Five years: a status report

[REWahoo]

Five years ago today I turned in my ID badge and said goodbye to the working life forever - or so I hoped.

I've not earned a dime from honest or dishonest labor since that day. We lived entirely off our portfolio for almost four years until I began drawing a SS check last February. In addition to "normal" expenses, we've paid cash for a couple of big ticket items: a new car (08 Honda Pilot) and a used motor home. Our conservative (Pssst: Wellesley) portfolio absorbed those hits along with the 08/09 financial meltdown and now sits at 84.8% of where we started five years ago.

The memory of work has faded considerably. What is still vivid is the excitement I felt the first morning I woke up knowing I would never have to work again. I was a 6 year old kid again and it was Christmas morning.

I suppose the Executive Summary should read "so far, so good".

 

[W2R]

Congratulations on your fifth "retire-a-versary"!

Sounds like things are going along nicely, despite what was apparently the biggest economic collapse since the Great Depression, the RV, and the new car. Glad to hear it.

 

[Dawg52]

Congrats! Time flies, I retired just a little over 3 years ago. Seems like 3 months ago. I guess that means I'm a successful retiree.

 

[Khan]

Congrats. I'm past 5 years and can't imagine it any other way.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Congratulations! Go shopping for a nice wood or wooden or silverware gift (depending on traditiona US, traditional UK, or modern US standards) for Mrs. REWahoo. If youcan hang in there for the 50th, the gift will also make some of our posters very very happy :

Year Traditional (U.S.)/Traditional (U.K.)/Modern (U.S.)
1st Paper/Cotton/Clocks
2nd Cotton/Paper/China
3rd Leather/Leather/Crystal, Glass
4th Linen, Silk/Fruit and Flower/Appliances (electrical)
5th Wood/Wooden/Silverware
6th Iron/Sugar/Wood objects
7th Wool, Copper/Woollen/Desk sets/Pen & Pencil sets
8th Bronze/Salt, Pottery/Linens, Lace
9th Pottery, China/Copper/Leather goods
10th Tin, Aluminum/Tin, coal/Diamond jewelry
11th Steel/Scent/Fashion jewelry, accessories
12th Silk/Silk and Fine Linen/Pearls, Colored gems
13th Lace/Barometer/Textiles, Furs
14th Ivory/Clock/Gold jewelry
15th Crystal/Crystal/Watches
16th Tourmaline/Holloware/Silver Holloware
17th Furniture/Furniture/Furniture
18th Turquoise/Coloured Gems/Porcelain
19th Aquamarine/Furniture/Bronze
20th China/China/Platinum
25th Silver/Silver/Silver
30th Pearl/Pearl/Diamond
35th Coral, Jade/Coral/Jade
40th Ruby/Ruby/Ruby
45th Sapphire/Sapphire/Sapphire
50th Gold/Gold/Gold

 

[REWahoo]

50th Gold/Gold/Gold

You left out the exclamation marks...

 

[Purron]

Congrats REWahoo! Hope I can say the same on my 5th. So far, so good.

 

[Westernskies]

ReW,
Congrats from a member of the working proletariat. I was going to get you a nice gift, (think gold!/gold!/gold!) but opted to pay off the mortgage instead...
WS

 

[haha]

Congrats Wahoo. Good job!

Ha

 

[walkinwood]

Congratulations!

What kind of financial adjustments, if any, did you have to make in these five turbulent years?

 

[bbbamI]

What is still vivid is the excitement I felt the first morning I woke up knowing I would never have to work again. I was a 6 year old kid again and it was Christmas morning.

So this means you're 11 years old today, right?

Happy birthday, Merry Christmas and congratulations......

 

[Moemg]

Congratulations ! Time goes quick when you are having fun !

 

[REWahoo]

What kind of financial adjustments, if any, did you have to make in these five turbulent years?

There were two major adjustments.

The first was convincing ourselves we could loosen up our spending a bit - we (OK, I) squeezed every nickel, especially the first year. Two years after retiring and living entirely off our savings and investments, our portfolio had grown by 12%. That's when I [-]thought we were bulletproof[/-] bought the car and the motor home. Then the market started heading south.

This led to our second major adjustment - cutting our spending back to a level even lower than our first year of retirement. Fortunately the market turned around and we were able to stop the beans&rice diet after a year or so and return to a spending level I hope we can sustain for the long run.

 

[Darryl]

Congratulations ReW!!! You're seting a fine example, hope to join you soon

 

[dessert]

Congratulations REWahoo! We all need [-]old dudes [/-] good role models to follow.
Seriously though, you should be feeling good about your situation. I hope to post the same type of message in the future myself.

 

[Nova]

Congratulations REWahoo!!! My wish for you is that all future years are like your second and third years.

 

[Alan]

5 Years. Congratulations REW, doesn't time fly when you are having fun?

Zoom! What was that? That was your life, Mate! That was quick, do I get another? Sorry, Mate. Back to the world of dreams. Yes, dear? ...

.... Basil Fawlty

 

[traineeinvestor]

5 Years. Congratulations REW, doesn't time fly when you are having fun?

.... Basil Fawlty

Sigh....I'm not sure whether all these threads by people who are enjoying their well deserved retirement are depressing or inspirational for those of use who are still chained to their desks....

Hopefully in another 582 days I will feel like time is flying a lot faster than it does today.

 

[Leonidas]

I suppose the Executive Summary should read "so far, so good".

I love it when a plan comes together and when good things happen to good folks. Congrats.

 

[Alan]

Sigh....I'm not sure whether all these threads by people who are enjoying their well deserved retirement are depressing or inspirational for those of use who are still chained to their desks....

Hopefully in another 582 days I will feel like time is flying a lot faster than it does today.

582 days will pass by quicker than you can imagine.

 

[flyfishnevada]

Great to hear! I love hearing about successful retirements. Here's to many more years in retirement.

 

[ksr]

Congratulations on the 5-year Anniversary and thanks for sharing your experiences here.

 

[cardude]

Contgrats REWahoo!

The first was convincing ourselves we could loosen up our spending a bit - we (OK, I) squeezed every nickel, especially the first year. Two years after retiring and living entirely off our savings and investments, our portfolio had grown by 12%. That's when I thought we were bulletproof bought the car and the motor home. Then the market started heading south.

This led to our second major adjustment - cutting our spending back to a level even lower than our first year of retirement. Fortunately the market turned around and we were able to stop the beans&rice diet after a year or so and return to a spending level I hope we can sustain for the long run.

I'm still in penny pinching mode, but I'm only freaking out over every other expense now. I'm 1.5 year into ER and it's getting better each day now that I'm more relaxed about my ER situation.

 

[CuppaJoe]

So what do you do all day, young fella?

 

[TromboneAl]

Has it really been that long? Time is weird. I still remember you as REWannabe.