Just had enough

Just saw the Dali Lama's take on this subject on Facebook yesterday:

jmcgsd wrote:
Just saw the Dali Lama's take on this subject on Facebook yesterday:

I don't feel that that observation is true..

Many people "live in Today" or live in the moment for Today, without ever giving the future a single thought..

They live their lives as if they won't be living tomorrow (IE spend like there is no tomorrow)..

They become slaves to the next day when they wake up in the morning..

Each day getting a bit further behind..

The cycle CAN be broken, if they want a better life, but most who are in that position are perfectly happy with the mess they live in..

Because they don't know better.. Or in some cases just don't care.

So much of what retirement is about is what fuels you. By that I mean if you are going to sit around and not develope those retirement interests I can see you being bored. I retired by selling my Shop 11 years ago then I pursued my passion of helping people with their dog problems. When I reached 62 and 1/2 I had it all in place to stop working. I have friends with similar interests, I still have my S&B and keeping it up the way I want it uses some of my time. We are snowbirds and part timers. But we come home to the roost often. If I get too bored I can take up another hobby or do some Dog training programs. The one thing for us is that we do not worry about the finances they are in place for the foreseeable future.
My SIL retired at what I felt was an early age of 49 he has a pension from GM with benefits. The problem is that They keep taking parts of his retirement Pkg. away and that straps him. My DD continues to work.
So I guess from a suggestion stand point it will be more about what you want to do and how you will fund it you can draw on the information you receive from us but in the end you will not find any of us to be exactly like you. So one mans pleasure could become your poison.
Once you are in a position to meet the monthly nut then the world opens up to fulfil your passions. I would not consider working again except to have fun and get paid for it.

To the OP - is there something else you would like to do? Do you have any entrepreneurial desires? I'm just over halfway to a military retirement but this is a second career. I fully intend to start a third phase for about a decade after the military before fully retiring in my mid 60's. I do enjoy what I do but I'm tired of moving. I enjoy traveling and we intend to spend 3-6 months on the road in the RV one day but relocating the entire household every 2-3 years has gotten old.

My youngest will finish college the year I am retirement eligible from the military so I'm looking forward to finding that oil well in my backyard. :)

I'm in the camp of getting bored if I don't have a solid plan. Last week on leave at home for Thanksgiving about drove me crazy because I didn't have projects. I know that I either need to retire in the country with land and a big workshop or a city big enough to have regular events. I expect the projects will occupy me better. My dream is buying a homestead that I keep for the rest of my life and traveling during the poor weather months at home which would be two blocks per year.

I also intend to write articles for journals which I can do from anywhere that I have online access to research and maybe historical fiction that no one will read but I'll have fun writing. Photography will be a regular hobby, hence my moniker, but I know that I would be bored doing it every day. You have to think through all the variables.

Last bit is preparing financially, which as others have stated it helps to start early. I've always saved aggressively assuming that I won't be able to complete 20 years to get a pension or the govt will decrease the pension. If I get it, I'll be set for substantial travel. If not, I'll still be OK.

campingken wrote:
Kyle86,

What type of work interests you? I retired from Law Enforcement at age 48, started at 21, and received an excellent pension plus life time medical. While I was working I bought stocks instead of toys and this is why I was able to pull the plug at 48.

A suggestion would be for you to join the National Guard. Invest 100% of your Guard income in a Roth IRA and at age 60 you will have their pension as well as a sizeable chuck of available cash.

Some really great advice here thank you all!!!!! Sorry to hijack the thread a tad.

Campingken, I'm interested in everything technical and critical thinking. I have an analytical mind and crunch numbers a lot. I should have gone to school for engineering but went a different route. I've dabbled with the idea of going back to school, but a buddy of mine who has an engineering degree is having an equally hard time finding a good job.

I tried to join the national guard 2 years ago but was rejected due to bad hearing (working under hoods with air tools is my guess). I figured the problem is my location so I bought an RV to try and be more mobile so we could go where the jobs are or at least that's the current plan. It stinks to leave my house and relatives, but the more I look at it like an adventure, the more excited I get.

I'm totally open to advice and criticism, and the stories of retiring in the 40s is very inspiring. I am very good with money, the problem is just not enough of it coming it.

I think the old saying is "You gots to have a plan".

Where are you, where do you want to be, how much time do you have to get there? Sounds easy but it is not.

The DW and I plan ours in five year increments. Right now we are in the travel and see the sights while our health is good mode.

It has been my experience that those who retired early often started young and were able to retire young. A very lucky few have been able to amass enough money to retire in a short period of time.

