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Retirement, pros, cons, opinions and advice

snert said:
Me too. I retired due to injury 12 years ago at 50. First four years in recovery, then four in stasis. The last four have been ok. Still have the pain and the limitations, but I am making it. I found that while I hated where I was working (LEO) and the people I was working with, I did not hate the job. I loved that. I spent the last 7 years working for a school in "security" and while I learned a lot about myself, and changed a lot, I found the work and the atmosphere/mentality to be draining. I recently took a FT position at my church directing security. I get paid more, am respected and the philosophy matches my worldview. I love it. I plan, teach, coach, lead, respond and intervene, only at a slower pace that befits my age and my limits. My team is amazing, enthusiastic and teachable. I plan to do at least 6, maybe 9 years and retire at 68-70. I have my retirement from the state, I'll have SS if we don't lose it, and my bills will be insurance, utilities, food and taaxes. My mortgage will be close to paid off. Now, if health declines or something else, well, we will roll with it. I thought I wanted to retire...and did. But I found that I like to eat, I like to feel useful and when they pay me to be, it makes things easier!
The "job" is difficult but rewarding. The key is to find something that allows you to get the same jolt...of feeling useful...doing something else.
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well you forgot the shooting expense which for me is bigger than all rest together
 
cavedweller60 said:
Glad to hear that everything worked out for you in the long term.

My situation is slightly different in the fact that I loved the people I worked with but the administration was horrible.

I got out just as the major impact from George Floyd and the de-fund the police movement kicked in so, I only had a taste of that but, it quickly made me hate the job.

I also still have some significant issues from my injury.

I could work a part time job and I would love to do that, if for no other reason than to keep some ties with the outside world but, our disability retirement system is messed up. If I don't work, there is no issue and I collect my full pension. If I work at all, they reduce my pension to about 28% of my top 3 years averaged (this is some arbitrary calculation based on time in the system, not time in service)....I am at 50% now...our full pension.

Having any earned income also activates a requirement to complete certification forms every year and, to have medical examinations to see if I can return to full time employment.

Those conditions make it impossible for anyone to return to employment. If I did, I could find myself as a disabled 60 something with a requirement to conduct job searches for full time employment every month to retain my pension.
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Got it. I took a retirment based on time in (20 years) not disability. So I understand your situation totally.

In that case, ride it out. Make a life for yourself doing stuff that akes you feel good about you and accept the fact that you can't do the old job anymore. I had to do that. Only I only get 50 % also...only about 32K a year. They didn't pay us chit.

Keep working on those house projects. They pay off in th elong run cause there will come a time when you may want to sell, and won't want to do it then for some dweeb who wants something done for him before he moves in.
 
snert said:
Got it. I took a retirment based on time in (20 years) not disability. So I understand your situation totally.

In that case, ride it out. Make a life for yourself doing stuff that akes you feel good about you and accept the fact that you can't do the old job anymore. I had to do that. Only I only get 50 % also...only about 32K a year. They didn't pay us chit.

Keep working on those house projects. They pay off in th elong run cause there will come a time when you may want to sell, and won't want to do it then for some dweeb who wants something done for him before he moves in.
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It is a long story but, I had 22 years on and just under 2 to go to full retirement when I got hurt. If I attempt to work, I will have to get examined by the retirement systems doctors and they could say "you could do SOMETHING full time, you need to start doing a job search". I half wonder if they set it up like that with the hopes people on disability retirement will die from lack of human connection. It really is frustrating and stressful.
 
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jds holler said:
I could have been the poster boy for living a life that might never allow for retirement.

I spent the first 20 years of my adult life in a progressively down-hill slide of irresponsible and decadent behavior. The first ten years might be counted as a party, the second ten as a sad and miserable embarrassment.

I celebrated turning 40 by being arrested - again, and by the grace of God and the help of Alcoholics Anonymous was led down the right path.

It's easy to pick a path when there is only one way left to go. I was homeless, friendless, penniless, no car to drive or license to drive with.

AND YET -- three years later I was working a job as a truck driver -- marrying the RIGHT woman, buying a home, and building a life that has allowed both of us to retire comfortably. (not extravagantly)

All I can say is that if I can pull it off, anybody can. And I'm gonna add that this didn't happen because of a rip-roaring income. Our combined incomes for the last 25 years has never been more than 70ish grand. As you can imagine, we don't live in a mansion, or drive a corvette, but we're happy and comfortable, and every day is a gift from the Lord. jd
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That's great. Congratulations. Hope you and yours live a long and happy life.
 
cavedweller60 said:
It is a long story but, I had 22 years on and just under 2 to go to full retirement when I got hurt. If I attempt to work, I will have to get examined by the retirement systems doctors and they could say "you could do SOMETHING full time, you need to start doing a job search". I half wonder if they set it up like that with the hopes people on disability retirement will die from lack of human connection. It really is frustrating and stressful.
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I was not suggesting work, but rather something that you can do that connects you and that you feel gives value.
 
