I think I've made my retirement decision....

[RCW]

Don't have a firm date, but it better be pretty soon....

I'm at the top-end of the management of the company.

Given my tenure, I'm always the "go-to" for any issues/problems/decisions, whether it relates to my responsibilities or not.

Getting old, as am I.....

Really it's been made for me for my own sanity/wellness:

1. Work 51 or 52 weeks/year - check - last day off July 2023 - been that way for 20+ years. If I were a Union position, I'd have 6 weeks off, plus sick leave.
2. Dislike going to work every day - check - See #1
3. Burned out - check - See #1, #2, and #5
4. 37 year tenure - check
5. Intolerance of inexperience/inept - check - See #4
6. Good Retirement - check - See #4 - about 70% of current salary. Less depending on spousal benefits after I'm gone.
7. Post-retirement Health Care cost - $0
8. Debt - $0
9. House projects done - check - bought & paid for
10. Some $$ in the bank - check - see #9 - not as much as I'd like, but would get us by a while without retirement income

#3 and #5 are really getting evident in my daily activities. I'm not a lot of fun to be around at times.

Not fair to my subordinates or my other co-workers.

I worked as a farm kid. I worked full time as a high school kid in the bar/restaurant business, often 60-100 hours a week. Violated the Hell of Labor Laws, but I needed the $$.

Same followed as a college kid. I had to pay the Fare...

I think KNOW it's time....

 

[rc51stierhoff]

That is awesome.
Congratulations and good luck!

I am not too far behind you. We just closed on our retirement property (current plan anyway) in December which happens to be directly across the road from our other property up North. The additional place has a house and buildings and a few more acres than we already had planned up there.

Good luck. I look forward to hearing what you do in your free time.

 

[DustyRusty]

I have been retired for the past 24 years, and every morning I get up with nothing to do, and by noon I have half of it done. I then stop so I will have nothing to do tomorrow, and the same pattern repeats itself every day of the week, Monday through Friday. I take Saturday and Sunday off to do things I am too busy doing during the week. I am spending my kid's inheritance! I don't give a damn about my kids, since I have never had any children. My nieces and nephews barely know that I exist, so when I am gone, I am going to make it a point to not invite them to my funeral. Whatever mess that I leave behind will be my wife's next husband's problem to clean up. I doubt that at her age she will ever remarry, so who cares anyway? Enjoy your retirement and just make sure that you take good care of yourself and your spouse. You owe it to each other to grow old with good health and a great outlook on your future.

 

[RCW]

That is awesome.
Congratulations and good luck!

I am not too far behind you. We just closed on our retirement property (current plan anyway) in December which happens to be directly across the road from our other property up North. The additional place has a house and buildings and a few more acres than we already had planned up there.

Good luck. I look forward to hearing what you do in your free time.

It sounds foolish, but even as a long-ago farmer, my roots go pretty deep.

Hell, I seldom travel outside the county, let alone another state.

I can't see "retirement property" in our immediate future outside of the central NYS area. Took us 33 years, but we finally got this house how we want it...still a POS, but we know everything about it. We're not from here, but have been here for many years. Very rural.

When I said "retirement property," I was referring to many folks I know that keep their homes, then buy a second home for winters. I don't think we'll be a second home family.

I also can't see me going south. Too many people.

Daughters live in downtown Philadelphia and Monterey Bay, CA. WAY too many people there....and way too expensive.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

well, you're 'past due' as far as I can tell.
give them 2 weeks tomorrow and then go on your 2 week vacation.
do not answer ANY phone calls from work.....

Too many get married to the job, think they have to be there. Hmm..if you ARE the
'key man' , you must have a 7 figure salary ?

Good friend retired last week. Got fed up with bosses not knowing the jobs, new guys on phones, smoking all the time. We 'ran the numbers', I said it's a nobrainer. Next day he handed in his 'I'm retiring' paperwork.

I retired 35 years ago (1/2 my lifetime), no pension,no regrets(specially since STELCO folded...) Paid off house ASAP, sold off toys,grow own veggies, barter. Maybe not the life for others but suits me fine. Might buy a plane this summer.

 

[Outnumbered]

I bailed and joined the retiree club January 1st this year and am wondering how I had time to work. I too was in management, burned out and becoming increasingly frustrated with the political correctness nonsense and not being able to fire those that desperately needed to be fired. So far I am very pleased with the financial outcome with 65-70% of my former salary. Being debt free or in my case only a truck payment at 1.9% which does not make sense to pay off since I am making far more with my investments makes it a much easier transition. Get out as soon as you can as there are no guarantees. Enjoy life with your family and working on what you want, when you want! Congratulations.

 

[RCW]

Jay - I’m WAY far from a 7- figure salary….way, way far….

Not too many people in my neck of the woods have a 7-figure salary, but I do know a couple of them….

 

[PHPaul]

I bailed at 62. Actually, a couple of weeks BEFORE I turned 62.

I'd reached a point where my choices were:

A) Go postal and choke the $%^* out of someone who richly deserved it or;

B) Stroke out. One day I actually went from work direct to the ER with a BP of 200/1xx and a massive headache.

That was 11 years ago and I don't think I've had a headache since that took more than a tylenol to clear and my BP is consistently in the 130/80 range.

