Anyone else here forced to retire and scared to death?

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Teacher Terry said:
This has gotten so ridiculous that I am laughing out loud and the dogs are looking at me funny:)) We were a landlord for awhile and we never sued anyone. We had people do damage and just kept their security deposit. As others noted it is not worth it to sue unless the damage done to the place is extensive.
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You aren't kidding. I *was* going to post a nice, long explanation from the corporate side of the rental game (my DW is a managing broker for the leasing department for a very large corporation in town) saying that, "yeah, they don't sue; it's too much of a pain" but it appears that the OP is not very proactive in his actions. So...off to another thread.
 
Forced - I am hoping you are making some progress on the research front. In your list there are a number of items you could do via internet. My guess is that emotionally it might be hard for you to move forward with progress. Baby steps are progress too. :dance:

You got this! Focus on the best possible outcome and where you could be in 6 months. You could very well be in a new area, lower cost of living, lower expenses and totally enjoying retirement. You may even have some part time work to boost your savings. Wishing you the best.:flowers:
 
Hey, OP glad you are back and had a nice long weekend.
Maybe in your spare time you could continue to look for jobs (linkedIn, Dice, etc). There are a ton of job boards and something would suit the type of job you could do.

You can search for jobs where you are, or where you are going to be, or both and do whichever comes up first.

Don't forget to get a haircut and dye your hair to shave years off your looks. Will help with dating too :D
 
I've just started using Uber as a rider and I've been surprised at the number of older drivers. I thought initially that it would be mainly millennials doing it as an extra gig. Could be a good way to limit cash burn for the OP.
 
photoguy said:
I've just started using Uber as a rider and I've been surprised at the number of older drivers. I thought initially that it would be mainly millennials doing it as an extra gig. Could be a good way to limit cash burn for the OP.
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Funny, I had the same thought yesterday. My Uber driver on Monday was probably mid-50s. My brother who is early 50s is using it as his full time job. When I talked to him about it last December, he was pulling in about $20 per hour and said he could earn more if he worked during surge hours. Not bad for a job where you set your own hours.
 
Looking forward to hear results of Forced's legal appointment today.

Perhaps the lawyer will offer to negotiate an early lease termination with the Apartment Co.

Since many lawyers are expert negotiators and this appears not to be OP's strong point, perhaps this could be a win-win scenario.

-gauss
 
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Good luck with your attorney appointment today, Forced and Scared.
It can be difficult to find the inner strength and peace to move forward with your life when you feel you were forced out of the life you enjoyed. We have been right sized, merged and down sized several times so I feel your pain and fear of the unknown. I hope it helps you to know that looking back it actually ended up as a good thing for us. However it was painful at the time.
It sounds like you have taken the time to grieve your old life. I admire that you are posting and questioning when to take social security, moving to another area and trying to figure out investing for your future. Knowledge can be powerful. I hope that you not only learn but also do something for yourself with that knowledge.
Since you are searching for solutions, I wanted to give you another possible option. Once you figure how to break your lease, move your belongings into a short term temperature controlled storage unit. Since you have some friends and relatives in the DC area, ask them if you can stay in their extra bedroom for a few weeks while you check out where you want to live and figure out a new budget. If you had 4 places that you could stay a couple weeks at a time, you wouldn't be so stressed about making a wrong decision. It would cut your expenses and allow you to travel to Minnesota to check out the old hometown.
We have had friends and family stay with us on a very short term basis. It is nice to have that time together. It can lift your spirit and it costs them almost nothing to help you out. If they still have a j*b, you will get points if they come home to a meal ready for them to eat. This is the time you need family and friends in your life.
You can make your life into the life you want to have. You have the power.
 
FI by 2024 said:
Funny, I had the same thought yesterday. My Uber driver on Monday was probably mid-50s. My brother who is early 50s is using it as his full time job. When I talked to him about it last December, he was pulling in about $20 per hour and said he could earn more if he worked during surge hours. Not bad for a job where you set your own hours.
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There is quite a bit of research out there that indicates being an Uber/Lyft driver isn't all that lucrative. Clark Howard did an experiment for a while to see what he could *actually* make doing it...and it wasn't all that great. Also, I don't think drivers last very long; I have taken 30+ Uber rides and I don't EVER remember one of the drivers saying they had been doing it for more than a couple of months.
 
FI by 2024 said:
Funny, I had the same thought yesterday. My Uber driver on Monday was probably mid-50s. My brother who is early 50s is using it as his full time job. When I talked to him about it last December, he was pulling in about $20 per hour and said he could earn more if he worked during surge hours. Not bad for a job where you set your own hours.
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$20/hr might sound good but that's before taxes, right? They are self employed so FICA taxes are double so they are probably paying 30% in tax. Then they have to figure in much faster depreciation of their vehicles. I'm sure it's under $15/hr when all costs are factored in. Better than some jobs but not that great.
 