Lots of wisdom here, as usual. I would add that learning to be happy without spending a lot is often easier than earning and saving more. Get out of debt, buy what little you actually need used, and shoot for humble and functional rather than shiny and fancy. I got "retired" by my last evil boss, and I decided that I had had enough, and would shift over to living low on the hog, and not go back to work. I'd rather have the time than the money, at this point in life.

gdhillard wrote:
Lots of wisdom here, as usual. I would add that learning to be happy without spending a lot is often easier than earning and saving more. Get out of debt, buy what little you actually need used, and shoot for humble and functional rather than shiny and fancy. I got "retired" by my last evil boss, and I decided that I had had enough, and would shift over to living low on the hog, and not go back to work. I'd rather have the time than the money, at this point in life.

I can relate.

Worked rotating 12 hr shifts in power plants
Due to 'deregulation' the power plants were sold to 'outsiders'
Company had 2 yr. contract to operate/maintain. At end of contract 'outsiders' decided THEY would do it except they didn't have any employees.
My company didn't have any job for us cause they no longer had power plants. Fortunately I had enough company time to take 'early retirement' package. Others were just unemployed.
Then I went to work for the 'outsiders'
That lasted 2 years until I QUIT ----2 yrs of undermanning, 2 yrs of non-qualified employees (No training provided) 2 yrs. of hassling with management over safety issues'
QUIT Friday morning at 10AM........RETIRED at 9AM Monday morning after speaking with my Investment Guru.
2 Months short of 50th birthday. 12 1/2 yrs ago and best thing I did :B

Monthly bills.when you sit down to pay them ONE of them should be TO yourself. Each and every month like a regular bill PLUS invest as much as possible.
I invested 18% plus companies 6% and lived on take home pay. PLUS stayed debt free. Built credit (cause you HAVE to have it) by using CCs then paying them off. No balances unless 'emergency' then pay it off ASAP. Hate paying interest to someone other than myself!

AS for the Dali Lama and his outlook
EASY when someone else is footing the bill.
Harder to do when YOU are the one going to work day in day out and being the one responsible.

kyle86 wrote:

campingken wrote:
Kyle86,

What type of work interests you? I retired from Law Enforcement at age 48, started at 21, and received an excellent pension plus life time medical. While I was working I bought stocks instead of toys and this is why I was able to pull the plug at 48.

A suggestion would be for you to join the National Guard. Invest 100% of your Guard income in a Roth IRA and at age 60 you will have their pension as well as a sizeable chuck of available cash.

Some really great advice here thank you all!!!!! Sorry to hijack the thread a tad.

Campingken, I'm interested in everything technical and critical thinking. I have an analytical mind and crunch numbers a lot. I should have gone to school for engineering but went a different route. I've dabbled with the idea of going back to school, but a buddy of mine who has an engineering degree is having an equally hard time finding a good job.

I tried to join the national guard 2 years ago but was rejected due to bad hearing (working under hoods with air tools is my guess). I figured the problem is my location so I bought an RV to try and be more mobile so we could go where the jobs are or at least that's the current plan. It stinks to leave my house and relatives, but the more I look at it like an adventure, the more excited I get.

I'm totally open to advice and criticism, and the stories of retiring in the 40s is very inspiring. I am very good with money, the problem is just not enough of it coming it.

It's hard to make any serious specific recommendation without some basic information. You said you graduated from college, but didn't say what kind of degree.
There are lots of very good jobs available. Most colleges have job fairs, did you not attend any of those?
If I had it to do all over again, I'd get into one of those aircraft mechanic apprenticeship programs and work my way up to being an FAA inspector as well as getting my pilot's license.

Executive wrote:
I retired the first time at age 36, the second time at age 50 and finally at age 65 I was ready. Not everyone is ready to sit around a campfire every night at a young age. I completed my bucket list after 6 short months and became really really bored.

Remember, when you're retired there are no vacation days and everyday is a Saturday!...Dennis

When Hubby did his third retirement at age 70 we did not regret one minute of that decision. He worked 30+ years in a research laboratory job (company downsized and offered a plan we could not pass up, so took the offer), then we chose to manage a small mobile home community (where we had lived for five years), and finally he took the CDL test to drive charter busses, and loved every minute of that last job .. we laughed and said that maybe he should have done that last job all along .. and he did feel good about taking the first retire offer since the research lab team he was on did develop a treatment for cancer which saved lives.

Began full-timing in our 28 ft. travel trailer in 2004, have had only a couple of bumps in the road since then, but have loved volunteering off and on for various agencies since then. Have never been bored for very long as enjoy learning about new places, new electronics, and generally Life has been good.

What surprises me in these posts are the number of people who retired multiple times. In a way thought Hubby was unique, but finding this is kind of "normal" ...