Has anyone here retired and later wished they worked another year?

[rescueme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom I live in a rented 300 square foot studio apartment in the SF East Bay with a cat, and have only my legs and a bicycle for transport.

IMHO, it's not the "quantity" of life but rather the "quality" of life that counts.

If you are content in your situation that's all that counts. You need not live up to other's ideas of what/how you should be living.

Just becase one has "more", does it mean that they are better off.

My simple POV ...

[Zero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom ..snip.. I live in a rented 300 square foot studio apartment in the SF East Bay with a cat, and have only my legs and a bicycle for transport. ..snip.. PS - I just measured my apartment, and it's closer to 285 square feet :-)

In 1999, due to a failed contract situation, the company sent me to live in a 250sf suite in a hotel in downtown SF, supposedly a short term situation but it turned out to be nearly 11 months. Like you Major Tom, it was just my feet, and SF public transport. Loved it.

[Finance Dave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem And if you need the paycheck, it can be high stress.

That's the key IMO.

I'm note FIREd yet, but I've seen many a TV documentary where people do regret it...but think about it...they only sell TV shows with "shock value"...so I'm sure they picked out the worst of the worst.

IMO if you have your needs safely covered, and the risk is only to your wants, then go for it. Don't risk your needs though.

[frank]

My reluctance is based on the absurd interest rates the Fed (who should all be tried for genocide) has forced on us "solvent seniors."

+1

[Lazarus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow Looking back it is clear that one more year would have been better from a financial standpoint. DH retired in mid-2010 at the exact month that maximized his lump sum retirement. A month earlier or later and he would have received less money. I semi-retired around the same time, going from a very high stress job to working at the same job but on a very very part time basis (about 10 hours a week). I had originally planned to retire fully but when I turned in my resignation I was asked to continue on part-time. On the one hand DH has loved being retired and I have loved being semi-retired and the work I do now is much lower stress. When I think about what it would have been like to work full time another year it fills me stress and anxiety. But, there have been some negative financial events all house related. We had planned to downsize our large, expensive house and buy a less expensive house for retirement. Two years later we accomplished all that but, long story short, the cost to us to do all this was about $250k more than what we had originally anticipated -- every possible thing that could go wrong went wrong. In retrospect, had DH and I both worked full time another year then we could have absorbed all this much better. That said...we did adapt. I ended up increasing my part-time working hours a bit and I will probably continue it longer than I would have had the house thing worked out differently. That really isn't a huge hardship since I find that I enjoy doing the lower-stress, lower hours work that I'm doing now. I will keep doing it as long as I enjoy doing it. And -- bottom line -- Firecalc still says we are OK. The net effect of all this is that we will ultimately have a little less to spend each year but still enough to meet our budget (most of the $250k we lost on house related stuff we will be getting back through my work time work which is well paid). So, financial logic would say that it would have made sense to have waited to change from full time work until we had sold our house (which would have meant about another year)....but I also know that would have been highly stressful.

I could not lose that much on a house transaction. My house is only worth half what you lost. How did this happen?

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom ER was partially forced on me due to a layoff..........I do wish my job had continued for longer, but am glad that I managed to accumulate what I did

My story too except I was older and closer to planned ER when the layoff hit than you were. I was 58 and planning to work until 60 or 62. The assignment I had at the time was actually enjoyable with some international travel and work that pulled from my years of experience. Despite the fact that it turned out I was FI and therefore could call the layoff RE and I was having a great time with retirement activities, I did actually miss the job for a while. That was in 2006. I seem to be over it now..........

[Major Tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rescueme IMHO, it's not the "quantity" of life but rather the "quality" of life that counts. If you are content in your situation that's all that counts. You need not live up to other's ideas of what/how you should be living. Just becase one has "more", does it mean that they are better off. My simple POV ...

You have a very good point, rescueme. Although I'm rather aware that my material standard of living is below that of most forum members, everyone of us here is unusual in that we are taking active steps to be (or continue to be) FI. That fact alone makes us a little different.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zero In 1999, due to a failed contract situation, the company sent me to live in a 250sf suite in a hotel in downtown SF, supposedly a short term situation but it turned out to be nearly 11 months. Like you Major Tom, it was just my feet, and SF public transport. Loved it.

I lived in a furnished suite too when I first moved to SF. It was right next to a BART station and of course, in the city of SF, you're never more than a few blocks from a bus stop. San Franciscans love to moan about their public transport but overall, it works pretty well. I think that in densely populated cities with good public transport, you're actually at a disadvantage with a car. Plus, the monthly pass just a few years ago was a very low $45 for BART, buses and cable cars in the City. Amazing deal. They finally got wise, and now the price is a lot higher but back then, it was an incredible deal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbet My story too except I was older and closer to planned ER when the layoff hit than you were. I was 58 and planning to work until 60 or 62. The assignment I had at the time was actually enjoyable with some international travel and work that pulled from my years of experience. Despite the fact that it turned out I was FI and therefore could call the layoff RE and I was having a great time with retirement activities, I did actually miss the job for a while. That was in 2006. I seem to be over it now..........

Funny how we manage to get over our jobs isn't it? Even though I loved mine, I'm over it too

PS folks - please call me Tom. I have no connection with the military at all. It almost feels like young 'uns calling me "sir" !

[okapi]

I will never own a vineyard or travel the world,but that"s all right.No regrets.Never bored.Some days I have become an expert at doing nothing.I do not miss sociopathic supervisors,or idiot co-workers.Choice was easier for me.

