Class of 2015

[Options]

56 Mondays to go and I wonder if I'm going to make it. FIRECalc has me at 100% even after I take out 20% for a potential correction. Fidelity RIP has me with a 90% chance to age 95. I'm starting to feel like I have enough cushion now. Now if I only had the guts to graduate myself to the class of 2014 !

2/3/15 is my date. 365 days from this Monday, 2/3/14. 53 Tuesdays to go, with every Monday off, every other Friday off, so a three-day w*orkweek one week, a four-day the next, through ER date. It's the only way I've negotiated myself into staying. Don't dare take a vacation, I won't come back!

Being extremely conservative, I'm at over 100% with a bunch of calculators, including FIRECALC and RIP, but there's no way I could pull the plug now and sleep at night. Just the way I'm wired. Besides, I'm completely detached from w*ork anyway.

 

[haloFIRE]

I didn't realize just how much of a trap OMY syndrome could be....

I'm confident I've accumulated sufficient funds to retire now....just have to stop buying into the little voice that tells me.."a few more months gives you an extra ### a month for life....you should work just another year..or so"

Must..not......listen........



Still listening...

 

[ABQ2015]

I paid my last mortgage payment this week. Started an HSA and bundled my phone/cable at beginning of year. Am tracking expenses for the second year in a row. I have a retirement "to do" list but have not done much.

 

[Live And Learn]

I didn't realize just how much of a trap OMY syndrome could be....

I'm confident I've accumulated sufficient funds to retire now....just have to stop buying into the little voice that tells me.."a few more months gives you an extra ### a month for life....you should work just another year..or so"

Must..not......listen........



Still listening...

I hear that ! Like boaters who get 2ft-itis (all I need is 2 extra feet on this boat, I think I'll sell and upgrade) I got two-more-year-itis ! Looking back I'm not sure I needed the last year, and I'm even more sure I don't need the next year. But the little voice says "will you be able to sleep if the markets take another 5% hit ? and what if its a 10% hit !? and OMG what will you do if we have another "lost decade" ! ! ! ? ? ?"

I have 56 more weekends to convince myself that I'm good to go. Just need to murder the guy with the little voice !

 

[kmm3n1]

ER in jan. 2015, will be 50 and wife 47. We are 100% on many calculators for the next 30 years. Am very fortunate to have worked for employee owned company where the stock took off and will have plenty of money. A little less than a year to go and work is a struggle. I'm looking forward to hanging it up.

 

[ikubak]

56 Mondays to go and I wonder if I'm going to make it. FIRECalc has me at 100% even after I take out 20% for a potential correction. Fidelity RIP has me with a 90% chance to age 95. I'm starting to feel like I have enough cushion now. Now if I only had the guts to graduate myself to the class of 2014 !

Use your vacation to take Mondays off!

I've got about the same number of Mondays to go, but by using vacation, I'll cut it down to 25 or 30. I know it sounds crazy, but Mondays are just the pits.

And finally.....418 days to go! (more or less)

 

[ABQ2015]

I thought I was going to be the next one of my siblings to retire but my older brother beat me to it. He just got laid off seven months shy of his 62th birthday. The new accounting software system that he had to help start up during his Christmas vacation has displaced him. No pension or health insurance but he gets some severance, unemployment, and has an IRA and some investments. He isn't that worried and just plans to live simply and look into temp work to stretch out his unemployment until he starts collecting SS. Is not interested in looking for a permanent job and I don't think he could get one at this point. I am worried for him but a little envious.

 

[retirein15]

Joining the class of 2015

I'm in too. My DW and I both hope to close the doors on our offices one last time on Dec. 31 2015. We probably could do it now, but I am suffering from OMY syndrome. Big step and we have to do it right the first time. We both can't wait and are counting the days.

 

[RobLJ]

I'm 55, by the way and still looking at May-December 2015.
150K in cash and 1.5 mil portfolio with a goal of 1.7-1.8 at retirement. DW will work for another 4-6 years.

