62, eight days retired, loving it.

[RobertFrost]

I've been reading some threads on this forum for a couple of weeks now - time to participate a bit.

Though I planned and saved for retirement for the last thirty years, I'd never dug into it more than to know that I was doing enough. When dealing with admin/mgmt turned stressful over the last year I built a spreadsheet of assets and liabilities, realized I could retire NOW. So as of July 1, I own all my time. Very nice.

My wife is four years younger and, though she works very hard, plans to continue full time for another four years. One immediate change is I started making dinner for her each evening (something I'd never done before). She deserves a regular welcome home now.

My first major project is to finish our house. We started 35 years ago - with full focus I think we can be there in 18 months or so.

Kids are grown and independent. When I started running numbers we both downloaded all our credit card and checking account transactions for the last eighteen months, categorized each one and got a good read on our spending. I figure we can live comfortably on about $45K after taxes. We'll spend more as we get older and start paying others to do some of the things we do ourselves.

Finances - I've been following Bogleheads for a several months, am pretty much a disciple of Rick Ferri. IRA is with Vanguard and 50/50. We'll convert some of that to Roth before we start SS (70 for me). I'm fortunate to have lifetime med benefits, some pension and a working wife.

Okay, got to go start dinner -

Robert Frost

[steelyman]

Welcome, RobertFrost, and congratulations on retiring! I look forward to seeing you around here.

I have taken the liberty of adding you to a list of people who have or are planning to retire in 2011. You can find it here: http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...1-a-53912.html

[Midpack]

Welcome aboard and congrats. I retired the same day as you did, looking forward to it but I'm in the honeymoon period still (obviously).

It's funny everyone asks me what it's like and they're disappointed when I don't give a detailed conclusive positive answer How on earth would I know after a week! Guess I should just say it's wonderful and recommend it to everyone...

BTW, we'd love to add you to our Class of 2011 thread. Just go to it and give us your info. Steelyman and I will undoubtedly race to add you if you don't want to add yourself.

[steelyman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack Welcome aboard and congrats. I retired the same day as you did, looking forward to it but I'm in the honeymoon period still (obviously). It's funny everyone asks me what it's like and they're disappointed when I don't give a detailed conclusive positive answer How on earth would I know after a week! Guess I should just say it's wonderful and recommend it to everyone... BTW, we'd love to add you to our Class of 2011 thread. Just go to it and give us your info. Steelyman and I will race to add you if you don't want to add yourself.

I think maybe I won that race

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steelyman I think maybe I won that race

I thought you might...

[Tadpole]

Welcome. It's Friday!

You will be fully retired when you don't even know what I mean.

[obgyn65]

Welcome, Robert.

[Rustic23]

You got to get one of these, all the clock you will ever need!

[Midpack]

I like these even better...

[RobertFrost]

those clocks are good! good chuckle. As a former professor, I've had quite a bit of retirement "practice" during long summer vacations - and the last day I worked was in early May. When I was cleaning out my desk I realized how hard I did work during the semester though - how much planning and prep for every class - and I generally taught four or five different ones. It feels so good to lose all those deadlines.

Okay now, what day is it today? A summer day? good enough.

Red Sox are winning - I'll head back down to my workshop.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertFrost . When I started running numbers we both downloaded all our credit card and checking account transactions for the last eighteen months, categorized each one and got a good read on our spending. I figure we can live comfortably on about $45K after taxes. We'll spend more as we get older and start paying others to do some of the things we do ourselves.

Welcome , After tracking my expenses for three years I came up with my number and added padding which saved my sanity several times . The roof leaks ,The appliances break , The car self destructs and the padding covers it .

[Rustic23]

+1
Not sure I could sleep at night if it were not for a substantial pad! Mine is over 150% of what I calculated my expenses at.

[easysurfer]

Congrats Robert!

Sometimes, this is what I think about deciding to retire early:

"...Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the diference."

Thought you'd enjoy the quote

[KingB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by easysurfer Congrats Robert! Sometimes, this is what I think about deciding to retire early: "...Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the diference." Thought you'd enjoy the quote

THe following is written by Robert Frost (not the OP)
1. The Road Not Taken. Frost, Robert. 1920. Mountain Interval

Robert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.

Quote:

1. The Road Not Taken TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth; 5 Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;Though as for that the passing thereHad worn them really about the same, 10 And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black.Oh, I kept the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads on to way,I doubted if I should ever come back. 15 I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.

[RobertFrost]

"I’m going out to clean the pasture spring;
I’ll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha’n’t be gone long.—You come too."

Some of my retirement days are thus - we actually have a "pasture spring" I clean occasionally.

Frost speaks to me more than ever in retirement - out of the fast lane, life more in resonance with nature and season.

Thanks for the reminder easySurfer