Is the grass greener? Retirement, what does it really mean?

megadesertdiesel

megadesertdiesel

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Retirement, moving to a cheaper cost of living and slower lifestyle.  Is that giving up and just coasting towards death?  Moving east to cheaper house and some acreage to relax in seems like an interesting plan as we are used to the Desert South west where nothing is green and water is non existent in streams.  We are used to the hustle and bustle of city life, and always on the go.  And actually like being busy every day and weekend. 

What's your thoughts on retirement?  eff it work till you die?   Retire and tinker around with projects, but projects cost money.  

 
I'm a long way off from it, but to me "retirement" will likely mean enough financial security to not work if I don't want to, but I'd probably do "something."  I'd like to get out of tech and do something related to the things I'm more passionate about (motorsports, camping/Broverlanding, writing unnecessarily long forum posts...). 

-TJ
 

 
I believe the answer is different for everybody.  Do you have a lot of hobbies that can easily occupy your time? All of my buddies that have already retired say they are busier now than when they worked....

 
I'm only 47 but have retirement on my mind.  Maybe around 50.  My idea is to retire from this gig but keep working in my field (Parks).  Easy work, outdoors, keeps my body active. 

Little double dip action.  I gotta get out of this F-ing state!

 
I was very lucky and retired at 47. Did not slow down or change anything except having more time to play, and I still am. We didn't relocate or reduce our inventory, actually it increased.

Financially we had a plan back then. It has only improved, and all things are good. I always wanted to retire by age 55 as men in my family didn't live much longer, maybe if they had retired earlier as it is working for me.

 
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I'm 52 and been looking at moving and doing just this, however instead of stopping I'd like to open a hobby shop and rc track complex on my new property. Will keep me busy and give me something to look forward to. RC has been a life long passion so if it works out then :thumb:

 
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This question has been coming up a lot more. I want to retire around 55. Being in Silicon Valley will plan on selling the big house and getting a smaller house and being able to travel. My goal was to be able to go to glamis /travel or whatever I want when I can and no have to worry about having enough money to do it. The issue is 2 kids in middle and grade school . Once they are done with high school I will look at it. My goal is build my business as much as I can and probably do an M&A and only have to do consultation work. but for now I am a slave to my employees and family!

 
To me retirement just means you do what you want at your own pace wheter its travel,play,relax,or work part time.Thats just the basics.I left my old job to semi retire moved to az and house is nearly payed off.

Right now i can work when i want or as much as i want instead i work every other week doing  the same thing and play the other week off been doing for three years and like it.But according to my old boss i am to never work after leaving there LOL well if he had a good retirement plan for 30 years of work maybe i would not have to work but it is what it is and  im fine doing what i do.

 
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I will never be able to retire and I have accepted it. I do dearly want to move to a cheaper state to live out the rest of my days but I will be forced to work till death

 
Orange_R said:
I'm 52 and been looking at moving and doing just this, however instead of stopping I'd like to open a hobby shop and rc track complex on my new property. Will keep me busy and give me something to look forward to. RC has been a life long passion so if it works out then :thumb:
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RC track and a hobby shop would be fun.   Been living the r/c race life for the last 3 years with my kid and it has been a blast.  Traveling to some of the bigger races is an experience. 

 
Retirement is different for each person.   The people I know that have retired seem to be busier than when they worked. 

I do not see myself retiring anytime soon.  I will certainly slow down my work by the time I am 60.   

 
SandTrap said:
I will never be able to retire and I have accepted it. I do dearly want to move to a cheaper state to live out the rest of my days but I will be forced to work till death
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You never know what lies ahead. Things can and do change so keep looking forward.

 
I'm retiring the beginning of 2025, it's the year I turn 55. 

I do plan on getting some sort of part time job just to give me somewhere to go occasionally in the morning. There's a hardware store in our little town that we are retiring to, and my buddy owns it, so I'm planning on working there, maybe on the weekends, so I have the weekdays all to myself, and also the river is much less crowded.

