CherylGrrl
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2013
- Messages
- 56
I'm 59 and had always had the objective to retire at 55 from my early 20s when I started contributing to my 401(k). I have a substantial portfolio from my years of saving plus some lucky stock awards from the go-go years in Silicon Valley. My husband is 58 and retired the day he turned 55. He has a meager Federal pension but it does come with good health insurance at current-employee rates of about $250/month for both of us. We own our home, a sailboat, and a travel trailer.
We love to travel and spend about 1/3 of the time on the road, either camping or doing major cruises or international trips. I have a half-time job with a technology company that I can do from home or the road, anywhere there's an Internet and phone connection that pays about $80,000 a year. I've actually worked part-time for the last 15 years, with incomes ranging from $5,000 to $180,000 but this is dependable. This darn job I have now, which isn't really that tough, seems too good to let go of during these uncertain times. I keep having my financial advisor run projections, and I have tried many financial calculators that tell me things look pretty good, but I find that things are so strange economically and politically today that I worry I will be sorry if I give up this job as it allows us to live without tapping into the portfolio at all.
I feel guilty whining about anything -- I know I'm very lucky -- but I find that I'm constantly worrying about work issues and am jealous of my husband's freedom from work stress. I'm trying to find the courage to cut the cord and quit forever, but I just can't seem to do it.
Anyway, I found this forum today and I thought it might help me to see what others are thinking and doing...
We love to travel and spend about 1/3 of the time on the road, either camping or doing major cruises or international trips. I have a half-time job with a technology company that I can do from home or the road, anywhere there's an Internet and phone connection that pays about $80,000 a year. I've actually worked part-time for the last 15 years, with incomes ranging from $5,000 to $180,000 but this is dependable. This darn job I have now, which isn't really that tough, seems too good to let go of during these uncertain times. I keep having my financial advisor run projections, and I have tried many financial calculators that tell me things look pretty good, but I find that things are so strange economically and politically today that I worry I will be sorry if I give up this job as it allows us to live without tapping into the portfolio at all.
I feel guilty whining about anything -- I know I'm very lucky -- but I find that I'm constantly worrying about work issues and am jealous of my husband's freedom from work stress. I'm trying to find the courage to cut the cord and quit forever, but I just can't seem to do it.
Anyway, I found this forum today and I thought it might help me to see what others are thinking and doing...