Reasons Why People Retire Early

[Scribbler33]

Retirement is definitely a new phase of life as you can find it is time during which new doors for opportunity get opened. It will be a real boost to your life, if you afford to enroll for premature retirement. The real trouble with people is that they are scared of leaving their regular job because they don't have any business idea to do something different.

During busy working life, people fail to do any family interaction and keeping touch with close friends. So sometimes home sickness and family bounding are the important reasons why people retire early. If you retired early then you may come to know recent activity conducted in your community. In case you have resident's association you may want to take active part in them so that people around you may benefit from your own experience.

What you think are there any more reasons for getting people retired early

 

[skyvue]

I am not retired yet but the main motivators for me to retire early are:

1. I am lazy and would prefer not to work 5 days per week.

2. I do not like working in my "typical" Corporate America middle management job because I feel like I am adding very little value to society. I am slaving away simply to make the top 25-30 execs in my company incredibly wealthy. We are announcing record revenue, record profits and our stock is at an all time high. Meanwhile, we closed down 3 plants this past year and gave everyone a 2% merit increase.

3. I want to have the free time to pursue the things I enjoy (travel, hiking, sports, partying with friends, spending time with my daughter) full time.

 

[Nemo2]

The only reason I ever worked in the first place, (other than to eat regularly and sleep inside), was so that I could quit.

 

[Danmar]

The only reason I ever worked in the first place, (other than to eat regularly and sleep inside), was so that I could quit.

Really? That would sure make working seem like a longer more tedious experience than it could be. After a while, in my case maybe 25-30 years, I can understand but right off the get go? I sure wouldn't want to be your boss.

 

[imoldernu]

Trigger for my retirement was cancer (cured now), but at the time in my own business and about to expand and take on debt. Looking death in the face gives a different perspective. Fortuitive forced decision.
Having been retired for a time, now... have become selfish... Love the freedom that makes worries seem insignificant.

Joyous... waking in the AM, and not having to go to the train.

 

[Nemo2]

Really? That would sure make working seem like a longer more tedious experience than it could be. After a while, in my case maybe 25-30 years, I can understand but right off the get go? I sure wouldn't want to be your boss.

Funnily enough I was promoted.....and, at one point in my 'career', (before I was transferred to Saudi), I was approached at a company party by two of my cohorts, (both of whom were on the 'fast track' for ongoing 'onward & upward promotions), and told that I was "The cream of the crop" and asked "When was I going to buckle down?"

My work was good, which, (as I intended), resulted in my being left alone as a pretty much autonomous operative......my customers were happy, my bosses were happy, and I was happy, since I wasn't subjected to the constant self-validation that some of my contemporaries faced.

And...other than doing odd jobs, construction/truck driving...even skinning kangaroos for pet meat once......while I bummed around the world, (and before I returned to school), I only worked at 'serious' jobs for ~ 15 years before I 'retired' at age 46.

I didn't 'hate' what I was doing, but as soon as I didn't have to do it...I stopped.

 

[scrabbler1]

I hated getting up early and running around and trying to eat breakfast fast enough to make my train...........and then I HATED the commute, even 2 days a week in my last 17 months of working. The commute was long, tiring, and often sickening.

 

[Midpack]

Because fortunately I could afford to never have to work again at least on paper at age 57. I had a good career and a great job, but after 35 years it had just run it's course and became boring. I had acheived everything I had hoped to there, some goals many times.

It wouldn't surprise me if I get bored with retirement in which case I'll go back to work, though in an entirely different (less responsibility/stress) line of work. After a year, I'm not bored with retirement though, time will tell...

 

[timeasterday]

2. I do not like working in my "typical" Corporate America middle management job because I feel like I am adding very little value to society. I am slaving away simply to make the top 25-30 execs in my company incredibly wealthy. We are announcing record revenue, record profits and our stock is at an all time high. Meanwhile, we closed down 3 plants this past year and gave everyone a 2% merit increase.

Hmmm...sounds like where we work, except most of us got 1.5% increases.

 

[reubenray]

The trigger to make me look at and decide to retire early is stress from my job. Plus the constant headaches. When I snapped at my wife of 38 years on her birthday just because she asked me how the job was I figured it was time. Then the following Monday I argued big-time with a city inspector which is a big "no-no" in construction.

 

[Midpack]

The trigger to make me look at and decide to retire early is stress from my job. Plus the constant headaches. When I snapped at my wife of 38 years on her birthday just because she asked me how the job was I figured it was time. Then the following Monday I argued big-time with a city inspector which is a big "no-no" in construction.

Congrats on being smart enough to recognize some kind of change was in order, another job/career if not retirement. Life's too short...

 

[Meadbh]

1. Because I'm getting lazy
2. Because I can

 

[sunnysideup]

I want to retire so I can decide what my priorities are, not some executives running the company. Probably should have run my own business but never wanted to deal with the risks.

I want to retire so I can enjoy pursuing my hobbies before my health declines. Mom and Dad had health issues that slowed them down in their early seventies, they have been slowed down since and are in their late 80s now. If my health and longevity are similar to theirs, I know there is a window of opportunity to do what I want to and then the window closes.

I don't want to set the alarm anymore. Getting up in the morning is seriously getting rough for the first time in my life. My job is not terrible, but getting so close to the goal is giving me the "itch"!

I am thankful that current health issues are not the reason I am looking to retire.

