Am I in the minority about this here?

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State Pension Age set to increase over the coming years. The French, always up for a riot, are kicking and squealing over their pension age rising to 64 from 62. Looks like it's a case of, save a little harder or pick the correct lottery numbers. It doesn't bother me one jot. I was due to help out this morning but a text message has given me a few hours of respite. I am only needed for the afternoon.
 

Capt Lightning said:
I always planned to retire at 56 not 65 and that's what I did. Never worked so hard since then :p, but retiring was the best "career move" that I made. Just make sure you can afford it.
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My wife and I both maxed out our 401Ks from day one. We did the math. I retired at 57. She was going to retire at the same time, but her boss offered her a deal if she would work for another six months, then she was out. Never looked back. (-8
 

Lot's of varied opinions and situations here, regarding the original post. The one thing that's missing from most is - - - - I enjoy my work as compared to - - ?? For many, it sounds like the question mark is a life of misery. Nowhere to go, nothing to do, no interest in family, grandkids, great grands, etc..

Is life a choice between a wonderful, fulfilling job and total misery while one wastes away, waiting for the end ?

That seems like a rather sad scenario, but for those who prefer "the job" to other activities, I guess that's the place to be. And as someone else mentioned, the situation (work from home, pick your hours, etc.) is probably not available to most of the past generations who are now reaching retirement age.

Oh well, as long as the local gas station owner decides to open at 7 each morning, instead of 10:30 when he drags himself out of bed, I'll be OK. Just don't want to sit at the pump waiting for him to arrive. :(
 
At 70, I still like working from home at DH & my small business. We work part-time, mostly seasonally, and our schedules are pretty much our own.

My life is enjoyably full with DH, kids, grandkids, friends, camping, etc. Work is only one facet of my my life, but one that continues to be rewarding.

Financial perks are an added bonus that allow us to be generous with our children and grands. :cool:
 
debodun said:
I retired in 2010 when I was 58 because my employer (N.Y. State) was offering an "early retirement incentive". I get 80% of what I was getting when I worked, they also pick up the tab for my supplemental health insurance, and I don't have to make a 50 mile round trip every weekday. I never regretted it.
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Similar to my retirement Debodun. I retired back in 1992 on an early incentive program. My wife didn't work and we spent each winter in Florida and two -2 month stays (spring and fall) at our daughter's cottage in Maine. We were away for 7 months a year. The Maine cottage was great as our daughter and husband were educators and only used it during the summers.
 
Rich29 said:
I worked full time until I was 70, then worked 3 days a week for two more years. That was a nice transition into retirement for me.
The timing for "pulling the plug" is a personal thing and there is no right answer.
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Granted there is no right answer, but there are considerations. I retired at 57 and started drawing Social Security at 62. I later realized my mistake, but too late, or so I thought, until I discovered I could pay it back and re-start at a considerably higher level at my current age. Seems ridiculous until I did the math and realized that because of the increased income, I would in effect be making 10% interest on the payback money. So I did it. I believe that days later the payback option was eliminated, but I made it under the wire. (-8
 
ElCastor said:
Granted there is no right answer, but there are considerations. I retired at 57 and started drawing Social Security at 62. I later realized my mistake, but too late, or so I thought, until I discovered I could pay it back and re-start at a considerably higher level at my current age. Seems ridiculous until I did the math and realized that because of the increased income, I would in effect be making 10% interest on the payback money. So I did it. I believe that days later the payback option was eliminated, but I made it under the wire. (-8
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People are given up to a year to exercise the SS payback option. After that, it's a no-go.
 
seadoug said:
It all comes down to how much enjoyment you receive from your job. Toward then end, I received very little. When I was asked to retire at 63 with a severance package, I was all too willing. Almost 3 years later, I have no regrets.
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Just to add a couple of words, doug.
"It all comes down to how much enjoyment you receive from your job or the enjoyment you anticipate from your retirement." Both situations can vary greatly among folks.
 
DaveA said:
Just to add a couple of words, doug.
"It all comes down to how much enjoyment you receive from your job or the enjoyment you anticipate from your retirement." Both situations can vary greatly among folks.
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Great insight. I had no anticipation about the enjoyment I might receive from my retirement but I was determined to make the best of it so I'm enjoying it. And yes, the result varies greatly among individuals.
 
I retired 23 years ago and enjoyed a lot of travel. I have many, many interests and hobbies. Don't want to go back to work. Money means nothing to me above paying the rent, buying groceries and a few other small things. I enjoy my leisure time. That's why I worked hard when I did work.

By the way, no one on their death bed ever said, "I wish I had made more money."
 
I finally sold my small business two year ago at age 75. I miss it! I volunteer here at the retirement community for activities that have a "work like" feel (such as editing our bi-weekly bulletin). I have had a few other retirees here tell me the same thing, although my perception is that the great majority are quite happy to be retired. In my case, being a widower is part of it; if my wife were still alive and healthy, well we would be travelling a bit. I do enjoy time with my family; babysat my oldest two grandchildren this past weekend.
 
I retired Sept. 27, 2008, due to medical problems and have missed it every hour I have been awake since then. I sometime dream of being back "on the job." I despised working the "graveyard shift" thankfully, I didn't work them very often, until I was assigned to the Drug Task Force for over 2 years and that was not so bad due to the excitement of the job. We didn't really work the night shift we would start at 6:00PM and work until around 4:00AM.

I stated earlier about my dislike for the night shift however, if my health conditions were not what they were when I retired, I would rest for a few minutes then go in on the "graveyard shift" at 7:00 PM tonight.
 


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