Class of 2018

[Dan4495]

I'm 2 yrs and $0.5M away from FIRE'ing at the semi-RE age of 60. Set my date at 07/15/2018.

Unspecified Month
Grumpyretirement
Rickt (58)
boilerman (57)
RoyDornoch (60)
trapperjohn
datuck
Snoopy (55)
Lovetoski (46)
seabourne (39)
ugeauxgirl (46)

January
chief04010 1/2
cat wrangler

February

March
Nunyaa
38Chevy454 3/1 (54)

April
whatnot 4/1
Dreaming of Freedom 4/1 (41)
timo2 4/28 (65)
Omalley 4/30 (46)

May
Joe Wras 5/1 (55)
SumDay 5/31
beaglemom 5/31

June
Bigdawg

July
Dan4495 07/15 (60)

August

September

October
FIREmenow (58)

November

December

[datuck]

Hi all. 2018 was my original plan but I couldn't wait! I just FIRE'd 15 July. So y'all can take me off the list... Okay back to my nap.

[cat wrangler]

I am still looking at January 2018 at the age of 52, but may consider September 2017 when youngest child ages off my health insurance.

[ugeauxgirl]

Sorry- have been gone a while- I am still on for mid Feb 2018 I will have just turned 47

[SonofCohoes]

4/9/2018 if the plan holds. I'll be 59.5, it'll be there if we need it.

[seabourne]

Still on track for 2018, holding off on naming a month, but the project contract I'm on for the firm ends 4/1/18, so April or May are my current goal. End of a long contract like this, if there isn't a place for me at the home office, could end up with a layoff which wouldn't hurt in the least. Also, would get me out in time for the up-rigging for the summer sailing season!

[ugeauxgirl]

I'm planning on quitting in Feb and offering the company enough time to replace me that my last day will be the day my kids get out of school. I have never spent a summer at home with my kids and I can't wait! 1 year 2 months and 22 days. Not that I'm counting, you understand...

[JoeWras]

I'm on track, but simultaneously ready to just tell the boss to "shove it" tomorrow and at the same time worrying about life after FIRE in 16 months or so.

This is going to be an interesting true OMY next year.

[whatnot]

Still on track for 4/1/2018.

I can also relate to JoeWras. There are days (yesterday) that I just want to say "done". But on the other hand, we are really unsure what to do after we retire. Move to be closer to one child in another state, relocate in our current state or Lot's of decisions and discussions about how we see our next phase.

[JoeWras]

Exactly, whatnot!

[JoeWras]

I think I lost my mind.

The BS bucket at Megacorp has overflowed. It is just unbelievable. I'm on OMY to sync with DW, who gets a very good health benefit in OMY.

Today I found myself applying for jobs at various Kilocorps. What am I doing? Am I crazy? I figure even a year or two there at less pay is better than Megacorp. But why not just retire?

Mostly it is the sync with DW. But when I like my job, I really like it. While reworking the resume, I realized that Megacorp has marched me into some dark corner. It can be better. I just have to get out of the dark.

Or maybe I should just retire.

These are the doubts of OMY....

[ugeauxgirl]

I know. I honestly can't decide if I am just desperately tired of this job or wanting to retire. I think its this job really, as I find myself daydreaming about other jobs and not retirement.

This job pays very well though, and I might not be able to find another one that pays as well. Probably wouldn't- Fortunately I have saved my pennies and really don't ever have to work again, much less for this amount of money. We only spend about a third of my pay, and I could find a job covering that easily. I just feel like I'm crazy to quit a job that pays so much. But I am SO TIRED OF IT!

[ugeauxgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWras But why not just retire? Mostly it is the sync with DW. But when I like my job, I really like it. While reworking the resume, I realized that Megacorp has marched me into some dark corner. It can be better. I just have to get out of the dark. Or maybe I should just retire. These are the doubts of OMY....

Maybe you'd be better off NOT retiring at the same time as your wife- retirement is surely a big adjustment and probably doesn't always go smoothly- maybe you ought to start a new thread and ask if other members advise retiring at the same time as a spouse or not..

[JoeWras]

It has been discussed from time to time in various threads. Both methods worked and didn't work for various couples. I don't think anyone came to a consensus on the best method.

