patrick.net

I'm retired technically at 41. Going to Mexico in a couple weeks. I'm spoiled and lucky though. Wife has a private sector job that pays mid 6 figures. She can work remotely. They don't count vacation days. Small company employee wise but big revenue.

Summers are golf and entertainment. Most of her clients are now our friends. Basically she doesn't have to work hard. Pays for stuff with the business money and just pops in "when are you gonna do work" and they do it. I'd argue she's retired, she just has to answer to people weekly.

I still work 12 hours or so a week. Not for a lot. But gets me out of the house and it's not with my ping pong group though I do that weekly if there are no kids sports. Haven't golfed as much this year as I'd like. Have a cruise for spring break. Probably go to MT in March for a concert and snowboarding solo. Wife will almost certain sit down and plan something for MLK weekend so the kids miss the least amount of school.

That's the hard part of being semi retired with kids. Travel is more difficult as they get older. The teachers get pissed. So does the school. The factor of jealousy in our lives is massive though. That would be one drawback. Your peers will be nice to you, but secretly hate you and take the occasional jab at you. You need a good friend network or it might be more stressful. Family that's not as successful will hate you and again be nice.

I have bad knees from athletics. I want to enjoy life when I'm somewhat in good shape. Enjoy time with the kids. 55+ and on I don't imagine will be pleasant physically. I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it now. I'm trying to get my kids to $20k before they graduate high school. Invest it all. I'm going to open them Roth accounts. Stack those first as an insurance policy they can pull out the gains after 5 years with no penalty. I plan more for them than myself.

@gabbar I agree with that screenshot completely.

For years, while sitting in stupid meetings which were wasting everyone's time so that a manager could justify his job, I would think about just getting up and leaving. What kept me there? Only the need for a certain amount of money, just enough to cover my likely expenses for the rest of my life. My savings kept going up and amount I needed to retire kept getting smaller as I had less time left to live. Then a few years ago I found I had enough, and I quit. I don't regret it at all. Not living in great luxury, but I have time to do what I want like working more on this site, collecting memes, reading, and printing genealogy books (see https://webfam.net/ for that project of mine) and that has all been great.

Well, you need to save up enough money to live a comfortable retirement, so usually that means you have to work.

I kind of retired in my 20’s. After college I didn’t want a stressful “adult” life, so I retired to San Diego and worked as a lab rat at an academic research organization and then a biotech company. I was only supposed to take a break for a couple of years, but somehow it stretched to 8. The academic lab job was a breeze - 5 hours of work got paid for 8. Cool people. Lived on the beach in a cheap studio apartment and took a bus to work that went right down the coast to Torrey Pines where I got off. Even the biotech company was pretty non-stressful and paid a little better. I had very non-serious friends - deadheads, anarchists, druggies, surfers, drug dealers, folks who jumped bail and were on the lam, but also post-docs from Oz who would always put me under the table with their endless beer drinking. I windsurfed, took up guitar, and smoked a ton of weed. Played a lot of tennis and got quite good at it.

But I had this nagging internal voice that I had to make money and get a career, so took the easy way out and got an MBA, full time, two years. And then got on the career treadmill, got married, yada, yadda. But I look back on those early days with a great deal of fondness. When I retire, I doubt that my life would be like that again. For one, my wife would not allow it. :>))

I work it out so I could retire at 38 (paid-for nice house, enough passive income to pay bills, plus savings) yet when I was able to I did not feel like retiring. Being financially independent did mean I could be selective about where I wanted to work.

You can dream your life away, but the body ages and before you know it, that nest egg hole nags. You can't make the world go away forever. Unless you are a trust fund kid, gotta buckle down and at least try to get those savings in line.

However, even in Santa Cruz, there are the old addled brain damaged hippies and mentally impaired who scrape by on very little and use all public assistance. The factory that manufactures the old gray beard long haired dudes cranked them out by the millions and it drives my wife crazy, she can't stand them.

