ER surprise: a little work boosts appreciation

[Focus]

Before retiring, I had moments of euphoria when I contemplated the free time I would have once I pulled the trigger. However, after ER I got used to the time off pretty quickly. It became the new normal.

Subsequently, I picked up a very part-time job that I enjoy a lot. It involves doing something entirely different from my previous career for about 15 hours a week. It's been just enough to help me again fully appreciate the time I'm not working. For me, it's the perfect balance.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

 

[Walt34]

A few years after I retired I stumbled into a nearby (3.4 miles) and low-stress job with the option of either full-time or part-time. I chose full-time in part because most of the part-time hours were midnight shifts. Surprisingly it paid almost as much as I was earning before I retired because they wanted that experience. The hours turned out to be a good fit for me (2 PM to 10 PM) as I am NOT a morning person and after 6 PM the building was empty aside from a skeleton crew and the cleaning people. After I exhausted what the library had to offer amazon.com loved me because I was buying lots of books to read and I enjoy having the time to do that, and being paid for it made it even better.

After about five years there was going to be a huge pay cut of about 40% so I did not apply to the new company (different contractor). From what I learned later I wouldn't have lasted more than a few days before quitting anyway as the working conditions were very bad and with lots of 12-hour days because they were understaffed. Of about 65 people, 19 quit so that left them shorthanded.

 

[Teacher Terry]

About 7 months after retiring I was offered a chance to teach an online college class. This was different from my main career and i love it. 4 years later I am still doing it. I did not like being fully retired.

 

[Ready]

I was only "fully retired" for about 2 weeks back in 2013 before I picked up some part time work. So I can't really comment on what it would be like to be completely out of the work force. But I only work a couple of hours a day, from home, and I find that I really enjoy it. It keeps my brain challenged, it allows me to stay connected to some good friends in my industry, and provides a nice diversion to an otherwise very leisurely day. If it went away, I think I would miss it, so I guess I'm not ready to be completely retired yet. Perhaps some day that will change but for now I have no plans to stop.

 

[joeea]

Before retiring, I had moments of euphoria when I contemplated the free time I would have once I pulled the trigger. However, after ER I got used to the time off pretty quickly. It became the new normal.

Subsequently, I picked up a very part-time job that I enjoy a lot. It involves doing something entirely different from my previous career for about 15 hours a week. It's been just enough to help me again fully appreciate the time I'm not working. For me, it's the perfect balance.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

About 8 months after retiring, I was asked by my former company if I could consult with them.

I found that consulting on my own terms (2 days per week, no nights, no weekends) was pretty good. No stress, no pressure, no constant administrivia to deal with - the hours flew by. It lasted for about a year.

I'm not sure I'd go elsewhere, but if they called me to help out again, I'd consider giving them 2 days again (at least once the summer is over).

If 15 hours works for you, that's terrific!

 

[Moemg]

After retirement I started an ebay business . It was great working from home in my pj's and I was very successful .It only took a few hours a week but after eight years I was ready to close the business and start stage two .

 

[HFWR]

Very little, as in none...

 

[aja8888]

I still get the occasional call to do some oil & gas consulting, especially when assets go up for sale or a refinancing is going on. Usually it's a week or so of evaluating field equipment for lenders. It pays extremely well and hard to pass up, but the calls are getting father apart, time wise.

 

[FUEGO]

I do a tiny bit of consulting work. It's usually an hour or two for a single client with occasional repeat business. All conducted by email and videoconference. So far I'm at 3 hours for the month of May but I have another hour lined up this Tuesday. I average 1-2 hours per week so it's never much of a distraction from my pursuit of leisure.

The consulting time is intellectually challenging and interesting - and not that different than chatting here on the ER forums, except the pay is much better (about four times what I used to earn as an engineer). It also involves helping people directly and making a positive impact, so it's like charity (but again, it pays very well).

On top of that is my blog, which is like chatting here on the ER forums with a little more proofreading and occasional research (more like I've shifted my activities away from here and toward my blog). And of course it pays a lot better.

OP, I think you're right - there is something about the juxtaposition of working a bit and retirement where the former makes you appreciate the latter even more. After I finish a consulting session it feels like I've come home from work on a Friday evening and everything is wrapped up at the office for the week.

 

[Bir48die]

I was offered a half time job at 50% of my salary which was very generous. Had full health coverage and negotiated more vacation. Did it for six months. My boss wanted set days so he knew where I would be and when he could get in touch with me. What happened is everyone wanted to either golf or fish on my work days. Plus we had to camp during the weekends (could get Monday as an extra day) so dealt with the crowds.

I just figured my freedom was more important than anything else.

 

[AllDone]

I find that driving somewhere at rush hour a couple of times per year is enough to sharpen my appreciation.

 

[Ronstar]

I do a little consulting work - primarily as an expert witness in eminent domain cases. It's interesting, and no more than 100 hours per year, so that's good. It gives my brain some activity that I wouldn't normally get.

 

[Focus]

I was offered a half time job at 50% of my salary which was very generous. Had full health coverage and negotiated more vacation. Did it for six months. My boss wanted set days so he knew where I would be and when he could get in touch with me. What happened is everyone wanted to either golf or fish on my work days. Plus we had to camp during the weekends (could get Monday as an extra day) so dealt with the crowds.

