Class of 2015

[cinman2000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Live And Learn Whoohoooooooooooooo - congratulations !!! Must feel so good to know that your new life is closer than expected

Thanks and yes it does feel good!

[Green Hornet 21]

Looking to retire before 55th birthday in October 2015.Enjoy my job as a mid level finance executive but can already see that the next wave of young go getters are nipping at my heels. I think I have just enough quick left in my step to get to 2015. I currently get 6 weeks of vacation which affords me plenty of time to practice retirement. I took off 2 weeks in December starting 12/18/13 to 1/6/14. Spent the days before Christmas lounging about the house having coffee with wife(retired 1year) and her girlfriends each morning. Week after Christmas was in Vegas ringing in the new year. If this is a prelude to retirement, sign me up. First few months of retirement, we hope to travel returning to Texas in mid December. In 2016 I plan on some travel, volunteer work, occasional consulting and perhaps taking a few classes at the local community college. Really love this site. At work and when socializing with my peers, I must conduct myself as if I will continue my career for the next 10 years. Here, I can state otherwise.
Rock and Roll Class of 2015

[Live And Learn]

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 !

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Live And Learn 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 !

My bet is you'll be making posts like this one into the 2020's...

[Live And Learn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo My bet is you'll be making posts like this one into the 2020's...

I sure do hope you're wrong ! Unless the market is down 10% from today in January of 2015 I'm fairly confident that I will finally ER !

[Options]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Live And Learn 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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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...

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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Live And Learn 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]

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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ikubak 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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Options 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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABQ2015 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