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View Poll Results: Are you a 2009 retiree?
Yes, I will retire or have already retired in 2009 23 16.31%
No, I retired in a previous year 59 41.84%
No, I will retire after 2009 55 39.01%
Other 4 2.84%
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Old 08-28-2009, 08:17 PM   #21
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6 weeks to go for me!!!
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Old 08-28-2009, 08:19 PM   #22
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Me too! I have been saving up vacation time and I am going to be using it all before I go, starting next Thursday, because I need the time more than the money (which after all, is what retirement is all about IMO). If all goes as planned I will be working only 7 days in September, 6.5 days in October, and 4.5 days in November.
And by "working" I assume you mean show up at the office and just smile as you sit at your desk, no matter what gets thrown at you those 18 days?

Woohoo!
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Old 08-28-2009, 08:20 PM   #23
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And by "working" I assume you mean show up at the office and just smile as you sit at your desk, no matter what gets thrown at you those 18 days?

Woohoo!

Hope she works! Thats good tax payer dollars going to that salary!
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Old 08-28-2009, 08:25 PM   #24
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You know I've just realized that I finally feel retired since DH pulled the plug at the end of February. He's fully retired now.......so this means I no longer have to fix stuff that breaks, mow the yard, handle car maintenance and I don't have to do all the housework. I like it...it feels good.
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Old 08-28-2009, 08:28 PM   #25
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Hope she works! Thats good tax payer dollars going to that salary!
Oh, she'll be working, you can be sure of that--she just won't be stressing about it anymore as she does it!
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Old 08-28-2009, 10:38 PM   #26
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And by "working" I assume you mean show up at the office and just smile as you sit at your desk, no matter what gets thrown at you those 18 days?

Woohoo!
Gonna try! But somehow I don't think it will turn out to be quite that easy.
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Old 08-29-2009, 06:11 AM   #27
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I'm very happy to be able to add myself to the 2009 retirees number. I was laid off earlier this year, I'm pretty confident that I'm FI enough to call it early retirement, and that's what I'm doing.

But every once in a while, I read a thread here that talks about the intricacies of individual bonds vs. bond funds along with some analysis of why this is or is not a good time to buy bonds and... well... sometimes I get so lost in the details that I wonder if I'm knowledgeable enough to manage my own finances. I have the occasional crisis of confidence, but then I assure myself that if I stick to a simple Bogleheads strategy of low cost index funds with a reasonable AA, then I should be fine.

And except for the occasional crisis of confidence, I haven't enjoyed a summer this much since I was a little kid.
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Old 08-29-2009, 06:30 AM   #28
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I'm very happy to be able to add myself to the 2009 retirees number. I was laid off earlier this year, I'm pretty confident that I'm FI enough to call it early retirement, and that's what I'm doing.

But every once in a while, I read a thread here that talks about the intricacies of individual bonds vs. bond funds along with some analysis of why this is or is not a good time to buy bonds and... well... sometimes I get so lost in the details that I wonder if I'm knowledgeable enough to manage my own finances. I have the occasional crisis of confidence, but then I assure myself that if I stick to a simple Bogleheads strategy of low cost index funds with a reasonable AA, then I should be fine.

And except for the occasional crisis of confidence, I haven't enjoyed a summer this much since I was a little kid.
Congratulations on your retirement, and you sound like you are doing fine with a Bogleheads investment strategy and reasonable AA. You could do a lot worse, as some other posts by people in a real financial mess occasionally illustrate. Just keep reading and learning, like the rest of us who are not financial professionals.

After all, our financial plans have recently passed the most stringent of tests by surviving the Great Recession!
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Old 08-29-2009, 11:44 AM   #29
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My official application to retire is filed, my job duties are already almost completely transitioned to others, and assuming I don't expire from senseless job stress between now and then I am as good as there.
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And by "working" I assume you mean show up at the office and just smile as you sit at your desk, no matter what gets thrown at you those 18 days?
I gave my official notice a year before my retirement date, they finally brought in my replacement several months later. I trained him for a short period of time, and was told by my boss to go get lost, and to let the guy figure out the rest on his own. I told the guy that I hoped he'd have good luck learning all of the rest of the lab procedures on his own, pointed him to my collection of lab manuals, handed him all of the lab keys, and walked out.

I spent my last few months sitting on the picnic table out in the maintenance shop, drinking coffee, listening to the radio, running miscellaneous errands (of my choosing), and other stuff like that. I did NO work at all...told the guys that the boss had me training for my final career....Full-time Retiree!!!
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Old 08-29-2009, 01:17 PM   #30
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I'm very happy to be able to add myself to the 2009 retirees number. I was laid off earlier this year, I'm pretty confident that I'm FI enough to call it early retirement, and that's what I'm doing.

But every once in a while, I read a thread here that talks about the intricacies of individual bonds vs. bond funds along with some analysis of why this is or is not a good time to buy bonds and... well... sometimes I get so lost in the details that I wonder if I'm knowledgeable enough to manage my own finances. I have the occasional crisis of confidence, but then I assure myself that if I stick to a simple Bogleheads strategy of low cost index funds with a reasonable AA, then I should be fine.

