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11-07-2016, 10:07 AM
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#1
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,433
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Downside of retirement
Not saying that this applies to most folks here, but there's been another recent thread where someone with 10s of millions net worth in his 40s and had been retired for 2 years and was a bit unhappy/depressed.
Darrow Kirkpatrick's blog post addresses some issues and concerns that some folks have with regard to retirement.
The Downside of Retirement - Can I Retire Yet?
omni
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11-07-2016, 10:15 AM
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#2
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,072
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" Yes, retiring is great fun for most people, at first."
I'm 10 years in and it's still fun to me. Maybe the fun stops in the next 10. 
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
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11-07-2016, 10:23 AM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
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Yeah, I dunno.
I read that article and wondered what he was talking about. None of it made any sense.
Maybe I avoided all that angst by not retiring "too" early?
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11-07-2016, 10:33 AM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,697
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I just finished my 8th year of retirement and I can't begin to imagine working ever again. Looking forward to my next 8 years of ER, then 8 more and 8 more and 8 more......
Even though it has been 8 years since I was regularly part of the daily rat race including the awful commute I had (and it royally sucked even twice a week), I still take some small joy whenever I see local traffic and transit reports or hear a story about the latest problems with the Long Island Rail Road (as long as nobody got hurt). And I dread it whenever I have to drive around in rush-hour traffic, a rare event even in the afternoon.
The way I have set up my medium-term and long-term retirement, I'll have MORE money available in 6 years, when I will have unfettered access to my IRA, the first of my "reinforcements," with the others being my frozen company pension and SS.
Nope, no downside of retirement here......
__________________
Retired in late 2008 at age 45. Cashed in company stock, bought a lot of shares in a big bond fund and am living nicely off its dividends. IRA, SS, and a pension await me at age 60 and later. No kids, no debts.
"I want my money working for me instead of me working for my money!"
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11-07-2016, 11:16 AM
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#5
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,358
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There's a downside? Really?
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11-07-2016, 11:26 AM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
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Of course. There's a downside to everything. Just watch the news and read stuff on the internet and you will plunge to the depths of despair in no time at all.
You can do it too. Start up your own blog and make big money making people miserable. Just when you thought you had it good...nope, no way, see it says right here that your life is meaningless and it's all your fault.
Amazing.
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11-07-2016, 11:42 AM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,330
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Admittedly, I'm only 7+ months into ER, but I can't fathom that I would ever get tired of it. In fact, I just turned down a lucrative offer to come back to my former mega for some sporadic consulting. Can't picture myself dealing with the tedious stuff anymore, if I don't absolutely have to.
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11-07-2016, 11:49 AM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 9,358
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No downside here. My only regret is that in hindsight we could have watched our expenses closer and retired 10 years sooner.
__________________
Even clouds seem bright and breezy, 'Cause the livin' is free and easy, See the rat race in a new way, Like you're wakin' up to a new day (Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether lyrics, Alan Parsons Project, based on an EA Poe story)
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11-07-2016, 11:57 AM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
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 Quote:
Originally Posted by braumeister
There's a downside? Really?
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At the 11+ year point about the only downside I can think of is I'm now on the short end of the stick and will someday be running out of time to enjoy it. 
__________________
Numbers is hard
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11-07-2016, 12:04 PM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,018
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Again, I believe it stems from what place your w*rk takes in your life. If you job is more or less the center, your quest in life, the thing you want to do *and* outside of work you really don't have many interests/hobbies... then yes, retirement, long term, might be a challenge. But if your w*rk is really just a distraction (not to say you don't like it) and a means to pay your bills *and* you can take time off and never be bored at home, have all kinds of hobbies/interests and "stuff you want to do", then I'd wager that retirement will be the nirvana you hope it to be.
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11-07-2016, 12:06 PM
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#11
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by braumeister
There's a downside? Really?
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Just think of the poor slob who has to do the job you left behind , especially if you weren't replaced and your workload was added to someone 
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11-07-2016, 12:25 PM
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#12
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,340
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The guy who replaced me was eager to have the job and enjoyed it, as I did. Later on he was enticed into private industry with their underhanded tactic of tripling his pay. Last I heard he was a VP of something at a major defense megacorp.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
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11-07-2016, 12:26 PM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 6,258
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
I'm now on the short end of the stick and will someday be running out of time to enjoy it.
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When I want to really feel depressed, I use the tape measure analogy -- where each inch marks your age. A stick is a little too subjective.
__________________
"It's tough to make predictions, especially when it involves the future." ~Attributed to many
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." ~(perhaps by) Yogi Berra
"Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge."~ Lau tzu
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11-07-2016, 12:43 PM
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#14
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Williston, FL
Posts: 3,925
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Quote:
Originally Posted by braumeister
There's a downside? Really?
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Yes. Now that I am retired, I no longer have weekends. Or long weekends. Or holidays. Or vacations.
I do not get that great Friday afternoon feeling that the weekend is here. Or the excitement of leaving the office early to start a vacation. Or the thrill of Monday morning, ready to get back to the grind.
I often forget what day it is. It seems like it's always Saturday. My projects take longer, as I start them later and stop working on them sooner. I do not put in as many hours as I can, just as many hours as I want.
I hope the workers here count their blessings.
__________________
FIRE no later than 7/5/2016 at 56 (done), securing '16 401K match (done), getting '15 401K match (done), LTI Bonus (done), Perf bonus (done), maxing out 401K (done), picking up 1,000 hours to get another year of pension (done), July 1st benefits (vacation day, healthcare) (done), July 4th holiday. 0 days left. (done) OFFICIALLY RETIRED 7/5/2016!!
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11-07-2016, 12:43 PM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RonBoyd
When I want to really feel depressed, I use the tape measure analogy -- where each inch marks your age. A stick is a little too subjective.
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The trouble with a tape measure is that it has a defined length. A stick, OTOH is of undetermined length.
__________________
Numbers is hard
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11-07-2016, 12:48 PM
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#16
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,970
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In my 21st year. Not only can I not imagine working I almost can't believe I worked all those years. Sometimes I'll come across an old picture or something from those days that reminds me and I'll say: Yep. That's me alright. I can't pretend it didn't happen
As the years go faster and get fewer it reminds me of that that Neil Young song's lyrics: It's a dream. It's only a dream. And it's fading now. Fading away. A dream only a dream just a memory without any place to stay.
And of course the ever popular: The record shows, I took the blows and did my way.
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11-07-2016, 12:50 PM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
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But even an 8 footer has more inches than the vast majority of people have years
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11-07-2016, 12:55 PM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobbieB
But even an 8 footer has more inches than the vast majority of people have years |
I don't measure my life in inches....
__________________
Numbers is hard
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11-07-2016, 01:03 PM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
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I know, you prefer a stick -
Me, I like a stake better. Yeah, I could measure my life in stakes...er steaks that is. I just added another last night. A wonderful wagyu NY -
But the steaks are getting low in the freezer and the lobster tails are gone. Time to buy on the next "internet specials" coming soon!
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11-07-2016, 01:03 PM
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#20
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 7,054
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My DH is going back to work at age 57. He retired 5 years ago when laid off and could not find work. He has worked on consulting projects and went through 1 1/2 without any work and is itching to work. This new project will be 2-3 years (h e is an engineer) so that will probably take him into real retirement. Everyone is different.
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