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Retirement day is less than 2 weeks away! I can hardly wait. Things seemed to calm down a bit at work. People are still asking me.... who will replace me. I don't know and I don't care.
I'm still decompressing...... It will take a while to get away from thoughts about my former job.
Sometimes it takes separation.
Since January, I have split my time between Chicago and Tucson. When I am in Chicago, I am always thinking about my former job which I retired from in May 2013. When I am in Tucson, I am thinking about a lot of things - but never work.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,713 posts, read 58,054,000 times
Reputation: 46182
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlawrence01
Sometimes it takes separation.
...
I always suggest a LONG TRIP after you retire.
Great idea. I did the western National Parks on my way out the door (car was packed and waiting in parking lot on my last day)
I met so many HAPPY retirees as National Park volunteers, I was hooked, and came home with more ideas of how to make retirement adventurous and affordable.
I have never 'longed' for work or had to decompress once leaving the door / VM / Email / pager / cell phone behind. National Parks help you stay 'disconnected' with the previous leashes of working life.
I think a winter as a volunteer in Yellowstone or Tetons would help TOTALLY disconnect!
Being a winter piano player in a National Park lodge would be delightful!
Great idea. I did the western National Parks on my way out the door (car was packed and waiting in parking lot on my last day)
I met so many HAPPY retirees as National Park volunteers, I was hooked, and came home with more ideas of how to make retirement adventurous and affordable.
I have never 'longed' for work or had to decompress once leaving the door / VM / Email / pager / cell phone behind. National Parks help you stay 'disconnected' with the previous leashes of working life.
I think a winter as a volunteer in Yellowstone or Tetons would help TOTALLY disconnect!
Being a winter piano player in a National Park lodge would be delightful!
Hmmmm, I live within 20 minutes of a national park. I don't think YNP has wintertime volunteers.
"...I want to retire in a few months....and take early Social Security.....so many people say to wait, but I just can't."
I'll be taking early retirement also, but I haven't heard anyone saying it's a bad idea. Probably because I've never posted in a retirement forum before, so besides the obvious reduced SS, what other downsides are there?
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,713 posts, read 58,054,000 times
Reputation: 46182
Quote:
Originally Posted by sd-bound
I'll be taking early retirement also, but I haven't heard anyone saying it's a bad idea. Probably because I've never posted in a retirement forum before, so besides the obvious reduced SS, what other downsides are there?
S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G your feeble dollars a few more yrs (or decades for early retirees).
Similar to 'risk-tolerance'. Need to realize your ability to deal with being 'unemployed'.
With coming tax increases on earned (and investment) income, it's best to be ahead of the game and with a flexible strategy.
So far the $250/$500k tax free gains every 24 months on primary residence is the best game in town to collect some extra bones. (it works for me, YMMV)
I'll be taking early retirement also, but I haven't heard anyone saying it's a bad idea. Probably because I've never posted in a retirement forum before, so besides the obvious reduced SS, what other downsides are there?
There has been so much ink spilled on that subject here in this Retirement Forum, but I think you hit on the only downside - reduced SS. People say that if you should happen to live to 90 or 95, you may regret taking it early. But if you're O.K. with retirement finances even in the case you may live a long time, then I don't see it as an issue at all. Some people don't like the idea of dying early and leaving their SS untapped, while others find themselves in desperate need of money to live on at age 62. You have to live to about age 78 (give or take) to "break even". After age 78 you are ahead of the game by having delayed.
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