retirement

[rxkeith]

lately, i have been thinking more, and more about retiring.
the job is getting harder, not just because i am older, its partly that, but
mostly due to the work load. we keep getting busier. the amount of tasks
other than filling prescriptions continues to increase. hiring, and keeping
enough competent staff is exceedingly difficult. the job just isn't as fun any more.
it is the whole industry. i know i have it much better than a lot of people. i have been
part time guy for 15 out of the last 16 years.
my license has been renewed until 2025. i'll be 65 when it expires. i don't think i will make
it that long. next year will be 40 years in the business. thats maybe long enough. there is no
financial concerns to keep working. my sons education is mostly covered. no debt. so, why work?
i just have to decide when to call it quits. i don't have a hard date set yet but, it is getting closer
and that is the truth.



keith

[AKgardener]

We just had this conversation things are shifting in my husband company and as of tomorrow life could definitely change as I’m not looking forward to going to bed tonight to find out what will happen tomorrow.

[Paulf]

Retirement was the best thing I ever did. I knew when it was the best time for me and my family. My wife and I retired at the same time. We spent at least a couple of years making sure of the timing and that our attitudes matched our financial situation. Even though we were both in our mid fifties we were ready and we really have enjoyed ourselves. I know of several friends who waited too long and could not enjoy themselves. My wife was a teacher and the stress was piling up; I was in pharmaceutical manufacturing and was just plain tired of having more bosses than co-workers. Our decision was the proper one.

My advice is to think the decision over carefully, give it proper time to be sure and if it feels right, go for it.

[GoDawgs]

@rxkeith, you'll end up doing the right thing. My sister Pickles was in the pharmacy business for about 50 years. The journey started with being a pharm tech in the Army for eight years, another stretch as such at a hospital and then while she was going to UGA for her pharm degree. After she got her degree she worked some non-retail jobs (retail is the last thing she'd ever want to do) for a long while and ended up working the last 13 years at the pharmacy in a medical prison. There came a time when she heard that little retirement voice in her head and so she did. She's never regretted it!

I heard the voice after being switched from a job I loved to run a department whose manager left and they needed someone within the company to take his place. I knew the people and the system but after two years of that I left one year before full social security eligibility. The difference was minimal and I was debt free so why not? Best decision I ever made.

You might as well enjoy your life to the max while you can. And I wish you a long and fun one!

[Cranraspberry]

@AKgardener I hope things will turn out for the best for your family. Having been through too many “restructurings” (aka mass layoffs) in the corporate world it has always seemed exceptionally cruel that they are timed right around the holidays.

[AKgardener]

Waited all day!! He gets to keep his current position in town .sometime writing a letter to the boss pays off when you have given over 15 years..blessed

[bower]

I am eligible for OAS at the end of the year, so I sent in my application in early September. Today I called to check on it since I hadn't heard back from them. Well the automated system tells me, they have no record of my application!
I stayed on the line and talked to a very helpful representative, who explained to me that it takes 120 to 150 days for them to process the application. And they only had mine for 91 days! After a chat about how that works (well they'll pay you retroactively when it's done) she offered to expedite it for me instead. I have to call back in a couple of days, fingers crossed.
There's nothing complicated about my application and it shouldn't take anyone more than an hour to give it the stamp. But I know that for some it's very complicated, with multiple pensions and other incomes, so I suppose that some of them actually do take more than a few days.
Anyway the take home about retirement plans is, make sure your paperwork is in order well in advance.

In general terms, Keith, we don't know how long our time will be on this earth, nor how well our bodies will hold up to keep doing all the things we like to do. If you have nor the need nor the desire to continue your job for several more years, you shouldn't do it. Get your retirement income paperwork sorted and give it up, and enjoy to the fullest everything you love best.

[pondgardener]

I agree with @bower...I retired early and have not regretted a minute of the six years since. I was able to travel to see my grandson minutes after he was born, I don't have to get up hours before sunrise to go in early to finish test projects at work, I have expanded the garden and have the time to can and cook what I grew. My wife has commented that I am a lot less irritable and since her health has been declining, I am available to drive her to various doctor appointments and treatments. Too many of my friends that I worked with or went to school with, waited too long to retire and either passed away before they could retire or had only a year or two before they died. We all have an expiration date...we just don't know when. So my advice is to do it!

[DriftlessRoots]

Another early retiree here, age 55 in 2019. I agree with those who encourage doing it if you can swing it. My husband had mostly retired a few years before and did some consulting that eventually became not worth it and we wanted to travel more so he encouraged me to pull the plug. Then a pandemic squashed that for a while.

