Wondering if there is anyone on here that has retired early (FIRE Movement)

[Phaseolus]

I look back after retiring 6 years ago and wonder how I ever had time for a full time job! I’m busier than ever!

I've come to the conclusion that people who don't do well in retirement never developed enough interest in life outside of their jobs.

 

[dirtshooter]

Well my wife is a stay at home mom and we have 3 kids 6 and younger so I won't be retiring anytime soon at 37 but my employer funded union pension broke 500k this year as $7/hr worked in contributed by the employer not by myself (I have never put a penny into that pension myself as per the collective agreement) so I will keep working to see if it can reach 7 figures. Right now I average 40hrs a week and I feel like we spend too much money even though we have 6 figures in the bank. My goal will to be to work until I have 40 years in the union and that pension should be grand and my health benefits paid out for life. Maybe do two turnaround a year to make spending money.

We're gonna move to the farm this year and build new do that'll set us back too but it's better than being close to a city.

I don't wanna work but you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[roymunson]

Cool idea, but man, I don't think I"d trust myself at this age with nothing to do.

I'd love to not be tied down every day, but I know if I had money and free time, I'd spend it pretty hardcore. Morally, for me, I'm not sure it'd be the right thing to do even if I could retire right now. Plus, I have 3 kids that I get to spend time with and I think it's important they see Dad knows to get up and go to work in the morning.

I own my business, I'd rather make myself a 3 day a week job and keep reaping the income I've got a pretty good gig going.

 

[eamyrick]

I retired at 48 from a blue collar job. I’m busy every day and much happier. Time with my kids and plenty of time for me. I have enough money for the things I need and a few things I want.

This is the way. Congrats.

 

[Elkbelch]

I retired at 54 in February. I love it so far, I didn't hate my job but I worked 12 hour shifts rotating between nights and days as well as Hollidays. I was able to access my 401k without penalty because I retired from my current employer. I purchased an annuity with half my funds and that replaced most of my income. I setup automatic withdraws with Fidelity where I am taking about 3% a year. Like I heard someone else say, I am busier now than ever. My wife and alll my friends still work so I pretty much spend my days by myself. She may retire next year if we can handle the health insurance. I will get a decent raise at 62 with SSI and a pension from a previous career.

 

[rayporter]

here is the dig=

i retired at 51 and my bud waited 3 years to retire. we were going to go all over hunting and fishing. he lived 4 more years. go while you can do it!!! i had 20 yr before i had trouble with altitude, and had to stay low.

i never had a problem with nothing to do. but i do know the different strokes thing is real. some folks just need to have that structured life. [ and some have not planned well]

edit
to drive the point home----the year before i retired 2 fellows that had waited until they were 65 to retire died the year after they left. another that was going to wait 2 years to retire died the year i left and 2 years before he got to retire.

 

[ChrisA]

here is the dig=

i retired at 51 and my bud waited 3 years to retire. we were going to go all over hunting and fishing. he lived 4 more years. go while you can do it!!! i had 20 yr before i had trouble with altitude, and had to stay low.

i never had a problem with nothing to do. but i do know the different strokes thing is real. some folks just need to have that structured life. [ and some have not planned well]

edit
to drive the point home----the year before i retired 2 fellows that had waited until they were 65 to retire died the year after they left. another that was going to wait 2 years to retire died the year i left and 2 years before he got to retire.

This scares the shit out of me. Been trading my labor for money since before I was 14, I just turned 53. I've always seen a light in the end of my tunnel, a vision, but I've always felt the to urge to go a little farther, save a little more, work a little more, good things come to those who wait, sacrifice now...you know the ant and the grasshopper story.

I've been blessed to be able to do and aquire most everything I've wanted but always feel under pressure, under the thumb of someone, and have this damned feeling that my body is gonna sputter out before I can do the things I truly want to do.

My eyesight is going to shit, cannot tie a Palomar knot without glasses, joints ache, fingers are getting slow and fumbly, short term memory is noticeably declining, etc.

I'm not worried about keeping busy, I'm worried about being physically able to do the things that I want to do. That's mainly walleye fishing and hunting almost everything. Guess my nest egg isn't big enough to comfortably say F-it, but it's sure becoming much clearer that you only get one shot at this life.

Seems as if Pink Floyd's song "Time" sums up my feelings, except I haven’t had too many dull days.

 

[CorbLand]

I've come to the conclusion that people who don't do well in retirement never developed enough interest in life outside of their jobs.

One day at work, someone asked me what I was going to do after work. The powerball was at a billion so I planned to run to the neighboring state and get a a ticket. They asked me “what would you do if you won?” I said “not come back here.” They asked me “you would quit? Don’t you think you would get bored?”

Quick math and I came to if you took the lump sum after taxes and invested it at 5%. You would never have to touch the principal and you would get about a million a month after taxes. I think I could find a way to not be bored with a million a month to spend.

While that’s an extreme example, it is baffling to me how many people seem to tie their identities to their job and not their hobbies.

