what is semi retirement really

[perinova]

what is semi retirement really?

Work I understand. Retirement I also understand but semi-retirement seems a bit like an oximoron. Many of you have mentioned you passed through a phase of semi retirement.

In my case I am inching to FI but not quite there. Could I work less and still make it. Yes but it would take slightly longer to get there and maybe I would have to settle for less in retirement if I would.

Starting to care less but around you everyone seem to be on the same tread mill I was in years back,
dying to ask those guys if this is a choice (ie enjoying it), a necessary evil (ie didn't save enough), or don't know they can make it and retire.
In other words it is kind of hard to keep this like a little secret and it almost seems better to just call it quit abruptly rather than linger in the work place.

Semi-retirement:
Is it a state of mind? (job stress reduced, getting ready for ER)
Is it a financial level? (inching to FI but not quite there or maybe FI but cold feet )
Is it a lifestyle? (working part time?)
All of the above?

 

[jIMOh]

Work I understand. Retirement I also understand but semi-retirement seems a bit like an oximoron. Many of you have mentioned you passed through a phase of semi retirement.

In my case I am inching to FI but not quite there. Could I work less and still make it. Yes but it would take slightly longer to get there and maybe I would have to settle for less in retirement if I would.

Starting to care less but around you everyone seem to be on the same tread mill I was in years back,
dying to ask those guys if this is a choice (ie enjoying it), a necessary evil (ie didn't save enough), or don't know they can make it and retire.
In other words it is kind of hard to keep this like a little secret and it almost seems better to just call it quit abruptly rather than linger in the work place.

Semi-retirement:
Is it a state of mind? (job stress reduced, getting ready for ER)
Is it a financial level? (inching to FI but not quite there or maybe FI but cold feet )
Is it a lifestyle? (working part time?)
All of the above?

semi retirement could be when half the people you know are retired?
could be when half your income does not come from day job?
could be when you spend half the time you normally did at your day job?

 

[retire@40]

I cut my workload by 1/2, thereby giving me more free time to smell the roses.

I realize now that work and stress levels are not directly proportional. Even though my workload dropped by one-half, my stress level dropped by about 90%.

It's nice to start working late and leave early until the day comes that I don't go in at all. In the meanwhile, I don't need to touch my savings (and still add to it) while earning enough to pay for my living expenses.

I've built up enough savings so I can live on it for a couple of decades without earning a cent, so I feel I'm semi-retired in that I still need to work until I'm 100% FI, yet I don't have to work full-time to stay afloat.

 

[maddythebeagle]

I am working towards not having a "job" but spending some time in money making pursuits....maybe look to make 10-20k year...maybe look for a fun job...Actually, I am in a pretty free spirit lately (gave up OT) and am kinda semi-retired the way it is...

 

[tightasadrum]

I don't know about the term semi-retired, but does being retired mean you can't receive money for providing your services to someone willing to give it to you? Not to me. Some things I have done in my career were quite enjoyable. I'd probably do them for free...well maybe not free, but you get the idea. Some things were just enjoyable. Getting up early with a long commute, going to pointless meetings, dealing with whining or angry people, putting up with GM's who don't have a clue are all things I won't have to deal with when I retire. But if I can pick up a consulting opportunity now and then where I can actually spend time solving real problems, I'd jump all over it. Does that mean I'm only semi-retired? If it starts to intrude on my travelling, gardening, volunteering, sleeping and peace of mind it is. Otherwise I'm just having fun, stuffing found money in my pockets and still retired.

 

[kaudrey]

I'd think of it as having some structured "thing" you are doing that is paying you money, but it's probably not full time and probably not paying what your "real" job did.

When I "retire", I'm thinking that I'll try to get some of those short tern jobs at national parks, and see a bunch of them that way. I'll become a campground host, or an assistant park ranger or something. There may be pay involved, maybe not, but I'd have some responsibilities.

Karen

 

[clifp]

I use the term semi-retired to keep the inevitable questions/comments, "you're to young to be retired." down to a minimum among strangers.

e.g
What do you do?
Some financial planning, but I'm really semi-retired.
Who do you like in the Series....?

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

according to webster, semiretired is neither two words nor hyphenated but actually a word since 1937 which means "working only part-time especially because of age or ill health."

so if i get much older while the inherited house does not sell because of the ill health of the economy, i will be semiretired.

 

[megacorp-firee]

could be when you spend half the time you normally did at your day job?

hmmmm when I was w*rking ... I found that half of the people (still on the job) did this anyways.

 

[mickeyd]

I get bored from time to time and jump on a temp job for a while just to keep me sharp and to be around new business folks that have simular experience as do I.

I do not really care that much about what I am paid for my efforts, but it is nice to know that the end of the job is just weeks or months away. (retirement squared )

 

[ziggy29]

It can mean a lot of things. It usually refers to someone who has quit their main career-oriented job for another job with reduced workload.

