Early-retirement wannabe

ognum

I have a four hour rule, if a flight is longer than this we fly buisness or first. However it is seldom we pay the price for this.

We use American Express for all our purchases and both get a companion voucher every year so we can do two sets of long haul flights each year for the cost of taxes only.

The good thing about retirement is that you can fly on days others don’t want to. Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and out of school holidays.

It’s all about using the benefits of retirement to your advantage.

ratechaser

ognum wrote: »

I have a four hour rule, if a flight is longer than this we fly buisness or first. However it is seldom we pay the price for this.

We use American Express for all our purchases and both get a companion voucher every year so we can do two sets of long haul flights each year for the cost of taxes only.

The good thing about retirement is that you can fly on days others don’t want to. Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and out of school holidays.

It’s all about using the benefits of retirement to your advantage.

Exactly that. Business outside the school hols = not that much more than economy during the school hols. If planned correctly!

And the 4 hour rule is spot on as well, given that there's virtually nowhere you can go within that time period (from the UK) where there's a decent business class seat to be had. My BA silver status gets me lounge access and exit row seats in economy, so why would I pay for anyting more...

agent69

ognum wrote: »

The good thing about retirement is that you can fly on days others don’t want to. Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and out of school holidays.

Spot on.



If you are retired and want to go somehere, you are in no rush to get there, and no rush to get home.

bugslett

gfplux wrote: »

I feel such a fool.

I have been retired (for over 22 years)

However my “advise” as such as it was is still valid.

He/she/it has in no way devalued my advise from my perspective nor from those trying to help those putting their affairs in order in the long road to early retirement.

You aren't so don't feel that. I don't believe for a second Marine Life is anyone but who they say they are.

Marine_life

crv1963 wrote: »

I'm with you mgdavid- the thread tracks the journey, who knows when retirement will come for Marine_life? I'm planning our retirement but some days I think to myself "Do you really want to stop doing this?" Then I might have a bad day and think "Roll on the pension!"

You know what - this hits the nail on the head for me.

Some days I wake up and think, why not go now? Money's not an issue why not just go and enjoy it? After all, what is it they say....who wants to be the richest person in the graveyard?

But then other days I think, at age 54, once I retire, there's no going back or rather, there's no going back at the same level on the same pay....what happens in two years if I realise its the wrong decision? I've looked for other jobs at my level but....at 54, its difficult to get any interest, at 56.

It doesn't help that Mrs ML thinks I'm not yet ready for a week of gardening and golf. She is relaxed whatever I decide to do but her opinion is I should keep going for another two years. but is that just kicking the can down the road?

The easiest solution would be that someone forces retirement on me. The new job offer may not be confirmed, and while my 3-day-a-week part time gig ends in November in reality I have pretty much served my usefulness so they could decide to hand me my 15 days notice.

The "problem" for those who've had a career (rather than a job), is that there has always been a sense of moving forward, moving upward, always something to strive towards. I've come to terms with having crossed the summit and begun the gentle slide down the other side but....like an ageing boxer, can I resist one more shot at the title?

....to be honest, I'm !!!!!!ed if I know

mgdavid

At 54 if you went now you've a very good chance of being retired for longer than you've worked. Without one or more real passions among your interests, hobbies and pastimes I can see that there's every chance you'll be bored witless well before you go gaga.
I reckon you are going to need to continue having one foot in the world of work and career for a bit longer. The trick is getting the balance right so you don't get too involved and overdo it, health- and stress-wise.
I do hope that like some other major decisions in life you'll 'just know' when the time to go is right.

crv1963

mgdavid wrote: »

At 54 if you went now you've a very good chance of being retired for longer than you've worked. Without one or more real passions among your interests, hobbies and pastimes I can see that there's every chance you'll be bored witless well before you go gaga.
I reckon you are going to need to continue having one foot in the world of work and career for a bit longer. The trick is getting the balance right so you don't get too involved and overdo it, health- and stress-wise.
I do hope that like some other major decisions in life you'll 'just know' when the time to go is right.

Wise advice ML from mgdavid! Had it not been for my heart attack a couple of years ago I'd still be slogging away, but after recovery and return I re-evaluated my career and took a change of direction, which also led to increase in salary, but a return to shift work as opposed to the M-F, 9-5.

I found enforced time off led to developing new interests that I now will use in retirement to fill some of the time.

Snakey

Marine_life wrote: »

The "problem" for those who've had a career (rather than a job), is that there has always been a sense of moving forward, moving upward, always something to strive towards. I've come to terms with having crossed the summit and begun the gentle slide down the other side but....like an ageing boxer, can I resist one more shot at the title?

I like the big hill metaphor. It's like... OK, I hate the climb, I'm not a natural, I'm doing it because it's the only way to the zip slide which is the experience I really want. But what if I get to the top and there's a beautiful view, a picnic area with a nice cafe, a ruined castle to explore, some standing stones, maybe a rare sheep or two? There's still a little bit of walking if I want to see all that, but it isn't as steep and my legs aren't hurting so much now anyway. It would surely be daft to head straight for the slide just because I'd promised myself. Not when I'll never be up here again. What's the rush?

If all goes according to plan I'll only be 51, so statistically my chances of dropping dead a week after I retire (as a joke of the gods for doing One More Year) are pretty low.

bugslett

7 more days that my business is operational and I'm 54. I get quite a lot of satisfaction and a sort of status from what I do, women in haulage are rare, I think I'm the only woman that does international haulage and I'm certainly the only woman in our very niche sector. So I'm a big fish in a small pond, possibly puddle. My life has been consumed by my job and the wheels I set in motion last year mean that there is really no going back now.

But I'm not a tree. If I decide I don't like being retired, I can do something else. I don't see it as a slide down the other side, no sliding here until infirmity or ill health gets its mitts on me.

I'm unsure what you do ML, but is there any option to work for yourself doing what you do now, or something related once you do take the plunge?

VDOT47

Yes, I also slightly disagree with the metaphor used by Snakey - for me, the plateau at the top of the hill with the wonderful views etc IS early retirement, not a further period of working!