why such a hard time leaving work for good?

[shorttimer]

I have been reading here for quite some time and notice that on a regular basis someone posts their assets with the question "can I retire?"
Most of the time, I see that people are well above the minimum to retire a fairly nice lifestyle yet still hum and haw and generally seem to be looking for excuses to not retire.

None of us can predict the future, so having some padding in the budget is not unwise, but why so much angst about leaving the workplace? It can't all be about money.

 

[Nords]

None of us can predict the future, so having some padding in the budget is not unwise, but why so much angst about leaving the workplace?  It can't all be about money.

I bet the remainder is:

- no one has any credibility in predicting how much is enough and they don't provide warranties,
- just about every individual situation is different, and
- it's darned hard/expensive to get health insurance after you leave the workplace.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Fear of the unknown and Greed!

Exactly what propels the stock market!

 

[dex]

It can't all be about money.

As with most things in life it is fight between love and fear; which wins out determines what a person will do.

People build their prisons with their fears. These are easy words to write but changing is difficult.

My parole date from work is coming up - I'm scared. I don't think that feeling will deminish for about a year. I'll let you know.

 

[Cut-Throat]

My parole date from work is coming up - I'm scared. I don't think that feeling will deminish for about a year. I'll let you know.

In a year, you'll be absolutely terrified to go back to work!

 

[REWahoo]

... I'm scared. I don't think that feeling will deminish for about a year...

Dex, unless you are one of those sad, demented wierdo w*orkaholics who cannot separate their personal identity from their w*ork identity significantly different from many of us on this forum, you will look back on this statement in a few months and laugh at yourself.

 

[dex]

Dex, unless you are one of those sad, demented wierdo w*orkaholics who cannot separate their personal identity from their w*ork identity significantly different from many of us on this forum, you will look back on this statement in a few months and laugh at yourself.

I think you are right, and I'm coming to that conclusion ever day. I look at those at work who have more money than me but they keep on working and think - what fools.

 

[Andre1969]

I don't think it's necessarily about money and greed, and hoping for more. And I don't think it's that people really love their jobs that much. I think it's fear of the unknown more than anything. At least with your job, you're relatively safe, and you can count on that regular paycheck. Once you take that plunge into retirement, your income relies solely on you, and whatever your investments and such pay you. That can be an overwhelming thought.

 

[rs0460a]

I don't think it's necessarily about money and greed, and hoping for more.  And I don't think it's that people really love their jobs that much.  I think it's fear of the unknown more than anything. 

I have to (unfortunately) agree.  I keep running the numbers (every day) to validate (every day) that I can leave my "current situation" and move on to the next phase of my life.

What's keeping me back is the realization that if it wasn’t for this job, which gave me the opportunity to save/invest for retirement, I would not be in this “good” situation today.  As my D.W. tells me, there are $10/hr people working in her company that would "kill" for my job (I know - I was one of them 25+ years ago).

I just hate the idea of leaving "money on the table".  I (we) didn't get F.I. by not being careful, and yes, I still have the "street people" fear that I'll not have enough to "get by" on (my wife has the same “illness”, she refers to herself as suffering from the “bag lady syndrome”).

It would be better if my employer would just "clean house" (and take me with it), basically taking the decision out of my hands, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards, for the short term.

I'm planning to go at the end of next year, when I turn 60.  Many of you would not consider that E.R. but for me it is.  I'm OK with that date, and will have no problem walking away at that time.  However, until that time I'll still have "reservations" to leave without an extremely good reason.

- Ron

 

[unclemick]

Hmmm - I read somewhere long ago that retirement was right up there with: death in the family and divorce as far as mental trauma/shock value.

To repeat - I was canned/layed off/made redundant in 1993 at age 49. Otherwise I would be getting ready to retire early at age 63 this year instead of spending my 13th year of ER.

heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh

I made my mental adjustment long ago - from er ah unemployed to ER - perhaps the easier way.

 

[Andre1969]

I'm at the point now where if something bad happened at work and I suddenly found myself unemployed, nothing catastrophic would happen. I wouldn't end up out on the street, bankrupt, or destitute. So I at least do have some comfort there. But I think there's still a little subconscious fear of all that ingrained in me. 11 years ago, I went through a bad marriage, and it left me pretty close to bankruptcy. I had to take on a second job delivering pizzas to recover from that, move in with my grandmother and rent out my condo to save on costs there, and the next car I bought during that time came from the junkyard!

As much as my job gets on my nerves from time to time, and as much as I'm yearning for that feeling of total freedom that I'm imagining will come from FI/RE, the job still gives me that warm, safe feeling that I mentioned earlier. I don't even have to think about health insurance. It's helping me grow my investments and retirement plans, while at the same time paying my bills, where otherwise, the bills would be depleting the investments and retirement plans.

Eventually though, I'll get to that point where I have enough resources saved that it'll more than compensate for that warm, safe feeling of having a (relatively) secure job. I wonder how hard it will be for me to leave when that time comes?

 

[audreyh1]

I just hate the idea of leaving "money on the table".  I (we) didn't get F.I. by not being careful, and yes, I still have the "street people" fear that I'll not have enough to "get by" on (my wife has the same “illness”, she refers to herself as suffering from the “bag lady syndrome”).

On leaving "money on the table" - Ultimately what is the use of a lot of extra money if you can't make good use of it because you don't have the time or flexibility or energy or health?

Think of what you are trading off for the money - your life.

Do you imagine you will live a long time? You don't really know. Are there things you want to do before you die, or before your health fails? Do you have enough money to do those?

No question that not having a regular paycheck takes some getting used to. It took me a while. But after a while I saw that my investments were growing over time - in fits and starts rather than regular like a paycheck - but trending higher generally overtime.

And remember - you have tremendous control over your expenses. Not only does LBYM keep your investments healthy, but consuming wisely increases your financial security.

Audrey

 

[Poundkey]

I had absolutely no problems walking away from my job. I was sick of it all. DW and I crunched the numbers for a year or so prior to me leaving and I was confident that things would work. When I gave my notice and left I had no anxiety at all. I tried to leave on good terms telling them I would come back on a reduced hours basis if they couldn't find a replacement. After two months they still haven't found anyone who can run this particular machine so I guess it's possible they may call me. If I never hear from them? ......that's fine with me. If they do call?.......I will be the one setting hours and pay rate. A year (nothing more) of working 2 or 3 days a week and taking advantage of their insurance would be fine with me. I'd also give myself a nice raise.

......#......