For such an expensive place, she thinks most of the men are unattractive, the perpetual adolescents. There is one lady in the Section 8 apartments down the street who wheels out every day (weather permitting) in her wheelchair and chain smokes all day in the yard facing the street. That being said, most of the stragglers in Santa Cruz have some kind of outpatient money when you scratch the surface and talk with them. Trust fund kids and inheritors always like to portray their advantages as breezy insouciance and superiority while pretending to be 'humble'.

There are still rent controlled trailers in the county areas, and Guv will send out handy man once or twice a year and replace appliances every five years for free.

You can tell the homeless and old druggies by the way they have that stiff gaited Parkinsonism shuffle from long term drug abuse, you can spot them a mile away from their body language.

HeadSet says

I work it out so I could retire at 38 (paid-for nice house, enough passive income to pay bills, plus savings) yet when I was able to I did not feel like retiring. Being financially independent did mean I could be selective about where I wanted to work.

I think you're one of the few younger people on patnet with a pension? Former Airforce? My dad and uncle have those and uncle has an additional pension from the city of SA for doing IT work after AF retirement.

I tell them it's like they are multi-millionaires. I'm barely a multi but I don't feel like I could retire without at least one more. At least not this young being mid-gen-X. I GTFO out CA a couple of years ago too.

SoTex says

I think you're one of the few younger people on patnet with a pension? Former Airforce? My dad and uncle have those and uncle has an additional pension from the city of SA for doing IT work after AF retirement.

Not my super rich uncle, but another got the double dip pension delight. Superintendent of a school district and county president. He's been making $400k/yr doing nothing for about 20 years. His wife was a teacher as well. Another $90k/yr. Kids are grown and successful. House paid off.

Weird thing is they don't travel or do anything. And I'm not joking. They do nothing but sit at the house and I think read or something. They're likely sitting on $20M unless they've been giving it to my cousins or grandkids. They're healthy enough, but going back to the OP, they don't do anything because they're old. Doesn't invest because there's no more income besides SS money. That's funny money for them. He could take some risky gambles if he wanted. He is about 75 I believe.

It would be fun to be old with tons of money and just toss $50k on red at a roulette table and not worry about it as long as you have discipline to walk after the first loss or walk after 2-3 wins in a row.

Patrick says

That amount kept getting smaller as I invested more money and had less time left to live.

I think its important to keep in mind how much time you have left and plan one's life accordingly. I see my dad living as if he is going to live forever and I dont like it but he does.

WookieMan says

I plan more for them than myself.

This is a very noble way of planning

WookieMan says

They do nothing but sit at the house and I think read or something.

Maybe they are smart and they have already done what all they wanted to do in their lives....?

To each, their own. Retired folks I know like to travel. My wife’s aunt said do it while you can, while you are mobile and relatively healthy because a day will come when you cannot.

What's the point in retiring unless you can do it in Caligulan splendor?
I will work until at least 60, I think. The thing is that at the moment work is very easy and lucrative, so it's not like I have a big incentive to quit.

I think you should stop working for someone else as early as possible; then you can slow down when you want to retire since you have no boss.
I've always lived a pretty modest lifestyle, and I was a fanatical saver and investor for the last 40 years.
I overdid it because I didn't plan on receiving an inheritance in 2017, however it's increased my net worth more than I had planned for.
Now, I wish I had really had more fun doing things which cost money; I only now am loosening up.
Having children means you cannot quit working if they go to college; as the family black sheep I didn't have the huge expense, I never married.
The signiificant problem about delaying retiring or doing what you want to do whenever you want to, is age and health.
I was pretty spry until age 60; then I started to feel laziness creep up.
I would have liked to travel more but I'm becoming intolerant of airports and bullshit; when I was younger I didn't care.
I have good genes because people cannot guess my age, I appear somewhat younger.
Recently I discovered I had hip arthritis and I had never had such problems of any kind previously. Luckily, in Florida they fixed me up quickly.
In Florida, I saw a lot of people who came down from NY or NJ who had no outdoor interests; they'd be in bars watching sports on any given afternoon.
I think it's bad to do that with your free time, but I saw a lof ot it.
Our immune system starts to decline after age 60, so I'm worried about coming down with some random ailment now.