 

[Col. Klink]

Because life is finite and just as you got to do what you wanted to do as a kid (play), you RE in order to have that opportunity again while still able to enjoy it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

The book "The Experience of Retirement" by Robert S. Weiss and David J. Ekerdt (Cornell University Press) is a detailed academic study of 89 people before and after retirement, their feelings and emotions and why they chose the path(s) they did.

What was surprisingly to me most of the people had reasons beyond reaching an age threshold to retire.

Conflicts/lack of appreciation from a new boss.
Friends had left the workplace.
make room for younger people to move up
weren't given responsibilities they had in the past.

and so on. In general though they may have stayed were it not for some undesired event(s).

here's my thoughts on the book and the discussion that followed: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/i-think-ill-keep-working-56039.html

They (Weiss and Ekerdt) areacademics and do a fabulous job of categorizing the distribution of emotions and issues both before and after retirement. They interviewed 89 people going through the transition all from middle class backgrounds.

My takeaway from reading the book is that retirees enjoy the freedom of retirement but suffer (some quite a bit) from re-defining themselves and their identity in retirement. Also a number of retirees suffer from social isolation in retirement.

 

[Chuckanut]

Meanwhile, we closed down 3 plants this past year and gave everyone a 2% merit increase.

I got a 2% decrease in pay. And that continues into the new year so.... My surreptitious and unethical plans to spike my pension with an underserved massive pay increase in the last few years were foiled! Therefore, I might as well retire early.

 

[FIREd]

Like a kid with ADHD, I got bored and stressed out. I didn't like being cooped up all day in a cubicle or a windowless laboratory, I didn't like wasting time in stupid meetings, and I didn't feel like my knowledge and creativity were being challenged anymore. It was time to move on.

I think I chose the wrong career from the get go. Looking back, I was pretty much funneled into it from a pretty early age. Oh well, it worked out anyways.

 

[scrabbler1]

Because life is finite and just as you got to do what you wanted to do as a kid (play), you RE in order to have that opportunity again while still able to enjoy it.

I compare my ER to the 6-week time period after I finished my last final exam as a college student and before I began working at my first full-time job after college. That 6-week period, from late May through early July (1985) was a fun time. I traveled locally (NYC area) to visit friends and made a trip to San Diego to visit relatives which was a lot of fun just after my graduation in early June. I had no real responsibilities for several weeks until I had to make arrangements to move into my new apartment just after July 4th.

But my ER has lasted much longer than just 6 weeks. It has been close to 4 years now with no end in sight!

 

[W2R]

During busy working life, people fail to do any family interaction and keeping touch with close friends. So sometimes home sickness and family bounding are the important reasons why people retire early. If you retired early then you may come to know recent activity conducted in your community. In case you have resident's association you may want to take active part in them so that people around you may benefit from your own experience.

What you think are there any more reasons for getting people retired early

Retirement had nothing whatsoever to do with family or moving, for me.

I had always worked very long hours, and even as a child I worked long hours and did not have the opportunity to play much at all for reasons I needn't elaborate on right now. When I realized at age 51 that what I really wanted was a chance to relax and do whatever I want to do, for the first time in my life, I decided to cut back on hours and to retire as soon as possible.

And I did! Did I ever mention that I LOVE retirement? Every single moment is just amazing.

 

[rescueme]

Because the alternative was not acceptable to me...

 

[NW-Bound]

So, FIREd, what would be a better career for you?

As for me, I was doing the right thing I always wanted to do, and I am damn good at my specialties. I have always liked my work too. Megacorp work was relatively easy and well-paid, but politics pissed me off. Working in business ventures or start-ups was very satisfying on the technical side, as we were free to do whatever we thought would be right, but oh, the hours and the financial pressure were something that people working 9-to-5 would never know.

So, after getting burned out, I have been goofing off and doing a bit of work now and then, if an interesting project comes along. Could have been really busy with a project right now, but the politics were not to my liking so I walked.

 

[d0ug]

The reason I retired at 53 is because I had so many things to do and the job was getting in the way. I wanted to sail the Caribbean. Live where there are no laws about every facet of life. Freedom to do anything long as it dose not harm anyone else. Start a family as I was to busy working and saving for my retirement. Now that I am 70 years old and have accomplished all that I set out to do. Now I can just live life to the fullest and enjoy every minute.

 

[FIREd]

So, FIREd, what would be a better career for you?

No real career I can think off. I am a guy who likes to design and build stuff -all kinds of stuff- out of his garage, ya know? There is something very rewarding for me to take a project from conception to realization and then be able to point a finger at it and say "I made that". That makes me happy.

 

[REWahoo]

There is something very rewarding for me to take a project from conception to realization and then be able to point a finger at it and say "I made that". That makes me happy.

I'm the same way about having kids...

 

[NW-Bound]

Yes, it was satisfying for me and groups of friends to design and build things, first in our garages and living rooms, then graduated to office suites, with warehouses, sales offices, etc... But we need more and more people to buy our stuff. People in startups have a phrase for that: "need more dogs to eat your dog food".

Oh, the bills for rent, part vendors, subcontractors, lawyers, accountants, utility bills... Everyone wants his cut. These greedy people! And these dogs, er, I mean customers, were getting more demanding all the time. They kept asking for tastier dog food, while wanting to pay us less and less. I worked day and night to please them. I wanted to kick their ass. These customers started to piss me off just as much as the bureaucrats at megacorps. I quit!