Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire End of career

4 - What about “phuuk work”...? You’re 59, you’ve been workin’ for 45 years, you’re debt free, and you “can swing it if push comes to shove.” You’re 3 years away from bein’ able to draw social security.

There’s more to life than work. Does life (for you presently) = work...?

Embrace early retirement, kick back for a bit and enjoy life.

Run the numbers and calculate what it truly takes to pay the bills each month, cut back everything unnecessary.

I found myself in a similar situation at the same age, I was amazed at how far I could make what I was sitting on last.

I too considered another job, it never happened, I found it wasn't really necessary. I'm now past the age required for early social security payments and haven't even applied.

Just be savvy and wise with your decisions, put quality of daily life first.
Don't get depressed, avoid those thoughts and feelings at all costs.
Keeping yourself busy helps, let travel and/or hobbies become an obsession.

Medical insurance is a major factor, if you were dependent on a group policy your employer had you'll have the option for Cobra coverage for 18 months, it'll be the least expensive option with no change from the company policy.
After that, you'll be damn glad there is Obamacare, it'll be cheaper than the Cobra payments were after you spend enough time unemployed.

So give it a year, if you just can't keep your time occupied go look for that oddball job, might need it to keep up on your insurances anyway.

Just don't let yourself get depressed!

Good luck on the transition. I had the same thing happen 3 1/2 years ago at age 64. Also no debt, no pension, but a decent amount of savings. As a CNC Programmer in a fairly rural area, I knew finding new work without changing careers wasn't going to be easy. I just took 3 years off, hunting, fishing, and chasing grandkids. After a lifetime of hard work, grew up on a dairy farm, the hardest part was getting used to not having pressing duties. Lately I've started doing repair work in my daughters jewelry store after her repair guy retired. Part time work, but it will pay for fishing tackle and some powder and bullets while giving me something to do to be productive.

Starting over, or getting older, aint for puzzies
Good luck.

i had considered that. 10k-ish in capital. i actually like doing yard work. i think i'm part mexican.

What I hear is that you really don't like the work you do, but you do it for the money. That is poison to the soul. It also seems you are in a good position financially, and while you have some wants, your needs are minor.

I'd suggest taking some time to figure out what you want, and go pursue that. Might make less money, might make more. Generally, we do much better at something if we actually enjoy and take pride in what we do. That can be your own show, or be the trusted second in command at someone else's show. Job one right now is to figure out what you want to do when you grow up.

Cobra was not cheap when I got laid off
So, kids and I had no insurance
Just paid cash for everything ( medical and braces for two of them ).
That gobbled my POS severance package.
But all bills paid and kids taken care of.

Id have been fugged had I chose Cobra.

Lucky bothing major happened those couple of years.

That sucks. But if I was you I'd do some looking of for a state/county/city job. They can't discriminate due to age and you could run that out for a few years and then go your own way. Heck lots of cities have crews that do landscape stuff on city property. Doesn't pay that great but it pays better than not working and you can be outside every day.

I retired at 60. Best thing I’ve done in lots of years. Look, you are debt free which is a great accomplishment in this day and age. You can ride unemployment for a while. Why stress yourself? Something will always pay something, so you won’t starve. Take your SS at 62 and keep calm for a couple of years. Ride the company benefits as long as you can if it make financial sense. It still takes years to get years of experience, so don’t sell yourself short because you know lots of stuff in your profession. Companies want people with product knowledge, not necessarily just a kid with a degree. I ran into it all the time. Educated kids that were book smart, but they had near nothing for practical product knowledge. Good luck doing what you want, but do something that makes you happy.

this is a dominate thought it my head. and no, life does not equal work for me. i worked because thats all i ever did. but i could definitely be retired if the money situation wasn't stressful.

#beaner

Rem141,

I'd not bet against you. You have lots of knowledge in a very desirable field. You're disciplined if you've lived below your means. Report back in a few months and I'm thinkin' you'll have good things to say about your situation.

Might turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to you. Best of luck. Hasbeen

There’s a difference between standard of living and quality of life. Sometimes you gotta decrease your standard of living in order to increase your quality of life.

Good luck and best wishes, whatever you decide to do.

Buy a 24ft ladder and start knocking doors, cleaning out gutters.


200-400 cash a day

get a high school kid and pay him to do most of the work while you upsell the homeowner on attic ventilation, foundation moisture control, driveway sealing, pressure washing. Etc

this is the truth. i look back on life and realize that if i had a job that didn't suck the life out of me, i would have been happier and so would my family. hind sight is 20/20 for sure. and yes, the last sentence is my goal.

Slumlord school of Technology

I have been unemployed a number of times in my life (it goes along with being an a$$hole who will not conform), most recently about 10 years ago. Each other time I was fired from a job led to a much better situation, so I took the plunge 10 years ago to start my own business. It turned out to be the best decision of my life. I haven't been fired in 10 years now and I have the mix of freedom and income that I wanted.

It's not easy, it might take a few years to get everything running right, but at the end you're your own boss and from my perspective, I will work, doing the things I truly enjoy, until my last breath.

i do tan well.

Sorry to hear amigo. Best of luck to you!