You're ready to retire when:

[CuppaJoe]

You know/knew you are/were ready to retire when:

I find it impossible to buy new clothes and I size up the ones I wear to w*rk according to when they will wear out: 1) on the first possible retirement date; 2) on 2nd likely date; 3) keep for wearing to the opera.

What’s on your list?

 

[W2R]

You know/knew you are/were ready to retire when:

I find it impossible to buy new clothes and I size up the ones I wear to w*rk according to when they will wear out: 1) on the first possible retirement date; 2) on 2nd likely date; 3) keep for wearing to the opera.

What’s on your list?

1) I'm fixing up my house to sell (so that I can move away for ER).

2) I'm downsizing my possessions for the move.

3) I am wondering whether I want to start using up my vacation time, or take cash for it when I retire.

4) We are expected to propose research projects at work, but recently none of my ideas extend beyond a two-year timeframe.

 

[CuppaJoe]

4) We are expected to propose research projects at work, but recently none of my ideas extend beyond a two-year timeframe.

This is a tough one. Years ago, I gave way too much notice (three months instead of one) because I had to tell them I would not be there to complete an additional project. I firmly believe in giving the minimum notice and sticking to it.

 

[rocketdog]

Cuppajoe-your w*rk clothes story sure sounds familiar. I've been wearing the same five outfits for a year now! I'm sure my co-workers must be thinking .."Hmm..it must be Tuesday because she's wearing the red shirt..."
I have a closetful of fun clothes, but only five somewhat tattered w*rk outfits.
I gave several months notice at w*rk, because it's a small organization, and I've been there a long time--but it's like they don't remember I'm leaving next March. So one other indication I am getting ready to retire is I just nod politely whenever they give me yet another year-long project. I feel absolutely no stress...if I don't even get to the project, so what? They gonna fire me? I'll beat them to it!

 

[CuppaJoe]

Cuppajoe-your w*rk clothes story sure sounds familiar. I've been wearing the same five outfits for a year now! I'm sure my co-workers must be thinking .."Hmm..it must be Tuesday because she's wearing the red shirt..."
....

You're way ahead of me in using up the clothes. I'll have to let the cat roll arround in mine so I get out sooner. Go Fluffy!

 

[Meadbh]

I just had a big one year project funded. It might turn into a 3 year project. Right now it's exciting. But 3 years from now I think I will be looking at shorter term projects only. Also looking at replacing ancient car in about 4 years, when I can still make it tax deductible. Doing only those home renovations which will help my house to sell when the FIRE date comes......roll on 2012!

 

[mickeyd]

You look at all of the many, many neckties in your closet and it suddenly dawns on you how much you have wasted on this useless "garment" over the years. You then begin to calculate how much larger your retirement stash would be without them. i.e. "lets see $25 X 78 ties = $1950 X 12% (average return)......."

 

[tightasadrum]

I've taken to using shipping tape on the inside of my company work shirts to close up the holes from view. Trouble is, they're getting so ratty that it's getting harder and harder to hide it.

 

[travelover]

When I was working, I had 50 dress shirts, which I paid to have washed and ironed. Once I had 50 work days left, I just started throwing dirty shirts down the laundry chute. As I neared the end of the pressed, starched shirts, I knew I was outta there.

 

[tryan]

When you wear Hawian luau shirts to work on Mondays instead of Fridays.

Oh yeah, and when megacorp says "here's a severence package" and you can collect 30 weeks of unemployment.

 

[Gotadimple]

When everyone else around you is getting worked up about some trivial change and you see it in perspective as totally unimportant.

When you have to take a breath to prevent yourself from declaring, "I don't care about this."

Alternatively, you respond to the trivial problem with a suggestion that borders on noncompliance and they take action on your suggestion -- very, very scary

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Cuppajoe, this thread rocks like Joe Bonamassa.

My clues after having to give a 2 year notice (we signed MOUs).

1. Suddenly hoping management would crack down on some things.
2. Stoking any and every little anti-management harange. We had one little schnauser of a guy always threatening what he'd like to tell management. So I'd say, hey boss, Martin's got something to say. Martin, "errrr, yes, I like your tie." Later, "GD it OAP".
3. Stashing my entire collection of VIZ comics in a departed colleagues book case. Caused everyone to say, "Good God, did Herby read that crap?" Herby a little nerd with 11 kids under 11.

tryan, we got the 30 weeks also. Is that normal practice? Salary were roughly $5k/week and the company employs 80,000 in the US alone. That's a lot of bling bling.

