Part timing it

[Mdlerth]

The concept of the part-time retirement j*b arises frequently in these pages. Whether it's to keep active, help others, secure some benefits, build a bridge to SS or even just to have fun and score some beer money, there are lots of reasons in its favor.

However, I wonder how many ER folks, like several posters on a recent thread, put that in their plan but never launched on it? Why not? Do you ultimately reconsider that OMY in the career j*b is worth many in the part-time gig? Never find something so interesting it's worth commuting to again? Or maybe just don't get around to it because you're fully occupied in enjoying retirement?

Since I still see this as one of my own options, I would be interested in hearing what the PT was, why it was attractive, and why or why not you nixed it.

 

[REWahoo]

Or maybe just don't get around to it because you're fully occupied in enjoying retirement?

^ This.

After being retired for a few months I realized I would rather sell a kidney than go back to work, even part time.

 

[RunningBum]

I did OMY PT for 2-3 years in my career gig. The pay was good, I think I got 3/4 benefits, and I think I still had some stock options vesting, though by that time the stock was pretty flat and that turned into very little benefit. It was a nice transition into retirement and it happened to fit well because my project was slowly going to an end of life where it just needed a caretaker. The challenge is to keep the hours from expanding as they can with a full time job.


I haven't seriously considered doing a part-time gig elsewhere for lower pay. I do some volunteer work, for which I feel very free to say No when I can't or don't want to work. I guess what it came down to was OMY at full time and then part time in my career work was worth it to not have to rely on a PT gig for even fun money.

 

[Fermion]

We are considering it because we may want to spend a good bit of money on a large sailboat eventually and that really is not within budget.

Software engineering is a bit easier to get back into part time, or short term contract. Plus you get to contribute to a Roth again, and if you spread the contract over December/Jan, you get to contribute to two years of Roth.

 

[Sojourner]

I do some very sporadic, part time software work for several clients, which I don't mind at all and sometimes even enjoy. Probably amounts to only about 3-5 hours/week, on average. It's all done from the comfort of my home, and the timing and scheduling of the work is 90% of my own choosing. So, no commuting anywhere, no having to sit in on meetings or follow any strict, arbitrary timetables, etc. For me, it's basically an easy way to pad my nest egg a bit more and keep me from drawing down investments in any significant way. Since I'm still only in my 40s, it's really a no-brainer from every perspective I can think of.

 

[38Chevy454]

The concept of the part-time retirement j*b arises frequently in these pages. Whether it's to keep active, help others, secure some benefits, build a bridge to SS or even just to have fun and score some beer money, there are lots of reasons in its favor.

However, I wonder how many ER folks, like several posters on a recent thread, put that in their plan but never launched on it? Why not? Do you ultimately reconsider that OMY in the career j*b is worth many in the part-time gig? Never find something so interesting it's worth commuting to again? Or maybe just don't get around to it because you're fully occupied in enjoying retirement?

Since I still see this as one of my own options, I would be interested in hearing what the PT was, why it was attractive, and why or why not you nixed it.

I am one of those part-timers. Although I did not retire and go back. I am just tapering down, changing my same job from 5 days/week to 3 days/week. So depending on your definition, I guess I could be called partial OMY. I am not really going back to work, since I never left my current employer.

I can say is that the P/T is working out very well for me. The extra time off has been great, I am surviving on the 60% pay which has avoided any withdrawals out of savings, and I have made good progress on many projects around the house and garage. The only bad thing, if you call it that, is the extra time off just convinces me that having all the time off would be even better.

 

[RunningBum]

I do some very sporadic, part time software work for several clients, which I don't mind at all and sometimes even enjoy. Probably amounts to only about 3-5 hours/week, on average. It's all done from the comfort of my home, and the timing and scheduling of the work is 90% of my own choosing. So, no commuting anywhere, no having to sit in on meetings or follow any strict, arbitrary timetables, etc. For me, it's basically an easy way to pad my nest egg a bit more and keep me from drawing down investments in any significant way. Since I'm still only in my 40s, it's really a no-brainer from every perspective I can think of.

That's a sweet deal, I would definitely go for that. I imagine you were pretty well primed for this with a client list and a rep to be able to do this?

I was really only set up with my one company. They offered to keep me on to fight fires but it would've been on their schedule and I'm sure pressure to work a lot until the fire was out, for what would've been my hourly rate and no benefits. So, basically paying me only when they really needed me, and not having to pay me for low pressure or goof off time when there were no fires. That didn't appeal to me at all.

