How many years do you work before retire???

[MBAustin]

31+ full time years for me. Doesn't count part time w*rk for my self-employed dad during HS and first year of college and FT summer jobs the next 2. Only time off - 2 maternity leaves, one 6 weeks and the 2nd 10 weeks.

Still occasionally have a societal guilt tinge, especially with friends and family who won't be retiring any time soon. It's a bit easier recently as a good friend and her DH ERd also. And I've become a semi-compulsive volunteer so it's not like I'm sitting around eating bonbons...


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[AnIntentionalRoad]

I started working at 12 and was employed continuously except for a few weeks here and there for 31 years, at which point I retired.

Done at 43.

[tryan]

About a month short of 20 years. That's full time 40-50 hr weeks ... not counting HS/college part-time gigs.

[swakyaby]

18 years of career work, and 28 years of education to get there!

[Options]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen I posted on this thread over 2.5 years ago, I can now afford to retire. I won't be rich but I should be able to maintain my current lifestyle with company pension and investments. I should be over the moon but to be honest I don't know how to retire. It is almost as if I am embarrassed to retire now! I really want to get out now but society tells me I'm too young at 52. Did any of you feel the same? Help!!

Evergreen, I read your older post and this latest one. Congratulations. I imagine most of work done below the senior leadership level of organizations is just as awful on both sides of the pond. I suspect the main reason for worker disengagement everywhere is that working environments have changed, and not at all for the better.

I FIRE in 13 weeks 5 days 12 hours 26 minutes 23 seconds and counting (but I'm not really keeping track ) and am not at all embarrassed to be finished with what passes for work these days. In fact, I tell everyone I meet!

What's great about this new adventure you've entered into is that you can make it any way you want. I can't imagine anything better. Have you thought about doing some reading regarding life after retirement? You could start by searching threads here.

[ExFlyBoy5]

I started to w+rk the day I turned 16 and could drive...but as a kid, I spend a few summers doing the entrepreneur thing...cut grass, wash cars, etc. Joined the Air Force at 18'ish and did that for just shy of 22 years...now fully retired at 40 years old...So I'd say about 24 years of full time w+rk

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.

[jcretire77]

This thread caused me to think back . . . My first job was at McDonalds, 1975 for a grand total of $31 for my entire fast food career. Had other summer jobs, cleaning bathrooms and stringing tennis racquets, residence adviser at college, programmer for the student union building and finally a couple of years at a TX corporation and now 30 years at my current. Thinking that next spring we may be able to retire.

[uncaD]

13 yrs, 10 mos after grad school

[bubba]

Expect to retire at 62 in 4 yrs so it will be 44 yrs of mostly full time. I went to college at night and weekends, etc. while working the mostly full time years. Wish I could go out today, but really feel we need the next 4 yrs to feel certain.

[jfn111]

Retired at 55 with 33 years in at Mega Corp.

[Lucantes]

Will retire in 2017 at age 50 with 37 yrs of work.
Have worked from age 13 thru 21 at assorted jobs while going to school (8 yrs), from 21 through 29 in the USAF (8 yrs) and from 29 to now overseas (18 yrs) with a lil' less than 3 yrs left to go.

[23Red]

14 years from high school to retirement, from 18-33 years old

(there's a year in there where I was paid full time but didn't work as I waited for my military retirement papers to process through the system).

[Eagle43]

43 years. This total does not count part time jobs during school years. Retired now 11 years.

[RobLJ]

I worked 27 years in my professional career since grad school, but I taught half-time for 6 years during grad school and worked part time since I was 13.
Will pull the cord for semi-retirement in 6 months--I'll work online about 15 hours a week for a few years while DW (younger) works for another 3-4 years.

[LitGal]

High School-- 4 yrs. of odd jobs

College--- Worked part-time to avoid debt (5 years: 4 undergrad + 1 yr. student teaching)

Grad School-- 2 years as a TA (paid for the M.A.)

+ 32 years of teaching after M.A.

Total= 43 years.........which kind of flew by.....

[Evergreen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Options Evergreen, I read your older post and this latest one. Congratulations. I imagine most of work done below the senior leadership level of organizations is just as awful on both sides of the pond. I suspect the main reason for worker disengagement everywhere is that working environments have changed, and not at all for the better. I FIRE in 13 weeks 5 days 12 hours 26 minutes 23 seconds and counting (but I'm not really keeping track ) and am not at all embarrassed to be finished with what passes for work these days. In fact, I tell everyone I meet! What's great about this new adventure you've entered into is that you can make it any way you want. I can't imagine anything better. Have you thought about doing some reading regarding life after retirement? You could start by searching threads here.

Good luck with your FIRE, I won't be too far behind you!

[Hyper]

14-17yrs old = part time 20-30 hrs week

17-18 yrs old = full time job + full time college student

18- 45 yrs old = averaged 100+ hrs wk

@ 26 yrs old thought I was going to die, didn't know my kids or wife.
not much choice as there were many waiting for a job like I had that would gladly work like they worked us, To get Sunday off they would make us stay all of Sat to get the work done which usually meant 24-26 hrs straight. They would have a "runner" that would drive us to and from the job because they knew we couldn't drive without killing ourselves or someone else.
Moved clear across the country for something better and it was but soon was back to 100+ hrs wk

NOW, I am glad how it turned out. Back then I was not!

[Looking4Ward]

25 years of work that I actually got paid for.

[Debinnov a]

Retired this year at age 57. Worked PT through high school starting at age 14. So 43 years total.....

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[dallas27]

"How many years do you work before you retire?"

I think the correct answer to this question is "all of them."


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