I just figured my freedom was more important than anything else.

You figured right. I had a similar opportunity, and it quickly became obvious that I was just being offered a slightly larger cage than the previous one.

For me, the subsequent job had to be entirely different from my previous career, low stress, and very part time.

 

[novaman]

I'm a dentist who owns my own practice, so I have the luxury of being able to decide how much I work. Starting last fall I decided to semi retire. I dropped to 3 days a week and began to take frequent trip lasting from 5 days to 2 weeks- something I always dreamed of. So far since last October I've been to Honduras on a missions trip, Israel/Petra/Mount Sinai, Puerto Rico, LA, Scottsdale, and right now I'm in Iceland.
I'm still enjoying working as a dentist. I love the interaction with patients and the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world around me. I also teach, and mentor.
At this point in the 29th year of my career I feel like I have a lot of experience and wisdom to offer. So it's nice to have a mix of both work and "retirement". In my life.

 

[Koolau]

I thought it would be "fun" to reposition cars for dealers and drive clunkers to the auction. I didn't mind that the money was less than minimum wage. It should have been a social thing as well. It turned out that there were more politics and back biting among the "regulars" and they resented the "interlopers." DW and I lasted a couple of months and had a few good times, but mostly bad. YMMV

 

[Hermit]

I never had a problem turning down offers from my supervisor to come back to work. Then again, building a house in retirement is a lot like having a job...

 

[FIREd]

I have not had a job in years and have no desire to get one - be it part-time.

After 2 years of ER, DW recently accepted a consulting gig. It is only about 2-3 hours per week on average but it helps to keep her mind sharp she says.

 

[W2R]

I have not had a job in years and have no desire to get one - be it part-time.

Me either, unless I felt for some reason that I needed the money. Luckily money has not been a problem for me so far.

After 2 years of ER, DW recently accepted a consulting gig. It is only about 2-3 hours per week on average but it helps to keep her mind sharp she says.

Yikes! Well, "different strokes for different folks", I suppose. I keep my mind sharp with reading, listening to podcasts, doing Sudoku every day, and so on.

I never really felt like work kept my mind sharp at all; quite the opposite, since there always seemed to be tasks required that weren't created for my mental stimulation so much as to benefit the organization.

 

[RE2Boys]

I never really felt like work kept my mind sharp at all; quite the opposite, since there always seemed to be tasks required that weren't created for my mental stimulation so much as to benefit the organization.

Fortunately, for the last ten years, I just ignore all the corporate crap. Work 3 months for a CPA firm each year doing tax returns.

Last year someone in HR got all worked up about me not responding to the corp evaluation process and info'd my "supervisor" about my non-compliance. Ten minutes later I get a follow-on email telling me to ignore his previous email.
I think the boss told him to go away and leave me alone.
It's a win-win deal for the firm and me. I come and go, do lots of returns, and disappear for another 9 months.

I've never had an evaluation, when they ask for the keys to the building, that'll tell me something.

 

[socca]

Anyone else have a similar experience?

Yes. In my experience, self-employment is completely different than being a megacorp cog. I answer to no one except my own standards for what constitutes excellence and the other stakeholders in the partnership. On the negative side, when things go off the rails (which they inevitably do from time to time), I'm responsible for getting things back on track.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

I feel it's not the actual work I disliked so much, but all the BS that goes along with any job itself. There's always someone who isn't happy. Not enough pay, hours,etc. There is usually a jealous co-worker who would stab you in the back if they get the chance , just because they can. Then there is always a boss riding you and is never satisfied. I know none of that has changed. So no, I am not going back to work if I can help it.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

i had this plan of when i retired i was going to work at the cigar store. I was a real authority on them. I even talked to the owner /manager of a well known establishment. I told him i would volunteer to work regular hours, he just had to supply me with a cigar every hour i worked. Then my mother got ill and it was during lent 2006. I made a deal with God, mom lives i will never smoke again. P.S. mom is hanging in there still and i haven't smoked since '06. I thought it would be a blast to work at a hobby.

 

[Badbreath]

I don't know if I (we) can do it but the goal is no more work whatsoever in retirement. I will have worked 30+ years and my wife about 20. Time to just stop and enjoy something new.

 

[Perryinva]

My plan in 2 years when I retire is to just make small change in my current hobby. I thoroughly enjoy it (umm why else would I do it as a hobby), and as it turns out, I can usually make $1-2k/mo doing it for other people. If it becomes too much of a hassle or it loses its appeal then I can always back down or close shop. The point of retirement is to do what you want, not JUST never have to work again, IMHO.

 

[SecondCor521]

I've been FIREd about a year and a half and I am considering doing something. Maybe a job, maybe consulting, maybe a side gig/business type of thing.

Reasons are varied, but mostly it's a (possibly misguided) effort to fend off some boredom and scratch the Scrooge itch (have enough, but more is better).

Feel a little off put that my former employer hasn't contacted me to ask me to come back. Oh well, maybe I'm not as awesome as I thought I was.