ReadyToRefine my lifestyle by ER

[ReadyToRefine]

Hello all,
I am a 56 yr old Refinery worker in Texas.
I have 27 yrs at this refinery and have enjoyed the employment for the most part. Lately two factors, downturn in the economy, and Young gun new style management has me ready to retire.
I have been telling friends : "I would rather be looking for another a job, than looking for a heart surgeon"
I have about $350,000 in 401, IRA monies.
My house in paid off, and my son in the navy.
No debt except my wifes vehicle, and normal bills.

Talk me through this........

Regards,
ReadyToRefine

 

[bbbamI]

Have you tried FIRECalc on this website? You can plug your numbers in and see what it will take for you to ER.

...oh and welcome to the forum.

 

[ReadyToRefine]

Yes I did, not too promising at this point.
I may have to make a job change.

 

[Amethyst]

Welcome aboard, ReadytoRefine (good name). If you read through the "Hello, I am" threads, you'll see many of the same questions over and over: If you quit, will you still have health insurance? Do you track your expenses, and have you thought about how these will change after retirement? Could you ramp down to a less annoying or stressful work environment for a few years while you save more money for total retirement? And many more questions that everyone needs to answer for himself.

I am curious about: what are your new-style managers doing, that annoys you more than what the old-style managers were doing? I'm not being sarcastic; I've been on both sides of the fence (management and technical staff).

It's great that your home is paid off.

Best of luck,

Amethyst

 

[ReadyToRefine]

My old managers believed in delegating trust and allowing responsible employees to do the work without bird-dogging and micro managing.

However it is hard to find a good work ethic in the workplace now-a-days.
So they (New style Managers) assume you can't accomplish your job without him.

Sorry for the rant, but I see the abuse in the workplace.
However, I have a different work ethic and don't like being lumped in with the abusers.

 

[bbbamI]

I agree with Amethyst...particularly about expenses. Keeping a spreadsheet showing where your money goes is as important as having a nest egg IMO. You can see the totals for your essential and discretionary expenses and might be able to shave a little off here and there.

Are you interested in another field? If so, perhaps you could look around and see if there are positions available to you while you stay on your current job. This may alleviate some of the stress you are feeling now as there may be alternatives for you.

 

[ReadyToRefine]

bbbamI,
Thanks for the advice.
Yes I am considering other fields as we speak.
Several options, but things like health insurance are concerns.
I take that all for granted with my present job.