Terrified to Retire? Sounds like Employment Stockholm Syndrome.
Retirement is the gift you give yourself for a lifetime of hard work. As stated above, the gift you give yourself is ALL of your time. It feels like freedom.

I’ve got a rough estimate of my retirement countdown. Unless something goes sideways, I’ve got 8 years 11 months at most. If the chance to retire comes sooner than that, I’m punching out. I’ve got stacks of books, video games, wood working, gardening…more things to do than I’ll finish if I make it 10 years after retirement. Can’t imagine being terrified of it. I envy you.

I've reached full retirement age for SS but am electing to put off drawing mine until I max out at 70.

I've worked since I was 12, shining shoes, pitching papers, first retail job at 15. I currently work 50 hours+ a week at my store, at least 1 12 hour EMS shift a week, serve as a county commissioner (that's 20-40 hours a week depending on the week of the month) plus serve on my POC fire department.

I told my wife i would cut back to 40 hours a week when i hit 70. I plan to retire from the store and honestly have no desire to work retail beyond that point. My goal is to not have to be anyplace working unless i want to be. In the past few years, i've added instructor certifications in Fire and EMS and hope to teach part time at a local college. Beyond that, teach CPR/Stop The Bleed classes and go contingent with my EMS agency, working special events when I want.

My mother worked until her mid 80's and volunteered until she quit driving at 92. My health is good, as is my wife's. We hope to do some traveling, I enjoy volunteering EMS at American Rally Association (ARA) events around the midwest. We live pretty cheaply now. Our combined SS should cover all living expenses and some moderate activities. What income I generate in "retirement" will cover the rest.

All I can add is do what's best for you. Life is uncertain, use all your available time off, don't be a slave to a job. Take a day off because you want to, not because you need to.

Your can retire from your job without stopping the things you find meaning in, and even looking for opportunities that are more fulfilling. Spend all the time you want with your family and your hobbies.

Beyond that, look for opportunities to volunteer, or charities to assist with. There's tons of organizations that really need qualified help out there, and a retired professional could be a huge boon to any of them. You can even choose your level of obligation, from show up whenever you feel like to 40+ hours a week full time work. Find the right balance and you can easily fill any hole you might feel from not working, and you can go home every day knowing you made a difference in someone's life.

After 35 years in the paint business, I have 102 days until I retire; I am a bit wishy washy about it, there are many things I really enjoy working for my company, but enough bad things that it has taken all the passion I had and now that I have enough money, I am moving on to other things.

Others have stated "make a list of things to do in retirement"; this is paramount in my planning for the future. I have plenty of things to keep me occupied but I can already see the list getting short sooner rather than later. Take time to find the things that bring personal fulfillment.

I wish I was even near close enough to retire, I have about 9 more years until I can even think about it.

My Dad bailed at age 63 and doesn't miss work one bit; "every day is Saturday!" he tells me. The man stays busy with all sorts of things though, I think he's even more active and busy than he was when working and he's 80 now.

Just DO NOT do what my good HS friend's Dad did. He retired and proceeded to sit at home watching TV and drinking beer all day. One day less than 3-4 months into retirement my friend walks in on him dead as a doornail on the sofa. Damn

quote:

A lifetime of "Honey-Do" lists do not appeal to me.

Then dont!
Or do...
Do whatever you want to do.

You're RETIRED. Do whatever you damn well please.

You seem to be in a financial situation where you can just "pull the pin", then do it on YOUR timeline.

If going into work still makes you happy, then grab your lunch pail and thermos, and roll on into work.
If you're not too thrilled about doing what you're doing for a living, then time to "pull the pin".

Have that discussion with the Wife! What does she want to do?

I'm going to be in the same boat as you in a few weeks.
Look at it this way: You are the most dangerous man at work. You're there because you WANT to be there, not because you have to be there.
Someone pisses you off? Adios.
Don't feel like making that commute? Adios.
Spill your cup of coffee on the way in? Adios.

