3 Years Into Retirement

[COcheesehead]

I just passed my 3 year anniversary.
The money part has been pretty easy.
The what to do part has been pretty easy.
The only hard part is I now realize I have 3 less years to enjoy the best years of my life.

 

[flyingaway]

The 2022 downturn did not scare you?

 

[COcheesehead]

The 2022 downturn did not scare you?

I survived 2020 and 2022 downturns. I built a bond tent recommended by Kitces. It saved our lifelong savings. We have more today than when I retired.

 

[flyingaway]

I survived 2020 and 2022 downturns. I built a bond tent recommended by Kitces. It saved our lifelong savings. We have more today than when I retired.

I did not do any calculation, but in 2022, a bond (fund) tent might not have helped.

 

[COcheesehead]

I did not do any calculation, but in 2022, a bond (fund) tent might not have helped.

I don’t use bond funds. There is no par - a preset value to return to at maturity and only NAV erosion in the recent past. I invest and ladder individual bonds. I have doubled my income from the ladders in the last year and a half.

 

[flyingaway]

That is nice. I am just at the two year mark of retirement.

 

[street]

I just passed my 3 year anniversary.
The money part has been pretty easy.
The what to do part has been pretty easy.
The only hard part is I now realize I have 3 less years to enjoy the best years of my life.

Congratulations!!

I have to agree when looking back since I ER seven years ago. The sad part is I have 7 less years to enjoy and do whatever I want to on my time. Time went way to fast and all I can hope for is great health for many years to come.

I went at 58 years old I could of wen way before that and looking back I wish I had.

 

[COcheesehead]

That is nice. I am just at the two year mark of retirement.

Sequence of return risk scared me a lot so I did much research on it prior to retiring because I knew I was pulling out at a market high which if managed correctly is OK. If managed poorly, can be a problem

 

[COcheesehead]

[/B]

Congratulations!!

I have to agree when looking back since I ER seven years ago. The sad part is I have 7 less years to enjoy and do whatever I want to on my time. Time went way to fast and all I can hope for is great health for many years to come.

I went at 58 years old I could of wen way before that and looking back I wish I had.

Same for me pulled out at 57. Likely could have done 52, maybe even sooner in hindsight.
You just don’t know until you do it and then realize it’s all possible.

 

[street]

Same for me pulled out at 57. Likely could have done 52, maybe even sooner in hindsight.
You just don’t know until you do it and then realize it’s all possible.

True!!!! Money part is the easy part like you said, but till you ER that question is question, until you see how easy it is.

 

[Koolau]

Congratulations on 3 years. It does go fast. I can still remember my exit interview at Megacorp, turning in my badge and walking out with a pile of papers talking about all the wonderful retiree benefits I had to look forward to.

That was almost 18 years ago. Where does the time go?

Enjoy your well earned retirement.

 

[DrRoy]

I don’t use bond funds. There is no par - a preset value to return to at maturity and only NAV erosion in the recent past. I invest and ladder individual bonds. I have doubled my income from the ladders in the last year and a half.

+1

 

[georgemoe]

Congratulations! I'm in the same class. Retired the Friday before the pandemic shutdown at age 60. Next stop Medicare.

 

[COcheesehead]

Congratulations! I'm in the same class. Retired the Friday before the pandemic shutdown at age 60. Next stop Medicare.

We have a few years to go before Medicare yet, but when I pulled the trigger during Covid I often thought that I would have a great story to tell. The world is collapsing and oh by the way, I am retiring.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Good for you!

I pulled the pin at age 50 and never looked back. Your time is your most valuable asset.

 

[pjm-7]

Congrats COcheesehead. At yoga today I commented to someone that I hadn't worked in nine years. I got the "you must be from another planet" look. It's a nice life. Keep enjoying!

 

[COcheesehead]

Congrats COcheesehead. At yoga today I commented to someone that I hadn't worked in nine years. I got the "you must be from another planet" look. It's a nice life. Keep enjoying!

LOL. You go gurl!

 

[LateToFIRE]

Congrats COcheesehead. At yoga today I commented to someone that I hadn't worked in nine years. I got the "you must be from another planet" look. It's a nice life. Keep enjoying!

I'm not even retired yet and when I tell people I set a date for 2024, they give me that shocked, what the... look, usually say something like "oh you're way too young to retire" or "oh but you have so much more to give", as in the implication "don't deprive the world of your skills and waste away the rest of your life that way". I dunno, guess I don't look that old

P.S. That or they give me the "you must have robbed a bank, won the lotto, or come into a trust fund" look. I have just stopped telling people.

 

[LateToFIRE]

Congrats COcheesehead!

 

[LateToFIRE]

The 2022 downturn did not scare you?

Scared me plenty!

 

[LateToFIRE]

Congratulations on 3 years. It does go fast. I can still remember my exit interview at Megacorp, turning in my badge and walking out with a pile of papers talking about all the wonderful retiree benefits I had to look forward to.

That was almost 18 years ago. Where does the time go?

Enjoy your well earned retirement.

Megacorp has changed the rules these days, no more wonderful retiree benefits, just a pat on the back and a good shove out onto the street.

 

[ER Eddie]

Just passed the 4 year mark myself. Money hasn't been a problem. Finding things to do hasn't been a problem. Establishing new (deep) social connections has been a bit of a problem. Not falling into hedonistic episodes has been a bit of a problem. But that's ok.

 

[Koolau]

Megacorp has changed the rules these days, no more wonderful retiree benefits, just a pat on the back and a good shove out onto the street.

And "What's your name, again?"

 

[COcheesehead]

Just passed the 4 year mark myself. Money hasn't been a problem. Finding things to do hasn't been a problem. Establishing new (deep) social connections has been a bit of a problem. Not falling into hedonistic episodes has been a bit of a problem. But that's ok.

The social part so far has been easy. We even moved to a new town in retirement. We likely have more friends here than the town we lived in for 30 years. My wife says I can make friends on elevators between floors.

We are active and invite folks to join us on hikes, to see a concert or just go to dinner.
We belong to clubs.
We volunteer.
I have a part time job.
We have friends over.
It all helps.

 

[sparky08]

The only thing better than 10 months into retirement in the Colorado Rockies (me) is three years. Congrats!