Ceffer says

the old addled brain damaged hippies and mentally impaired who scrape by on very little

Hey, like, wait just a minute, Man!

gabbar says

Maybe they are smart and they have already done what all they wanted to do in their lives....?

No. They just worked. My aunt would have summers off but didn't do anything. I think she may have even tutored. She speaks fluent French but from what I know has never been there. They're the classic definition of a legit nerds.

And not joking, I think they're scared to travel. My cousins come to them 95% of the time. One is 2 hours away and the other 4. Four grandkids. I guess their goal was to create a massive nest egg for them all and just sit there. I'm telling you it's weird. I wouldn't be shocked if they have groceries delivered.

Come to think of it that's what my grandma did for 25-30 years after retiring. Maybe that's where he gets it. Just sits in the house. My mom, his sister, is about 5 minutes away and she never sees him. He can hand down generational wealth, but his kids are already into the mid-6 figure territory annually themselves.

My kids are going to get rather large sums of money from my MIL and mom. I'm not a huge fan of that, but whatever. Unless she puts caveats on how they can use their inheritance.

I was well taken care of as a kid, but I personally didn't have "money" like a few other kids I knew. My parents kept it to themselves but did travel with us all over the place.

I have posted before that I work for the govt.

Best life decision I ever made. I wish I had listened to a friend who was advising me to go that route a few years earlier.

I’ll retire when I’m 57, if not sooner. There’s a lot I want to do and don’t have the time to do now. I remain constantly baffled by some coworkers who don’t want to retire. I’m taking they have enough years on that they would take home more in retirement than they do now while working. One guy actually rescinded his retirement when we were offered a cash incentive a few years back stating that he didn’t know what he would do with himself.

Fuck that. I retire means I have time to prepare all my own meals, I get to enjoy hobbies I like, I get to fucking sleep in every day. Growing up, my dad was up at 730 even on weekends(630 during the week). He was constantly on edge, and any little thing woke him up. Now retired for 16 years, he sleeps until 8-830. My mom doesn’t wake up until 10. I envy that. I’ve always been a night person and sleep has always seemed like such a luxury to me.

Travel is awesome. After long road-trips the last two summers, I want to just keep going and wifey is fully on board. She absolutely loved the American west. There’s a ton of places I’ve never been to and really want to go. Airbnb and vrbo have made it much easier and cheaper to do.

Honestly I can’t wait.

clambo says

Having children means you cannot quit working if they go to college

I disagree. Oxygen mask parenting. Teach your kids. Show them how to save and invest. Take care of yourself first. Any money we save is not earmarked for college for our kids. They already know that.

With 3 boys I'm not paying for them to just go and party at college and learn bull shit unless they're serious. Also I'm a community college guy. Go there for two years and get the basics out of the way. If you get that done then I'd maybe pay for a state school. Otherwise I'm in Puerto Rico or St. Thomas.

Off topic, but admissions to colleges are a joke now. It wasn't like when I was 17. You literally can get into most universities that will take your money. Even in 2000 for me I was accepted to Brown with average grades because of athletics. They just want your money at this point.

FuckTheMainstreamMedia says

Travel is awesome. After long road-trips the last two summers, I want to just keep going and wifey is fully on board. She absolutely loved the American west. There’s a ton of places I’ve never been to and really want to go.

Go everywhere. The Salt Lake City to Vegas national park trip is amazing. Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion. Could swing to the north rim of Grand Canyon. A bit overrated and you need to be in good shape to get to the bottom or get a donkey. The lodge there is cool and it's less trafficked and you get good views.