There was also a lot of talk about what NOT to do based on the various methods. ("You didn't clean the house today, why not? What do you do while I'm at work?!" ... etc.)

You're right, I may start a new thread to rekindle the discussion.

[JoeWras]

Time for my yearly checkup. In a matter of a few hours, we officially enter true OMY territory!

But, O my brothers and sisters, your narrator is faltering in his resolve. It started a bit with the discussion above about syncing with the DH/DW. It got me and DW thinking maybe we should offset our time and ease into it.

Then, like a bolt from the blue, I got a mail from an old co-w*rker who is happy at a KiloCorp. I just randomly took a peak at their web site and saw a job listing that literally hit me in the head like a ton of bricks. It is what I used to do, and what I want to do.

I realized that like a frog in a pot, where the water is slowly being heated, I've been boiled at Megacorp. I did everything they asked, and it ultimately meant doing a job I could do, but not a job I wanted to do. My boiled job is why ended up on this site some 6 years ago. The bucket is full. And I wanted it empty. Suddenly, I realized there may be another type of bucket.

So, about that job. I couldn't believe what I was reading. The job hits so many of my happy places, I was just blown away. So I refreshed my resume and submitted an application. All in about 1 hour. I not only got through the application process and chosen, but I've also had a few phone interviews. I have another round or so to go, but I'm amazed that my application wasn't just trashed.

What's next? I don't know. 5/1/18 is still the official plan. But if KiloCorp gives me an offer, and I like the work as much as it is written in paper, I would probably give it a 3 year spin or so.

And why not? Something different. I can always walk. But this job gives me one final chance to use my software skills in a different way, for a consumer product that can change lives. Why not try?

This may all end up nowhere. We've already discussed salary, and it would mean a cut. I don't care, but they may get cold feet by my desire to take a pretty steep cut.

More later...

[ugeauxgirl]

congrats! I'm glad you are so excited about this job opportunity- and like you said, if it doesn't work out, you can quit, per original plan.

Like you, I suspect my focus on retirement comes from burnout. I am well compensated though, and didn't want to quit till I didn't HAVE to work anymore, because while I could easily get another job, it wouldn't pay this much. I am there, though. I am going to take a year off after I quit, but if something comes along after that, and I would enjoy it more than I like being retired (unlikely) I will just become un-retired.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ugeauxgirl Like you, I suspect my focus on retirement comes from burnout. I am well compensated though, and didn't want to quit till I didn't HAVE to work anymore, because while I could easily get another job, it wouldn't pay this much.

Yep.

If I get the job and do this, it would be a 20% hit. I have enough. I'm F.I. So this doesn't matter. But it isn't necessarily easy, because firms are suspect of you if you are willing to take such a hit.

What I'm finding in my field is a cultural disparity of haves and have nots. I've been with the "haves" for a while now. I and my colleagues have tunnel vision. It isn't just my corp, it is many others based in a certain geographical region. Expectations have become out of whack. Some of it just cultural for a "center of the universe" thinking, and some of it due to the cost of housing.

What I'm finding is there is a different world out there that operates at a different pace, but with different pay. Along with that different attitudes and different ways of thinking.

It is analogous to what we discuss here all the time. Less pay, LBYM versus more pay, more spending. Etc.

[ugeauxgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWras Yep. If I get the job and do this, .

Did you get the job?

[ugeauxgirl]

So yesterday we crossed 2 mil in liquid assets. I said I would retire at 1.5 mil (4%wd) as we live on about 60k a year and everything we own is paid for, but I talked myself out of it. So now we are at a 3% w/d rate and my husband has absolutely no intention of quitting.

I suspect he will slow down a bit when I quit- but he could work a third less than he is now and we wouldn't have to touch our investments at all. I don't know how long he plans on doing this, but I suspect we wouldn't draw anything for 3 years and maybe 1% for 3 more years. He's older than me (53) but can't see himself retiring completely till 60 if ever.

So honestly I'm done. There is a big law change in my industry, that I wanted to stay to help my clients through it, but the new administration is likely to kill it- or delay it beyond the length of time I am willing to stay. Why am I still working again?

[cat wrangler]

Just had my final performance review today. "They" don't know that! Now to throw together the required Development Plan for this year. Unfortunately, they don't think Retire is an acceptable plan.