I'm driving myself crazy !!!!

[Live And Learn]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I feel like flipping a coin ! If I did leave Megacorp I would look for a PT job or contract work but I'd make about 10% a year of what I make today. It would help me keep my skills fresh and since it would probably cover the one expense I haven't budgeted or set up a contingency for it might keep me from freaking out.

Why do I worry so much ? DD of a worrier who is the DD of a worrier ! I've been to therapy, read the books .... still worry.

BTW - telecommuting is lovely. I did it for 5 years. I was able to sleep an extra 30 minutes every day plus read a book for 30 minutes with my coffee every morning. And I took a bike ride around the neighborhood almost every night between work and dinner. Loved it. Best of all, when I had to work a late night I was already home when the PC went off at 10pm.

[NanoSour]

You simply need to believe in yourself. I ER on 1 July and certainly have demons in the head from time to time. But more importantly, I look at ER as a challenge which I'm ready to take on. What is the worst that can happen? I go get a job.

It's cliche, but RELEASE THE FEAR!

[Live And Learn]

Where is ObGyn65 telling me if FIREcalc says I am good to go then I am good to go ?

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Live And Learn Where is ObGyn65 telling me if FIREcalc says I am good to go then I am good to go ?

In South America up to his elbows in his work?

[Meadbh]

Sounds like you are not psychologically ready. Perhaps you need to rethink this and come up with goals that will allow you to retire without this degree of anxiety.

[lhamo]

You take the RIF, you get a year of severance (free money!) plus access to health insurance (not quite free money, but a big peace of mind factor).

If you take the telecommute gig you get to work from home, but -- you have to work! For at least another year just to break even with what you take home, compared to taking the RIF. And you are only planning to work another two years. So you work two more years to get a year ahead of where you would be if you took the RIF now? And you lose the insurance access?

Take the RIF. Enjoy your life. If you are worried about the SWR, take it easy on your expenses for the first five years and build your stash up a bit more.

[Delaney]

If it wasn't for the severance and health insurance I would say that you aren't ready and you should try the telecommuting. But if you pass on the severance and the health insurance, I think you'll regret that decision the first time you have an awful day at work. I mean if you pass on the severance I think you'll feel almost forced to stay at least two more years. Can you at least delay things until your current home is sold? All those changes at once must be very stressful.

If you do decide to retire, just decide to stop the worrying. That may be hard to do---I still worry and I have already retired so I try to tell myself that worrying is really pointless now. Whatever you decide, don't torture yourself about the other option.

[Purron]

Just for you.

Tema 08 - YouTube

[pb4uski]

I worked from home ~50% time the last 5 or so years that I worked. While working from home is wonderful, I decided that I wanted my time so I ERd. Best decision that I ever made.

My WR is ~3.4% too, but will be much lower later once my pensions and SS come on-line. If the 3.4% ER you mention is the first year of retirement, I suggest that you look at your projected ER in the first year after you begin SS. It may make you worry less.

I would take the RIF and the free money and freedom that go with it. I have little doubt that Obamacare is here to stay, warts and all.

[Live And Learn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purron Just for you.

LOL I think that's part of the problem - too many choices !

Part of me says "stop wasting your life at work", the other part of me says "you've worked hard all your life to save money - and you're too young to retire ! keep working, keep earning, keep saving. People who KILL to have your problems !"

[Live And Learn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski My WR is ~3.4% too, but will be much lower later once my pensions and SS come on-line. If the 3.4% ER you mention is the first year of retirement, I suggest that you look at your projected ER in the first year after you begin SS. It may make you worry less.

Great suggestion ! I did this. I have a dorky cash flow worksheet (like I can actually predict sources of funds for 40 years !!!) that I used to do this. I compared my annual WR against a 3% adjusted annually for annual inflation of 3.5%. My WR was above the 3%+adjustment number until I got to the point where DH will start to collect social security. Once my ssi kicks in at 70 I'm well below. Oddly I'm above at age 85 until I run out of funds at age 94.

Plus I'm only assuming 1.5% real return, plus I'm assuming I have to pay full Obamacare costs, plus I'm only using 65% of SSI. Other side of the coin, the market run up has my portfolio at an all time high.

OMG I'm fairly sure I can do this ..... I'm just scared of making the wrong decision. Work from home is great - but maybe Part Time is enough to quell my fears.

[citrine]

Your worries are about running out of money or health insurance. Have you thought about losing your time and your health by continuing to working? Think of the extra time you will have to do what you love to do, spend time with your family and friends, and pursuing your own interests.
Think about having only 10 years to live....would you spend three of them working?

[ivinsfan]

How do you think you will feel when you actually have made a decision? Will you be at peace with it and just move on? Or will you worry before the decision, while you are making the decision, and after you have made the decision?

I freely admit I am in the worry too much group. The thing is with me, it seems to be increasing, not decreasing, with age. At 60 it's probably at a new peak for me. It's discouraging to me to hear you have done therapy and it hasn't helped you.
I have no money or personal worries in my life, nothing that isn't really part of everyday living.

At your level of worry at 50, it seems as if your worry problem is going to overshadow the enjoyment your might get from ER. But is working longer going to stop the worrying or will you be posting about the same thing 3 years from now.

Keep us updated, I'm curious about how you are going to work things out. Good Luck

[Tinder8]

Last year my position with mega corp was eliminated (outsourced). I was 52, and offered early retirement and immediate pension of a little over 2k per month + 1 year severance after 23 years. Hired by outsourcer at same salary and work from home full time. Not a bad way to wind down a long career in I.T.

[Live And Learn]

so the person with the work at home position called me this morning to see if I made a decision, and without hestitation I said "when do I start ! ?". I have officially un-retired before I've even retired. Hopefully in two years the decision is more of a 'no brainer". I feel TOTALLY at peace now. I can't wait to see what happens on the first day that the BS bucket starts to overflow ....

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Live And Learn I have officially un-retired before I've even retired.

Good for you! And thank goodness it is you and not me!

[Mulligan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Live And Learn so the person with the work at home position called me this morning to see if I made a decision, and without hestitation I said "when do I start ! ?". I have officially un-retired before I've even retired. Hopefully in two years the decision is more of a 'no brainer". I feel TOTALLY at peace now. I can't wait to see what happens on the first day that the BS bucket starts to overflow ....

Congrats on your decision, as the key words are "at peace", as that is what is most important. Now you have 2 years to figure out how to avoid repeating the worrying process when the future impending retirement rears it's ugly head again.

[Bestwifeever]

And you don't seem to be worrying at all that this might be a wrong decision, so good for you!

When it really is time to cut back or cut the work cord, I think you'll find that will also be clear for you.

[Live And Learn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh Sounds like you are not psychologically ready. Perhaps you need to rethink this and come up with goals that will allow you to retire without this degree of anxiety.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulligan Congrats on your decision, as the key words are "at peace", as that is what is most important. Now you have 2 years to figure out how to avoid repeating the worrying process when the future impending retirement rears it's ugly head again.

This is exactly right. I will create a more refined FI goal / number so that I don't do this to myself again ! In the meantime, WFH is not a bad gig.

[Meadbh]

Congratulations! It only took one day to resolve this and you seem much calmer. I think this was the right decision for you. Much better not to burn any bridges if you are not certain.