Class of 2019

[HI Bill]

My name is nobody and I’m an addict.
I’m a 46, male, not married, no kids, EE who has had to spend 20 weeks this year on the road for work.

I think my problem is going to spending from saving. Been saving and LBYM’s
for so long its hard to get used to taking it out and not putting it in.

Congrats! ...and Welcome! Please be sure to introduce yourself formally on the "Hi, I am" thread if you like!

Does the job make you happy and fulfill you? If not, bail when you're ready, not when the company's ready!

BTW, I was single all my life until age 47, when I met my current wife. I had planned to retire at 50, but travel for two is almost twice as expensive as travel for one, so I stayed on for three years past my 50th birthday to up the travel budget by 100%. Best wishes!

 

[camfused]

Greetings, I was in the class of 2018 but had to remove myself, since my boss at megacorp is saying I cannot take off time around Christmas (which I want to do to visit MIL that has cancer, and likely her last Christmas), and also quit on the 31st December. It makes sense, from their perspective.

So, I have (reluctantly) moved the date to 18 January. I'll stick with that, unless conditions deteriorate at w*rk, which may happen, since a lot of people are jumping ship after a take-over that just occurred, or if MIL or FIL gets sicker.

I might be the first one here to go in 2019

 

[Shabby]

OK, 2/28/19 is the day and this time I mean business. 85 Days left. I am working like I have 10 years to go. Trying to capture every bit so I don't look back. I've been thinking about this since 1990.

 

[camfused]

Shabby, stick the Retirement Countdown Lite app on your phone and you can see the number of w*rk days you have left, which can be encouraging.

26 w*rk days to go for me!

 

[Austin704]

OK, 2/28/19 is the day and this time I mean business. 85 Days left. I am working like I have 10 years to go. Trying to capture every bit so I don't look back. I've been thinking about this since 1990.

Congratulations! I’m sure that’s a great feeling.

 

[targatom2019]

just told my company today I got 3-6 months left or when ever tuna starting to bite.

 

[Out of Steam]

With some serious workplace changes in store for 2019, I'm now about 90% sure to request early retirement for late spring. Feel like I've been through five years of constant churn, and don't see the point of going through another round of it.

I've let my boss know of my interest in an early retirement offer, but nothing has come of it yet.

 

[Out of Steam]

In the same boat as you, as I'm "out of steam" too. I just turned 60 a few months back. Been deciding which month in 2019 to pull the trigger for some time now. My megacorp dept historically does their downsizing in the Fall and unfortunately I didn't win the lottery this year to get an invite to meet with my manager in a conf room where HR is located. Was soooo hoping to get the invite.

So I've decided end of June is it for me. Will give retirement notice after xmas holidays.
...<snip>

I'm about a year younger, but definitely ready to go. Really dragging through my long commute as winter starts.

 

[camfused]

Happy 2019, fellow classmates. I might be the first one to take the leap, on 18 January. Tomorrow, I will turn my formal notice in, even though everyone has known for many months at megacorp.

Only 13 more days of w*rk to go. I have had my financial ducks lined up for quite some time. Socially, I am unsure exactly how things will play out, day to day. I will initially do projects around the house, and a little (not as much as I would like) travel.

I know I need to get involved volunteering etc. I am pulling the rug out from under myself socially by cutting off my current source of most of my social interactions, but I will find a way to adapt.

So cheers to all! It is truly a new chapter in our lives when we abruptly stop doing what we do for 35, 40, whatever years, and (for some of us) redefine who we are. I have been waiting for this for many years, and I am excited!

 

[Jimmie]

Congratulations! What a great way to start a new year!

 

[Bir48die]

Happy 2019, fellow classmates. I might be the first one to take the leap, on 18 January. Tomorrow, I will turn my formal notice in, even though everyone has known for many months at megacorp.

Only 13 more days of w*rk to go. I have had my financial ducks lined up for quite some time. Socially, I am unsure exactly how things will play out, day to day. I will initially do projects around the house, and a little (not as much as I would like) travel.

I know I need to get involved volunteering etc. I am pulling the rug out from under myself socially by cutting off my current source of most of my social interactions, but I will find a way to adapt.

So cheers to all! It is truly a new chapter in our lives when we abruptly stop doing what we do for 35, 40, whatever years, and (for some of us) redefine who we are. I have been waiting for this for many years, and I am excited!

Just had three old work buddies and wives over for New Years. You’ll keep in touch with those who mean something to you. Several friends of mine retired around the same time and moved three hours away on the other side of the mountains. We mean to hook up but it just hasn’t worked out. In the meantime I’ve got a new group of golf buddies that has filled in those spots

 

[Canoeboy]

I’m officially retired from Megacorp with 29 years of service as of close of business today, but since it’s a holiday guess I woke up already in the Class of 2019. Just turned 57 - set goal 20 years ago to get out between age 55-60. Largely self-funded with small pension (~15% income) that will start in 2020.

FIREcalc before recent market correction had 100% success rate. DW pension (<10% income) is 10 years out. 529 account balance will cover 85% of remaining college tuition for youngest. Given the market correction, we feel good that we have a few years of cash/cash equivalents on hand and funds to cover major home renovations to fixer-upper retirement lake house before we need to tap investments.

Looking forward to welcoming others that join the class of 2019!

 

[fishvt]

Congratulations Camfused!

I’m feeling a lot of the same things.

I’m getting ready to take the plunge now.
After reading a few posts re: voluntary separation, I decided to ask Megacorp this week if they want to offer me an ER package. Best case scenario they offer me 2 weeks for each of my 32 years of service. Worst case , they say no and I give them 10 weeks notice. If I stay until 3/31/19 i can get a portion of the 2019 bonus plan.
Sooo excited!!! It’s finally happening. We are ready to be snowbirds.

