Goodbye work, hello new life.

Congrats and let the fun begin!


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
 
Congratulations Robnplunder, enjoy the freedom.
We look forward to retiring in 2017.
 
Thanks, everyone.

It was hard to call it quit to something I have been doing for so many years.
 
robnplunder said:
In the last 12 months, I posted the below thread and a similar one to solicit input - http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f26/2nd-check-with-the-fine-folks-here-77520.html. It helped me to do OMY to build up more asset, and cut my yearly ER budget down. It gave me confidence to retire at the end of this year. I've communicated my end date to my boss today. Idios, work. Hello, new retirement world.

Here are my final numbers that pushed me over to ER.


  • $1.9 in investible asset - mutual funds, 401ks, Company deferred pay account.
  • $600k in house equity. Can downsize and move to another part of CA or Nevada.
  • $85k in yearly ER budget. Can drop to $75k if needed.


Lastly, thank you for all of you who helped me get to this point.


Life is good. :)
Click to expand...
CONGRATULATIONS!!

If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? Curious as I'm in similar financial position and planning to call it quits next year at 55.
 
Today is my last day of work (12/24/15). After 5 farewell lunches and all the goodbyes & well wishes, and gifts, it has sunk in. I am done working. A new chapter in my life begins.

Everyone, I mean everyone, was surprised by my ER deicsion. Two questions I fielded the most were how can you afford it, and why retire so early? Most were happy for me, and some were envious. A few of them confided that they too are looking to retire very soon and asked relevant questions. Two more co-workers have retired since my ER announcement, and another key employee is leaving the Megacorp. My VP's org is disintegrating it seems and his way of managing people has a lot to do with it. But that's behind me now. Good grief!


My new year's resolution is to make my ER work such that I won't regret my decision to abandon OMY.
 
Same boat here - last day was Tuesday. We have a new job now: figure out something fun to do with our time!
 
Congrats to both of you, robnplunder and stepford! You will wonder how you had the time for a career. Boredom (in my experience) is virtually nonexistent. Happy Holidays!
 
robnplunder said:
In the last 12 months, I posted the below thread and a similar one to solicit input - http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f26/2nd-check-with-the-fine-folks-here-77520.html. It helped me to do OMY to build up more asset, and cut my yearly ER budget down. It gave me confidence to retire at the end of this year. I've communicated my end date to my boss today. Idios, work. Hello, new retirement world.

Here are my final numbers that pushed me over to ER.


  • $1.9 in investible asset - mutual funds, 401ks, Company deferred pay account.
  • $600k in house equity. Can downsize and move to another part of CA or Nevada.
  • $85k in yearly ER budget. Can drop to $75k if needed.


Lastly, thank you for all of you who helped me get to this point.


Life is good. :)
Click to expand...

You must forgot something, e.g., a good pension, otherwise the numbers do not add up.
 
flyingaway said:
You must forgot something, e.g., a good pension, otherwise the numbers do not add up.
Click to expand...

I fail to see any problem here. You have enough to bridge to whatever point you decide take SS. Don't let the gloom and doom people sway you. There will always be potential risks involved.
Now all I need to do is to take the plunge myself.:D
 
Last edited:
foxfirev5 said:
I fail to see any problem here. You have enough to bridge to whatever point you decide take SS. Don't let the gloom and doom people sway you. There will always be potential risks involved.
Now all I need to do is to take the plunge myself.:D
Click to expand...


I see a problem, as it's unclear how he is going to afford the 85k budget without substantially dipping into his non-retirement assets and/or relocating.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
 
The $85K budget means 4.5% WR on investable assets. This appears high, but if the OP still has a mortgage we do not know when it will drop off. And then, there's SS coming on later too. We do not know the other variables in his financial spreadsheet.
 
G8tr said:
I see a problem, as it's unclear how he is going to afford the 85k budget without substantially dipping into his non-retirement assets and/or relocating.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
Click to expand...

Thanks for your concern. But I have number of back up plans in my pocket. For personal reasons, my budget will drop going forward. I also have a large "misc" budget that can be cut down, or may not end up using much of it. I also experimented in short term trading for the last 12 months and came up with a strategy that can add to my income. In a flat market (2015/YTD), my short term trades yielded 16% return. And if these are not enough, I can always downsize and move out of Bay Area, CA. Also, I will be turning 54 in a few days and plan to withdrew SS at 63. That's only 9 years before I have a good size income to add. Anyway I see it, only a 1929 like great depression can kill my plan. If that happens, so be it. :cool:

PS - I am not afraid to dig into my asset as I go deeper into retirement. Most folks want to keep their principal and so would I. But that's not us. If our retirement fund goes down as we age, so be it. I am confident that the $2.5M will go a long way for a couple at our age, especially, if most of it is invested in diversified portfolio.
 
Last edited:
What a nice Christmas present, congrats!
 
Congrats. The plan seems very reasonable to me. Have a great retirement!


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
 
Week 1 of my retirement is in the book. I was afraid that my weekdays could be boring. That was a needless worry. I have replaced megacorp daily routine with another weekday routine (day trading, web surfing, & exercise until 1:00 pm, golf practice/round until 6:00 pm). The week day night and weekend routine are same as before the retirement. The challenge is to figure out when to find time to do all the things I plan to do in retirement.
 
Congrats on your successful transition thus far. I hope to be a few years behind you - we are roughly similar in age (for FIRE), financial numbers, and industry. I'm not a day trader, however! Please keep us posted on your progress.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
 
robnplunder said:
I also experimented in short term trading for the last 12 months and came up with a strategy that can add to my income. In a flat market (2015/YTD), my short term trades yielded 16% return.
Click to expand...


Please Pardon a very nervous old man? Do you completely understand the downside of this strategy? If you have the slightest doubt 1) downsize the house 2) get a part time gig

Retired people invest, traders trade - when the first becomes the second bad things can and often do happen.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum.
 
Over budgeted, under spending so far; not enough time

5 weeks into my retirement, here's what I found so far.


  • I over budgeted my monthly spending, or am under spending.
  • Was anxious for the 1st 2 weeks, especially, with the current market downturn. The feeling subsided since then.
  • My short-term trading strategy continues to work (beating the market) and may be good enough to fund much of my retirement by itself.
  • I am learning French, restarted learning to play piano, reading books, planted vegetable seeds, reducing stuff around the house, doubled down on golf practice,... and found that I don't have enough time!
Life is good.
 
robnplunder said:
5 weeks into my retirement, here's what I found so far.


  • I over budgeted my monthly spending, or am under spending.
  • Was anxious for the 1st 2 weeks, especially, with the current market downturn. The feeling subsided since then.
  • My short-term trading strategy continues to work (beating the market) and may be good enough to fund much of my retirement by itself.
  • I am learning French, restarted learning to play piano, reading books, planted vegetable seeds, reducing stuff around the house, doubled down on golf practice,... and found that I don't have enough time!
Life is good.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear the finances are working out and you are enjoying yourself.
 
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