What age did you retire ..did you retire early ..

I retired at 57. Did the math and it worked. My wife was set to retire at the same time, but when she gave notice her boss offered to lay her off (with full retirement benefits) if she worked another 6 months. The lay off included a very large bonus so she held out for that extra six months. Worked out well for both of us, and we never looked back.
 

Worked until I was 70, with no regrets. Loved what I was doing. The firm I was with treated me well. Thought I was retired at 69, taking some vacation/comp time before officially retiring. On the golf course, 4th of July weekend and the firm called. Needed me on a project where a contractor was in trouble. When I hesitated, the firm made the financial compensation something I couldn't turn down. Took a little over six months to get things in order where the project could be turned over to a young engineer.
Immediately upon retirement, I began doing some substitute teaching at a trade school. What they promised as four or five days/month, turned into 5 day/week and them wanting me to go full time. I fully retired at that time... sorta.

Have spent the past 4 years on the Board of Directors at a local golf facility. We're a little over a million dollar/year facility. On the Finance Committee and chair the Grounds Committee. Within the past week have completed a full analysis of our insurance program, meeting with brokers, etc. Trying to get a new Greens Superintendent up to speed. Maintain the water system at the course. Close to beginning construction of a new $500,000 maintenance facility that I have been the lead on. All volunteer. Play golf with my "geezer group" six or seven days/week. Busier than I was when working!!!! Wife who has put up with me 55 years loves it because I'm not sitting around the house in her way all day!!!! :>)

Swore not to "recline and decline" upon retiring. And, I haven't. Gotta keep the mind and body active!!!
 
Leann said:
I find myself in a similar situation. I tried to retire in 2015 but continued to work in a contracting capacity. I keep telling myself that this will be the last year I'm doing it but I find myself being pulled back in. I am grateful for the extra income the work has provided, truly I am. But now, at 66, I'm ready to fully retire, to find out what's next. If it's figuring out each moment as it comes, then I'm all for it.
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I have been pondering this for a while now, to fully retire that is. I look at the direction of the economy and sometimes it compels me to work forever. Then I look at the quality of my life, how I longed for the luxury of just being. Not spending wads of money on things I don't need or can't afford. Rather, to start each day gently, unencumbered by thoughts of the next work deadline.

This morning I made my decision. My current work project ends in a few months and that will be it. I know it will be an adjustment on many levels, not just financial, but I so look forward to it.
 
My husband retired first. That was in 2001 when he was 61. He had a hard, physical job (Boilermaker) and traveled a lot for the company and he was burned out. So, when he retired...I retired. I was 55 but I went back to work in 2005 for extra pocket money to support my quilting habit...haha. I officially retired (again) in 2008 and haven't worked outside the home since. I'm so busy, I don't know how I ever had time to work :LOL:
 
We both retired at 62, in 2020, just before the Covid shutdown. I was in IT and didn't really plan to retire that soon, but the writing was on the wall. I was the last person on my team left in North America - everyone else was in India or Europe. Work was no longer fun - so we did the figuring, consulted with our planner and decided to go ahead and do it. She was in a part time job that was mostly something to keep busy. We retired, pulled up stakes and moved to Florida to be near the grandchildren. Don't regret it for a minute. We're now seeing the wisdom in choosing the "significantly below average" economic conditions in all the planning tools!
 
It was 7 months ago. I am 71 and waiting to be 72 so I can draw on my stock market retirement. If there is any left in that on my next birthday. Never thought I would retire because I did not start saving until my late 50's. Saved a fair amount and then got some from my parents estate. Not the kind of income to travel the world on, but I hated my job and not working there is just like winning the lottery. I have no debt and know how to not waste money. Learned that by being broke raising my 2 daughters for about 18 years.
 
Leann said:
I have been pondering this for a while now, to fully retire that is. I look at the direction of the economy and sometimes it compels me to work forever. Then I look at the quality of my life, how I longed for the luxury of just being. Not spending wads of money on things I don't need or can't afford. Rather, to start each day gently, unencumbered by thoughts of the next work deadline.

This morning I made my decision. My current work project ends in a few months and that will be it. I know it will be an adjustment on many levels, not just financial, but I so look forward to it.
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Well, I did it. I pulled the plug a few months early. I retired from my full-time job in 2015 but continued to work in a contracting capacity since then. I appreciated the extra income but the stress was creeping in like it had when I was working full-time. So I planned on ending the contract work in late May of this year but decided to do it a few months early. I've been officially retired since March 30th and I have to say, it's pretty darn sweet!
 
I took early retirement in 2011 when I was 59,finacinally I could do so
I worked 27 yrs as pharm tech orginally worked 4 days/wk then went down to 3. There was alot of paper work, walking,bending,lifting in my job delivering narcotics to nursing floors/speciality units I dealt with inpatient nurses/doctors almost every day who wanted things ASAP, though I didn't deliver the narcotics they needed. They never understood the other pharm techs delivered them
I would come home at the end of the week emotionally&physically exhausted,I had enough
I have no regrets Sue
 
I’ll be 69 in a week. My husband is 75. We are both self employed and both still working.

Sometimes we’ll cut back on the hours, or the work will ebb some, but mostly it’s fulltime.

We’ve talked about retiring. But really we have the best of both worlds right now. Can work as much, or as little, as we want. We take time away from work frequently to play, to take trips, to work on the house.

No concrete plans to retire at any point. I’m guessing that we will ultimately stop working for good only for health reasons.
 
I retired at 54, and lived on a shoe string for awhile. I wanted to live on a sailboat and cross an ocean, and I needed to do that when I was young, although that three year adventure didn't happen until 8 years later when the economy allowed me to sell my house and buy the boat I wanted. California - Mexico - Hawaii - Alaska - Seattle; All in one big circle without retracing my steps. Alaska was the high point, what a beautiful wild place to sail. I saw hundreds of whales, and smaller sea animals with snow capped peaks behind it all. Hawaii was nice too, I met and made some wonderful friends there, along with many blue water sailors. But Alaska took my breath away.
 

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