 

[Sue J]

DH is fully retired and I work part-time as a school crossing guard. We don't need the money, all my income goes into an IRA.

I do this because I just enjoy it! I'm at my corner an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Most of those 2 hours I am alone in my car, listening to podcasts. I am out crossing kids only when they come to the corner, very few in the morning and maybe 20-30 minutes worth in the afternoon when school lets out.

I'm a natural introvert and it would be so easy to just stay home and not interact with people. This keeps me connected to my community and allows us to save an additional chunk of money every month.

I have no co-workers (they are at other corners at other schools), I see my boss twice a year, no reports, no meetings, no goal setting, no evaluations.

I've been doing this for 10 years and just enjoy it, especially in nice weather. And my commute is 2 minutes, .75 miles each way.

 

[Meadbh]

I did one or two consulting projects, but gave up on it because I would have had to pay license and insurance costs on an ongoing basis, and to keep my professional license would have required a significant amount of (costly and time consuming) continuing education every year. To break even, I would have had to complete several consulting projects every year. Quite honestly, it didn't seem worth the effort.

 

[Koogie]

I am one of those part-timers. Although I did not retire and go back. I am just tapering down, changing my same job from 5 days/week to 3 days/week. So depending on your definition, I guess I could be called partial OMY. I am not really going back to work, since I never left my current employer.
I can say is that the P/T is working out very well for me. The extra time off has been great, I am surviving on the 60% pay which has avoided any withdrawals out of savings, and I have made good progress on many projects around the house and garage. The only bad thing, if you call it that, is the extra time off just convinces me that having all the time off would be even better.

Wow.. almost exactly the same as my situation. I went down to PT last September 2015. Basically working 3 days a week, about 44 weeks a year.

Still in the same job (partner in my own company) but taking on less work and less stress. Pay has gone down about 50% and we are supplementing with a few thousand a year from the dividend stream but we are more or less even steven on the money front and not touching the retirement pot.

Planning on keeping at the PT level until age 45 (about another 18 mos.) and then pulling the plug. Or maybe finding a way to go down to 1-2 days a week for a while. That would be pretty sweet too.

 

[DrRoy]

I am 5 months from ER and keep considering possible part time arrangements, but then talk myself back out of it. I think I'll not.

 

[Big_Hitter]

After being retired for a few months I realized I would rather sell a kidney than go back to work, even part time.

 

[Zorba]

Mdlerth,

I don't have an answer but I like the question. It is going to depend, isn't it, on whether you enjoy the j*b is and what benefits you receive to keep doing it. To paraphrase Thoreau "The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it."

I've wondered also whether it is best to taper into ER or just go cold turkey. Tapering allows for a low-risk transition, where you can ramp down at your own pace. Jumping into this new life and not looking back has its own appeal.

 

[foxfirev5]

In the back of my mind I had PT w*rk as a plan B if required. Now I'm 6 months into retirement and the possibility is dwindling. Somehow I've become sufficiently inefficient at completing projects around the house that I have little spare time. Today I spent the morning running to the hardware store and replacing a broken lockset.

Also, I'm not really needing extra cash as our expected travel budget is shrinking. We both thought we'd like to travel extensively. However this was an extension of our work years, not what we're finding we want in retirement.

In any event a part time job might be nice someday but not now. Retirement is great! Freedom! Do what you want.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I planned to do p.t. work but for the first 7 months I did not. Then a teaching job fell into my lap with no boss, etc. I also did some consulting in my field and about 2 years after retiring I did my own job f.t. from home with 1 day in office for 6 months until they found a replacement. The $ was great but I was working more then 40/week and would not do that again. Right now I am really happy with teaching and I only do consult rarely for 2 clients that I like. I read that many people plan on working p.t. in retirement but can't actually find any work.

 

[rothlev]

I am a retired teacher. I do work part time, seasonal work for HR Block. I like the mental challenge, however the pay is low , the benefits 0. Sometimes it isn't worth the hassle. Generally , I work full time during tax season , and part time intermittently the rest of the year. They are flexible during the "preseason". I can be "too" busy during the tax season. At least my brain gets a workout.

 

[Markola]

Today I spent the morning running to the hardware store and replacing a broken lockset.

I day dream about working part time in one of those small local hardware stores. The great ones near me sell all kinds of stuff, and a lot of the staff have gray hair and seem to enjoy being there helping customers find the odd hose clamp or toggle bolt. Plus, it would get me off the couch a few times a week.

