76 Months and Counting

[Retire52]

Number of months I've been retired. It took me 30 years to get 30 months paid vacation during a 30 year career in the Army. Only 6 years and 4 months later, I hit 76 months in retirement. What a sweet deal! Nearly every day, at some point during the day, I become aware that I'm no longer in the rat race and just [emoji2].

I've found Hedonic Adaptation, the tendency to quickly return to our normal levels of happiness after both positive and negative external events, after retirement did not apply in my case. I acknowledge I came down from the giddiness of the early months post retirement, but my normal level of happiness has been much higher.
I suspect I'm not unique and that people with the exception of the minority of us who love their work, would find similar outcomes.

 

[Bluenose]

I’m retiring at Christmas age 57.5 and so looking forward to not being sat at a desk frazzled by emails. Anticipate I will have a period of “giddiness” and hope like you that happiness is still higher after that than while working. Definitely ready to quit the rat race after 40 years of working.

 

[Midpack]

148 months here, life is good…

Retirement (happiness) is what you make of it, why would it be any different than any other phase of your life?

 

[Bigdawg]

Congratulations. You've been a member here since 2013 so I'm assuming you know there are many military retiree's (and vet's) on here. I have a few friends who did a full 30. They call me a quitter for only doing 23. With your moniker I'm assuming you came in at 22 thus most likely being an O. I did 9 enlisted and 14 as an O. Great times. So glad I'm FIRE. DW did 21 and she is over 11 now as a government employee. She will be 52 soon and plans to punch when she reaches her 55 year-ability to tap TSP penalty free. It's an adventure. Here's to many more years of freedom for you sir.

 

[38Chevy454]

I'm just about the same 76 months into retirement as you are. Life's great and don't miss working. Too many other activities keeping busy, doing what I want.

I agree that overall happiness level is probably above what it was before retirement. Less stress, more time. No alarm clock, no shopping on weekends when it's too crowded, and almost every day is open for whatever I want to do.

 

[W2R]

168 months, grateful for every single day of retirement! Best years of my life.

 

[Car-Guy]

~130 mos for me and counting. I just "vaguely" remember the days back before retirement. (am avoiding using the word work) . Suspect I'm more than half way through my retirement years but that's ok. I have had and I am having a blast. The picture below best describes how I've been using my retirement days so far.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Only a year and a half in retirement for me so far.
I don't miss work at all. To take a sports cliche, it's been addition through subtraction. Not having the stress associated from my job has made my life that much better.

However, to now take a retirement cliche, I do believe people need to retire to something not just from something. That something can be anything though.

 

[Pellice]

Definitely way, way above my happiness level when I was w*rking! Actually, just yesterday, at the request of my old employer, I went in and changed the password of my retiree-status work email, and was briefly entertained, and then horrified, by the number of general notices and reminders from all sorts of management offices, with titles like "New cost transfer procedures. Effective October 1"

Happiness is not having to review the handbook explaining the new cost transfer procedures!!!

Automated notices will continue for the rest of my life, and beyond, I guess, including a notice of a 30 cent monthly bill for a phone line that was discontinued 10 years ago, and which I tried repeatedly, without success, to have terminated. I think the account paying for it was terminated too, so only the automated notice continues on.

 

[rk911]

Started my 20th year of retirement back in August. Very happy overall although I'm starting to deal with some health issues. My attitude is good, I have a wife of 53-yrs who loves me, we want for nothing. Who could ask for more?

 

[pacergal]

This month marks 7 years for me.
7 years of bliss, I am beyond thankful.

 

[Retire52]

Congratulations. You've been a member here since 2013 so I'm assuming you know there are many military retiree's (and vet's) on here. I have a few friends who did a full 30. They call me a quitter for only doing 23. With your moniker I'm assuming you came in at 22 thus most likely being an O. I did 9 enlisted and 14 as an O. Great times. So glad I'm FIRE. DW did 21 and she is over 11 now as a government employee. She will be 52 soon and plans to punch when she reaches her 55 year-ability to tap TSP penalty free. It's an adventure. Here's to many more years of freedom for you sir.

