How old were you when you retired?

[moreluck]

Sat., you are so right about the unusual twists & turns that life takes. When I was a kid, or when I was newly wed, I never though I would leave Ohio. California was just a vacation destination.

I have a photo album from when I was 13 and in it is that sign on the I-15 on the way to Vegas....the Zzyzx Rd. exit. I thought that was the strangest spelling and I took a picture with my Brownie camera. I see that sign all the time as a senior living in SoCal. I still have that album too.

Never in a million years thought I would live in what I consider paradise....It's like Hawaii without the laziness.

 

[The Milkman]

I was 53. I've had 11 years of bliss (so far) and am so glad I am young enough to enjoy it. It boggles my mind why anyone would work one day longer than they have to. They way I looked at it if had I continued to work for another year (31) I would only get 100 bucks more a month in pension. 100 bucks a month--thats 25 bucks a week which figures out to about 17 bucks after taxes. You don't have to be Einstein to come to the conclusion that putting up with all the BS at UPS wasn't worth 17 bucks a week.

I like your thinking..I left at 55 after 25..Why should I stay for a $600 a month difference vs the pension ...Comes out to about $3.75 an hr...Been out since Jan 2008...have been on a couple of RV trips to Alaska and other places...Doing things while I can..Why limp out the door into retirement??? You can't buy time....

 

[moreluck]

"...........You can't buy time....(Milkman)

So true, and you are not guaranteed that there is time for you to buy if you could!!

 

[UPS Lifer]

I have treasured memories of Sedona.
Sorry to see that they have paved Paradise.

40 yrs ago I sat atop Bell Rock and the desert valley floor was empty.
I hope that you have found the peace that is there.
1978 we spent our honeymoon in a tent on public grounds.
!984 we revisited and I just had to laugh at the fruit loop "NewAge" industry that had evolved.
In 1973, I was just a long haired, bearded redneck with $50 to my name and backpacking through your present back yard.
Funny how life works.
Next time we visit Sedona, when I retire, I will fly in.
We will stay in a resort with mints on the pillows, and the whole bit.
I pray that I am spry enough to climb Bell Rock and find the glyph I carved under a ledge those 4 decades ago.

My wife decided to take me to Enchantment Resort for my birthday in 2000. I bitched and moaned all the way here. I wanted to go to Santa Barbara or someplace like that. I went outside the first night, and saw stars that I had not seen since I was a kid and told my wife... find a real estate agent, this is where I want to retire! We have picture windows that look north, every night before I go to bed, I stare at the Big & Little Dipper and the Milky Way.

I love the people and the majestic scenery and I can see the transformation of our friends who come here to visit. Besides marrying my wife, this is the best decision we have made in our lives. No regrets!

The Enchantment Resort in Boynton Canyon just did a multi-million dollar renovation. This is the place to stay. I highly recommend it. My son spends everyday hiking the area. Bell Rock and Cathedral are his favorites. He now acts as a guide for visitors. Through his hiking, he met a local who is part of a "couch surfing" network. He acts as a guide or hikes with these visitors.



Sedona Resort & Spa | Sedona Luxury Hotel and Resort - Enchantment Resort

 

[anonymous6]

Assuming you are management, you will be leaving around $700 a month on the table with your retirement pension versus working until you are 60.


if you factor in expenses related to work such as gas, laundry, fast food, cell, etc..... it's probably a wash.

 

[Catatonic]

"...........You can't buy time....(Milkman)

So true, and you are not guaranteed that there is time for you to buy if you could!!

We make plans and God just laughs.

 

[Catatonic]

Assuming you are management, you will be leaving around $700 a month on the table with your retirement pension versus working until you are 60.


if you factor in expenses related to work such as gas, laundry, fast food, cell, etc..... it's probably a wash.

Actually more than that (assuming you meant retiring at 55).
If you have less than 35 years in, it is more like $1500 and if you have 35, it is around $1000.

The savings after retirement is around $400-$500 per month ... assuming one has a cellphone anyway and business casual eliminated the big cost of dry cleaning and suits.

The "wash" is around 59 years of age.

Been through the calculations many times and help several others figure this out.

 

[mg5]

Hoaxster, With all the changes in the last 2,3, 4 and this year ALL BETS are OFF on plans of money. MIP 50%, 25 %, RSU, RPU really changes the playing field for mgmt retirement and final average salary. When you do the retirement estimate and change years and things it always assumes you get an annual salary increase and it has been talked about greatly how we are making less each year not more. Salary bands, no raise etc etc etc.
Saying that it may be hard to get an idea what is really down the road and to stay or not. As has been said before, if you planned for retirement and kept bills down or things paid off it is easier and you can't buy time or health. Just my spin on it.
Before I retired tried all the estimate examples, years or service total, wait til end of year, total 35 full years, 60 years old or 65. It all made me decide to go this past spring and I do not regret it at all. We were not making more money, everything pointed in the opposite direction including this months MIP RSU issue.
Glad I left and had an awesome summer with family & wife and now no PEAK plans. Yeah right. Now it's the HOLIDAYS !!!!!!