 

[arrow179]

One day at work, someone asked me what I was going to do after work. The powerball was at a billion so I planned to run to the neighboring state and get a a ticket. They asked me “what I would do if you won?” I said “not come back here.” They asked me “you would quit? Don’t you think you would get bored?”

Quick math and I came to if you took the lump sum after taxes and invested it at 5%. You would never have to touch the principal and you would get about a million a month after taxes. I think I could find a way to not be bored with a million a month to spend.

While that’s an extreme example, it is baffling to me how many people seem to tie their identities to their job and not their hobbies.

 

[KnightExtreme]

Nice thought to win any large lottery jackpot game but as I have seen few actually do. Can't even win $100.00 from the lottery, best I have was $5.00 being retired money never is enough to enjoy it (retirement) at least for me! Just happy I can still get out and Hunt! I still play now and then but it is not often. Hoping if I did I would help others out (family and good friend). At near 68 and seen a few pasted before that so I think trying to help others would go farther as getting some help with house repairs. But I have always been someone that gives and never takes! Maybe why I have not won anything big. Not in the cards. But it might be NICE! Not getting any younger as some say....
Hope I can support myself with the little I do have in a retirement account. (Stay Home more but we all have choices don't we?)
KE

 

[dirtshooter]

I'd probably try to farm after retiring or semi retiring. Raise enough beef to sell to friends and family to butcher, keep the farm income and write offs going.

 

[Yaremkiv]

Most men hate their jobs because they chose it for the $$$ and security instead of their love for it. These are the men that crave early "retirement".

For those focused on building a financial wall for their families, solving problems for their communities, and sharing God's gifts, they'll never work a day in their life, and certainly never "retire".

Amen to that!

 

[bowhuntercoop]

I retired at 38. I now stay home full time with the 3 kiddos playing daddy day care. So kind of a job, just with no pay.

Between working out, trad bows, fishing, scouting, and hunting I stay plenty busy. That’s just added bonus to the time I get with the kids and my wife.

Been a blessing. My wife actually went to 2-10s a week now as well to spend more time with the family. We grinded in the 20s and early 30s to be able to afford the life we have now. Was well worth it. Couldn’t imagine working till my 50,60,70s in order to enjoy my short time on this earth.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

There is another topic about taking Social Security early that you should look at also.

I'll be 85 in a few months and I have been retired 26 years. My wife and I always planned on retiring early (she was a Registered Nurse). I worked in aerospace all of my career. We spent 20 years looking for the right place and ended up in SW Colorado. We bought some land 6 years before retirement. After retirement we built our "dream" home. Once we retired I got a teaching credential and started subbing. It was a way to meet people, learn the community and earn a little extra for my hunting/fishing & traveling savings. I also started volunteering at a state park for similar reasons. I retired from teaching and the state park after about 6 or 7 years.

We havn't had any money problems, have traveled a lot (Hawaii, Alaska, Belieze, Canada & Mexico). We have an rv and boat, a new Bronco and my 2015 F350 4x4 diesel all paid for. I have never been bored as I keep busy taking care of our property (we have 15 acres and I grow a little hay). I hunt multi state, Canada, Mexico & Alaska. We have no debts and have savings.

Health issues are creeping into our life and luckily as part of my retirement package we get free medial insurance that supplements Medicare, so any medical expenses are taken care of 100% for my wife & I.

My advice is plan early, plan a lot, save as much as you can, plan a lot and one more thing......PLAN A LOT! Retire as young as you can. No matter how healthy you are, you are going to have some major health issues as you get older. I played college football and thought I was bulletproof. I have had 5 joint replacements, survived cancer 30 years ago and had several other surgeries.

I would not do much any different than what we did. Colorado has changed a lot since we decided on it for our retirement home. Lander Wyoming was our second choice but my wife said it was just to damn cold and windy. That's the only thing we have ANY second thoughts about.

 

[JeffRaines]

To pour a little fuel on this fire...

I'm 39. After a couple bouts of vertigo over the last two years(I didn't think much of it - my mother and grandmother both had these episodes) they finally did imaging and found... surprise! it was a STROKE. I'm fairly active. My cholesterol and sugars are good. My BP was a little elevated. I'm not overweight, I dont smoke and while I did drink some it was never excessive(maybe a beer or two a weekend) but I haven't touched alcohol in almost a year now.

While I'm undergoing the workup for this(appointments to get in with specialists take forever if you dont know) this kind of stuff has been weighing on my mind. With any luck I'll make it to retirement age, but I'm not feeling super confident. While I have a retirement account and pension through my work, I do wish I would've been more aggressive earlier.

Another fellow I work with recently died of cancer at 56... this happened around the same time as my stroke diagnosis.

I dont know how many changes I can make now to make this a reality but if at all possible I'm not working in my 60s or late 50s if I can help it because there's no guarantee I make it there at all... and the last thing I want to do is die working with a list a mile long of things I wish I would've done. I dont think my list will be empty when my time comes, but I want to be a page long not a mile.