Congratulations to you both. My DW also retired from the Army at 22 years. We are both grateful to Uncle Sam for our early retirement. I did 4 years enlisted, went to school, and then did 26 commissioned.

 

[PERSonalTime]

Started my 20th year of retirement back in August. Very happy overall although I'm starting to deal with some health issues. My attitude is good, I have a wife of 53-yrs who loves me, we want for nothing. Who could ask for more?

Great. How old were you when you retired?

 

[Teacher Terry]

I retired at 58 and off the 11 years of retirement I have either taught a college class or consulted part time for 8 of those years. That’s been perfect for me as I found full retirement not to my liking. I schedule my own clients and decide when to work so it’s perfect. The only way I will ever quit is if my health requires it.

 

[Nords]

I've found Hedonic Adaptation, the tendency to quickly return to our normal levels of happiness after both positive and negative external events, after retirement did not apply in my case. I acknowledge I came down from the giddiness of the early months post retirement, but my normal level of happiness has been much higher.

I suspect I'm not unique and that people with the exception of the minority of us who love their work, would find similar outcomes.

1 June 2002, age 41, after 20 years (nearly to the minute) of active duty.

That was over 21 years ago, and next April it'll be 8000 days of retirement.

At 63 years of age, I'm pretty happy with the first third and the last third of my life so far. During the last two decades that happiness has been steadily rising.

Someday I'll have to do the inflation-adjusted spreadsheet on paychecks versus pension deposits.

 

[audreyh1]

290 months y’all!

Over 24 years.

Next year I’ll finally reach Medicare age.

 

[wallygator69]

205 months here retired at 42

 

[flyingaway]

I'm only 2.5 years in retirement, never had a minute of regret. I hope to spend (give away to children) all my hard-earned money before I (we) die.

 

[Dtail]

Actually 76 months for me too this month. Many days while playing Pickleball in the morning, I think about being retired and playing a game instead of working.

 

[Retire52]

1 June 2002, age 41, after 20 years (nearly to the minute) of active duty.

That was over 21 years ago, and next April it'll be 8000 days of retirement.

At 63 years of age, I'm pretty happy with the first third and the last third of my life so far. During the last two decades that happiness has been steadily rising.

Someday I'll have to do the inflation-adjusted spreadsheet on paychecks versus pension deposits.

I would like to see that spreadsheet. My guess is my pension is rapidly catching up with my paycheck. You've reached a nice milestone, retired as long as you were in the service. I will need another 24 years to get there, but I am a patient man.

Always glad to hear from you, cheers

 

[Time2]

62 months, have been counting until the thread.
I would retired sooner but we had a small business and I could convince my wife to retire, luckily a hurricane destroyed or business and did $90k of damage to our home. That convinced her.

 

[Retire52]

Actually 76 months for me too this month. Many days while playing Pickleball in the morning, I think about being retired and playing a game instead of working.

We are living similar ER lives I suspect; retired 76 months, in sunny Florida, enjoying the fruits of our labor. Instead of on the pickle ball court though, I'm on a golf course. Often I have to remind my playing partners the same thing after a bad hole, "hey we could be in the office right now." I've noted there are no bad days on the golf course.

 

[Retire52]

62 months, have been counting until the thread.
I would retired sooner but we had a small business and I could convince my wife to retire, luckily a hurricane destroyed or business and did $90k of damage to our home. That convinced her.

Hey that's making lemonade out of lemons--congratulations post hurricane. I've also seen some good hard w*rking people never get the chance to enjoy ER bc they either OMY themselves to death, or got surprised by some life tragedy.

 

[Retire52]

I'm only 2.5 years in retirement, never had a minute of regret. I hope to spend (give away to children) all my hard-earned money before I (we) die.

I'm with you on that. Die with zero. In that vein, my DW and I have upped our spending on travel, home improvement spending, and matching our adult children's retirement savings. The greatest gift we can give them after a good education is helping them towards reaching financial freedom we figured.

 

[Retire52]

205 months here retired at 42

Wow, that is early. I am happy for you. I originally thought as a naive lieutenant, I could punch out after 20 years on the JOB, but after marriage and 4 kids we wanted to put through college, I made due with 30. No regrets however, enjoyed the last 10 immensely, but not as much as the last 6!