Just About Finished

[beowulf]

I've been looking forward to retirement for about 3 years now and have learned a lot from this forum and enjoyed the many fascinating stories.

My last day of full time work was Dec 31, 2011. I am going to start 2 days a week in a while, but don't expect that to continue very long. Sort of a last gasp attempt by my company to keep me on the books in a vain hope that I will change my mind .

Spending the Winter in the Phoenix area and enoying the warmer weather (than in Virginia). Very long distance telecommuting should be interesting. DW retired about 2 1/2 years ago and has been prodding me to take the plunge. She will not collect SS until FRA. I may go for it when I turn 64 in June, but as a federal CSRS retiree, it's a small amount (after penalties). May have to dip into IRAs later this year, but we will try to go as long as possible without doing so.

Congrats to everyone who retired in 2011 and also to those who will do so in 2012.

Now all we have to do is decide where to live .

 

[W2R]

Congratulations! This is great news.

 

[MichaelB]

Congratulations Beowulf. Good luck finding a place to live..

 

[donheff]

Are you cutting back to two days a week at your Federal job or was that a prior job? If, the former are you a reemployed annuitant, contractor..?

 

[Midpack]

Good luck Beowulf. I retired 6 months ago, and we're in the where to relocate to mode as well, though no hurry. I take it you have a home in VA, that's on our short list though NC is in the lead so far. Snow in our forecast tomorrow, wish I was in Phoenix at the moment...I've shoveled enough snow.

 

[beowulf]

Thank you all.

I retired from the government as soon as I was eligible - at 55 with 33 years of service. My agency was downsizing, offering buyouts, management had changed and work life was getting unpleasant - all the signs of "it's time to leave." I would have tried to move to another agency, but, way back in 2003, the local economy was booming for consultants and I figured getting a job telling the government how to do things would be no problem, and it wasn't = lots of offers. The funny thing is that, as a consultant, somehow, advice that had previouly been ignored, was now considered brilliant by the very same federal management . It was like I had a brain transplant and was now all knowing.

The hardest thing about cutting back now is actually having to live on a pension and savings . At least for my wife - Nordstroms to WalMart is a heck of a change . I'm actually 3 1/2 years past my original planned retirement date. The deal was to work until 60 - either as a fed and then never work again or retire from that and work for industry for 5 years. So I don't feel bad about moving to full retirement at all.

Yes, we still have our home in VA along with over 30 years of friends. If it wasn't for the fact that our kids live in the Phoenix area, I don't think we ever would have considered living here - just too brutally hot in Summer. We are taking a test drive for 4 months in an over 55 community literally in the middle of nowhere. Quite a change from suburban VA.

More as we experience it. A down day in AZ - it may not even hot 70 today and there are light clouds in the sky .