Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome

[Nords]

In many cases you can always find a temp job, be a consultant, work as a Wal-Mart greeter, etc... to make additional money if you ultimately find that you need it.

I spent a couple hours yesterday at a doctor's clinic (nasty cold).  As I watched the lobby traffic, I noticed a steady stream of medical suppliers & couriers going into the lab.  There were at least four or five of them, and not one of them looked younger than 60.  In fact I'm pretty sure that at least one of those companies will have an obituary-related vacancy within the month.

I hope they get a good healthcare plan with a job in that field.

 

[Sheryl]

This is a really great thread, and I'd like to ask my partner to sit down and read it, he is waffling right now on the "one more year" fence.

So could y'all do me a favor and don't insert any camel toes, squirrels or beavers for another day or two?

 

[REWahoo]

So could y'all do me a favor and don't insert any camel toes, squirrels or beavers for another day or two?

No problem. Since you've already made references to all three, you've pretty much covered the bases for us.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I was going to photoshop together a shaved squirrels beaver, but the baby doesnt want to be put down right now, so you're good to go.

 

[kumquat]

You guys are getting to me again. Maybe I should, maybe not...

The NOTS
1) I think we are FI but one more year always helps.
2) DW can spends whatever I make.
3) Health, I'm immortal (I think), grandparents lived to high 90's
4) What to do all day
5) Friends are NOT FI and won't be ER, therefore who do I spend days with?
6) Get paid a rediculous sum for what I do.
7) Some male in family has to work (OK son just started, but term)

The SHOULDS
1) Probably FI
2) Not immortal, M died 78, F at 55 (but cause not likely to affect me)
3) Getting bored at work

Options?
1) Outa here
2) New job (have an offer)
3) Consult? maybe, hot field but not a lot of contacts

Unfortunately, doing nothing is a lot easier than any of the others. Anyone else suffering from inertia?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

You guys are getting to me again. Maybe I should, maybe not...

If it was that much of a toss-up for me, I'd keep working.

Hey... wait... it is, and I am...

Actually, I would enjoy doing precisely what I am doing, just half-time. Alas, I haven't found that job just yet.

 

[Martha]

Anyone else suffering from inertia?

I am the Mistress of Inertia.

But am slowly decreasing the hours I work. Now at about 1/3 or 1/4 time.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I am the Mistress of Inertia. But am slowly decreasing the hours I work. Now at about 1/3 or 1/4 time.

Then you're my hero.

I'm working more than I would like, but thank heavens I really like my job. Part-time would be perfect but is not an option - yet.

Keep teasing me with stories about libraries, time-off, flexible hours -- good motivation to stay on plan.

 

[audreyh1]

Unfortunately, doing nothing is a lot easier than any of the others.  Anyone else suffering from inertia?

It's OK to do nothing while you are exploring all your options. It's called "preparation". Then, at some point when you feel the need to take action, you'll be well-prepared.

Quitting work is a HUGE life change. Not to be taken lightly, and not to be done just because it seems you "should" or you reached some arbitrary age.

Audrey

 

[rs0460a]

But am slowly decreasing the hours I work.  Now at about 1/3 or 1/4 time.

I do that now, even though I'm at "work" 40+ hours per week  :

- Ron

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Its not a black/white either/or. If you think you've got it and you're not a reckless person that thinks borderline stuff is good enough, then you should be good. Worst case, if in a year or two or three things take a little dip and you eat a little further into your cash/liquid money than you'd like, call your old boss back and take on a consulting job or go back to work for them as a temporary employee for a busy season or do something totally different for a few months until it blows over.

If you get 5 years into it and things still look solid, you're probably good to go from there.

Unless something bizarre happens I'd bet you're 2-3 months into it smacking yourself in the head for not doing it sooner.

 

[Sheryl]

I was going to photoshop together a shaved squirrels beaver, but the baby doesnt want to be put down right now, so you're good to go.

Thanks - you're a pal.

 

[JonnyM]

I'm in that same MountainMike delemma. Not quite as dramatic, but using the same fuzzy logic, it would be worth about 3.5k per year if I was willing to work it, conservative estimate assumes no more promotions or salary increases of any kind. I'm comfortable in what I do, but the bottom line for me was the desire for personal freedom.

I figure I compromised in that I worked 3/4 of a year past the minimum retirement age for the system in place where I work (8 more days to go!).

That 9 months netted me nearly 5k per year extra, and seemed like the thing to do to get me to an acceptable level of compensation forever always. We calulated our expenses and figure our take home at about 10k per year more than current expenses, based on an about to paid off mortgage but adding in extra travel dollars, and keeping a permanent vehicle payment in the mix.

I just fudged up what 4 more years would have got me, nearly 14k more per year. Sounds like serious money, but just not for us. We will have "enough" to live comfortably, if not extravagantly. After all we made a serious (Joke) point of acquiring all the toys, some of which we haven't even opened yet during the best earning years of our lives.

Time to slow down now and smell the roses, or look for the fox in the woods. 8)

 

[Cool Dood]

I was going to photoshop together a shaved squirrels beaver, but the baby doesnt want to be put down right now, so you're good to go.

I should hope not, he's still pretty young and probably has a bunch of things he wants to experience.....

 

[bosco]

I find this topic interesting because I have wrestled with it so much personally.

There was a guy on this forum a while age (oldage pensioner?) who RE'd with a $2mil portfolio and went back to work. It seemed like it was mostly just a pervading sense of insecurity. I'd like to avoid that feeling, even if the tide sometimes seems to be running in the wrong direction.

