I retired at the end of 2008 when the software company I worked for went under. I already had Navy retirement with 20+ years and started Social Security since I was over 65 and that was painless since I retired with over 30% disability SS is not affected. I have been teaching evening computer classes for UOP since 1998 and continue to do that was was recently asked to teach for a small private college so those give me something to do. I did sell my race car to a collector since my arthritis had made it unsafe for me to drive it and I also sold the Mini Cooper S since I am not doing a lot of commuting any longer and what driving I do the wife's Cadillac is really pretty nice. I do some range work for one of the gun clubs here in San Diego and target shoot/reload some which is a pretty technical hobby.

The BEST part of it all is not having to fight the San Diego traffic every morning and lay in bed, drink my coffee and read the newspaper!

I retired in 2007 at 50. It's nice to be able to do whatever you want with your time. I like to golf, piddle with the p-cars, travel and just hang out with friends. I'm restoring and modding an old travel trailer now. Plan on visiting some state and national parks.

I did go back to work for a week in 2008 to help out. I charged 3X my old salary and afterwords told them that I would stop in from time to time to visit, but no more work.

I still work around the house and have a few projects of my own, but there is no way that I would want to go back to work. Life is to short.

Hang out here of course.

I retired in 2004 at age 52 with a Gov't tax-free disability pension. Spent the next 3 yrs building a house on 3 acres near my cabin at Lake Cle Elum until the Princess retired.....Couldn't sell my house in the city (1.5 acre), so leased it and blew town.

I motorcycle a lot in the summer (15,000 miles) and snowmobile (1,600 miles) in the winter....To tinker, have 15 motorcycles, 5 snowmobiles and 2 old Long-Hoods......Serve on the county Search and Rescue and am on the Civil Service Comission. On the Exec board of a M/C club with over 20,000 members in 28 countries and travel the world (I travel a
lot for the club, was in Europe for 23 days last spring/summer)......

Still own 3 homes, cut a lot of firewood, have a big yard and plow a lot of snow......Thanks to Bill Gates, I spend at least 2 hrs a day on email......

For days I don't have plans, I try a schedule: Up between 5:30 and 6:30, email, coffee, TV news till 9:00.....I try to be productive till noon, come in watch the news, maybe nap, maybe watch TV and read till 2 and then back to the grind.....Keep busy till 5:00 and spend the eve doing TV, read, email, forums, etc..........Doesn't always go that way, but I try.....

For money, I get my Gov't check, clear $1,500 month on the lease, $1,200/mo from 401K; (balance doesn't really do down). Wife has a Teamsters pension + 401K....We both will get SSecurity in 4 or 5 years........Happy times.....

I'm not going to retire from selling. I love it too much.

I plan to buy a nice condo within walking distance of nearly everything I'd need. I hope to give up driving well before I'm 70. My dream job is to be a marshal, driving around hassling slow pokes in exchange for free golf. I'll retire at 63, God willing. I'm putting plenty of money away on top of my pension. Of course that's 18 years away & things change.

I retired five years ago. I would hear old guys in the past say, "I don't know how I had the time to work before I retired." Now I can relate to that because sofar that's been true for me. I've been as busy or busier since retiring, but really enjoy the lack of pressure, writing proposals, quotas, benchmarks, timelines, deadlines, budgets, etc., etc. Not that I was in a position making a lot of money, but worked for a school district in a really crappy job (especially for the pay).

After retirement, I turned my attention to designing and building a house for myself and wife on some dirt I've owned since the late '70's. I did it as an owner/builder, and it all went great but took time and a lot of hard work (& $) - especially because I did a lot of the grunt work as well at acting as general contractor. Now that we're living in it, there is an endless string of things that need doing & finishing which make it seem like I'll never wake up wondering what I will do that day.

However, some day I will have time to start finishing my '69 911. I'm looking forward to that a lot. I will also get on my bikes (mountain & motorcycle) more and get back to doing some decent hiking - although as I get closer to 70, I assume I'll have to work harder to get into shape for longer trips into the Sierras.

As for income, someone wanted to hear from somebody who retired without a lot money. I suppose I fall into that category (especially after building the house). My school district retirement is reduced because I took an option for quite a smaller retirement income, but after I kick the bucket, my wife continues to get my retirement for the rest of her life (she's a teacher and quite a few years younger). But our basic bills are only around $1K/mo., so we enjoy enough discretionary income to do what we want. Life is good.

I'm just wondering, Bob S. Gov't. tax free disability at age 52 then 3 years building a house, motorcycling, snowmobiling, search and rescue, Civil Service Commission, cut lots of firewood, plow snow, 3 homes. How do I become disabled like you?

retire

My father retired a few months ago. Doesn't do anything. Has no aspirations to do anything. Likes to sit in the garage with a beer and stare at the ceiling.

Would drive me nuts doing that.

My plan:

http://www.cobrasales.com/images/SCCA-4-400.jpg

Oh forgot; read, TV, tinker, travel, big yard, 8 hours/day being "productive"...Wish I was disabled. Instead I pay for a "gov't tax free check" and SS for somebody else. Retirement? Some do, some don't, Bob S. Happy times, indeed.

Oops, 15motorcycles, 5 snowmobiles, two longhoods, cabin on the lake, 23 days in Europe. Lucky man, Bob S.


You're welcome.

I'm with Aurel, I'm down to my last 3-5 years, but my wife and I agree we're not going to stop working...not because we can't afford too, but you can't just sit around and wait to die. I've seen this to often. Right now, work 1/3, school 1/3 (I'm thinking to learn spanish and guitar, maybe improve my mechanical ability)and fix old Porsches. When the mood strikes us, we can travel.

My dream has always been to buy a trawler and cruise the "great loop" (up the intracoastal waterway through the canals to the Great Lakes to Chicago, then the Illinois Barge Canal to the Mississippi and down to the Gulf of Mexico back to Florida). I took social security this month and decided 34 years in the environmental field has been just fine with me. After two years doing the "loop", its going to be something part-time because I cannot stay idle wasting away all day!

I have a place you can park it if needed. Assume its a gas vehicle? They are not cheap to run and have thought about getting one but a diesel.

Am planning on retiring at age 62 if possible AND if there is any social security money left. Have some acreage in the middle of the desert where I can restore cars, motorcycles and antique airplanes.

Become disabled like me by standing beside the road and getting hit by a car doing 35 mph. Work another 26 years and have six surgeries from the knees down and finally leave against your will when a doctor won't sign a "return to work" form after yet another surgery......You ask a fair question, but no scam here, my disability pay is less than if I had retired on "years of service". The tax-free part makes up the difference. I walk like a crippled up old man - Oh, wait, I am a crippled up old man making the best of the cards I was dealt...........Take care

Bob, that guy is a D1ck, don't listen to him. One day I hope to be just like you guys. There is a small pond that I know about that I would love to build my own cabin/but on in and just be nice and peaceful. I think I'd build furniture for the rest of my days.

LakeCleElum, Bob S. good for you. You deserve it and I hope you enjoy every minute of it. You worked hard for it I am sure. 19 bikes, damn. I could tinker in that garage forever.

BOB. nice play with the cards you were dealt.

I'm a blue collar working stiff. I'll turn 65 in July and am eyeballin' retirement.
I dunno, going on a fixed income with what I believe to be a round of serious inflation coming up makes me nervous as a whore in church. I wouldn't mind IF the economy was better but home despot ain't hiring part timers.

Maybe I'll just work till I can't any more.......tain't like the Lazy B can succeed without me. They deserve a tottering old fool wandering around the plant..... I'd be a candidate for management when I forget everything I know.:D