Pulled the plug!!

[steady saver]

I am so very happy to say that my DH pulled the plug today. His last day will be March 31st.

We had decided that this year was THE year and had picked a date. But he was getting cold feet. He was completely fine leaving his job (liked it okay but just felt "done" and was ready to move on) and our finances are solid but there was just something so dreaded about actually pulling the plug. I had just finished typing him an email, encouraging him let go of the fear, focus on what he was moving into (he has tons of interests, hobbies, etc) and to turn the next page into this great new chapter of his life.

As soon as I finished typing, the phone rang. He had, ironically, just finished talking to his boss! Great minds think alike He did it!!! I am so, so excited and so proud of him!!! It feels surreal at this point.

We have a meeting set with our Fidelity advisors (not paid advisors) in a couple of weeks to do a final "look see" and to get a few practical questions answered. But we're good to go!

I just wanted to share our happy, happy news and to thank each of you on this forum who have been so helpful, both directly and indirectly, to us over the years. Even reading others' dilemmas and questions has been hugely influential and helpful in guiding us to this point.

Woo hoo!!!!

 

[Chuckanut]

Congratulations to both of you!

 

[Bir48die]

It's a big step and making that decision is hard so I get the conflict he had within himself. However, I bet he feels a weight lifted. Good luck!

 

[SumDay]

This gave me goosebumps! Congrats and good luck as you begin of the next chapter of your lives.

Who knew pulling a plug could be so satisfying?

 

[Dash man]

Congratulations!!
I did the same thing seven years ago and have not looked back. May you have many happy days ahead of you!

 

[steady saver]

Thank you all. Yep, it's a huge step. Lots of practical and psychological hurdles to cross to get here. Whew! All good.

 

[Fshnfool]

Yep, it’s scary and exciting and frightening all at the same time. I worried that I’d not have enough to to do. After all, I spent at least eight hours a day working. That worry lasted maybe two days. I’ve been retired eleven years and I always have plenty to do — and sometimes I do it! Can’t imagine how I found the time to go to w**k all those days. I bet you’ll never regret letting go. Of course, this would be a different story if finances worry you or don’t allow you to enjoy life like you want.

 

[Katiek]

I can appreciate his and your mix of emotions on this big step. Congratulations!

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Congratulations! I am confident you have been looking forward to this moment for a long time.

 

[CindyBlue]

Woo hoo! Congratulations!

 

[steady saver]

Thanks you all.
I confess I did wake up at 2 am with some anxious thoughts but I know that my brain is simply going to have to get used to a new normal as it rewires itself for new opportunities and adventures. Ditto for my DH. We're still firmly committed and excited. Just some jitters.

 

[kimcdougc]

Congratulations. The jitters will disappear when you see the plan you created works, year in and year out. Life is much better on the other side of working! Enjoy your hard work.

 

[BeachOrCity]

Good for you, you should celebrate with a little winter getaway to someplace warm (with no work to think about!)

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

This is great news for both you and your husband. I will have retired five years ago almost to the day of your husband's retirement this year. Except, I waited until April 1, to collect one more month's benefits.

Just this morning my wife and I were sitting in the living room, reading, surfing on iPads, and talking casually, when she looked up and said, "This is exactly one of the things we looked forward to in retirement, no? No hurry, no stress, just relaxing."
She summed it up pretty well!

-BB

 

[momoftwo]

^^^^^
THIS.

I've only been retired 6 months. We're not big travelers, enjoy hanging out together in our new little retirement house on a lake.

Coffee together in the am, maybe watching Jeopardy taped the night before, talking (or not).
Just the freedom, lack of pressure.

Priceless.

OP, congrats to you both!

 

[steady saver]

Thank you all. You don't know how encouraging it is to get your notes and read about your individual experiences. It makes ALL the difference in helping these two delayed gratification people move forward, ha.

DH talked to the pension people today. It's becoming very real, wow. I always run our numbers conservatively and so the real numbers were in line with (actually better) than my own so that's nice. We'll be hashing out our cash flow numbers again this weekend to help us make the best decision about when to start taking the pension. DH just turned 57 so we have 2 1/2 years to finance. This is finally where my embarrassingly poor management of our checking account is going to save us because we've accumulated cash in there (that I know, needs to be at the very least moved to the money market account). But for now I'm happy to have it available and I'll move some of it once I get this all mapped out. The money is there so I'm not concerned about that. It is more a matter of logistics. I might have questions to bounce off on that but I'm thinking I'd need to move those over to the FIRE and Money category.

I love the thought of having TIME. What I really want most is just to for us both to have more time and not feel rushed. I closed my practice (was part-time) this July and it was very, very difficult to do. I struggled with it for a few months, even though I knew it was what I wanted to do. I'm just prepared for my DH to possibly run into some of the same feelings I went through. I'm armed with my glass half full approach to life though, because oh my gosh, once we're both retired, watch out!!! He's got a ton of hobbies too so I know it'll be great once we traverse the bumps in this new territory...

Again, thank you all for your support. Our journey to FI started years ago with the book Your Money or Your Life. While we didn't follow it religiously, we followed its principals. And when I found this group a few years ago it was such a positive reinforcement to hear from others with both practical, technical advice and with emotional support.

Thank you all!

 

[Midpack]

Congratulations. Sounds like you have plans well in hand, and you’re truly ready for the next chapter. Make the most of it, whatever that means to you, enjoy yourselves!

 

[Go-NoGo]

Congratulations - looks like you are on your way!

 

[pdxgal]

Steady Saver, thank you for posting this and sharing your and your DH's thought processes and feelings. Very encouraging and heartening. I'm in the same boat your DH was in (and you too a few months ago, sounds like), ready to "pull the plug" but reluctant/anxious/uncertain.... What you said you told your DH really reasonated. Keep us all posted on how everything turns out, and enjoy your new life chapter!