Class of 2018

[Pellice]

It was an amazing feeling to not go in to work Monday. Of course, I've had many vacations where I didn't go into work. This felt different. For one thing, I don't have to think ahead and visualize potential problems. As part of my office cleanup, I threw away an earlier multi-page, multi-step set of instructions where I tried to think through every last thing that had to be done while I was gone, the sequence the actions needed to take, the options if something went wrong, followup dates, etc.

It also felt different because I felt free to make more medium range plans - that is, more than a daily task list and less than a distant "life goals list.

 

[WestUniversity]

That’s awesome. Congratulations! My own departure is in 192 days according to my countdown timer.

I’m beyond ready. I’m now on blood pressure medicine albeit a very low dose. Conceivably once I’m out from under the stress and get a more regular exercise regimen I will probably be able to drop those...

 

[CoolRich59]

It's done! (Well, technically I have 4 more workdays, but they will be scattered over the next 6 weeks and may even be taken from home.)
I'm dancing! I have a Pandora 60s Rock station turned up loud, and i'm dancing! I feel ... young!

Congratulations! What a great feeling! Enjoy!!

 

[SumDay]

Congratulations! Enjoy every second as you reclaim your life!


73 days to go for me. I'm getting really cantankerous, but not ornery enough for anyone to stop inviting me to any and every flippin' conference call imaginable.

 

[WestUniversity]

I'm getting really cantankerous, but not ornery enough for anyone to stop inviting me to any and every flippin' conference call imaginable.

LOL! Is that ever the truth. I will not miss useless meetings and conference calls and being CC’d on way too many emails. I have enough work to do without dealing with all of that...

 

[CoolRich59]

I'm getting really cantankerous, but not ornery enough for anyone to stop inviting me to any and every flippin' conference call imaginable.

Ha!! Even though I was a consultant, toward the end, I was so cantankerous that I responded to conf call invites from the client's staff with: "What is the specific purpose of this call?"; "What specific goal is this call suposed to accomplish?"; and, "Who else is going to be on this call?" (always a good barometer).

If I didn't get satisfactory answers (i.e., most of the time), I declined the call. It freed up 2-3 hours a day for me.

 

[neihn]

Practically done yesterday, attended a warm good-bye party with co-workers, deleted my alarm clock on my phone last night, giggled a little when I did that (what's a feeling).

I will come in next Monday to return my badge and laptop.

 

[WestUniversity]

Practically done yesterday, attended a warm good-bye party with co-workers, deleted my alarm clock on my phone last night, giggled a little when I did that (what's a feeling).

I will come in next Monday to return my badge and laptop.

Congratulations! It must be a great feeling!

 

[camfused]

Add me to the list! Age 59, FIRE date will be 12/31/2018. Going to have one 401K in fixed income (2.8%) for the first several years, then adjust it to 60/40. The other 401K will be in a "conservative goal seeker mode" for the first several years, then I'll put it into "moderate goal seeker" mode. An expected inheritance will probably kick in a few years, and that will go 100% to dividend paying stocks, and I will have the dividends go into my cash bucket.

With this plan, I hope to sleep at night the first few years, since I will be in fairly safe stuff. I will also be taking care of long term (to feed me dividends and pass down to DD) with the stocks funds. Firecalc says 100% with room to spare.

I have 6 models I play with in spreadsheets and this plan is the one that wins most of the time when I throw various stuff at it.

I plan on doing my formal notice with 1 month to go, but since cutbacks seem somewhat more possible lately, i'll let my manager at megacorp know that I want to be first in line if there are cuts (assuming I would get the standard 2 weeks * 8 years = 4 months of pay that has been the norm. Close enough).

DW wants to work for a couple more years, so i'll jump on her insurance next year. I'll figure out something for the several years between that and Medicare (hopefully ACA, or something like it, or faith-based are still around). It's in the plan.

Feeling financially prepared enough-ish. Have not worked out what i'll do with myself, but I figure I'll work that out when I cross the bridge.

W*rk is getting a drag now, with motivation waining, knowing I have about 6 months to go!

 

[Ed B]

Add me to the list! Age 59, FIRE date will be 12/31/2018. Going to have one 401K in fixed income (2.8%) for the first several years, then adjust it to 60/40. The other 401K will be in a "conservative goal seeker mode" for the first several years, then I'll put it into "moderate goal seeker" mode. An expected inheritance will probably kick in a few years, and that will go 100% to dividend paying stocks, and I will have the dividends go into my cash bucket.

With this plan, I hope to sleep at night the first few years, since I will be in fairly safe stuff. I will also be taking care of long term (to feed me dividends and pass down to DD) with the stocks funds. Firecalc says 100% with room to spare.