Shoot I'm that person that can never get bored.....
But I'm also that person that feels pushed by my mentality to work every day and go hard doing it..

That said I'm too passionate about my hobbies to get bored but everyone is different

Ive had a guy show up there times after retirement for work cause he is out of his mind bored but he leaves very disgruntled every time . LMAO

Not me I dive hard into all my hobbies to the point they are work .deer hunting, turkey hunting,heck I hunt everything, precision handloading all sorts of cartridges, fishing pretty much all fish.just lack time and money to do them all

My company owner at work is 75 and been out of retirement 4-5 times.has Beach House,goes on cruises all over the world,been to Russia,China been every where 3 months at a time.

He's back to working with us poor folks dealing with company drama and fabricating stuff every day.

Oh yeah and driving everyone crazy.lol

If I only had a bull dozer, tractor and 2000 acres of land no one would ever see me again..........
 
Heard a couple of things from people where I work in the last couple of weeks that absolutely floored me. Both these guys have 30+ years in and are mid-60s to 70.

'Well, I'm still gettin' around good, so I'm gonna stay. No reason to leave yet.'

'All my friends are down here!'

That's really sad. What that tells me is, they have nothing rewarding going on in their lives except their job.

Just a different form of being institutionalized.

WoW.
 
precision1 said:
Shoot I'm that person that can never get bored.....
But I'm also that person that feels pushed by my mentality to work every day and go hard doing it..

That said I'm too passionate about my hobbies to get bored but everyone is different

Ive had a guy show up there times after retirement for work cause he is out of his mind bored but he leaves very disgruntled every time . LMAO

Not me I dive hard into all my hobbies to the point they are work .deer hunting, turkey hunting,heck I hunt everything, precision handloading all sorts of cartridges, fishing pretty much all fish.just lack time and money to do them all

My company owner at work is 75 and been out of retirement 4-5 times.has Beach House,goes on cruises all over the world,been to Russia,China been every where 3 months at a time.

He's back to working with us poor folks dealing with company drama and fabricating stuff every day.

Oh yeah and driving everyone crazy.lol

If I only had a bull dozer, tractor and 2000 acres of land no one would ever see me again..........
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If I were able to do it and have a clear conscience, no one would see me again tomorrow.
I'd just light out in a direction and look for a place where there were no people.

Those places are still around. But getting fewer and farther between every day.

Or maybe less far between is more accurate?
 
UN-happy Retiree's, don't Know HOW to,.. Fish, Hunt, Target Shoot, Build accurate Rifles and Reload Ammo !
I worked HARD to Get to, be "Good" at,.. ALL,.. THAT,.. "Chit" !
You can work, til' YOU,. "Drop",. if you want to,... NO fudging, thank You !
My fk'ing Ego, DON'T need to Be,.. "Stroked",.. anymore !
The Only person, I owe anything to, is Uncle Sam, a Few Tax Dollars ( As Few $$$'s as I can Pay, as I Fly "under the Radar" for,.. Taxable, income ) Yep,. T'was Planned that, way !
 
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Idaho-Lefty said:
UN-happy Retiree's, don't Know HOW to,.. Fish, Hunt, Target Shoot, Build accurate Rifles and Reload Ammo !
I worked HARD to Get to, be "Good" at,.. ALL,.. THAT,.. "Chit" !
You can work, til' YOU,. "Drop",. if you want to,... NO fudging, thank You !
My fk'ing Ego, DON'T need to Be,.. "Stroked",.. anymore !
The Only person, I owe anything to, is Uncle Sam, a Few Tax Dollars ( As Few $$$'s as I can Pay, as I Fly "under the Radar" for,.. Taxable, income ) Yep,. T'was Planned that, way !
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Too funny hope we are all as fortunate.i surely agree
 
What bewilders me is how many retirees I meet who are 'making payments' on non-essential things like boats, rv's and unnecessary vehicles. WTF! I thought the whole idea of retiring was to not have to think or worry about money and live happily within your means. Float in a boat you can pay cash for. Jeez.

I also don't understand 'pension funds'. I knew some people who lost their entire work savings, close to retirement, in the 2009 crash. The last thing I would do is let some unknown trader play with my money and have no penalty if he loses it. Retirement savings is money you dont risk. If inflation is knibbling away at your stash then so be it. I don't care and will be dead before I use it all up.

Happily 100% self made, debt free since I was 30 and retired at 50. I have had some fugly boats and later some head turners. But never borrowed money for any reason other than to make money in the short term.

oh, and ps: never caused my wife to divorce me and cut me in half.
 
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