Then how's yer credit ;)?

Been that long already? Geez I still remember you guys fflying out a few time a year to meet up. How's that sun and water treating you guy down there in paradise? Say hello to your lovely wife for me will ya

Maybe thinkin’ Soylent Green. ;)

Thanks Jeff. It’s great here. Why we didn’t move sooner is a mystery to me.

I've been in the pasture for 8yrs, 10mos, 22days, 11hours and...what time is it?

Just now settling in and taking my time with projects, g-kids and simplifying even more.

It took five of those years for the ecstacy of waking up every day and NOT going to work to wear off.

Interesting and introspective? Can you elaborate?

Major retirement happened for me 1 1/2 years ago. I have too many new projects going and I stress out about them too much. It’s different stuff - gardening, chickens, car projects, and building projects have replaced employee issues and editorial deadlines. I put nearly as many demands on myself now as I did before I sold the Corp.
If this is retirement I’ve been retired for 30 years and didn’t know it.

Stress? You’re doing it wrong. ;)

You guys are killing me :)

I’d love to retire now, maybe be a gopher at a Lambo dealership for fun.

How did you know “it was time”?

I was fired and couldn't get another job.

I knew it was time 10 years before I retired; had to get the ducks all lined up first which took 10 years.

I had "planned" to exit the corporate bs world at 50, but by the time my IT dept was outsourced back in late '08, I declined to continue (my choice) with a real POS corp that was becoming half of HP (Enterprise)...adios mofos :(! I wuz not alone...no regrets...none.

There were some dark years initially though...as I had also taken a HUGE hit on my 401K back then too.

11 years in...time flies...fitty-nine and doin' just fine :)

I hope to have the resources to retire by the time I’m 70. I obviously made some bad life decisions. Totally envy you guys.

When the pain in my left shoulder wouldn’t let me sleep. I couldn’t take two to three months off and keep my business going so I quit. Don’t miss it a bit.

I got out at 55 and had to accept some lean years before and after. On track now.

Never once for even a second did I ever look back.

Fifteen years for me too. What blows my mind is that I've been retired half the time I worked for the place I retired from. My wife has about ten more years to work before she gives it up. Don't know if I'll be around to help her celebrate.

My GF had to hang in there a few more years but she still has to watch her pennies pretty close. She mows a lawn, shovels a roof and makes sandwiches for spending money.

Same here, but I still have 10 years to go. This next year we will start simplifying after getting one kid married, and the other through college this year...hard to make a stickable budget with those things happening.

I retired about 7 years ago at age 65. Health insurance is the holy grail. At first it was a little weird...no paycheck, don't have to report to work, etc, but I got used to it really quickly. Like others have said, busy all the time...a lot of golf, fishing, yard work, bike rides, work at our church's food bank half day a week. I don't miss the headaches associated with the job and I am very thankful to be retired!

You headed to the Cocncours this weekend there on HHI? The event is really starting to look like a big time operation. We were going to head down, but the wifey needed a break from all the car stuff we typically do. :D

the first time I tried to retire it wasn't time yet. that was in 2004. Ended up going back to work in a month.
Looking back, at the time it seemed retiring early was somehow being a slacker and I wasn't living up to the expectations. My job was to build a big pile O'money to provide for the wife and kids forever and retiring was quitting on that. Silly I know.

About a year ago, it was time for real. Instead of an occasional passing thought, it had become a common theme that I thought about every day.

• I had amassed the resources so security wasn't an issue.
• I had grown tired of the rat race and being successful at work defined me less and less
• I realized I would have no problem keeping busy after retirement and would not be bored
• I would get more satisfaction from retirement than from employment.

Checked all the boxes.

But I'm working under contract so I'll finish that out. Plus my son will be done with college and on his own by then.
On my calendar/desk pad I have a little number written in the corner of each day, signifying how many more get-ups I have, after subtracting holidays and expected vacations, etc.
Today says 238.
That doesn't account for any sick days tho, I almost never call in sick. Maybe every 4 or 5 years. I might have to review that strategy. :)

Yep, ready.