I preach here, but you have to go to St. John. St. Thomas, where you fly in, is rough around the edges, but the people are chill. Once out of Cruz Bay on St. John you just drive around and go to some of the most amazing beaches ever. About the only good thing a Rockefeller did well for the public. You'll need to rent a Jeep though. Some roads are rough.

On St. Thomas Magens Bay and Coki Beach are favorites. We stay at Margaritaville. On site restaurant is below average, think Chilis or Applebees.

I hate suggesting this, but Navarre Beach, FL. I don't want it to get crowded... But it's the best sand you'll see. If I recall you're in Tennessee now. Not a bad drive. Limited condo towers and it's not buildable to the east or west of the beach. So a low party vibe and on a calm day white sand and emerald water. If you like views the 6 or so towers on the island are nice. May is the best time of year when kids are still in school and no hurricane risk.

I could write about this all day. I know the OP is about age, but I think it's pertinent to the conversation. What do you do if you do retire early?

I am shooting for 60-62. My oldest is starting college next year and have another one 3 years behind. So I have at least 8 years of college tuition in my near future. Not worried about retirement income, just need to keep me and the wife healthy until Medicare kicks in.

Fortunately, I really like what I am doing now and they pay me well. The next 8-10 years will fly by. I work really hard, but still get plenty of time for travel and fun with the family.

I know a few guys in my industry who are in their mid-late 60's and can easily retire, but they like their jobs and still like being in the game. Some are negotiating part-time or consulting gigs so they can keep a foot in the door. Again, I am very fortunate to work in a rewarding industry for a good company.

The key for a good retirement is having good hobbies, a good partner, social life and remaining active. I watched my father in law basically go to shit after he retired at 67 and he was super bored and depressed the last 10 years (he was divorced living by himself and had knee issues). All he did was sleep most of the day and watch TV.

FuckTheMainstreamMedia says

One guy actually rescinded his retirement when we were offered a cash incentive a few years back stating that he didn’t know what he would do with himself.

Fuck that. I retire means I have time to prepare all my own meals, I get to enjoy hobbies I like, I get to fucking sleep in every day.

I know a guy around here who was an early employee for Juniper Networks. When they went public, he suddenly had something like $20M. He bought a big house in Palo Alto and travelled a lot with his wife and kids. Then he got bored and went back to work at the same place. I was amazed.

I usually sleep in now, because I was so annoyed for 30 years at getting up early to get to work. But I feel guilty about it, like I should be working harder.

clambo says

I would have liked to travel more but I'm becoming intolerant of airports and bullshit

I just drive places. But then again, I rarely leave the northeast.

Patrick says

I usually sleep in now

Literally my #1 reason for even remotely wanting to retire. Actually I could just work later hours if I wanted to, but don't.

WookieMan says

Even in 2000 for me I was accepted to Brown with average grades because of athletics.

I got in the top 1% of standardized tests like the ACT and SAT though my grades were A-. So I was sent a bunch of invitations to apply to various schools. When the one from Brown showed up, I'd never heard of them and was throwing it away when my mother saw it and stopped me. I didn't apply there, because I also got an application from Harvard and we were pretty poor and so didn't have much money for applications. My dad didn't want to pay the $50 for the Harvard application, but my mom gave me the money. They rejected me, which I think was pretty predictable because I had no connections or knowledge about how admissions works. So now I'm not too sad to see they have turned into a woke cesspool that I wouldn't want to be associated with.

Later I had a girlfriend who did get into Harvard with lower test scores and similar grades, because both of her parents had gone there, both from old New England families. She was younger than me, so in her junior year I moved into her dorm room with her for a semester, against the rules. People thought I was a student. In a way I got the Harvard experience without paying for it.

As to when to retire, obviously, that is a highly individualized decision. All of us are different in that we have different values, needs & wants, etc. For us, my wife & I actually gravitate to enjoying the simpler things in life, so our financial needs are probably a lot less than most Americans. Having said that, we both now recognize that we have accumulated a lot more money than we actually need, primarily because we've lived either within our means and often even below it.