And except for the occasional crisis of confidence, I haven't enjoyed a summer this much since I was a little kid.
Joe's story is my story too. Laid off at 56, Feb 09.
I think we are set with spending 3% of the investments
per year, but have a 17 year-old that still faces college.

Dan
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Old 08-29-2009, 02:32 PM   #31
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I gave my official notice a year before my retirement date, they finally brought in my replacement several months later. I trained him for a short period of time, and was told by my boss to go get lost, and to let the guy figure out the rest on his own. I told the guy that I hoped he'd have good luck learning all of the rest of the lab procedures on his own, pointed him to my collection of lab manuals, handed him all of the lab keys, and walked out.

I spent my last few months sitting on the picnic table out in the maintenance shop, drinking coffee, listening to the radio, running miscellaneous errands (of my choosing), and other stuff like that. I did NO work at all...told the guys that the boss had me training for my final career....Full-time Retiree!!!
I was sort of in that state and things were going along pretty smoothly with just a few tasks left and a light workload while I worked on getting rid of files nobody would ever need. My tasks are in good hands. One third went to someone very experienced, and one third to someone new but a quick study who is bright, capable, and well liked. I trained her for six weeks and wrote a manual for her. The final third is up for grabs because they haven't really hired my replacement yet.

But in the last week or two management has started to panic and twitch out. Anyway, management is bouncing off walls lately and wildly throwing major assignments and travel at me, that are incompatible with my retiring, and chewing me out for bad attitude when I politely point out the incongruities.

But next week I start using all that vacation time....
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Old 08-29-2009, 06:29 PM   #32
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If all goes as planned I will be working only 7 days in September, 6.5 days in October, and 4.5 days in November.
Congratulations WTR! I've been watching your calendar days count down and it looks like the time is almost near. I know you must be estatic.
Glad everything is going your way.
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Old 08-29-2009, 06:41 PM   #33
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Congratulations WTR! I've been watching your calendar days count down and it looks like the time is almost near. I know you must be estatic.
Glad everything is going your way.
Thanks! Yes, I am really happy but a bundle of nerves as well. I am sure I will calm down once I start taking my vacation time and it sinks in that I am really on my way to ER.

I can't imagine the emotions a person feels when turning in their badge on the last day. But I will find out in 72 days.
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Old 08-30-2009, 08:25 AM   #34
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Wow - this reminds me of the "Class of 20XX" thread on the Escapees Forum - a forum for full-time RVers. Every year they start a "Class of 20XX" thread for the folks who are planning to go full-time that year. As you can imagine, those threads are very active.

This site should do the same for retirees targeting the current year.

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Old 08-30-2009, 12:03 PM   #35
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Thanks! Yes, I am really happy but a bundle of nerves as well. I am sure I will calm down once I start taking my vacation time and it sinks in that I am really on my way to ER.

I can't imagine the emotions a person feels when turning in their badge on the last day. But I will find out in 72 days.
It was very emotional. In fact, I was nervous/anxiety from the announcement date through the official retirement date, about 6 weeks. That feeling didn't go away until the retirement date had passed. Even when I was vacationing out, I still had the black work cloud hanging over my head. Now, its gone and everything is just plain awesome, no project work, no deadlines, come and go as I please, no more pressure around the neck and shoulders.

Some interesting observations: I find that time moves even faster in retirement than it did when I worked. I'm kind of blown away by that! I also find that I delay my to do list frequently. I would rather play on my computer (surfing, budget, investments, trip planning etc.) than do house/boat projects! Oh what a relief this retirement is! I just love it!! Perhaps one downside is I have gained weight. I need to put a control on this!
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Old 08-30-2009, 12:44 PM   #36
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...

Some interesting observations: I find that time moves even faster in retirement than it did when I worked. I'm kind of blown away by that! I also find that I delay my to do list frequently. I would rather play on my computer (surfing, budget, investments, trip planning etc.) than do house/boat projects! Oh what a relief this retirement is! I just love it!! Perhaps one downside is I have gained weight. I need to put a control on this!
Sounds like you've got the hang of it, Budman. All in good time, as they say; at the one-year mark I decided to watch my weight; otherwise no real self-improvement goals. Enjoy!
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Old 08-30-2009, 12:58 PM   #37
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I haven't even told anyone at work I plan to retire.
I hope to give a very short notice and train no one. If all goes as planned it will be a rushed and vague training session at the most. I'm very good at vague when I want to be.
The surprise is just desserts in my humble opinion.
I do have fearful moments and thoughts about the day I actually sign the necessary papers. Knowing, once I sign there will be no going back.
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Old 08-30-2009, 02:10 PM   #38
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I can't imagine the emotions a person feels when turning in their badge on the last day.
It's sort of like graduation day; very high emotions.

I'm almost ONE MONTH officially ER'd and still wondering if I did the right thing.
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Old 08-30-2009, 02:11 PM   #39
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Oh and Budman...I agree about time moving faster. Sometimes I wonder where the days go.
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Old 08-30-2009, 02:29 PM   #40
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I haven't even told anyone at work I plan to retire.
I hope to give a very short notice and train no one. If all goes as planned it will be a rushed and vague training session at the most.
....
Seems like that's way it always goes, no matter how much notice is given. My trainee came up with 1/2 day training time after eight weeks notice, typical but not my problem.
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