part time or occassional work

[Martha]

Before I retired I worked parttime for two years at the same job I had when I worked fulltime. In the spirit of ESR Bob's book, who is working part time or worked part time before they retired? What did you do? Was it something new and different from your previous fulltime work? Anyone work occassional work, like for a couple of months or weeks a year doing something? If so, what are you doing? How is it going for you?

I found that having the extra free time that part time work brought made me less tolerant of the disruptions of work and increased my desire to retire. In my work, even though my hours were substantially reduced, I still had considerable responsibility and had the need to be available most of the time.

I remember Bennevis is a greater at Pirates games, which sounded fascinating.

 

[Nords]

Cold turkey!

I thoughtfully considered all offers, however.

 

[Zoocat]

Hi Martha,
I used to work part-time, sometimes full-time, and now work part-time doing work that is related to what I did before. I don't know if I will ever retire completely because as long as I get paid to do the work I like, work that is fulfilling and creative, and that I feel is worthwhile, what's the point of quitting?

I like paid work because I feel more connected to my community. Volunteer work just does not cut it, for me.

 

[wabmester]

I found that having the extra free time that part time work brought made me less tolerant of the disruptions of work and increased my desire to retire.

Same here, but I didn't need part-time work to feel that way. I kicked around work-like ideas for a while, but just retiring made me less tolerant of the demands of work.

I think the only way to go for part-time work is to write a book about something you know and love, like retiring early. But Bob already beat us to it.

I'm still a fan of making a little Schedule C income, but only if it doesn't involve real work.

 

[youbet]

I did my best to be retired on the job for my last few years at MegaCorp. But once they booted me, I was absolutely done!

I had to put together some evidence of looking for a job to qualify for unemployment compensation. That was tough. Just getting lists of jobs via email from internet job sites made me nauseous. But for several hundred bux a week, I got through it. Just printed the list, dropped it in the evidence folder and deleted.

Since that ended, I'm work-free!

My general rule of thumb is that the only places where I think of my personal activities relating to money is in managing the household budget, managing the portfolio and trying to control taxes. But I definitely don't want to mingle hobby or other retirement activities with income.

That's just how it works fo me......

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I think it depends on how you structure part-time (or occasional, as you put it). While, say, 2-3 days a week would be welcomed, it would still not allow me to travel extensively or relieve me of the the regular commute, long hours, and chronic administrative hassles. I know some who do that and they say that those 3 days are an annoyance, though better than full time.

Intermittent work - 1 month out of 3 or 4, for example - would be much more appealing to me if I can find it. I could travel, enjoy long periods of no work, then work fairly hard to prime the pump and stay sharp. Just need enough to live off of as the nest egg hopefully grows in the background

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I enjoyed my job (software) for most of my career. When I reached FI in 2004
I payed off my mortgage to celebrate (FOR EMOTIONAL SATISFACTION, NOT
AS A FINANCIAL MOVE) and planned to retire in 2008. A combination of my
job turning to s*%t in 2006 and a 70% investment return in those 2.3 years
left me with a very easy decision to quit entirely in Oct 2006. I cannot see
ever working for $$ again (asteroid impact scenarios excluded).

 

[chinaco]

I did not vote since I still work.

When I ER, I do not plan to work part-time. If something of interest that fit my time schedule surfaced, I might consider it. Since we intend to travel for extended periods... that would mean the work would be on (3 months) and then off (for maybe 3 months). I might consider a couple days a week.
It really depends. Since I do not intend to hunt for it... I doubt it will happen.

 

[Moemg]

I worked full time for years and then I went part time when I moved to Florida.I currently work one day a week in an outpatient surgery center.Everyone convinced me I would be so bored not doing anything .They have been so wrong .I'll probably quit totally in the near future.

 

[SteveR]

Not ER yet but knocking on the door. The boss wants me to consider part time until they find replacements for both positions I am filling. I said No Thanks but if you want me for a few hours a week I will gladly consider consulting but my hourly rate will be current market rates for my skills and experience level. They are thinking it over.

I don't want to be a part time employees....emphasis on employee. There are too many negative things connected with this to suit me and my plans. Besides, I can do the same amount of work but be paid a ton more as a consultant and they know that.

The ball is in their court.

 

[Dreamer]

I applied for 2 part-time jobs after retiring from a full-time job. I applied for 1 of the jobs as a favor to a friend, but they decided that they wanted someone full-time and I told her to tell them that I was not interested. The other part-time job was with the Dept of Tourism for 2-3 days per week. I thought that it sounded fun, but I have not heard back from them yet and the way that things are shaping up in my life, I am not sure how I would find the time to work even part-time. They told me that I would hear from them, either way, and I am starting to hope that I do not get the job. I am the type of person, that if I get the job, I will do it. It is for 1,040 hours, so I would know that the end was in sight.

 

[tryan]

Have to say I am still part time ... been working to clean-up a vacancy. Can't ignore that this is W*rk.

Also noted that in megacorp the part timers were often asked to step-up the hours when important deadlines and/or travel were required. After all they HAVE TIME ... or so thought. Enough of a reason to consult rather than w*rk as a part time employee.

 

[janeeyre]

After retiring from full time work in 2005, I started teaching part time (adjunct) at a local university. Adjunct teaching is a position that provides you with the ultimate freedom. I choose my textbook, my days/times, my curriculum (very flexible), my assignments, my assessments and it is fun. Now I know why folks leave the business world for higher ed. If your looking for a transition position from full time to part time in a different field, I highly recommend it. I wish I made the transition earlier.