While I've managed to stay busy, I remind myself constantly that anything that needed doing today will still need doing tomorrow. As much as possible - consistent with the "Happy Wife, Happy Life" law - I do WHAT I please, WHEN I please. Some days, that's absolutely nothing but surf the Web and watch YouTube videos...

 

[dirtydeed]

Congrats RCW. Enjoy it.

I'm not far behind you...struggle with that decision every day...should I...Or shouldn't I?

In my case (been working from a home office for 24 years) it's just too easy to keep doing what I'm doing with a healthy salary and my side gig as well. I've been wishing for retirement for a long time (hate my day job, but it's really easy) but now that it's almost here, I'm afraid to pull the trigger.

 

[GrizBota]

OP, you’ve done your time. Pull the plug and enjoy what you’ve worked for. We’re all a cog in a machine and if we die at our desk, they will have us replaced in some capacity easily within a year, month or week.

Fait won’t deal us an extra 5 or 10 years of life because we worked 45 instead of 40 years. Nope, we’ll just be gone having worked more years.

lol. 7 figure salary. Thought that was reserved for sports figures, movie stars, a few doctors, judges and crooked politicians? Most folks retire with less than 7 figures total.

Although comparison is the thief of joy, play with this calculator a little bit and some might realize they are doing a bit better than they might have thought. You know what the most common net worth is regardless of age? Zero, yup, nothing! See image below

Net Worth Percentile by Age Calculator

A 7 figure 65 year old is nearly 77 percentile.

I retired after over 30 years as a workaholic and now work part time remotely. Got everything paid off and kids through college. I go to the job sites occasionally. It’s been a good gig for the last couple years. Haven’t touched a dollar in the retirement accounts and don’t plan too for a while. Flexibility and autonomy. That’s the key for me. The wife wants to fully retire in a few years. She probably will. I’ll probably do some part time stuff.

See the longest blue line? That’s 250k households with zero net worth. The single most common value of net worth. Pick and age, any age. That’s what you’ll find.

 

[ayak]

Congratulations!
I’m done myself, at the end of this week, after 36 years with the same company (second job out of school).

 

[GSD-Keegan]

Congratulations RCW! Job Well Done! Geddy will be happy to have you around more, no doubt. And I’m more than sure you will be happy to spend more time with Geddy!!

 

[jimh406]

There are probably some, but few people think they retired too early. The more common case is retiring too late. YMMV.

 

[WFM]

When I went to the accountant this year I asked her if it was OK to retire poor without a million dollars invested.
She said lots of people retire poor as everyone in life has chosen different paths. And for me its hard to consider walking away.
But at the end of this year my 70 hr seven day a week for four months straight winters for the last twenty years will come to a end.
Congratulations to RCW and everyone who've been able to retire.
I feel the years of manufacturing physically and now a mental struggle has set in.

 

[NCL4701]

Congratulations!

Sounds like you’re at the end of that chapter and you know it. Your list looks like you copied the one I wrote last fall before retiring at the end of 2023. My last true vacation (no work for my employer at all) was about 25 years ago. Calls asking questions or advice have tailed off. Got one this afternoon but that was first one in a couple weeks.

I don’t know if I’m officially retired forever or taking a year off (I decided before leaving I was NOT committing to anything, whether paid, volunteer, starting a business, etc. for at least one year). It’s a transition for sure, but looking back, I know now as much as ever it was time to go. Time for the next chapter, regardless what that is.

I miss the people I worked with, some for many years. I felt bad about leaving them. I still talk to several of them, but it’s not the same. That and no paycheck are the only downsides I’ve seen so far. I have plenty to do without working for someone else.

 

[Code]

I pulled the trigger 2 weeks ago. I could have sooner but my dads needs and my mental health (similar reasons as yours) pushed it.

my wife actually sat me down and looked me in the eye and said why are you working when you dont have to? (This was after my 12th xcountry flight to my dads in 4 months) she added “i need help building a new garden” so since dads health is slowing him down i retired to take over his “garden” (big hay farm) and help my wife build hers.
In my exit interview with ceo that was my response ( they were in a panic. I am THE BIG NERD for the company)
Im helping my wife with the garden…

After three weeks i greatly regret not doing it sooner. If you can financially retire as soon as you can. I highly recommend it

 

[Fordtech86]

Congrats RCW!

I’m gonna join y’all in 30-40 years

 

[NCL4701]

If you can financially retire as soon as you can. I highly recommend it

Amen.

 

[tbk5]

1541 days
20 hours
23 minutes
to go but who is counting....

 

[GrizBota]

1541 days
20 hours
23 minutes
to go but who is counting....

Funny. I recall the “old” guys in the ‘90s using Quattro Pro to write a spread sheet that did a count down to retirement. Most of them were. Serous about that being the actual count too.

I just told the boss annually for the last five years, with my performance appraisal, I’ll be here another 4 or 5 years. Then 3 or 4 years, etc until I said this is probably the last time we’ll have to do this. Then a formal 45 day notice (because they like that). Then he asked if I’d comeback as a retiree, as long as I wanted. I told them I could do 4 mos and after that I’d have a conflict of interest (he knew that meant I’d be working for the competition). So they got 31 years from me. I liked it most days. I miss some of the people, but I still do coffee and lunch with the half dozen or so I call friends.