I have hobbies too, so I don't see myself being bored, but if I am, oh well, I'm retired.

 
I have two friends that have retired in the last 2 years, both 54 yrs old.  One of them still has their wife working (Flight attendant) and he sits around all week waiting for her to get home (she is gone 4 days a week).  The on the weekend it is party mode, he got a 2nd job to afford the drinking (I think).  Their plan is to move to Havasu with the other retirees.  My other buddy, is busy jeeping, camping, going to the beach, never sits still.  His only complaint is how much money he is spending on gas, every day he is driving somewhere.  He didn't prepare for the gas and wearing out his cars faster, but he will be fine.

For myself, I have been in the corporate world for over 30 years and I look forward to not turning on my computer every morning.  Slowing down I will do, I already live in our retirement house, so don't need to move.  Each trip will be longer, time for 10 days Glamis trips instead of 5.  Some golf, some reading, some dog walking will also be mixed in.  Hopefully I am done in the next 5-6 years.  

 
Seems like the oldschool thinking of retiring and sitting around reading the newspaper is a thing of the past.  Keeping busy at your own pace and having a purpose is what its really about.  Maybe not relocating to a secluded location is not the thing to do.  Possibly snow bird it and travel around a few months out of the year then back to home base and somewhat normal life.  Some good things to think about.  

I'm 20 months from collecting my pension at 50 years old then i have the option to work and collect for as long as i want in my trade as a plumber/pipefitter.  Sitting at home in my underwear and working remote, CAD computer stuff sounds like the path for a few years while the wife still works her Corporate job. 

 
Reti....WHAT???

:lmao:

I'm 52...been doing what I do for for over 25 years and still love it. However, :kenk:  I look ahead to the day I can really throw my computer out the window and chuck this job.

It is a crazy paced world I live in. Sr. Experiential/Environmental Designer...every client want's the Hey Look at me, The newest latest and greatest, Latest tech, etc...

Coming up with ideas sometimes is just taxing on my tiny brain! How long can I keep this up?

Clients don't care about deadlines, and they certainly have no clue about Budgets!

The day I can walk away from it will be bittersweet, but I would have to do something else! 

Maybe a job at Costco, or if I could get a job with the Parks/recreation dept and work the gate at local trail/park that I mtn bike at...that would be cool! 

I'd have to do something.

My goal is to have our home paid for by the time I can walk away from this job. I'm thinking 65-67 if I can hold out that long.

I do have that other plan that hasn't panned out yet...you know, The Lottery!

:lmao:

:dbart:

 
Retirement!!   What's that?   Seriously, What's that?    I am heir to the family business. I just turned 50, and really don't have a clear retirement plan. Because of the type of business that we are (custom machining and fabrication) It has made it difficult to create that path. Without me , the business is really just the contents of the building (witch we own) My dad is 73 and really hasn't made work decisions for the last 5 years or so, but technically still owns the company.  It doesn't make sense for me to buy the company, because my folks would get killed on capitol gains tax,  So I pretty much just pay them whatever they want and let them do whatever they want and I run the business. When there gone, I get it.  That could be in 5 to 20 years, depending on there health.

 
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I'll be 56 next month and looking forward to retiring sometime in the next 2-4 years. I planned to retire now but company just sold again and new owner's gave me golden handcuff deal I can't say no to. For me, retirement will be traveling with my wife to various places, spending 3-4 months out of the year cruising around in the Moho, spending 2-3 months on the boat in Alaska and working on projects. The Moho travel will include going to places like G or St Anthony or wherever. Visiting kids, family and friends and maybe someday grandkids. 

I can't wait to put the corporate stress behind me and just do whatever we want, when we want. 

 
I am pretty far off as I am only in my late 30's but I dont see myself really slowing down. Especially in my world (Network hardware Space Sales), the ever evolving speeds and need for my types of products I dont really see myself ever not being in sales. Maybe closer to my 60's I will slow down and buy a piece of land and just tend to that all day.

 
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