I worked my last Friday ever

Congratulations, let us know how real the **** gets, many of us want to know about your new adventures in your new world.
After 55 years in the plumbing industry I’m right behind you.
93 work days left for me.
I was nervous only about my forthcoming identity, but now I’m truly excited about the wife and I traveling on “our schedules”.
I have never been out of work in all those years and spent these last 31 years with a fantastic company.
I won’t miss all the work related road and air travel, and all the training I taught at our company branch’s and conferences.
Good luck to you.

Cranky said:

The biggest thing that can hurt is a spouse that decides she can do better by herself and all she wants is the money. Rathole it but better yet, buy gold and rathole that!

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There is no excuse for not being able to retire as far as I'm concerned, except this one! No one knows what really goes on inside someone else's mind and if you think you do, you're only kidding yourself.

There is no trick to saving, but there is in spending. I lived my whole life within the ten percent rule, if I had a hundred dollars, I really only had 90, period! Sounds hard, try needing a hundred and only having 90 when you're old, now that's harder. You made it and you're happy now, that smells like success to me.

Hey-O said:

There is no excuse for not being able to retire as far as I'm concerned, except this one! No one knows what really goes on inside someone else's mind and if you think you do, you're only kidding yourself.

There is no trick to saving, but there is in spending. I lived my whole life within the ten percent rule, if I had a hundred dollars, I really only had 90, period! Sounds hard, try needing a hundred and only having 90 when you're old, now that's harder. You made it and you're happy now, that smells like success to me.

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Also, bad health and accidents will drain finances too.....

Cranky said:

Also, bad health and accidents will drain finances too.....

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I'm sorry, I stand corrected! Add that to the list. Thank you.

6.5 years from now, I may retire, maybe. Depends on health, projects, house issues, etc. I have a dream job making the most money I've made at a stateside job, in my life. I just don't want to manage living on a fixed income. Unlike most of you in this thread, I didn't scrimp or save, had businesses fail and some succeed, ups and downs of life coupled with buying and selling cars, racing, travelling, etc, while I was young and able to enjoy the adventures I experienced. I have a lot of freedom with my job and it is very hard to give up. Health may be the only thing that makes me retire.

I had a trial retirement a few years ago when I was laid off not long before Covid, lasted a year or so and I gotta say, wasn’t too boring and was pretty nice. I always find things to do that interest me, car related and in other areas. I hope I can retire for real one day.

Congratulations @Black_Sheep.
Another 3 years, 64 days and the rest of day before I become eligible.
We'll see what it looks like when I get there, before I pull the trigger.
But I'm glad it'll be an option.
Folks in my circle who are retired say they don't know how they ever had time to work, considering how busy they are now in retirement

One of the many things you'll love on being retired, getting time back. The time you piss away for commuting, to me, is something no pay compensates you for. No more rushing here or rushing there since you're now home based. It's ffn awesome! Plus commute expenses go bye bye. Fuel, tires, oil changes etc. Sometimes your vehicle insurance can drop too since you're not exposed to the mayhem anymore.

The day your feet hit the ground and its your last day.

Is a GREAT feeling

Mine was Dec 23rd 2023

To be 100% honest. I have my days I miss it

But been working on house remodeling projects off and on since

Plus back to my model car hobby Its keeps me busy.

ckessel said:

One of the many things you'll love on being retired, getting time back. The time you piss away for commuting, to me, is something no pay compensates you for. No more rushing here or rushing there since you're now home based. It's ffn awesome! Plus commute expenses go bye bye. Fuel, tires, oil changes etc. Sometimes your vehicle insurance can drop too since you're not exposed to the mayhem anymore.

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100% correct there, when my trial retirement ended it was for a work from home job that I’ve had a few years now and the time I save not commuting makes it feel like I am partially retired. I wake up, log in across the hall from my bedroom, make coffee and about 8.5 hours later log off. Today I logged off and went directly to my driveway and installed cat whiskers on the Coronet, it was glorious in a way.

Nxcoupe said:

I have a lot of freedom with my job and it is very hard to give up.

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This is another reason I'm on the fence. Don't hate the work, have a good boss, bunch of flexability, some really good co-workers.

T Brashears said:

End of August for me. Already started moving tools to my buddies shop!

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Congrats & good luck

BSB67 said:

This is another reason I'm on the fence. Don't hate the work, have a good boss, bunch of flexability, some really good co-workers.

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I miss some of the people I worked with or saw daily, some life long friends
I worked in over 125 Automotive dealerships
under contract, sort of in house Contractor/Facility Management co./Construction,
for a large dealership group/s in multiple states...