 

[Asher Aion]

I am one of those part-timers. Although I did not retire and go back. I am just tapering down ...The only bad thing, if you call it that, is the extra time off just convinces me that having all the time off would be even better.

+1. Same place that I am at.

 

[laurence]

I just went from full time to part time 2 months ago and I love, love, love it. But it's also convinced me I'll love retirement even more. Part of the happiness is that I went from managing 9 sites and time cards, employee gripes, disappointing raises, performance improvement plans, etc. to just fixing computer security problems again. Swoop in, fix a bunch of stuff, oh look it's time to go pick up my kids, no I don't work on Fridays, sorry, coaching my kids softball team....20-25 hours a week is a very humanizing workload.

 

[Huston55]

Now into second year of FIRE, and have worked ~200hrs/yr for former company; done mostly in concentrated bunches but, some of it from home. I do it primarily for the mental stimulation but, the beer $ is also nice. We don't include this income when modeling FIRE (FIRECalc, etc).

 

[Dd852]

I really enjoy doing consulting when I want and where I want. It isn't the money - it is the stimulation, the travel, the feeling of having something to offer. And I love saying "no" if I don't feel like doing it! So my answer would be, do it only if you can control it enough to truly enjoy it, or if the money makes a difference to your plan or mental well being.

 

[brucethebroker]

3 years in. Working very, very PT at past career (3 hrs. wk). Also work 12 or so hrs. wk at home based internet business. Can shut down both in 10 min. when wanting to travel, and start up again nearly as fast upon return. No benefits, but lots of deductions.

Plenty of time for projects around the house, and hanging out at library a couple of hours each week. Very little boredom and an enjoyable, easy way to make a house payment each month.

May give it all up down the line, but currently enjoy the life/work balance.

 

[racy]

I never planned on w*rking PT, but after a year of retirement I took a 20 hr/wk PT j*b for something to do and beer money. I did that for a year and tired of the early hours & daily commitment, so I quit.
Now, I'm volunteering at the hospital and the food bank for a couple of hours per week. I'm also doing QuickBooks for a small law firm. I enjoy getting out of the house, can pick my own hours, only requires about 10 hours, plus it pays for better beer.

 

[outdoorgirl02]

I sold 2 of my 3 small businesses last fall. The one I kept is mostly online with some phone consulting for clients. It's all from home and on my own schedule. I work about 20-25 hours a week with plenty of weeks off for vacation/holidays. I truly love it and DH will be full time in his business for about 10 more years. So, I plan to stick with it for the foreseeable future as it brings in a good income.

 

[harley]

However, I wonder how many ER folks, like several posters on a recent thread, put that in their plan but never launched on it? Why not? Do you ultimately reconsider that OMY in the career j*b is worth many in the part-time gig? Never find something so interesting it's worth commuting to again? Or maybe just don't get around to it because you're fully occupied in enjoying retirement?

I was sort of the opposite. Part time work was never part of my plan. And if I had to get up at a certain time and be anywhere at a certain time, no chance of that.

But as a favor to my old boss I set up a small business to enable him to purchase items they need for their testing lab but can't easily get through corporate purchasing. It started (and was intended to be) small, with a few hours of work/month, and the profits were definitely beer money. However, the job has grown exponentially, to the extent that I'm not sure I consider myself fully retired anymore. It's still very part time, but some weeks are almost half time, and other months I do zero work. It's not hard, and even though I have to respond to them fairly quickly, I still tend to do the majority of the work from my sofa watching TV at night. But we're up to $30-$50K/year, it's easy, and I can do it from anywhere with an internet connection. Plus I get massive numbers of Discover Card points out of it.

I keep considering shutting it down, but I haven't done it yet. The fun aspect of it is getting to see and buy (for them) all the coolest new tech, often before it's even released. I'd have lost track of all this stuff without the business. Spec'ing out VR, Fragboxes, Razer Blade gaming laptops, Google Pixel phones, and other cool stuff is fun for me. The paperwork is the only work part, and I've got that mostly automated with spreadsheets. Actually, even playing with the spreadsheets is fun sometimes. And if they want me for something and I happen to be out in my kayak, too bad. Being the boss of my life (after DW, of course) is a pretty nice feeling.

I've known a number of people who retired and got jobs doing things like auto parts deliveries and handyman work. Other than the few who really need the money, nobody stuck to those part time jobs very long. The nicest thing about retirement is setting your own schedule. Most part time jobs interfere with that, and after a while become not worth the other.