On the subject, a few months ago, I watched a very interesting youtube video in which retired people were interviewed at a public park in Florida. Practically every person interviewed said that if they had it to do all over again, they wouldn't have spent so much time pursuing money, and, that they would have retired earlier.

Patrick says

I usually sleep in now, because I was so annoyed for 30 years at getting up early to get to work. But I feel guilty about it, like I should be working harder.

Don't feel guilty. You should feel guilty if you're on welfare and sleeping in capable of working. If you worked hard and saved there should be no guilt at all. Just make sure you do stuff. As others have said, at least have a hobby or two. Could be paying hobbies.

One guy I know his wife is an optometrist. She does yoga classes on the side. He plays guitar and does charcuterie boards at private events. He likes music and meat and cheese. Usually nights, but he gets to hang out, it's not corporate, so he can drink wine on the job and it pays really well. I think he nets $500-600 a gig. He'll do 3-4 of those a week. Usually only 4 hours of time. So 24 hours of work for a fun job knocking out about $2k/wk playing guitar and giving a meat and cheese presentation.

I know you've said you like your wine. Think of something with that. I know there's a bunch of that where you are with Napa near by(ish), but might be something fun. Hell, start a small winery. My mom's friend has one out there in Napa.

I'm getting back into music here in a bit. I'll have a studio in the new house. I will eventually share my music here, but I'm not ready to dox myself. I can handle the reviews of it, but I just don't want people knowing who I am. Just watched a live Edgar Winter Frankenstein cover I did. I need to get those chops back. Played the percussion and drum part in the solo. One of the hardest covers I did. Warren Zevon was next with Werewolves of London. I'm not a singer. I did lead vocals. Backups vocals are fine, but that was hard. Cringy at times but not super bad.

When I am out peeing in the yard right before bed, like my old dog taught me, I look up at the stars and contemplate this when I start to worry about my *{{UnDERfunDeD REtiReMENT}}*
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Y_qx4G025Ug

I’d like to drive around the USA and maybe Canada to explore what is going on. A Winnebago Solis is an intriguing way to go. It seems small enough to drive into a town without needing to tow a second vehicle for getting around. Has a galley and even a shower.

Robert Sproul says

When I am out peeing in the yard right before bed

Lol. Only 2 baths currently and 5 people. I pee outside often. It's honestly nice. Save a flush with village water/sewer bills. It's a win and I get some fresh air. Fenced yard helps. Although I have no particular concern if someone sees my dick besides a kid.

We'll have 3.2 baths soon. So we can all be peeing and pooping at the same time. lol.

Al_Sharpton_for_President says

I’d like to drive around the USA and maybe Canada to explore what is going on. A Winnebago Solis is an intriguing way to go. It seems small enough to drive into a town without needing to tow a second vehicle for getting around. Has a galley and even a shower.

I'd get a truck or SUV as a daily driver and a travel trailer. An RV is going to cost you more with insurance and maintaining it. You won't use it as much as you think and it will go to crap. Then you also have a vehicle to get around at the destination with a travel trailer setup.

Key is you need to cover it when not in use along with the tires. But at least you don't have to deal with an engine. I like the freedom of dumping the trailer and having a car. Towing is easy, just don't embarrass yourself if you have to back into a spot.

I wouldn't want to pack up my temporary camp site to go to the grocery store or out doing something. But I'm a multi-day person in one spot. If just doing one night the Winnebago could make sense. But unless you're an early riser, you'll have maybe 5-6 hours of exploring to do if you have to drive 3-4 hours to the next stop? Might as well go on a cruise at that point.

Peeing in your yard keeps away raccoons and ground squirrels. Seriously. Not sure about rats though, they may not mind it.

We've had various animals move in under the house, but they really don't like it and leave if I pee where they enter under the house.

