A big THANK YOU to everyone!

[5yearstogo]

I found this forum about 7 or 8 years ago after a very bad day at work. While I wanted to find a new job based on hitting this rough patch at work, I realized that if I could just make the best of it for another 7 or so years, I could retire! This was a startling realization. Although 7 years felt like a long time then, the years have flown by. I cut my hours back to 80% and moved to a less stressful assignment at the same company. I've found that the office is much more tolerable when I have less invested in it.

I am married with two preteen children. We achieved FI about a year and a half ago. My employer is very disfunctional, but I have very good benefits including retiree health care and a defined benefit pension.

I have a touch of one more year syndrome. We are currently looking at retiring February or June 2013, but we have decided to do some remodeling of our kitchen and bathrooms and feel that having additional income would be beneficial. This project is very expensive!

We live in the San Francisco Bay area and plan to remain there. Like many others on this forum, we are both engineers who were fortunate to make very good salaries over the course of our careers. Two defined benefit pensions certainly helped, as well as LBM and contributions to 403(b) plans. That said, raising two children with two demanding careers is tough and we are both a bit burned out. The golden handcuffs of the defined benefit pension is attractive though and while I thought I would hit the door running at FIRE that has not been the case yet.

It still doesn't seem real that we could both retire at such young ages. I am 51 and my husband is 52. Without this forum, I would not really believe it!

I mostly lurk around here and my log in name is way out of date, but I thank all of you for showing me that FIRE was possible.

 

[Midpack]

Thanks for sharing, we enjoy success stories here! And congratulations...

 

[Koolau]

My story has several similarities with yours. I found myself FI at 51 (primarily because my pension/retiree health plan vested at that time). Suddenly, I could look at my j*b differently. I found that I actually enjoyed most of what I did (got to do) but I still hated the politics, Corp. bs. etc. But once I was FI, I could ignore most of the external stuff, relax, and just enjoy doing my thing. I no longer even worried about how big my raise would be. I worried (much less) about my performance appraisal (heard it all before - just get this over with and let me go back to "playing" at my j*b!) If at any time, the j*b changed or the cwap got too thick, I could leave. At 58, the j*b DID change and I left within days. The extra money added to the stash during the interim made it feel even more secure.

This forum also helped me through some rough patches at w*rk. So, if we have helped you in any way, you are more than welcome. We are just passing it on, paying it forward or whatever description best fits. Your joy is also our joy!

Now, start thinking of another log in name!

 

[tightasadrum]

FI also makes life easier when MegaCorp job ends involuntarily. When you're over 50, anything can happen. Everyone should prepare for this possible outcome. In my case the company was purchased, and I, and most of my working companions, became weeds in the new corporate garden to remove so the garden would grow better. I understand this position in a merger, but it can cause a lot of heartache if you aren't prepared. The higher your salary, the bigger weed you are.

So it's great that you've managed to position yourself for a future without the great job, whether it is your choice or theirs. Good luck, and congratulations!

 

[Alan]

Thanks for posting, and congratulations on making it to FI status. I remember when we got to that stage and it felt wonderful, making the last few years much easier to get through. (I wanted to make it to 55 to get retiree health insurance and DB pension to put plenty of 'fat' on the finances).

 

[MBAustin]

Congratulations!

I also found this board extremely helpful and only wish I had found it sooner. It made me think seriously about options other than continuing to w*rk in a dysfunctional Megacorp. After digging into the numbers, I realized we were FI and I just hadn't even considered that possibility, thinking I would "have" to w*rk until at least 59.

Thanks for posting and keep coming back!

 

[walkinwood]

Congratulations!

I did not suffer from the 'just one more year' syndrome, but occasionally wish I had done just that. Then my mind wanders away to all the things that I did in that one year & I smile.

 

[SJ1_]

I found this forum about 7 or 8 years ago after a very bad day at work. ..

Congrads. ! I am amazed at how many people hate work and do everththing in their power to make sure they are stuck there for the rest of their lives.
Good to hear your story.

 

[Bestwifeever]

What a great post. Golden handcuffs aren't the worst thing that could happen to you, of course.

Enjoy those remodeled kitchens and bathrooms!

 

[Onward]

I am amazed at how many people hate work and do everththing in their power to make sure they are stuck there for the rest of their lives.

Well said!

 

[obgyn65]

You are welcome. Congratulations.