Just because you're retired doesn't mean "Just sit around and wait to die".
Shit, Man, Go find something to occupy your time. Travel with the Wife, take up golf, get some bullshit side job somewhere to occupy your time, get a real side job somewhere making money, can you get a "Consulting" job somewhere related to your field?

No, don't go getting a side job at a gun store, you'll be spending too much $ on toys. Sure, it sounds great at first, but then it becomes expensive, or a "real job" because you're working in retail.

You've worked your ass of for the last God knows how many years, you've done that for THIS MOMENT of your life.
This is YOUR TIME! Not theirs. Yeah, change is sometimes frightening, or scarry, but that's why you turn the light on before you enter the room; to see what you're about to get into.

Have a Plan. Have a Plan B.

Whatever you do, YOU need to make sure YOU are enjoying the rest of your life. It's' YOUR time, Man! Enjoy it!!!

EDIT TO ADD:
I don't know how "healthy" you are, but either stay in shape or get in shape!
This doesn't mean you have to be bench pressing 350# and running marathons, but do something to stay active.
Maybe it does mean running a marathon... Is it on your "Bucket list"?
Also do something to occupy and exercise that brain! Read, do puzzles, something to keep your brain active as well!
Being healthy makes you live longer! Enjoy that retirement, live a long and healthy life enjoying whatever you want!
The last thing you want is to retire and have a stroke because of poor health.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CPD SIG,

I have three more years to hit my 25 year mark, and that'll coincide with my 62nd birthday. I don't know if I'll retire then, but it'll be nice to have the option.
My wife and I have planned for me to go onto her insurance till I'm 65. My pension and SS will work out to about what I make now, so we'll be ok. I plan on finding something part time, and have already got a few things in the works.

I’ve seem many people who make their employment what gives them value in life. Once that ends they are lost. We live in a big world with more things to do than we can ever accomplish. Find something you like and get immersed in it. Don’t waste what life you have while you have the ability/health do choose what you want to do.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
Dad bailed at age 63 and doesn't miss work one bit; "every day is Saturday!" he tells me.

My dad says the same thing. He also says, "that's great, until your mom wants something done on Saturday!"

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
I’ve seem many people who make their employment what gives them value in life. Once that ends they are lost. We live in a big world with more things to do than we can ever accomplish. Find something you like and get immersed in it. Don’t waste what life you have while you have the ability/health do choose what you want to do.

I just saw one of our drivers retired after 64 years, he was 82.
He says he is ready to start the next chapter of his life.
Whatever works, but I don't get it.

I just retired with 39 years, applied for SS yesterday.
If I get bored, I'll volunteer for something, maybe the local animal shelter.
But the wife has already made a list of things for me to do.
As well she thinks I'm her personal assistant since she is still working.

read most of the 4 pages, so bear with me if I repeat something,



friend retired this past summer, USAR, both reservist and civilian employ, and pretty much mandated retirement at 60,

he had no plans,
still doesn't and it is starting to get him a bit flustered,

he reenacts about once a month (WW1 german) and is doing some remodel to his house,
still battling the USAR to get his retirement money fixed ,

so, moral of his story is , figure out what you want to do, or at least a ball park,, before hand,


meanwhile, I am a year older, could pop my retirement, as in draw from 401K, 2+ yrs ago,
can file for Social in March or so 2026

won't,
self employed, like what I do, do work too many hrs but what I do is still fun, so will likely keep going as long as my health permits it,

quote:

Originally posted by 1lowlife:

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
I’ve seem many people who make their employment what gives them value in life. Once that ends they are lost. We live in a big world with more things to do than we can ever accomplish. Find something you like and get immersed in it. Don’t waste what life you have while you have the ability/health do choose what you want to do.

I just saw one of our drivers retired after 64 years, he was 82.
He says he is ready to start the next chapter of his life.
Whatever works, but I don't get it.


