Hi I’m Stoicwannabe

[stoicwannabe]

Hi I’m Stoicwannabe. I am 52 years old, Married for 27 years, three kids, the youngest of which will be graduating from college next year. I love this site and have lurked for about 2 years. I have learned so much about the financial and emotional phases of pre retirement and retirement. The ideas of frugality and self sufficiency were ingrained in me at a young age and it is great to know that there is a large and growing community of like minded people. I firmly believe that the earth cannot sustain our growth and over consumption. I am not yet ready to give up the car and bike to work but love the idea that some people are able to do that. I feel that marketing and materialism has caused an ongoing search for the next great thing only to be disappointed after the sweetness of the new purchase fades rapidly as we turn our attention to the next object of desire.

DW and I have good paying jobs but after the kids left the house our requirements at work slowly increased to the point that we are both working about 60 hours a week. Part time is not an option for either of us and at some point in the next 2-4 years we will both leave full time employment. Our jobs are extremely stressful and there is no sign of anything letting up soon. I think I can make it 2 years and DW 4 years.

Firecalc shows we are good with 99 percent confidence of covering our expenses. If I am able to become more of a true stoic or mustachian there would be excess funds for the kids, charity or increased travel.

I am grateful for the values instilled by my depression era parents, but unfortunately a byproduct is a puritanical work ethic to continue to keep my head down, don’t complain, and keep working. So here is my question mostly to myself as I understand nobody can answer it but myself: How does one REALLY know it is time to drop the mic? For many it is external forces such as corporate reorganization, new bosses, travel requirements, etc. For others it is some life event such as a new grandchild, illness or domestic issue. For others I think it is having accomplished what one wanted to accomplish during their working life. The variability of what makes a person actually leave a stable job fascinates me, and I admire people that have the strength and confidence to make such a difficult decision. I am so looking forward to the day of dropping the mic and leaving the stage.

[Gumby]

Glad to see you've de-cloaked. If you've lurked for a while, you know that the decision to call it a career is a highly individual one. Some finally get tired of work, some reach a specific financial goal, and some have the choice made for them.

[rodi]

Welcome to the forum.

If you still enjoy your work - no need to drop the mic.

For me - I had enough.... enough money/income streams to survive without working for a paycheck... AND ... enough BS at work to make me dread going there every morning.
Add to that the awareness that my mom's retirement was cut shorter than she planned, my dad's also... and my brother didn't even make it to to age 50... So I'm very aware of my own mortality.

But - as you said - everyone has their own stuff....

[Nodak]

Welcome aboard

[omni550]

Welcome aboard, stoicwannabe.

Besides the various items that others have mentioned wrt when is the right time to retire, the fact is that all of us only have so many days left on this earth. What percentage of those days remaining do you wish to spend at work?

(I had been planning on an early retirement. Then a serious health scare in 2003 really turbo-charged my interest in leaving the workforce. Been enjoying a work-free life since early 2007.)

omni

[Hermit]

Welcome, and congratulations on being financially independent! If FireCalc tells you you are in the 99% category you can probably stop working whenever you want. I'm glad to hear you enjoy those 60 hour weeks because now you are working just for the joy of it! My suggestion is to run a few more calculators and get to the point where you are confident in being financially independent. When you reach that point, you can tell the working world you no longer want to do 60 hour weeks.

[38Chevy454]

I read it here but will repeat it: Retire when you have had enough and when you have enough. There will be a point where these two lines cross. It seems your work is not doing any good for your health or mental quality of life. Certainly 60 hours/week is not helping your physical health either.

If you are at the point where you have the financial means to stop working, then you are now working because you want to. At some level, your BS bucket currently still has some room left. When it fills up and starts overflowing, then you know it is not working because you want to. Some call it the three bad days rule - as in three bad days in a row and you call it quits.

BTW, I think of retirement every single day, numerous times. Same age as you. It is a goal and celebration for me to reach that. I can't wait to get out. Although I may go part-time for a year, but mainly for the health insurance cost avoidance. As I have told my mgr and co-workers, after June I am either part-time or no-time. Not breaking my arm patting myself on the back, but they really could use me staying on, so I am kind of in the power position. The action is up to them. I can be happy with either part-time or no-time.

[Totoro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stoicwannabe The variability of what makes a person actually leave a stable job fascinates me, and I admire people that have the strength and confidence to make such a difficult decision.

Hi, and welcome! Hope you can find time to contribute some great discussions now you are joining in

One thing I realized recently though: some people leave stable jobs not out of strength and confidence, but simply because they have no long term view, low grit, and are frankly a tad irresponsible with their own lives and of those that depend on them. New Zealand has quite a few foreigner teens and twenty-somethings in that situation.

If anything they should admire you for your tenacity!

[phil1ben]

I am 56 and will be retired by December. For me it was coming to the realization that we are only on the earth for so long, are only healthy for so long and that there were so many things I wanted to do and see that could not be done with the constraints of running a company. I decided I have "enough" and it is time for recess full time. No known health issues or life events just hard reality setting in.

Just my thoughts.

[stoicwannabe]

Thanks for all the great responses. I really like the idea of the bs bucket. The funny thing is that we all carry it around with us and they are filled to different levels at different times. We keep the amount we carry inside us a secret and we do not really know how much everybody carries around until a major change is made. Sometimes I have seen people leave the work force for what appears to be very minor issues but for them it was enough to tip it over.

The alternate occurs at times also. Our eyes are opened to our mortality and limited number of really good days left and thus the balance is upset. It can be a push or a pull. Personally, I have not completely visualized retirement with regards to the non financial details yet. Decisions like how to remain active in my community, make new friends and are yet to be defined. I am not worried about these as I have always been very busy but I will have a new blank slate to cover.

[Senator]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stoicwannabe Our jobs are extremely stressful and there is no sign of anything letting up soon. I think I can make it 2 years and DW 4 years.

Do not be so sure. Once you set a date, it harder to go to work.... Especially when you are only 109 days away, like me.

Welcome aboard!

[stoicwannabe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by phil1ben I am 56 and will be retired by December. For me it was coming to the realization that we are only on the earth for so long, are only healthy for so long and that there were so many things I wanted to do and see that could not be done with the constraints of running a company. I decided I have "enough" and it is time for recess full time. No known health issues or life events just hard reality setting in. Just my thoughts.

I agree completely. Congratulations on your upcoming freedom!

[cyber888]

So true. While many people think that they should retire at around 65 - 70 yrs old, they are hoping to live to 100 years old. But not many can reach the 90 - 100 yrs longevity. Current life expectancy has improve from 66-68 to 78 - 79, maybe up to 85 yrs old. I think the ideal retirement age is around 55.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phil1ben I am 56 and will be retired by December. For me it was coming to the realization that we are only on the earth for so long, are only healthy for so long and that there were so many things I wanted to do and see that could not be done with the constraints of running a company. I decided I have "enough" and it is time for recess full time. No known health issues or life events just hard reality setting in. Just my thoughts.

[2017ish]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senator Do not be so sure. Once you set a date, its harder to go to work.... Especially when you are only 109 days away, like me. Welcome aboard!

DW has actually been having the opposite reaction; she just lets stuff roll off of her, rather than fighting uphill for organizational change. But, maybe it will change when she gives a formal date certain, rather than the pending "summer 2017."

(And, if I haven't said so before--Congrats on your status!)