 

[Moemg]

When you have to work hard to maintain any interest in the job !

 

[happy2bretired]

When you have to work too hard to just appear to be working.

 

[Nords]

You're ready to retire when:

- You have to pass by a surf break on the way to work.
- Your new bosses are avoiding you as much as you're avoiding them.
- You look around the workplace and realize that you're going to need a pile of boxes and a week's notice to pack up your stuff.
- The new guys make fun of some old, outdated policy... that you created and implemented to raving applause all those years ago.
- Your kids are older than your co-workers.
- You have [-]uniforms[/-] clothing older than some of your co-workers.
- Your favorite barber retires, you have to find someone else you trust to cut your hair, and you realize it'd be a lot easier to just stop cutting it.
- A boss asks "Who remembers how to do this?" and everyone looks at you.
- You realize that your [-]fitness report[/-] performance review is three months overdue... you don't care, your boss forgot, and the corporate HQ hasn't noticed.
- At the turnaround point for your lunchtime walk you realize that you're closer to home than to work.
- You notice that you're in the oldest age bracket for the military's physical fitness test.
- You start to work out for the upcoming physical fitness test and stop to wonder why.
- Someone has started routing all retirement-related correspondence to your desk.

and finally,
- You wake up one morning and realize you have too many important things to do that day than to waste your time going to work!

 

[Khan]

- A boss asks "Who remembers how to do this?" and everyone looks at you.

That brought back some memories.

 

[CuppaJoe]

How gauche is it to revive a thread I started myself? Maybe there are some wannabe RE's who haven't posted here yet, or genuine RE's who remember all too well.

I know I'm ready to retire because almost everyday I come up with another reason I could post here. The latest is that when my watch battery ran down, I decided not to replace it. I can get the time of day from my cell phone, computer, e-book or just wing it. Every time I twist my wrist and remember the watch is purposely not there, I know I'm short.

 

[Meadbh]

Drafting the resignation letter, planning the conversation, and making a to do list.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Drafting the resignation letter, planning the conversation, and making a to do list.

I'm dreading that. When someone calls to ask if we are hiring, I'm tempted to say, "call back in July."

I got over the dread of training someone when I imagined training a particular person, a weird, by-the-book guy who may actually want the j*b. Hilarious.

 

[tangomonster]

When The Animal's song "We Gotta Get Out of This Place (if it's the last thing we ever do'" began alternating with my mental at-work soundtrack with The Animal's "It's My Life (and I'll Do As I Want)"....

YouTube - The Animals - We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place (1965)


YouTube - The Animals - It's My Life

 

[fisherman]

Though I had planned on RE for 20 years the Ah Ha moment was a follows:

Being [-]cheap[/-] frugal I do all the maintenance work on my rentals. One rental had a leak start at the base of the toilet and thus needed a new wax seal. I went over after working my first job to change it and after pulling the toilet and removing the old seal I realized even with the odor it was a more pleasant experience than my j*b at Mega Cr*p. One year later I FIRED myself and that was almost five months ago. It has been the best decision I have made next to my spouse.

Absolutely true story. Top that! Actually I would hope no one got to that level of misery.

 

[retire@40]

And for those of you that are self-employed...

Saying no to new business,
Not answering phone calls,
Not returning phone messages,
Starting your workday late,
Ending your workday early (you don't want to be late twice in the same day),
Taking more days off,
Getting the bare minimum done,
Raising your prices or fees higher than normal,
Not being upset when a client or two leaves because of your high prices or fees,
Being amazed that more clients don't leave because of your high prices or fees.

 

[Khan]

When you start experiencing fugue states at work.

 

[Purron]

When you realize the most important things in your life - people, places, and activities - are not located in the office. This realization, combined with the knowledge you can financially swing retirement, is when you know the time has come to move on.

 

[Rambler]

-When the management/board of directors who has only been around for a year or two spends millions of dollars on consultants to analyze megacorp's strategy just to find out what you could of told them months ago
-when this is the third time in seven or eight years that management/BoD has done same as above.
-when you go from being the youngest EVP to the oldest EVP in a matter of two years
-when your DW thinks FIRECalc is your new hobby