 

[Options]

Use your vacation to take Mondays off!

I've got about the same number of Mondays to go, but by using vacation, I'll cut it down to 25 or 30. I know it sounds crazy, but Mondays are just the pits.

And finally.....418 days to go! (more or less)

Not crazy at all. It's exactly what I'm doing. Think I'm down to something like 50 Tuesdays to go as all Mondays will be either sick or vacation. Between that and my every other Friday off (flex schedule), every other week until ER date of 2/3/15 is either a 3 day or 4 day workweek, depending on which week flex Friday falls. Couldn't last any other way.

 

[haloFIRE]

Nice!

Not crazy at all. It's exactly what I'm doing. Think I'm down to something like 50 Tuesdays to go as all Mondays will be either sick or vacation. Between that and my every other Friday off (flex schedule), every other week until ER date of 2/3/15 is either a 3 day or 4 day workweek, depending on which week flex Friday falls. Couldn't last any other way.

Love the idea! I couldn't make it work in my situation, but it sure would be nice!

 

[Vireo]

I am definitely out in 2015! My target date is October 2015 when I turn 60 yo. I tried to leave earlier but my bosses convinced me to stay. They agreed to let me work part time hours and keep my full time pay until then. This was very generous so I agreed. The goal now is to start living on a retirement budget for the next 1 and 1/2 years as our income will be about half what it is now. It's doable since I think taxes and other expenses will be lower.

 

[ABQ2015]

I am definitely out in 2015! My target date is October 2015 when I turn 60 yo. I tried to leave earlier but my bosses convinced me to stay. They agreed to let me work part time hours and keep my full time pay until then. This was very generous so I agreed. The goal now is to start living on a retirement budget for the next 1 and 1/2 years as our income will be about half what it is now. It's doable since I think taxes and other expenses will be lower.

Congratulations! Working part-time for a year or two before retirement is my goal although I doubt my bosses would pay me full time. I would be interested in hearing about your experiences in living on a retirement budget, e.g., is having more free time to bargain shop, etc. a significant factor in cutting expenses?

 

[Mo Money]

I, too, am aiming to get out of The Firm in 2015. The plan is to retire mid-year after (a) end-of-2014 bonus and (b) tax distribution to cover partnership "phantom income." I also have a continuous siren-song of OMY. But it's just that, a siren song designed to tempt me to crash on the rocks if I stay one more year, during which I would probably have a coronary or something. So I have a bit less than 14-or-15 months to go.

Apart from OMY, I fear boredom a bit. What does this board call the fear of boredom in retirement? I assume there's an acronym for it (FOB?)

 

[Vireo]

Congratulations! Working part-time for a year or two before retirement is my goal although I doubt my bosses would pay me full time. I would be interested in hearing about your experiences in living on a retirement budget, e.g., is having more free time to bargain shop, etc. a significant factor in cutting expenses?

I am hoping to have more time to plan menus and recipes as food is one of our major expenses. It looks like food prices will be going up in general because of the weather out west. I also think that clothing expense should go down over time. I started tracking expenses in earnest in January. That was a shocker...overspending...and some infrequent things like high vet bills. Feb looked better but not at target. New eyeglasses and some other other medical bills added up. Already I can see that we should try to save ahead for the bigger once a year things. I will keep going and post periodic updates. Thanks

 

[Vireo]

I, too, am aiming to get out of The Firm in 2015. The plan is to retire mid-year after (a) end-of-2014 bonus and (b) tax distribution to cover partnership "phantom income." I also have a continuous siren-song of OMY. But it's just that, a siren song designed to tempt me to crash on the rocks if I stay one more year, during which I would probably have a coronary or something. So I have a bit less than 14-or-15 months to go.

Apart from OMY, I fear boredom a bit. What does this board call the fear of boredom in retirement? I assume there's an acronym for it (FOB?)