 

[Dawg52]

I just retired so not sure if part-time work is in the future for me. I could see myself doing something part-time during the wet winter months as golf is sporadic during that period for me. But today was a beautiful day which included a nice round of golf with a good friend. And you know what? Work didn't cross my mind at all today.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

when i quit i was still pretty busy taking care of mom. july 4th (my independence day--the 5th or 6th actually as we were closed on the 4th) will be two years since i quit. i'm 6 months since burying mom. just within the last few weeks i've been getting this odd sensation to go back to work. it's a little embarrassing. i hope it isn't contagious but you all should double up on your vitamin c's just in case. probably it is just a passing phase, a 24-hour virus. i'll let ya know if anything serious develops.

 

[lowflyer]

It seems reasonable to make a little "Schedule C" income if I can. I'm able to do that doing something I love to do, so it works for me. I have found that it occasionally starts to feel like "work" and then I back off.

 

[Retire Soon]

We've been retired now for almost a year and have done a lot of traveling during this time and plan to do much more in coming years. I'm very concerned that if I were to work part-time that this would seriously curtail these adventures. At the present time, I don't want anything to interfere with full-time retirement. The thought of returning to a structured day (even a couple of times a week) makes me feel uneasy. Time is a precious natural resource that can never be replaced.

 

[Sandy]

As I get closer to my goal, I will have to decide between continuing to w*rk FT for about 2 extra years or switch to PT for 4 extra years. At this stage I am leaning to the PT approach.

 

[audreyh1]

I have discovered that I am very strongly philosophically opposed to "work for hire". Funny thing is, I will happily "work for free" - i.e. volunteer, donate time and skills, etc. to a cause I want to support. I think of this as a gift, and I really enjoy giving gifts.

But something about doing what someone else wants/needs for their purely commercial reasons for my monetary compensation - that just sets me cold. I REALLY enjoy the independence aspect of financial independence so much that I don't really want to be at any one else's beck and call.

FWIW this strong bias only applies to me personally, capitalism is fine with me — I'm an investor after all! I just don't like demands on my time, my energy, or my soul.

Audrey

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

As I get closer to my goal, I will have to decide between continuing to w*rk FT for about 2 extra years or switch to PT for 4 extra years. At this stage I am leaning to the PT approach.

I hear ya. Also, that approach allows you the flexibility of pulling the plug sooner than expected if your investments do unusually well, or "keep on keeping on" if things tank for a couple of years, all the while having lots of free time.

 

[txdakini]

I quit megacorp five years ago, but not with the idea of retiring. That was still to be a few more years away. However, since this was a month after 9/11, no IT jobs were to be found. i looked for more than a year. Finally, I started my own business, but totally on my own terms. I work when I want, how much I want and doing only what I wish to do. This makes working a no-brainer. I can take summers off or work from wherever I am. I don't make anywhere near what I made in IT, but am considerably happier. I continue to work part-time and will do so for the foreseeable future.

Now that DH is retiring this summer, he plans to take 6 months off then decide if he wants to work part-time or not at all. His company has already asked him to continue working part-time. We don't have to work to make our plan, but may want to work if it's enjoyable or we want some huge extra that we haven't budgeted for or to support grandkids educations.

 

[Nords]

just within the last few weeks i've been getting this odd sensation to go back to work.

Contact a couple of editors, have them abuse you on grammar & vocabulary, and see if they'll give you conflicting guidance & deadlines. That should cure you faster than antibiotics.

I have discovered that I am very strongly philosophically opposed to "work for hire". Funny thing is, I will happily "work for free" - i.e. volunteer, donate time and skills, etc. to a cause I want to support. I think of this as a gift, and I really enjoy giving gifts.
But something about doing what someone else wants/needs for their purely commercial reasons for my monetary compensation - that just sets me cold.

The difference to me is that it takes an enjoyable activity that could be accomplished at my pace and turns it into something that has to be done on deadline. Money used to be a powerful motivator for those dissatisfiers, but no longer!

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

Contact a couple of editors, have them abuse you on grammar & vocabulary, and see if they'll give you conflicting guidance & deadlines. That should cure you faster than antibiotics.

you just brought to memory this one editor who actually changed the weather in one of my news articles. what a freak. though i just saw an ad for new national online gay newspaper which i think is headquartered near me. might be fun. or i saw another interesting ad:

The clubs editor is responsible for creating and maintaining the most comprehensive clubs directory in South Florida. We're looking for someone who is detail-oriented, adept at problem-solving, knowledgeable about the local scene and not afraid to go out to clubs every week.

i get to party all night, sleep late & get paid? i can't think of anyone better qualified.

 

[kramer]

I just semi-FIREd so I did not actually vote. But after some decompression and travel the first year, I am strongly considering teaching English overseas for a year or two (this is my default plan right now). In addition to a search for adventure, this is an attempt to keep my SWR below 2% for the first five years of FIRE. I will feel safer drawing more than that in my late 40s. I would rather have worked longer for the money, but my job was so intensely boring that I just couldn't stand it anymore. During all of this planning, the market has gone up so much that I also have the option of just doing nothing. But I think I will stick with the original plan.

After an overseas experience and settling back in the US, I have thought about dabbling in seasonal work like tax preparation or some kind of business, but I am really not sure. I have not even ruled out getting a real tech job again if I am bored. I am trying to stay flexible. My main criterion is that any work should be seasonal.

Kramer

 

[wabmester]

After an overseas experience and settling back in the US, I have thought about dabbling in seasonal work like tax preparation or some kind of business, but I am really not sure. I have not even ruled out getting a real tech job again if I am bored. I am trying to stay flexible. My main criterion is that any work should be seasonal.

Kramer, get married and have a kid. You'll forget all about those crazy w*rk ideas.