I took two Uber rides. One driver said he was not making enough, while the other one said he was very choosy where he'd pick up (fare mileage had to be twice as long as his mileage to and from) and that he was mainly doing it to make contacts for his real estate business.
 
aaronc879 said:
$20/hr might sound good but that's before taxes, right? They are self employed so FICA taxes are double so they are probably paying 30% in tax. Then they have to figure in much faster depreciation of their vehicles. I'm sure it's under $15/hr when all costs are factored in. Better than some jobs but not that great.
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I assumed that $20/hr without surge pricing was what he was grossing BEFORE expenses/fees.

Sent from my LGLS751 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app
 
aaronc879 said:
$20/hr might sound good but that's before taxes, right? They are self employed so FICA taxes are double so they are probably paying 30% in tax. Then they have to figure in much faster depreciation of their vehicles. I'm sure it's under $15/hr when all costs are factored in. Better than some jobs but not that great.
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I think this is exactly correct but still might be something for OP to consider. My good friend says he does it sometimes if he needs money. When the rest of us go to the bank he turns Lyft on. He is between jobs recovering from a health scare.


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Amethyst said:
I took two Uber rides. One driver said he was not making enough, while the other one said he was very choosy where he'd pick up (fare mileage had to be twice as long as his mileage to and from) and that he was mainly doing it to make contacts for his real estate business.
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It would seem like an Uber driver would get a chance to meet and talk with many people, some who might know of good employment opportunities for someone willing to work (i.e. an Uber driver). The driver could put a rack in the car full of pamphlets for Amway, Herbalife, Avon, Tupperware, timeshares, whatever. You've got the poor soul trapped in the car with you, this is the time to lay on the hard sell!
 
samclem said:
It would seem like an Uber driver would get a chance to meet and talk with many people, some who might know of good employment opportunities for someone willing to work (i.e. an Uber driver). The driver could put a rack in the car full of pamphlets for Amway, Herbalife, Avon, Tupperware, timeshares, whatever. You've got the poor soul trapped in the car with you, this is the time to lay on the hard sell!
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I suspect that they won't be driving for Uber long if they tried something like that (at least while on my dime.)

Although Uber calls them independent contractors, I was under the impression that they attempt to tightly control the rider experience via the T&C contracts that the drivers agree to.

-gauss
 
samclem said:
It would seem like an Uber driver would get a chance to meet and talk with many people, some who might know of good employment opportunities for someone willing to work (i.e. an Uber driver). The driver could put a rack in the car full of pamphlets for Amway, Herbalife, Avon, Tupperware, timeshares, whatever. You've got the poor soul trapped in the car with you, this is the time to lay on the hard sell!
Click to expand...

The rack full of pamphlets would be acceptable but if they "lay on the hard sell", they are getting a very bad rating from me.
 
photoguy said:
I've just started using Uber as a rider and I've been surprised at the number of older drivers. I thought initially that it would be mainly millennials doing it as an extra gig. Could be a good way to limit cash burn for the OP.
Click to expand...

I've never seen a millenerial uber driver, just older people
 
Big_Hitter said:
I've never seen a millenerial uber driver, just older people
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I know a millennial who does Uber when he's between contract jobs and I am a millennial who is considering doing the same. I would do it on a very part time basis though.
 
I've probably only taken 20 uber rides so my sample size probably isn't that credible
 
jazz4cash said:
I think this is exactly correct but still might be something for OP to consider.
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This was the point I was trying to make. Uber isn't a great full time job for someone needing $60K+ annually. For someone who says they are older, overweight, and unable to find a job but has some income from other sources, it sounds pretty good to me. Uber lets drivers set their own hours, so Forced could do this while working around meetings with lawyers and applying to other jobs. The point is to stop the bleeding, IMO.
 
ExFlyBoy5 said:
There is quite a bit of research out there that indicates being an Uber/Lyft driver isn't all that lucrative. Clark Howard did an experiment for a while to see what he could *actually* make doing it...and it wasn't all that great. Also, I don't think drivers last very long; I have taken 30+ Uber rides and I don't EVER remember one of the drivers saying they had been doing it for more than a couple of months.
Click to expand...


Well, no, I don't think $20/hr counts as lucrative 😊 But it's more pay than OP has right now. Also, as I understand it your pay does increase the more you work - you keep increasing percentages of the fare as your hours increase.

My brother has been an Uber driver for almost a year. He was forced to close his small business due to health issues and it's one of the few things he is qualified and able to do. It works for him.
 
My car is too old for Uber. I tried and was rejected.

I went to the real estate attorney yesterday and he went through my lease very carefully and said there was nothing I could do legally to break the lease. There was no out. He said it was unlikely I would be sued but breaking my lease would end up on my credit and rental report, making it nearly impossible to rent another apartment.

I tried to contact someone of authority at the property management company corporate office- that owns my apartment complex, but I could not get anyone of importance on the phone. The "clerk" I talked to on the phone told me over and over and over, I would have to work it out with the property manager at the complex I live in. Which I have tried to do many times, with no luck at all. The Property Manager just keeps saying over and over and over again that I have to pay or stay until the end of my lease, no exceptions.

I went home rejected and put the covers over my head and cried. Being forced to retire is no fun.
 
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