When?

[GTM]

Leaving work prior to the normal retirement age seems like a good idea to me. As we all know there may be a number of factors that determine whether or when we do it (financial probably #1).
What I would like to ask those who care to respond is:

1. If you already ER'd .. at what age did you do it?

2. If you plan on ER'ing at what age do you hope to do so?

3. If you just think ER'ing is great but not in your current plans, at what age would you think is time to call it quits.

My situation is #2 at age 53.

GTM

 

[malakito]

#2 at age 57.77 on March 2, 2027. About.

But I'm planning, not hoping. Lord willing.

malakito.

 

[Michael]

If you already ER'd .. at what age did you do it?

44

 

[wabmester]

1. If you already ER'd .. at what age did you do it?

40.5 -- I gave notice at 39, but they gave me incentive to stick around for 6 more months.   The longest 6 months of my life.   And they robbed me of being able to say I retired at 30-something ... the b@st0rds!  

I'd postulate that retiring at any age below 50 is frowned upon by Society.   It's considered an ostentatious display of, err, umm, bliss.   At any age above 50, people figure you're entitled to whatever bliss you can squeeze out of your remaining life, I guess.

It's the same bumper-sticker mentality that came up with "no pain, no gain."   I think a better bumper sticker for ER's would be "no pain, no pain."

(Alright, that's my last rant of the night!)

 

[Whakamole]

Planning on mid-40s.

 

[hocus]

I handed in my resignation at age 43. But my "retirement" was only from the world of corporate employment. It is my intent to continue working at work I love even past the normal retirement age of 65.

 

[retire@40]

When I was a teenager I thought retiring at 50 would be "awesome."  So that was my original intent.  But I've been able to save enough since then to give myself an ER birthday present on the day I turn 40.

For me ER won't be cold turkey.  I have been reducing my workload starting in my mid 30s.  When I turn 40, I'm going to be in neutral working an average of 5 or 6 hours a week until age 42.  Then I'll quit the 5 hours a week whenever I get sick of it.

I don't know who invented the 40 hour workweek, but it was probably one of the worst inventions ever.  Just bringing my hours down to 20 hours a week made a big difference in my life.  More time to enjoy life and less stress.

 

[Zipper]

53 years/8 months in June of 1997.

 

[Skylark]

2. If you plan on ER'ing at what age do you hope to do so?

I plan to retire at age 60, in 17 years, at the very latest. But with a little luck I will be able to retire in my mid to late 50's.

 

[unclemick]

age 49 1/2 - 1993 layoff

my 'plan' was age 63 - 2006.

Early retirement in those days was anything before age 66 - my SS date.

 

[brewer12345]

I expect top drop out somewhere between 45 and 50, depending on how things go. Considering that I am only 31, it'll be a while.

 

[arrete]

Retired at 50. But I didn't start full time work until 38 - stay at home mom and school before that.

arrete

 

[dm]

Next May at 47. Right before my 48th birthday.

 

[grumpy]

I retired from full time work in 2002 at age 55. I then worked two or three days a week until last Thursday. Now I am fully retired at age 57.

Grumpy

 

[K. B. Sharkstooth]

2. 2010 at age 50.

K. B. Sharkstooth

 

[Austin_Explorer]

I don't know who invented the 40 hour workweek, but it was probably one of the worst inventions ever.

Actually it's a heck of a lot better than what preceeded it. The 40 hour work week was quite revolutionary for its day. What on Earth will the unwashed masses do with all of that free time? Heavens!

My plan, retire at 50 at the latest (currently 37). If things work out better than the conservative plan then I'll cut out earlier.

 

[JonnyM]

Planning
Age 51

July 2006

 

[Goat55]

I'm now 47.

I plan to retire at 55.

 

[Nords]

#1. Age 41.

JonnyM, I'm curious (I've never strummed a stringed instrument). Can you tell the performance difference among 20+ guitars, or is there some "portfolio overlap"? Or are they collectibles?

 

[ERhopeful]

When I was a teenager I thought retiring at 50 would be "awesome."  So that was my original intent.  But I've been able to save enough since then to give myself an ER birthday present on the day I turn 40.

For me ER won't be cold turkey.  I have been reducing my workload starting in my mid 30s.  When I turn 40, I'm going to be in neutral working an average of 5 or 6 hours a week until age 42.  Then I'll quit the 5 hours a week whenever I get sick of it.

I don't know who invented the 40 hour workweek, but it was probably one of the worst inventions ever.  Just bringing my hours down to 20 hours a week made a big difference in my life.  More time to enjoy life and less stress.

Planning for 2007 at age 36. After that may work 5-10 weeks per year, just to keep my license and skills.

erhopeful

 

[KB]

I'm planning on retiring in 18 months at age 53.

JohnnyM, my 17 year old son is a guitarist, he already has 5 guitars and 3 amps.

 

[Cut-Throat]

I handed in my resignation at age 43. But my "retirement" was only from the world of corporate employment. It is my intent to continue working at work I love even past the normal retirement age of 65.

*****,

Nice to see your contribution. Would you like to share with us the work that you are doing that you love?

 

[hocus]

Would you like to share with us the work that you are doing that you love?

I write books on how to win financial freedom early in life. And I do all the other stuff that goes along with doing that, of course. Writing on the various Retire Early/Passion Saving/FIRE boards is one of the ways that I both learn and teach about the subject. So I consider the time I spend here to be part of my "work" day.

I work longer hours now than I did before I handed in my resignation. It's rare for me to take a day off. And, if you take note of the time stamped on a good number of the posts I put up, you'll see that my work day often starts pretty darn early in the morning.

Freud said that love and work are the two big emotional compensations one has to make up for the bad stuff that turns up in life. I think that Freud got a lot of stuff wrong, but I think he got that one right. I retired not to escape work, but to free myself of all the nonsense that I had to deal with in my corporate jobs and become free to spend my energies doing the work I truly love.

It's extremely fulfilling to be able to share the secrets of doing that with others. It changes lives. I'm biased, of course, but I think that the work I do is the most important work in the world.

 

[amt]

Would you like to share with us the work that you are doing that you love?

So I consider the time I spend here to be part of my "work" day.

It's rare for me to take a day off. And, if you take note of the time stamped on a good number of the posts I put up, you'll see that my work day often starts pretty darn early in the morning.

Before labeling the number of stars denoting each postor along the lines of dryer sheets, dory36 used to describe 5 stars as "posting here is the full time job".

Now, we've found the ONE who literally does that.

Congrats,

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

*****,

Nice to see your contribution. Would you like to share with us the work that you are doing that you love?

Honking.

Except instead of force feeding grain to create fois gras, in this case the goose forcefeeds goose crap to everybody else.

Now we just have to get THAT outlawed in california.