Al_Sharpton_for_President says

I’d like to drive around the USA and maybe Canada to explore what is going on. A Winnebago Solis is an intriguing way to go. It seems small enough to drive into a town without needing to tow a second vehicle for getting around. Has a galley and even a shower.

Listen to Wookie on this. Remember you must pay for the lot/space, too. So it's $ for the RV + $/time for the lot/space. Or get a used A-Frame or Pop Up or a cab trailer if you have a truck. A smaller trailer will get used more often than the 30+ foot luxury RV.

"I'll stay in Public Facilities" = time limits, and often no sewer - you have to hitch everything back up to dump the blackwater and then set everything up again.

RVs used to make sense when you could BUY the entire RV lot for a $5000-$15000 near lakes, shore, attractions, etc. and make less than $100/month payment for the maintenance/landscaping. You could drive the RV down once to the lot and let it sit there. Maybe invest in a carport to reduce sun/rain damage. Or when localities used to allow RVs and utilities to be set up on vacant lots, now most require building a min sq. ft. house with a time to complete. Whenever you say "Wow, what a nice piece of property at a not-bad price", guaranteed it'll be in Horse Puckey Covenant Community, require a 2400 sq ft house be built in 3 years after purchase, no RVs or mobiles (no "wides"), etc.

Now lots are going for 6 figures, easily! And the maintenance is up to the hundreds.

You can rent an RV. 90% of RVs just sit on the property getting old.
https://rvshare.com/

If it floats, flies, or Fs, rent it by the hour - let the owner make the payments and do the maintenance.

WookieMan says

I'd get a truck or SUV as a daily driver and a travel trailer. An RV is going to cost you more with insurance and maintaining it. You won't use it as much as you think and it will go to crap. Then you also have a vehicle to get around at the destination with a travel trailer setup.
Key is you need to cover it when not in use along with the tires. But at least you don't have to deal with an engine.

This right here is good RV advice, unless your Class B van can be a daily driver. Class A and C RV's make no sense to me.
I'll go further, Class A or C are a ridiculous boondoggle for the vast majority of people.

For some crazy reason, inflatable tents are not sold in the States. All you have to do is stake them, inflate them, and run some fly lines out. And they have massive space.

COLEMAN makes and sells them in UK/Europe but not at home. A big brand seems to be Vango. They also have Inflatables made for hatchbacks and 4-doors.
https://www.winfieldsoutdoors.co.uk/coleman-weathermaster-8xl-blackout-air-tent/

Weird because there's plenty of kid tents and play areas sold here, but not camping tents on the same principle.

Patrick says

Peeing in your yard keeps away raccoons and ground squirrels. Seriously. Not sure about rats though, they may not mind it.

We've had various animals move in under the house, but they really don't like it and leave if I pee where they enter under the house.

Wish it worked on rabbits.

Freaking rabbits are tearing up my front yard. I took care of the ones in the backyard with a bb gun and use the nasty smelling Coyote, Deer and Rabbit spray in the front yard, but it doesn't seem to work on rabbits other than making my yard stink!

Cwazy Wabbits.

SoTex says

I think you're one of the few younger people on patnet with a pension? Former Airforce?

Yes, former AF but I am no longer young. Weren't you AF as well? I think I remember it was you who said you got quite a few flight hours per month at Diego Garcia.

AmericanKulak says

https://rvshare.com/

Thanks. I did a quick search for a medium priced RV rental, and I can stay at a hotel for less per night, go figure. $196-$268/night for a self-driver.

HeadSet says

SoTex says

I think you're one of the few younger people on patnet with a pension? Former Airforce?

Yes, former AF but I am no longer young. Weren't you AF as well? I think I remember it was you who said you got quite a few flight hours per month at Diego Garcia.

I was probably writing about my Dad. He flew a lot of AF planes but the last one were the C5s... He used to fly them to DG and bring me back strange little shells or rocks or whatever. Told me it was the most remote place to land on earth or something like that. I was probably in 3rd grade.