 

[Catatonic]

Hoaxster, With all the changes in the last 2,3, 4 and this year ALL BETS are OFF on plans of money. MIP 50%, 25 %, RSU, RPU really changes the playing field for mgmt retirement and final average salary. When you do the retirement estimate and change years and things it always assumes you get an annual salary increase and it has been talked about greatly how we are making less each year not more. Salary bands, no raise etc etc etc.
Saying that it may be hard to get an idea what is really down the road and to stay or not. As has been said before, if you planned for retirement and kept bills down or things paid off it is easier and you can't buy time or health. Just my spin on it.
Before I retired tried all the estimate examples, years or service total, wait til end of year, total 35 full years, 60 years old or 65. It all made me decide to go this past spring and I do not regret it at all. We were not making more money, everything pointed in the opposite direction including this months MIP RSU issue.
Glad I left and had an awesome summer with family & wife and now no PEAK plans. Yeah right. Now it's the HOLIDAYS !!!!!!

I work 7 days in January 2013 and I join you.

 

[UPS Lifer]

I was really struggling with this at about 53 years old. I had 2 years before I would turn 55 with almost 36 years of service. I was talking with my brother, a financial wonk, and he put this into perspective for me. He asked me a question... "How much money is it worth to you to get the two best years of your life?" I tried to quantify it and realized that working two more years would cost me about $400K. All of a sudden, I felt like I was actually making that as a salary and I was able to change my whole demeanor about the time I had left.

It is a great exercise and for some folks it may actually make sense for them to go earlier than they had given thought to leaving.

 

[moreluck]

Everyone has their own way,their own formula.
You can ask yourself, all your career you had a number in mind of what you needed and what you would have for comfortable retirement.

As an example, you figured at retirement you would have a couple million in stock & stuff and that was your planned amount. Then 2000 came along and the company went public and you had $6 million. You'd be foolish not to just leave. And many did.

 

[downtime8763]

Retired 3/1/2011 and it's great,pt work with Township and a couple of local farmers. The pic is the best part,granddaughter want to see and go to the elevator were we take the grain. That was priceless!!!!!

 

[mg5]

Here is another spin on this subject. As a management person we have to wait until 55 years old to go with pension and benefits. I can't tell you how many of my drivers who started working after me and retired before me. I started as a full time driver, and went into mgmt just short of ten years and did it for what I thought was the right reasons. Never knowing you give away years added til retirement. Maybe I just never asked the question and I know things changed for us ( benefits, cost, Union not paying etc ). But in hearing from the retired employees who called, stopped in, sent emails it was great to see how well they looked. How much they are enjoying life, feel really great and time to spend with family, friends and things they want to do. That was really hard to get around when we say you can't put a price on time. Many left at 50, 51 or 52. I was happy for them and to see how they were doing and a little envious ( maybe more ) that I could not be doing the same.

So look at it that way, that we were forced to stay those years before 55 that you could look into other interests and be years ahead of the 55 issue.

Just my opinion.

 

[The Milkman]

"...........You can't buy time....(Milkman)

So true, and you are not guaranteed that there is time for you to buy if you could!!

You are SO RIGHT!!! Glad I have almost 5yrs under my belt before my dirt nap..

 

[tarbar66]

I work 7 days in January 2013 and I join you.

Good Luck, only 55 more days to go and you are free!

 

[Catatonic]

Good Luck, only 55 more days to go and you are free!

Perhaps you misunderstood, I am retiring, not getting a divorce.

 

[UPS Lifer]

I work 7 days in January 2013 and I join you.

This is the time you start looking at setting your goals for the upcoming year. I had to laugh about the career development discussions and setting goals for someone else.

I kept telling my bosses that they needed to bring someone in so I could train them. It wasn't until my last day that they announced the person who was going to take over. I started getting calls at home and proceeded to tell them the story of how I asked to get a replacement in so I could train them and also told the replacement how sorry I was that their boss put them in that situation but I have a cruise to go on. ADIOS!

Typical UPS -

 

[satellitedriver]

ADIOS! -

This is the word to leave UPS by.
Standard English translation is farewell, goodby,or-(kiss my...)-
Actually it is a blessing, to the one that is leaving, or the one left behind.
Adios means go with God, or may God be with you.
This is the sentiment I will leave by.


.

 

[moreluck]

This is the word to leave UPS by.
Standard English translation is farewell, goodby,or-(kiss my...)-
Actually it is a blessing, to the one that is leaving, or the one left behind.
Adios means go with God, or may God be with you.
This is the sentiment I will leave by.


.

Vaya con Dios amiga!!!

What does Vaya con dios amiga mean

 

[satellitedriver]

Vaya con Dios amiga!!!

What does Vaya con dios amiga mean

Via con Dios, amiga!
Go with God, my friend!
-(Amiga is the feminine and amigo is the masculine, for the word friend)-
Adios-(with God)- is just a shortened term with the same meaning.