I was my own boss, since 1985...
I also owned a Golf Pro-shop retail sales, custom fitting, repairs & lessons,
started that in 1997 when I moved farther east, to Rancho Murieta CC, until 2007...
When I semi-retired, I started the pro-shop, kids have a place to work
learn how to deal with people...
(Semi-Retired a misnomer, I worked far more hrs than I ever did, in the day to day stuff)
I also still did consulting for about 20 year, on a fixed salary + expenses
but on my schedule, my time line, 40 hrs a month, mostly after hrs
but I usually did far more than that # hrs usually...
Paid very well for my time too, I set the price & when...
I knew all the owners & their families, for 25-35+ years...
I had honey do list for months every year, from their wives alone
IF, I wanted to still work...

I miss the racing most, I could afford to do it right then
I don't miss the being on the road constantly, for work &/or racing
I hated that part... I still do...
I rarely even leave the county now...
Seemed like, more successful I got, the more I lived out of a suitcase sometimes
always in an airport going somewhere, or on the road staring at a windshield
for a race or for work...
I put 350k+ on both my last 2 work trucks Power Ram 4x4 2500 5.9 12 valve Turbo Cummins,
you can say I had some seat time...
I was sick of not seeing the kids, or their sports, or games or my dogs (especially),
or my cars or the pool...

It's hard to give up a great income & live off your "nest egg & S/S"
or for me more the investments I made, when I was doing well,
I own everything I have no paymenst or mortgages, all mine...
Makes it a bit easier, why I did it in the 1st place, so I can relax when I'm old...
But, it gets/getting easier every year for me so far...
I'm not rich by any means, but "I can budget like nobodies business/I'm frugal as F---"
You'd be surprised at what you don't really need or can live without...

you'll learn
I have so much time, I now procrastinate most everything...
It's the mantra, it can be done tomorrow, no hurry...

When I 1st fully retired at 62 or even semi-retired at 38 (1997),
only did consulting & running my Pro-shop, kids worked for me etc.
Everything was still gotta' get er' dun, times a wasting, time...
Now, I learned to pace myself enjoy stuff, "work" it's not that important...
Work is only part of your life... don't waste it all working
At 66 now I got it down pretty well...

If you can afford to retire
& can live with yourself, I highly recommend doing it...
It is a bit tough at 1st, takes a while to wind down & get in the retirement grove
not punching a clock, checking in or deadlines, that have to be met...
You will be shocked,
how much you don't spend (for work),
as much as how much you will spend too (just living)...

Those doing it,
Good Luck,
it's a lil' different for everyone, make it your bitch, don't be it's bitch...

BSB67 said:

This is another reason I'm on the fence. Don't hate the work, have a good boss, bunch of flexability, some really good co-workers.

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That makes it harder. I was fortunate to be in this situation in my final working years. My truck and my body reached the finish line at the time, and I had done the financial planning to make it work.

I was a bit like Budniks. I did well in corporate trucking until it ended. Sort of retired at 50. But I still loved driving, and it was easy money until it wasn’t. You will
know when the time is right.

Tomorrow’s the big day! I’m working at an event until 10am then driving a couple hours to get home. I’ll drop my laptop, fuel card and company credit card on Friday morning. My employer is awesome, so are my coworkers and customers, but it’s time to live my best life while I’m able. It’s been a fun ride and I’d do it again in a heartbeat…

Black_Sheep said:

Tomorrow’s the big day! I’m working at an event until 10am then driving a couple hours to get home. I’ll drop my laptop, fuel card and company credit card on Friday morning. My employer is awesome, so are my coworkers and customers, but it’s time to live my best life while I’m able. It’s been a fun ride and I’d do it again in a heartbeat…

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Enjoy the last day - soak it all in and celebrate!

Congrats, you'll love it! I sold my business 3 years ago last April & I just sold the office building last Friday. Now I'm fully retired.

Black_Sheep said:

Spent most of the day helping my replacement put together a work schedule and transferring all my customer contact info to his phone so he doesn’t have to manually enter everything. We’ve been working together for the past few months so the transition should be pretty seamless. Next week I will be representing my employer at the Minnesota Trucking Association summer conference, traveling home on Thursday. Next Friday will be my first day of retirement. I’ve had a job of some kind since I was 12 years old so it’s going to be strange to wake up and have no sense of purpose other than to drive my wife crazy.

****’s about to get real…

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Congratulations! That’s awesome!

Congratulations on your retirement.

Congrats.