 

[Canoeboy]

I've let my boss know of my interest in an early retirement offer, but nothing has come of it yet.

Hang in there. I realize that every situation is different. In my case I recently succeeded in getting a package at my desired timing - which was part luck. May want to think about the decision from boss/company perspective and carefully play your cards to get yourself considered for a RIF. Companies have to be very careful of age discrimination - decisions need to be about elimination of unnecessary or redundant roles. Also, if they believe you will jump on your own they may just wait you out. In my case we had a long planned department transformation due to a leadership retirement that I was able to leverage. Helped the new leader develop the strategy and when asked what role I wanted my answer was “actually none”. Alternative was for me to go on my own in Summer 2019, but that was my secret.

 

[like2]

Well, I requested my retirement paperwork today.I should have it completed and turned in early next week.

Friday March 29th, 2019 will be my last day of gainful employment. 33 years, 2 months and 2 days employed with the same company. It has been fun but now it is time to write the next chapter of our lives. My DW retired last July and is telling me to come on in, the water is fine!
Very excited!!

 

[fishvt]

Congrats!!!

 

[Luck_Club]

Update

June 2019 last day for DW. RV cross country E-W begins that fall. I will work from the road that year and end at the first sign of setback. fall of 2020 will begin slow travel overseas, and I anticipate my 1 more year syndrome will be over by then, if not it wont last much longer with the next travel phase.

DW went in June of 2018. I retire when the merry go round stops (next contract termination). Moved the RV to the back burner since we purchased a retirement home roughly 10 years ahead of plan.

Probably do 1 trip over seas fall of 2019, but given the expensive retirement home, may hold off til 2020.

 

[HI Bill]

I've been in OMY syndrome for almost 3 years, and I'm thinking of switching from July 2018 (too late) to somewhere between January and June 2019. If I work 0.5 months in 2019, I'll pay no Federal taxes. If I work 3 months in 2019, but max out the 401(k) with catch-up contributions, I'll also pay no Federal taxes. If I wasn't waiting for the time when I can renew my driver's (in July 2019, which I need to do before overseas extended travel), I'd probably FIRE in mid-January.

January 2, 2019. Set up the 401(k) withdrawal percentages so that at the end of my 8th paycheck (4 months), I'll have withheld the maximum 401(k) regular and catch-up contributions for the year. I just made a ROTH IRA contribution, and am setting up the spousal IRA contribution. Since I have to stay until June or July, I'm having a hard time not socking away a few extra months, especially after last year being a bust in terms of returns. Getting closer!

 

[cantfindmyglasses]

Hello classmates!

Notice given for 3/19. Hard to stop surfing the cruise websites.

 

[Canoesmith]

I’ve settled on the date

I have two retirement clocks fighting on my IPhone. One set at January 5th and one set at July 5th. Both 2019. I was hoping they would fight it out for me and make my decision. July is more money - salary, more vacation and sick to cash out, another 2% on the pension. January is six months of non work freedom in the Sonoran desert winter (which is pretty nice). I make decisions for a living. But here, I am a failure (to date). I’m expecting to get there soon. A January date requires notice, and that notice date would be coming up. But 2019...yes to 2019 after 37 years in my career and 58 years old. I’m ready.

My father passed right before Christmas. Not totally unexpected, but impactful. And this has spurred me to make a decision. As we work through his estate issues I will keep working, but the reality of the finality, and the financial bump his thoughtful estate will bring, has driven me to firm my date to July 5th of this year. Dads final gift to me, so to speak. Setting all retirement clocks to 7/5/19. Time to start the dream.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I tried the class of 2014-nope. Class of 2016-I didn’t work for a year, loved it. Got spooked by ACA instability in 2017. This year is it-May 3rd. Gave notice in September. More than needed. This time it feels different. This time I leave no one behind. I care only enough to get through the next day.

Many of my favorite longtime coworkers in the hospital, not physicians, but nurses, aides, secretaries are retiring this year too, between March and November. We get along great and finish each other’s sentences. It feels right. Time to turn it over to others.

That year off plus part time work was wonderful to get ready for this. Plus four years of not touching the portfolio means a few first class flights in my future (just a few). I will walk away with no sendoff this time. No looking back. Nothing to look back to.

 

[gamboolman]

Ms. gamboolgal and I are still aiming to retire 31-Dec-19. Hard to really comprehend we could be in the last year of the oil patch after what will end up being almost 42 year.

But 2018 was tuff with a ~7.5% loss in portfolio value.

Our projected retirement income will be about $400 month less based on todays balances. Let hope we have a better year than 2018.

I've always said about the only reason to work longer would be if the economy tanks.....We'll evaluate that as the year progresses.

Regardless of the economy - we know we are getting close to the prize. I'm looking forward to chasing Ms. gamboolgal around the house neckid....

Lifes A Dance And You Learn As You Go......

 

[Out of Steam]

I've let my boss know of my interest in an early retirement offer, but nothing has come of it yet.

Still waiting...without an offer, I'm leaning towards Thanksgiving. Late enough in the year that we don't have to draw retirement funds in 2019.

I thought I might work into early 2020, but that's not going to happen.

 

[chrisaukcam]

I am crossing the Rubicon, the die has been cast. Notified company on Monday that I retiring as of February 8. Plan to travel out west this 1st year. East coast all summer our 2nd year, then Europe in year 3. After that then I guess we hunker down and see what our next adventure should be.

 

[Osprey]

January 31 is my last day! Looking forward to spending more time outdoors hiking, trying pickleball, doing some traveling, and a number of other activities with my husband. Last few weeks in the office are tough as I’m antsy to start the next stage!