Two things I've noticed or realized that I hadn't really thought about beforehand, though: 1. You may end up spending twice as much time with your spouse/partner and depending on your relationship and different or shared interests that could be a good or challenging thing because...2. Unless a bunch of your friends are also not working it can be difficult to find people to do things with if you're so inclined.

[worth1]

I'm looking into mine as we speak.
The job prospects where I work at are looking bad and I'm basically tired of it.
The company got bought out and the writing on the wall says I won't be working here for another 3 months.
I've been through this so many times it's ridiculous.
When they tell the guys they don't have anything to worry about they need to start worrying.
They got rid of the sales force last week without warning.

[GoDawgs]

Two things I've noticed or realized that I hadn't really thought about beforehand, though: 1. You may end up spending twice as much time with your spouse/partner and depending on your relationship and different or shared interests that could be a good or challenging thing because...2. Unless a bunch of your friends are also not working it can be difficult to find people to do things with if you're so inclined.

These are two really important items you've listed and they're very true. I've known couples who really had to do some adjusting to do when it came to being around each other and it seemed to happen more when there was one working person and one non-working person. If the working person retired and had no hobbies, goals etc and sat around all day, it seemed to get on the non-worker's nerves.
It seemed to happen a lot less when there were two working people, each having their own projects to work on. Non-goal oriented single people sometimes just vegetated or got depressed without the daily interaction with other people.

The thing about the absence of nearby friends is also true. I experienced that a little but there's plenty around here to keep me busy so the impact wasn't so much.

[GoDawgs]

They got rid of the sales force last week without warning.

Not good! Does the new company have their own established sales force that will replace yours?

Fortunately you have technical skills that are needed anywhere and a ton of experience so you can either retire completely or take on temporary paying projects as you wish. The ability to pick and choose is a good thing!

[wykvlvr]

Retired in 202 had only been at that job for 6 years but between 3 changes of admins, losing my beloved midnight shifts and being made to work a day shift that started at 6am was bad enough for my health but then came COVID and I was front desk in a military hotel... hung in there for over 6 months but things went from bad to worse. For my sanity and health I put in my paperwork, everyone I worked with and HR were aware of what was going on except the boss who was surprised by my leaving...
Honestly best decision I have made in a long time BUT I lost my medical insurance when I retired and we were honestly stunned by the price of medicines and medical. Thankfully we both qualify as disabled vets so can us the VA but I am not sure how other folks afford the care they need.

[worth1]

What they're basically doing is telling us they are having us finish jobs and then restructure.
I know what that means.
We won't even have an office in Austin.
I'm basically done with construction.
These greedy idiots want us to bid Jobs so high we can't get the work.
75% profit margin.
With 10 thousand people pouring over the border every week the pay scale has dropped lower than companies can pay a good living wage.
It's just that simple.

An example is they were paying some foremen 18 dollars an hour where I left.
I was making 24 dollars an hour 20 years ago.
That company that bought us out replaced me with people out of Laredo for 8 dollars an hour.


I've been on my phone all morning with SSA getting back into my account and signing up for Medicare.
And checking on SSA benefits.
My eyes are about to fall out of my head.

[bower]

I'm sure retirement will agree with you, @worth1 . You won't be short of projects, ever!
But yeah, line up the paperwork!!.

[BigVanVader]

Lol, I quit and cashed my retirement 2 years ago. Best. Choice. Ever. Now I sell plants, and junk on eBay. I make better money too, but even if I didn't just being free is freaking amazing. I take the kids to school, pick em up, cook for them. That's more important than my bank account.

[Stitchingmom]

I desperately want to retire early, but I have a very well-paying work from home job, and my company allowed me to move to another state during covid, which wasn't really within policy. The man I assist LOVES me and he makes a lot of money for the company, so I was allowed to do it. I think he will be retiring in a few years, so I am trying to hold out. My husband is 8 years older than me, so retired years ago. I so want more time for MY stuff, baking, decorating my house, crafts, my tomatoes, prepping.....

[Paulf]

So long as you love what you are doing and your employer loves you do what feels right. But begin NOW thinking about when retirement will feel right and get everything planned out and be ready to pull the trigger. Have a plan in place and the paperwork figured out so it is not a scramble at the last minute.

[worth1]

I finally got all the Medicare stuff straightened out.
I go so disgusted trying to do it on my phone I gave up.
Then a lady just called out of the blue and set me up.

[Yak54]

I finally got all the Medicare stuff straightened out.
I go so disgusted trying to do it on my phone I gave up.
Then a lady just called out of the blue and set me up.

Sounds like you are well on you way ! All the best to you and I hope things go well for you