement is. You work for 40-50 years and retire just to find out ya can't do what ya thought you could.

if you can retire early DO IT.

I have a good friend, someone I've known for 45 yrs. he's never been anywhere, never has had a new car, never wanted to spend the money. He just retired at 75, worked for this company that has screwed him over so many times, now that he finally retired, he can't do anything, can't walk, drive, he just sits in the house, what a shame.

 

[RBsingl]

Some people are so tied into their work as being their complete life that once they retire they find nothing to do which is very sad. I have a colleague who fits into this category. I subscribe to the European viewpoint that we should work to live instead of living to work.

Between volunteer high school sports photography, restoring vintage ham gear, travel, and plenty of property care I am definitely staying busy during retirement.

Rodger

 

[Kencee1953]

I'm within a couple of months of retiring, after a life long career, raised a family and now it's my turn to treat myself, what special gift did you get?

I actually retired 7 years ago, i bought a '93 Cadillac for fun, but a 2022 BX23s for working around the place. I have a 1950 Farmall Cub that I used to plow snow, but it is underpowered for the wet snow we get now. The Kubi worked well for the only storm we had so far. The problems I had were due to lack of experiece on my part operating this kind of equipment. However, practice will make perfect!

 

[lugbolt]

yeah and my goal is retire early. Boss knows I can quit anytime and be comfortable in doing it. Thus, they've been VERY generous. I don't take all my days off but frankly I really like doing what I do, so "working" isn't as much "work" as it was at the kubota shop. The kubota job was gravy for almost 27 years but the last two? A job. Nothing more. One that they worked very hard at to force me to leave (because when they "inherited" the employees, they also inherited our salaries which were the highest of the entire chain of dealers--but that's also why most of us stayed as long as we did). But I picked up on this quickly (first few days of them taking over) and made them realize hey, they paid us good for a reason. That dealer was the highest grossing dealer of the entire chain of a dozen stores, and the highest gross sales in the southern division. Our little shop was at or above 100% efficient, so it was making money. No other shop that the division rep works with could say that; most were 65% or below. So anyway, they got real used to making $2.2M a month in the busy season and about half that in the slow season (with operating expenses of roughly $112k/mo)--so they were making bank. Then all at once I said I'm done. So long see ya I got better things to do but put up with your authoritarian controlling toxic leadership. Shop guys were shocked and my "sidekick" (we worked together from his age of 19 to 32 at the time) was pretty tore up but like I told him-the shop is YOURS now, you're the leader--under every stumbling block lies a stepping stone. You gonna use it or are you gonna walk in the mud?


ain't rich and never will be but am comfortable, and have peace of mind knowing that if something happens 5 min from now, I can probably pay for it without too much issue.

 

[Biker1mike]

clipped
ain't rich and never will be but am comfortable, and have peace of mind knowing that if something happens 5 min from now, I can probably pay for it without too much issue.

And that is how it should be.
I used to joke that I wanted to retire with enough that if I had to split within a week, I could liquidate and get to an island without an extradition agreement. Thanks to internet banking and the new home buying companies I think I can.

 

[BT3101]

I already had a 40 x 50 garage with a lot of upgrades like welders, two post lift, etc.

So, my retirement upgrade was a Langmuir CNC table for my plasma cutter. I have been designing and cutting signs. So far, just for friends, birthdays, Christmas, etc. Everybody keeps telling me I need to try selling them, but that sounds like work!

Today I designed a Kubota sign but haven't cut it out yet. No garage time lately due to father being in hospital and mother needs constant care.

 

[shelkol]

I already had a 40 x 50 garage with a lot of upgrades like welders, two post lift, etc.

So, my retirement upgrade was a Langmuir CNC table for my plasma cutter. I have been designing and cutting signs. So far, just for friends, birthdays, Christmas, etc. Everybody keeps telling me I need to try selling them, but that sounds like work!

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Today I designed a Kubota sign but haven't cut it out yet. No garage time lately due to father being in hospital and mother needs constant care.

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Once you start selling stuff it becomes a job and you have schedules to meet etc. I have been carving stuff with a wood CNC and refuse to do anything for money. Don't want the hassle, just want a hobby

 

[BT3101]

Once you start selling stuff it becomes a job and you have schedules to meet etc. I have been carving stuff with a wood CNC and refuse to do anything for money. Don't want the hassle, just want a hobby

Yeah, if anything in 2023 I might cut a pile of automotive related license plates and small-medium wall hanger sized signs and sell at a few local car shows. Not necessarily because I think that's "where the money is" but because I like going to car shows. I'll see how that goes and decide if I want to get more aggressive about it.

To actually make much money, a person would need to either charge a lot for the design side of the equation (for low volume/1-off pieces) or cut generics of which you can sell a considerable number.