I too wonder a little bit about cocooning too much in retirement. I've started a list of things to try, places to go, setting some goals for the next phase of life.

 

[Mo Money]

Well, Vireo, maybe we can nudge each other forward if need be!

 

[ikubak]

OK my peeps, we got to have some people getting close to giving notice and taking the eternal vacation. I know some people have to be getting pretty excited about the last day at work. Personally, I have 389 days to go. I'll probably talk to my boss in January about leaving in April 2015. Has any of our class of 2015 given notice yet, and if so, how did it go?

 

[LoneAspen]

OK my peeps, we got to have some people getting close to giving notice and taking the eternal vacation. I know some people have to be getting pretty excited about the last day at work. Personally, I have 389 days to go. I'll probably talk to my boss in January about leaving in April 2015. Has any of our class of 2015 given notice yet, and if so, how did it go?

Funny you post that, because I was just thinking about my own situation today. I'll be fully vested in Feb 2015. The "golden handcuffs" fall off, and I don't plan on sticking around after that.

I'm torn between not showing my hand, and only giving two weeks notice right before I leave. But that means I have to suffer through all the corporate BS right up to the end.

Or...

Lately, I've been thinking of giving them notice in November, about three months ahead of me leaving. Not because I feel some sense of owing them as much notice as possible, but I figure there's no chance in hell they could replace me or get rid of me early over the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years holidays once I tell them I'm leaving. And, with the company growing larger, our projects are turning into multi-month huge strategic monsters that they wouldn't put a short-timer on. I figure the only thing I'd be doing during my last three months is enjoying the holidays, doing some documentation and training, and burning up remaining vacation time.

If I give notice in November, that's "only" eight months away. Definitely light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[jollystomper]

Lately, I've been thinking of giving them notice in November, about three months ahead of me leaving. Not because I feel some sense of owing them as much notice as possible, but I figure there's no chance in hell they could replace me or get rid of me early over the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years holidays once I tell them I'm leaving.

Personally I would be careful. Getting rid of folks before or during the holidays is no longer a difficult thing to do. In addition, I've known too many who were let go just short of some vesting anniversary after making their intentions known. You know your company better than I do. I am just wary of this type of assumption these days.

 

[haloFIRE]

I agree Jolly, I wouldn't give notice until I vested. Would give as much notice as I could so they can find a replacement and not have a gap...but only after I vested.

 

[LoneAspen]

Normally, I would never tip my hand in advance. I've always given only two weeks notice. One time, I even walked out without giving any notice at all after only five weeks at an IT contracting job that was the worst job I've ever had.

But...even if I did give notice a couple months before being fully vested and they got rid of me, I don't think I'd care. Yeah, I'd leave a little bit of money on the table, but nothing so large it would damage my (semi) retirement plans. And, if they did get rid of me in November instead of me leaving in February, that would just give me the perfect excuse to go back to Colorado early and spend the winter enjoying the ski season - something I want to do anyway once in my life.

In the back of my mind, there's a part of me that would actually hope they'd let me go early, LOL.

 

[haloFIRE]

LoneAspen,
Good point! There is potential goodness, or peace in them making the decision for you. I can relate - currently serving in the military as we downsize over 120k Soldiers. I'm FI, so if forced to leave, I get to enjoy my retirement a little earlier. Certainly would get me out of my OMY trap.
HaloFIRE

 

[ikubak]

Y'all are causing me to rethink my strategy. I was thinking of talking to my boss in January so they could hire someone by April to take my place. I vest April 1, 2015. There is probably a less than 1% chance they would try to get me out the door before April 1 if I told them in January. I don't think they could get someone hired and in place by the end of the month. If they complain, I guess I'll say, "You know what that sounds like to me? Not my problem." Maybe I'll just tell them on April fool's day 2015 that they have until the end of the month to find someone.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I think waiting until the last minute might be a good idea in your case.
____________________________________
Retire date sometime early 2015, depends how long it takes for them to replace me.