[tryan]

I'll bet a shiny nickel there are more people who died - or had a health crisis - at work and wish they had retired; than retired who wish they stayed one more year.

[starry night]

No regrets. Retired 6 years ago at age 52. We spend 60% of our budget on travel....been to all 7 continents, 48 countries in all. Learned many lessons along the way...one of the best was from a Canadian gentleman I met in Kathmandu. When teased by his (former) co-workers with the common refrain, "Aren't you afraid you'll run out of money?", he replied, "I'm more afraid of running out of time".

[Chuck2]

My dad retired at 62 when he picked up full time hunting or fishing or in the preparation there of. His advice to me was to retire as early as possible. I tried to retire at 55 but my wife suggested I was not ready for such a step. However, at 57 I reiterated the proposition and was at that time ready according to her. I originally retired from the US Air Force in July 1967 and then with IBM in June 1987. In August 1, 2012 makes 45 years collecting retirement from good old uncle Sam. My IBM retired years will be 25 in June 30, 2012. The main object of retirement is to do all the things employment kept you from doing and living to a ripe old age to collect the money not paid during said employment years. I just had my 82nd birthday and hope to have many more.

[Danmar]

@Starry Night Nice story. It really does come down to a balance or trade off of time and money. No regrets from me but I did go through a fairly long and difficult mental adjustment period. At least that is what my daughter and DW said. I think I 'm OK now.

[vttlarry]

I have been retired for over 7 months now and no regrets! I had lunch with co-workers recently and told them it is amazing how quickly you develop a new routine.

Money has been almost exactly as I had predicted. Of course, my wife is still working and my income does not come from my portfolio. I have a pension and health insurance, but still, no surprises. I guess I am lucky in that, with SS and my pension, we meet our monthly expenses and then some, so the modest (Qt. million) portfolio is more "extra money": a car every 8-10 years, maybe a big vacation, etc.

You have to have enough for sure, but sometimes I think people dwell on just "how much" they need. If you have a portfolio that will provide whatever it is you think you need, plus a healthy emergency fund, you can adjust to anything else that may occur.

[jclarksnakes]

Tom,
...I guess WE can call you Tom, but what if Ground Control calls for you??

[Major Tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jclarksnakes Tom, ...I guess WE can call you Tom, but what if Ground Control calls for you??

They can call me whatever they want. I'm floating in this tin can, and need all the help I can get from them........

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hiredgun Just curious since I'm getting very close to my retirement (freedom) date. From everything I've read, very few people regret pulling the plug, even years later. Some wish they had made the jump earlier. With all the ups/downs of the economy and the unknowns (i.e. health costs, gas costs, brother-in-law asks for a loan, etc.), is there anyone who retired and then later says "I wished I would have worked 1,2,3.... years more" for the added cushion or just so you'd have more spare cash to do things you want to? Anyone? Thanks,

If someone did find him/herself in that position, first that person would try to get another good job. Then s/he would take a lesser job. An extremely unlikely thing would be to come on this board and say, "Man, early retirement sucks! I worry all the time, I get on my wife's nerves, all my friends are at work so I'm losing access to them..." Next have to read all the happy ERs talk about how wonderful it is and feel like the odd man out. Not gonna happen.

ER folks are immune to hedonic adaptation, I suppose that those who are not don't stay.

Ha

[MasterBlaster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha If someone did find him/herself in that position, first that person would try to get another good job. Then s/he would take a lesser job. An extremely unlikely thing would be to come on this board and say, "Man, early retirement sucks! I worry all the time, I get on my wife's nerves, all my friends are at work so I'm losing access to them..." Next have to read all the happy ERs talk about how wonderful it is and feel like a loser. ER folks are immune to hedonic adaptation, I suppose that those who are not don't stay. Ha

I tend to agree with you...

But I do remember some exceptions. The link below is to CarDude's description of why he couldn't take retirement and went back to work.

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ess-55882.html

here's another post about a memorable FIRE flunkee:

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ody-20347.html

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MasterBlaster I tend to agree with you... But I do remember some exceptions. The link below is to CarDude's description of why he couldn't take retirement and went back to work. http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ess-55882.html

True, but as I remember he had got out from under a failing business, and entered another profitable aspect of the car business, so he went from success to success.

One guy I do remember crapped out on BAC, and wrote fully about it. But just because we haven't read about a lot of separations, divorces, small business failures, portfolio stress and just general unhappiness is pretty weak evidence that they have not occurred. Plenty people have disappeared over the years. Maybe some needed more time for summit ascents or touring European museums and just didn't feel like saying bye-bye. But not all.

Ha

[Tutashen]

I can retire may 11 with full pension and benefits but am hanging on till the fall because of talks of buyouts maybe we will be able to live comfortably in the same house and travel and blah blah but I would be lying if I didn't admit to some trepidation about losing those big paychecks and the ability to go out and buy whatever I want whenever I want.now I am thinking before going I will have some shopping sprees and extremely long leaves of absence to test the water I was poor once and didn't like it much but from what I see here most people are trying to save enough to retire before their pensions kick in,I had to do the 30 yrs omg realy wasn't so bad lol just life better than being poor for sure was lucky to have job alot don't ! I'm 54 now could work til day I die can't force you to retire in canada anymore but waking up to a warm beachfront um someplace in jan. sure beats scraping ice off windshield to drive to work hey!!!!!!!

[CCdaCE]

See the "one more year" thread....

-CC