Poll: But Have You Really Retired?

[kramer]

Interesting question. I got rid of most of this stuff at the 14 month mark after retiring. I had early retired and extensively downsized almost immediately and within about 3 months of ER started what would become a 10 month long trip abroad to Southeast Asia and then South America (with a one month USA stopover in between, so 9 months spent traveling). I just went back and looked at my email from that time, and within one week of getting back from South America at the end of this journey, I had started an Amazon bookstore and basically sold almost everything in a few weeks. I think I had kept most of my college homeworks until then, also, but I threw them all away at that point. I also sold a car I had been keeping in the USA. I had decided that retirement was for me!

When I retired in 2007, the S&P was about 1450. When I sold everything in 2008, it was about 1270. Now, if I had known the S&P 500 was going to drop into the 600's in just a few months, I probably wouldn't have been so enthusiastic about getting rid of *everything*, which is what I did.

However, absolutely zero regrets now.

[seraphim]

The day my retirement hit everything was disposed of. I occasionally find something lying around and it immediately hits the circular file.


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[Ronstar]

A ceiling collapse/ water damage aided my preretirement decluttering. Clogged roof drains caused storm damage that destroyed almost everything in my office about a year before retirement. I tossed everything from my office into a few dumpsters. Furniture, files, everything. Luckily I had my work laptop at home. I moved into a cube with only 1 desk drawer of stuff remaining. Made it real easy to walk out the door with nothing on my last day.


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[Goonie]

I left almost everything behind when I left on my last day. I had a stack of binders and books at home that were all job related, that I took down and dropped of a couple of days after I retired. I knew when I retired that I would positively never need any of that stuff again....ever! After spending 32 years in that field, I'd had enough to last me a lifetime. I never looked back!

....I did keep my coffee mug though!

[truenorth418]

I placed my service awards on top of my garbage pail and placed the pail right outside my office door. My office was in the most traveled hallway in the building. I wanted to make a statement.


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