I have 6 models I play with in spreadsheets and this plan is the one that wins most of the time when I throw various stuff at it.

I plan on doing my formal notice with 1 month to go, but since cutbacks seem somewhat more possible lately, i'll let my manager at megacorp know that I want to be first in line if there are cuts (assuming I would get the standard 2 weeks * 8 years = 4 months of pay that has been the norm. Close enough).

DW wants to work for a couple more years, so i'll jump on her insurance next year. I'll figure out something for the several years between that and Medicare (hopefully ACA, or something like it, or faith-based are still around). It's in the plan.

Feeling financially prepared enough-ish. Have not worked out what i'll do with myself, but I figure I'll work that out when I cross the bridge.

W*rk is getting a drag now, with motivation waining, knowing I have about 6 months to go!

Congratulations and welcome to the class of 2018. I am one month in and I can testify, it is great.

 

[cnocmmz]

Congrats, we are with you. Walking away same, Dec 18 @ 59. ��

 

[camfused]

Thanks all. I told my manager at megacorp yesterday that I plan on retiring at the end of the year, and to put me in front of the line if any layoff packages come up.

 

[Dtail]

Thanks all. I told my manager at megacorp yesterday that I plan on retiring at the end of the year, and to put me in front of the line if any layoff packages come up.

Excellent. You will be so happy.

 

[JoeWras]

Updated list. I added some of you who casually mentioned your plans so you are now officially held to it! I estimated a few too. And of course, Lagniappe gets an extra ribbon on the mortar board for that advanced degree.

2018 (date unknown)
------
Grumpyretirement
trapperjohn
datuck
Snoopy (55)
Lovetoski (46)

January
--------
chief04010 1/2
JeffinSeattle 1/2
Boilerman 1/2 (57)
OldPhd 1/4
Uncle Lumpy 1/5 (60)
ikubak 1/10 (55)
Coolrich59 1/31 (58)

February
----------
GrandmaHoo feb1 62.5

March
------
Nunyaa
elainejtm

April
-----
whatnot 4/1
Mr. and Mrs. Honeyfill 4/2
ears20 (57)
Poppydog and Mrs Poppydog 4/27 (63/59)
Tdv2 4/27 (54)
tmm2good 4/4 (58)
ILikeStarTrek (55)
4aboard 4/27 (42)
BeachOrCity 4/30 (53)

May
---
Hilltopper 5/4 (55)
Mcbraemer 5/15 (63)
DrBrisket 5/15 (49)
SumDay 5/31
OnIslandTime and Mr. OIT 5/31 (59)
ears20 5/31 (57)
Ed B 5/31 (58)

June
----
Pullin 6/1
GaryT 6/1
Seabourne 6/1 (39)
sayhey24 6/7
Redduc 6/8
Lagniappe 6/11 (53) <graduate degree>
willatl 6/15
neihn 6/30
Jollystomper 6/29
akidagain2018 6/30 (56)

July
----
Dan4495 (60)
68Bucks
MRC758 7/13

August
--------
JoeWras 8/3 (55)
Pellice 8/1 (62)

September
---------
Steeler75 9/28

October
-------
FIREmenow
RoyDornoch (60)
68bucks

November
--------
Erbragg1 11/1

December
--------
Magwitch & Mrs. MagWitch 12/21 (39)
cnocmmz 12/18 (59)
tmitchell (50)
WestUniversity 12/28
camfused 12/31

 

[jollystomper]

Thanks all. I told my manager at megacorp yesterday that I plan on retiring at the end of the year, and to put me in front of the line if any layoff packages come up.

Good luck! I did a similar thing, and though my management did not want me to go, they made it happen.

 

[jollystomper]

I'm finished working and am mentally retired. Not yet "official" by Megacorp - my last day in the office was June 26th, but due to having to work/travel a couple of weekends in May they gave me 3 personal days to make it up. So I am on the payroll through Friday, but not working at all (have said my goodbyes already and my email and IM returns "retired" if anyone tries to reach me.

My feeling? The late wrestler Hawk said it best:

 

[akidagain2018]

I'm so envious of everyone whose left or leaving currently. I was planning on June, too nervous, so now July. Maybe August....ducking, someone hit me aside the head. I've gotta go, no later than August. I'm getting out within this fiscal year, ending Sept. Trying to avoid draconian changes to benefits from the WH. Ugh! It's good incentive to go, now that I can. Trying to get less nervous, scooping up bigger checks know that I fully funded 401-k for the year. Gotta go, do stuff not inside a concrete building.

 

[camfused]

Sounds like OMM (One More Month) disease. Fortunately, there is a cure for this...