.

reminds me of a Merita bread delivery driver I knew years ago
he delivered every day (except Sun) and worked well up into his late 60's, well past the supposed retirement age,
hard work running bread, and folks would always ask him why he did not retire and enjoy the time,

then one day, he punched the retirement button, etc etc,

died the next week,

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:

reminds me of a Merita bread delivery driver I knew years ago
he delivered every day (except Sun) and worked well up into his late 60's, well past the supposed retirement age,
hard work running bread, and folks would always ask him why he did not retire and enjoy the time,

then one day, he punched the retirement button, etc etc,

died the next week,

In my 39 years at UPS, I can remember at least 8 drivers who passed within a year of retirement.
A couple of them were not really OLD, I guess things just happen.
Also, a few that passed while still working, but most of those were from illness, heart attack, cancer, etc..

My wife and I met with our advisor on which pension option to take and if I should file for SS now or later.
So glad we are figuring things out.

I'm doing my best so that my wife will have all the info she needs if something happens to me.
Wrote down all the bills and financial websites, and log in info.
Make sure she knows she will need my phone to log into most of them since they send a text to login.
Made a spreadsheet of my firearm inventory and what each item is worth, although my kids should get most of that.

My 88-year-old father has his will stashed in a safe deposit box, and my sister is the executor.
But he won't give anyone any details, not even my Mom.
I've told him time and time again to spend his money on themselves.
It's gonna be a shitshow when he passes, including putting a dumpster in his driveway to throw away all the stuff he has been hoarding for years.

Sorry for the thread drift, I'm just thinking out loud..

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
... and worked well up into his late 60's, well past the supposed retirement age,
hard work running bread, and folks would always ask him why he did not retire and enjoy the time,

Sure, there are people who work late into life because they enjoy it and the routine. But sadly, the increasingly common answer to "Why don't you retire?" is "Because I can't afford to."

And it's going to keep getting worse. Even fewer folks are putting significant savings towards retirement compared to earlier generations, generous pensions have almost totally gone the way of the dodo bird, and Social Security is running out of funds and will be cutting benefits within a decade. Even the late life stability of home ownership - with its eventual payoffs of no housing payments and substantial home equity - is out of reach for many middle-aged folks in quite a few places across the country, with folks becoming perpetual renters due to the reality of their slim finances and their area's housing market.

This all means that in the coming few decades, there's going to be a slew of late Gen Xers and Millenials having to work until they drop, because they'll never be in the financial position to be able to retire.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
... and worked well up into his late 60's, well past the supposed retirement age,
hard work running bread, and folks would always ask him why he did not retire and enjoy the time,

Sure, there are people who work late into life because they enjoy it and the routine. But sadly, the increasingly common answer to "Why don't you retire?" is "Because I can't afford to."

And it's going to keep getting worse. Even fewer folks are putting significant savings towards retirement compared to earlier generations, generous pensions have almost totally gone the way of the dodo bird, and Social Security is running out of funds and will be cutting benefits within a decade. Even the late life stability of home ownership - with its eventual payoffs of no housing payments and substantial home equity - is out of reach for many middle-aged folks in quite a few places across the country, with folks becoming perpetual renters due to the reality of their slim finances and their area's housing market.

This all means that in the coming few decades, there's going to be a slew of late Gen Xers and Millenials having to work until they drop, because they'll never be in the financial position to be able to retire.

I agree with you but most of it is a lack of preparation. It really doesn’t take that much to retire comfortably you just can’t wait until you’re 60. I know tons of people that live like they won the lottery and don’t save a nickel. Then complain that they will have to work until they’re 80. What if yo can’t or don’t want to.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
in the coming few decades, there's going to be a slew of late Gen Xers and Millenials having to work until they drop, because they'll never be in the financial position to be able to retire.

It's going to be all the Millennials and Zoomers who will not have a dime for retirement and it's going to be really ugly.

Whenever the subject of retiring comes up, there will always be a number of posts about how someone retired and then died a short time later. Pondering that finally prompted me to wonder what was their point.

I can think of why people die after retiring, just as I can think of reasons why people die before retiring. One is that if someone is eligible to retire, he’s probably old, and old people die more frequently and more unexpectedly than young people. Another possibility is that someone learns that he has a terminal medical condition, or at least he knows he’s in poor health and maybe it’s time to retire for a variety of practical reasons such as wanting to put his affairs in order or not wanting to keel over on the shop floor.