In my case, I have decided to do 2 more construction seasons. The upside is I have winters to ski. Also, the numbers were so compelling--

current retirement (at 55--I am presently 53) $30,800/yr--if I take it early I lose 6%/year
with 1 more construction season (estimated, @ 55) $40,000/yr
with 2 more seasons (pull the plug 11/07, wait until 2/08 when 55) $50,000/yr

I could go yet another season after and get it up to $57,000-$58,000/yr, but it would really bother me not to be drawing on that pension once I am 55 years old, since the amount is not adjusted for taking it "late".

These numbers are the result of a lot of flukes of the system converging and how the average compensation is calculated (beware of engineers flogging spreadsheets....they can do serious damage).

Yes, there are always uncertainties. In my case, I am retiring in Canada with a US pension. So the "Bush Tax" (declining US dollar) is whittling away at my assets and pension if they are evaluated in Canadian dollars. But 2 more seasons allows me to burn my mortgage and fund my sons university (at least to the level I am willing to fund them). So it seems to work out.

If I decided to go one more construction season, I would start wondering about myself....at that point I would give Nords permission to fly to Alaska and beat me over the head with a surfboard.

As for the "mistress of inertia", seems like a good name for a heavy metal band. Or the start of a bad fish joke never mind...

 

[Nords]

Unfortunately, doing nothing is a lot easier than any of the others. Anyone else suffering from inertia?

I think it's called "paralysis by analysis".

Except for Martha. She's moving in the right direction; the only reason she hasn't made the leap is because no one at her firm is willing to risk their lives by pissing her off.

Anyway, kumquat, you're at the point where you need to find a way to get out of work for 2-3 months. Take a sabbatical, unpaid leave, humongous vacation, unemployment, whatever. Once you practice the ER lifestyle, you'll know the right decision.

If I decided to go one more construction season, I would start wondering about myself....at that point I would give Nords permission to fly to Alaska and beat me over the head with a surfboard.

Best offer I've had all week! Except for the "Alaska" part, although I'd have a great time standing in the Alaska Airlines first-class checkin line with my longboard bag slung over my shoulder...

Hey, you're in construction, so here's a better offer. Every contractor I know here is working 60-70 hour weeks and the construction unions are prowling the corridors of the 10-grade classrooms handing out apprentice cards-- literally. Hawaii's unemployment rate is 2.4% and I owe most of my burgeoning home-improvement skills to the fact that you can't get a contractor to tackle a simple kitchen rehab job when they can build new kitchens in Kapolei by the dozens.

So your "one more construction season" could be spent here. It might change your life...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I should hope not, he's still pretty young and probably has a bunch of things he wants to experience.....

Point taken, but I meant I was holding him with one hand, typing with the other, trying to avoid his furious attempts to help me type, and he wasnt up for being placed on the floor...

I can type 50+wpm with one hand, but I cant photoshop...

 

[Outtahere]

the only reason she hasn't made the leap is because no one at her firm is willing to risk their lives by pissing her off.

Oh that sounds like what they would say here about me. Just yesterday I over heard one of the seasoned veterans say to a new hire as I walked by, don't piss her off, you'll live to regret it. Hopefully they'll take the advice and spare themselves dealing with me one on one LOL.


CFB .. I was wondering, what are you going to do when the hurricane goes to school?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Sleep. For a thousand years.

Until the moment it occurs to me that he's not under my watchful eye and i end up standing outside his school room watching him through the window...at least until the police show up

Helicopter Dad! The new show from Fox coming this fall!

 

[JonnyM]

Sleep. For a thousand years.

Until the moment it occurs to me that he's not under my watchful eye and i end up standing outside his school room watching him through the window...at least until the police show up

Helicopter Dad! The new show from Fox coming this fall!

Just to show you, it could become more true than you think...

Son (age 22) is just completing real live Helicopter School, so that would make me a "helicopter dad" nie?

 

[nwsteve]

Helicopter Dad!  The new show from Fox coming this fall!

Article in todays WSJ online about helicopter parents now in the workplace. From interview, to salary negotiation. I was amazed at the number of examples from Fortune 500 types indicating parental involvement in their new college grads employment activites. Here is the link(may require registration)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114246499616999404.html?mod=home_personal_journal_left
nwsteve

 

[FlogBlogger]

Got metrics?

Not that I'm a great believer in numbers, but I found it interesting to apply weighted ratings to factors that affect my decision to retire, semi-retire, or continue working my full-time job. I took ten discriminators that affect my personal happiness (time with family, financial security, challenging projects, physical fitness, ability to travel, etc) and weighted them 1 to 3 in importance. I then scored each of these with 0, half, or one point, against how achievable these are in either retirement, semi-retirement, and full-time employment.

After adding up the numbers, it seems I would be 150% as happy semi-retired than working full-time, and 233% as happy FIREd as working full-time.

 

[Martha]

Article in todays WSJ online about helicopter parents now in the workplace. From interview, to salary negotiation. I was amazed at the number of examples from Fortune 500 types indicating parental involvement in their new college grads employment activites. Here is the link(may require registration)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114246499616999404.html?mod=home_personal_journal_left
nwsteve

I read that article too. Bizarro world. I can't believe employers are putting up with that crap.

 

[Andre1969]

There's this secretary at work who's constantly meddling in her daughter's work. She was raised spoiled and used to have a high-paying job, so I think she resents being "just" a secretary now. Anyway, her daughter will call up crying to Mommy about some evil thing her boss did to her. So then she will get on the phone and give the daughter's BOSS an earful!

I just can't believe that people tolerate that. I know as an employer I wouldn't put up with it. All I can say is that either the daughter is one hell of a good worker, or she has something blackmail-able over the boss! :

 

[Outtahere]

In this day and age is there anything the boss could do to the daughter because of the mother? I can tell you if it was someone that worked for me they wouldn't be in my employment much longer, but I'll bet that's a lawsuit waiting to happen.