Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Shows the broad span of interests on this forum. It's kinda what makes it nice to stay connected and read. It appears those that have flexible jobs that pay well (not just money, but fulfillment-based), could go either way. Those that jumped ship years before they a) ready, or b) were burned out on work, often test the waters to see if it offers any satisfaction. For me- still working at 65, I am rapidly converging on my glass-is-full' with technology deadlines. I have finally had enough of that. Now it's onward and upward to some new, equally challenging projects with some old geezer for a boss....
I just turned 61 and plan to work at least 5 more years. After that I think I will be a substitute teacher. Currently our school district pays $105 per day. So if I want to work that day/week I will but am not obligated to having to ask for time off. I have always worked with kids and enjoy it.
..... I was sort of relieved and felt I could manage for now.
As time went on I began to feel really elated, and now wonder if I want to work for anyone else once I get my SS. That surprises me because all along I planned to and now I want the novelty of total freedom from someone else's ''clock''.
I might do some occasional pet sitting or Ebay selling for a little extra money, but that's all on my schedule. Mostly I want delicious freedom!
Can you relate? What is your experience?
I took a package at work that was offered to all employees who had been there 10 yrs+, I had been there 20. And though I liked my field the last 6-7 years it had become incredibly boring 90% of the time. The package was offered 2-3 years before I planned to retire but I figured I could get by with some part time work for that 2-3 years.
Well 2 winters ago we had storm after storm after storm, I would look out the window in the morning & see people heading to work bundled up against the wind chill & slipping on the sidewalk & I just sipped my coffee & listened to the radio or read. This went on to even having a blizzard the first week of April here.
Well by then any desire to work for someone had vanished with the slush, my motivation was utterly gone & a sort of joy crept in with that realization that I was really "done". It was almost like being on a high & just not going to work sufficed to carry me through the following year or 2, I never felt bored or the need to work other than my own projects. I focused a lot on my finances & to make up for "missing" that last couple of years income I cut my expenses down by 50% (I actually just checked that on Mint last week - the percentage surprised me)
Now I am reoriented to this new chapter & I am starting projects of my own choosing, nothing even vaguely related to my former career, that's chapter's over.
I can relate to watching all the worker bees buzzing along on the morning traffic report. I love to walk my dogs in the quiet, empty parks M-F while they are all away too. It is wonderful, that freedom that you describe! Rolling back under the quilt on a snowy day is a giddy feeling that is priceless too.
I just caution you to keep your income below the limit so you don't have to pay taxes on your ss payments. Also found out some people who had health insurance available thru work were being denied Medicare and had to pay a TON for employer's health insurance. You have to weigh this out.
Can tell you Craigslist has TONS of part-time work, temp work gigs and professional work even. Just watch out for anyone trying to get private information out of you before interview for something like background or credit check...If sent to web application to fill out, fill in ss#, dl# and dob with gibberish. I've only met good ones through craigslist but I see a lot of scammers in some areas trying to make use of it but always has some kind of unprofessional email address, asks for credit check immediately or cut/paste ad I've seen too many times.
I just caution you to keep your income below the limit so you don't have to pay taxes on your ss payments.
...................
That doesn't make any sense. If one is able to earn more income, so much the better, and paying taxes on SS benefits is the least of one's worries. The maximum percent of SS income subject to taxation is 85% anyway, so it's privileged income for tax purposes.
I don't understand rejoicing in being poor on the grounds that one doesn't pay taxes (or pays fewer taxes).
I have a small side gig doing publicity for a singer who pays me $300 per month. He classifies me as an Independent Contractor though with the IRS, so that he doesn't have to pay FICA (Social Security) taxes and any other kind of taxes on the salary he gives me.
But then I end up needing to pay the IRS $450 or $500 in taxes (FICA taxes & I can't remember what other kind of taxes) on the $3600 he pays me per year. Even though my income is low.
So if I didn't work for him the last couple of years, I would not need to pay any taxes whatsoever because my income is low. I was paying zero taxes in my retirement before I started working for him.
Last edited by matisse12; 02-15-2017 at 07:20 PM..
That doesn't make any sense. If one is able to earn more income, so much the better, and paying taxes on SS benefits is the least of one's worries. The maximum percent of SS income subject to taxation is 85% anyway, so it's privileged income for tax purposes.
I don't understand rejoicing in being poor on the grounds that one doesn't pay taxes (or pays fewer taxes).
i suspect they didn't mean taxes but the cap on earnings before you pay the penalty of 1 dollar for every 2 made over a certain amount made per year, somewhere around 15,000
i suspect they didn't mean taxes but the cap on earnings before you pay the penalty of 1 dollar for every 2 made over a certain amount made per year, somewhere around 15,000
Your interpretation would make the statement make sense, so I would say you are probably correct. However, the poster did write "taxes". Thanks for pointing out something that had not ocurred to me.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