Some do it because they like the "new" job and don't care that the pay sucks because they are FI.

Some do it to pay for health insurance since Megacorp doesn't provide it any more.

Some do it because they're "almost" FI but need just a few more bucks for a few more years, and they couldn't wait to get rid of their previous Megacorp job.

 

[Meadbh]

I agree with Ziggy29. It can mean whatever you want it to mean.

For me it will mean the chance to leave full time work (70 hour weeks) behind, to work independently, do some personal things I've been wanting to do for awhile (including a move to my favourite location). It will be a welcome change of pace, without giving up all the structure and social benefits of involvement in the working world. And FI is a necessary precondition.

Roll on 2012!

 

[nicedream]

For me, I anticipate it being some sort of job that is not full time, and is more enjoyable, and more flexible.

I work in IT. When I hit ER, someday in the much too distant future I want to take on some contract work. My plan is that I will able to do a lot (if not all) of the work from home, only take jobs that I don't mind doing, and having the option of not picking up anything for a few months if I just plain dont feel like it

 

[Dawg52]

I fully retired in April but plan to work a few hours for my old company at year end. I reluctantly agreed to help out my replacement during his first year end close and company audit. Actually worked half of yesterday and went to the grand opening of a new out of town location today. I admit, it was kind of fun seeing all my old work buddies.

I love being retired but working a few hours might not be too bad just to add a little variety. Semi retired? Nah.......don't like the term. Still sounds like a working stiff. Just a few paid play hours.

 

[jblack]

e.g What do you do?
Some financial planning, but I'm really semi-retired.
Who do you like in the Series....?

Boston

 

[clifp]

Cleveland oh wait they choked, and the Yankee aren't playing so I can't root against them.. So another series I won't watch.

 

[ziggy29]

Semi retired? Nah.......don't like the term. Still sounds like a working stiff.

Yeah, I know -- sortt of like "almost pregnant." But what's an alternative?

Lightly employed by choice? Post-career employment? Something else? Bueller?

 

[kcowan]

I prefer to use the term gainful employment. My gainful employment comes from managing my portfolio and 2 others so I am now a private client portfolio manager.

And I will bet on the sox (but do they have to fall behind 1-3 every time?)

 

[Moemg]

I retired but I got talked into (with money ) filling in occasionally .Big mistake ! If you are sick of your job you are sick of it no matter how few hours you are working .

 

[ziggy29]

I retired but I got talked into (with money ) filling in occasionally .Big mistake ! If you are sick of your job you are sick of it no matter how few hours you are working .

Yes, but the good news is that if you are really FI, you can tell them to shove it if the job sucks. That's something those of us not quite at the point of FI can do. That has to relieve at least some of the stress.

 

[DallasGuy]

I've been "semi-retired" for a few years. I'm a contract worker doing computer programming. Every time a contract comes to an end I think....well, this is the end. Inevitably, someone calls me up after a few months and says that they need help and would I be interested in working again. After a few months off I'm usually rested physically and mentally and decide to go back to work for the money. I'm 51 years old so at times I feel too young to retire for good, so it's not that hard to go back again. But being a contractor more or less makes the job temporary, so I usually don't have that feeling like I'm trapped in a job I hate, although it's harder and harder to go back each time. I've been back to work on my current contract for about a year...I'm thinking it will end at the end of the year because my project hired 4-5 people in India to help out (the writing is on the wall, so to speak...I'm being replaced at a much lower cost to the company). Oh well, no problem...I'll just go back into semi-retirement again....and who knows it might actually turn into full retirement next time.

 

[BigBob]

semi-retirement: no longer driving truck?

Cleveland oh wait they choked, and the Yankee aren't playing so I can't root against them.. So another series I won't watch.

Ditto from a Cleveland fan.

 

[perinova]

Trying to synthesise previous posts.

Semiretirement seem to be w*rk. Only it is work done by someone who doesn't need to w*rk either because already (or very close to) FI or at least blessed with a pretty good GTH fund.
Consequently there is less financial and time demand than earlier w*rk.

I personally would want that phase to be as short as possible. I'd rather choose to work for example 1 more year at 100% rather than 3 more years at 33%.
Unless there is a pretty good reason to gradually phase work out rather than abruptly? (I am thinking of lifestyle adaptation maybe).

 

[Fireup2020]

Semiretired means to me not having to "gototheofficeatacertaintimedow*rkstuffthenleaveatacertaintimetoensurepaycheckandbenefitsanddoitalloveragainthenextweekday"
Something tells me I might still be peddling Mary Kay or consulting as an organizer (something I do on the side now) while no longer having a regular j*b, but I really don't consider it real work because it is fun.

 

[youbet]

Semiretired is what you call part time w*rk when you're embarrassed to admit you still need/want to be hitched to the plow less than full time.