 

[Ed B]

Sounds like OMM (One More Month) disease. Fortunately, there is a cure for this...

I gotta say, all anxiety about leaving my familiar, high paying megacorp job melted away very quickly. OMM syndrome is such a sad and unnecessary form of self mutilation. [emoji6]

 

[FIREmenow]

That's a Wrap!

That's a Wrap!

Sitting here at my desk with only 3hrs of my working life left to go!

My DW is also retiring today - DOUBLE !!!

We were on the list for October since DW would turn 55, but in February, DW's employer decided they would no longer offer retiree health insurance benefits for new retirees So we figured - why wait?

We have been weekend sail- and trawler-boaters for 25+ years on far too many different boats. We have now purchased a used live-aboard capable boat and will be selling our “dirt home” in the next couple of months and moving aboard full time. Now this is true “downsizing”!

There will be enough continuous maintenance and repair issues with the diesel, electrical, and water systems that will keep my engineering mind plenty busy. We will cruise locally for a few months, get some projects on the boat completed, and then maybe down to the FL keys this winter -- chasing the 80 degree weather.

In the spring we will start the Great Loop (America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association) which is typically a year or more, following the four seasons. The Bahamas will be also be must when we come back around. After that, we don’t know -- or care !!

Drone picture from Memorial Day this year

I already smashed the alarm clock this morning.....

 

[Dtail]

That's a Wrap!

Sitting here at my desk with only 3hrs of my working life left to go!

My DW is also retiring today - DOUBLE !!!

We were on the list for October since DW would turn 55, but in February, DW's employer decided they would no longer offer retiree health insurance benefits for new retirees So we figured - why wait?

We have been weekend sail- and trawler-boaters for 25+ years on far too many different boats. We have now purchased a used live-aboard capable boat and will be selling our “dirt home” in the next couple of months and moving aboard full time. Now this is true “downsizing”!

There will be enough continuous maintenance and repair issues with the diesel, electrical, and water systems that will keep my engineering mind plenty busy. We will cruise locally for a few months, get some projects on the boat completed, and then maybe down to the FL keys this winter -- chasing the 80 degree weather.

In the spring we will start the Great Loop (America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association) which is typically a year or more, following the four seasons. The Bahamas will be also be must when we come back around. After that, we don’t know -- or care !!

Drone picture from Memorial Day this year

I already smashed the alarm clock this morning.....

Excellent.
Welcome to the rest of your life.

 

[Carpediem]

That's a Wrap!

Drone picture from Memorial Day this year

Wow, that's amazing! Well done, sir.

 

[Rowej]

That's a Wrap!

Sitting here at my desk with only 3hrs of my working life left to go!

My DW is also retiring today - DOUBLE !!!

We were on the list for October since DW would turn 55, but in February, DW's employer decided they would no longer offer retiree health insurance benefits for new retirees So we figured - why wait?

We have been weekend sail- and trawler-boaters for 25+ years on far too many different boats. We have now purchased a used live-aboard capable boat and will be selling our “dirt home” in the next couple of months and moving aboard full time. Now this is true “downsizing”!

There will be enough continuous maintenance and repair issues with the diesel, electrical, and water systems that will keep my engineering mind plenty busy. We will cruise locally for a few months, get some projects on the boat completed, and then maybe down to the FL keys this winter -- chasing the 80 degree weather.

In the spring we will start the Great Loop (America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association) which is typically a year or more, following the four seasons. The Bahamas will be also be must when we come back around. After that, we don’t know -- or care !!

Drone picture from Memorial Day this year

I already smashed the alarm clock this morning.....

Congrats! We have the same plan as you, however about 8 years behind you. Buy a trawler, sell the house, cruise the Bahamas and Caribbean and then do the Great Loop. We are lucky enough today to at least live in South Florida on the water, so we take our current 25’ center console to the Bahamas a few times a year. Just have to rent a house or condo currently since we don’t halve a cabin. When you pass through Hobe Sound which the Loop will take you through, send an email and will buy you a drink.

 

[FIREmenow]

Congrats! We have the same plan as you, however about 8 years behind you. Buy a trawler, sell the house, cruise the Bahamas and Caribbean and then do the Great Loop. We are lucky enough today to at least live in South Florida on the water, so we take our current 25’ center console to the Bahamas a few times a year. Just have to rent a house or condo currently since we don’t halve a cabin. When you pass through Hobe Sound which the Loop will take you through, send an email and will buy you a drink.

Awesome! Thanks!

 

[WestUniversity]

Thanks all. I told my manager at megacorp yesterday that I plan on retiring at the end of the year, and to put me in front of the line if any layoff packages come up.

Congratulations [emoji322][emoji323][emoji898]