But dying because one stopped doing what he felt was meaningful and satisfying—? Our bodies do a good job of keeping us alive, often despite significant challenges, and that means we die for reasons, either because our natural processes are overwhelmed by something like disease or because some vital process just stops functioning properly. What is the reason to die because we’re not going to work any more? If sitting in front of the teevee and drinking beer every day would kill us in a few days or even a few months, there would be a lot more men dying all the time. I.e., there are a lot of retirees who do that for extended periods without dying.

So, what’s the point? Do we believe that some people are kept alive only because they go to work each day and that prevents them from having a heart attack or wards off any cancers that could kill them in a month from start to finish? If he retired and was dead two weeks later, do you know what he died from, or was it just the deadly effects of being retired that I am not familiar with and perhaps should be concerned about?

I have been retired 20 years. It’s not so bad.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
Whenever the subject of retiring comes up, there will always be a number of posts about how someone retired and then died a short time later. Pondering that finally prompted me to wonder what was their point.

I can think of why people die after retiring, just as I can think of reasons why people die before retiring. One is that if someone is eligible to retire, he’s probably old, and old people die more frequently and more unexpectedly than young people. Another possibility is that someone learns that he has a terminal medical condition, or at least he knows he’s in poor health and maybe it’s time to retire for a variety of practical reasons such as wanting to put his affairs in order or not wanting to keel over on the shop floor.

But dying because one stopped doing what he felt was meaningful and satisfying—? Our bodies do a good job of keeping us alive, often despite significant challenges, and that means we die for reasons, either because our natural processes are overwhelmed by something like disease or because some vital process just stops functioning properly. What is the reason to die because we’re not going to work any more? If sitting in front of the teevee and drinking beer every day would kill us in a few days or even a few months, there would be a lot more men dying all the time. I.e., there are a lot of retirees who do that for extended periods without dying.

So, what’s the point? Do we believe that some people are kept alive only because they go to work each day and that prevents them from having a heart attack or wards off any cancers that could kill them in a month from start to finish? If he retired and was dead two weeks later, do you know what he died from, or was it just the deadly effects of being retired that I am not familiar with and perhaps should be concerned about?

My point was that they waited too long to retire; perhaps my work situation is a little different than most.
I get it, no one knows when they are going to die.
But do you think one would be better off retiring at 55 or 75 years of age, working 12-hour days?

My job is not an 8 to 5 and go home and have dinner with the family.
It's getting up at 4:00 am to be at work at 5:30, get off at 18:00, and sit in traffic for another 90 minutes to get home.
By then it's time to go to bed.

The job itself is detrimental to one's health, sitting and driving 12 hours a day, 5 days a week.
I've lost 30 pounds since January, when I went on disability.
My last run was to Little Rock, AR, and back to Dallas, M-F.

Everyone has different situations; some grandparents are raising their grandkids, some parents are paying for their kids' college, and some drivers spend money like there's no tomorrow.
There are a multitude of reasons why people stay working for so long.

My drivers get top pension pay after 35 years with good retirement insurance until they turn 65.
They only have to pay $200 per person for the insurance, usually for the employee and spouse.
They can stay 50 years, but the pension amount is locked in at 35 years full-time, at least for this contract.
With my pension and SS I will make about $15K less than working, not that much.

Some drivers keep working simply to have medical insurance because their health is so poor.
They need the full-time insurance; we don't pay for it when we are working.
Some drivers keep working because they have nothing better to do, and all they do is work for the last 50+ years.

The only reason I stayed so long was to have my shoulders replaced with full-time insurance and be paid for disability.
As soon as my shoulders healed enough, I retired.

To those who keep working because you enjoy what you do, more power to you.
I used to enjoy what I did, but my company is a shell of what it used to be.
It is shrinking down on a corporate level; automating hubs, looking into driver automation; it was time to get out.

Not sure if that answered your question.