Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Hell, I am too old for

That is one of the toughest jobs...don't know how you guys do it...you work all weekends, all holidays....man, good on ya though.

I do a lot of confined space in the local refinery on columns and drums. The man watch at the hole has a lot of responsibility and at the same time the job can be very boring. Tough combo. We depend on them for our safety.

Im calling it quits in October. I'm 68 and pretty much have had enough. Still out work 3 of the youngsters at work, they are to busy looking at their phones. god help the future of this country

Meh, I don't know if I can buy into that...A west coast steep ground timber faller is about as tough as it gets, there is a reason they generally only work a 6 hour day. Last time I looked, it was also the most fatal injuries.

I know people who work hard and I know people who don’t. Funny thing people who who actually work don’t say much.The ones who don’t amount to much are always telling everybody how hard they work.Makes you think

You "I'm gonna work until I'm ## years old!" are nuts!.
JMNSHO!

My dad's birthday was Aug 1st.
In October, he had just turned 60 and had a minor heart attack. No surgery, just close observation for a couple of months.
At Christmas, I asked him, "Why don't you go ahead and retire?"
He explained that if he retired at age 60, the company would only pay 25% of his Medicare and he was responsible for 75%.
IF he worked to age 61, the company would pay 75% and he would only have to pay for 25%.

He passed away of a major coronary event in June!

Made up my mind then, the very FIRST opportunity I got, I was OUT!
Have a friend back home. Tom was the sort that could make Lincoln squeal. He had 9.5 cents out if the first dime he ever earned.
He was a lineman for a major utility company and made very good money.
When he was 54, all he and his wife owned was clear and free. Kids college was paid off. Not one red cent on two new vehicles did they owe. ... and had a nice savings!
Tom figured out, almost to the penny, what it took for the two of them to get by and flourish.
....and he retired!

For the last 17 years, still in good health, Tom and Mrs. Tom are living the good life.

All I can say is retirement is where it's at. I think I have it down pat now, after 15 years of practice. The only "work" I do are house chores and walking the golf course. I do that twice a week and play 18 holes in under three hours. Then there's fishing, of course. Standing in a rocking boat involves a lot of muscles, believe it or not. Darn good exercise. I am, however, too darn old to do a lot of things, like skydiving, rock climbing, skateboarding...or yard work.

Wife and I share expenses pretty equally, and we each spend only about half of our incomes. It's a comforting feeling.

I go to work to get some rest. LOL when the farm stuff slows down I go back to the excavation company and get in the machine actually much easier than the farm stuff

Retire as soon as you can. Might not be as much money but a heck of a lot more quality of life.I have been retired 19 years. Not one day did I wish I was working.

I don't have all I want, but I have all I need.

My father in law, kept saying he wanted to work one more year, one more hear. Quadruple bypass surgery and he didn't survive it.

If I would get $1000/ mo. more than my SS and pension, I would be out there in about 10 seconds. Company loyalty be dammed,I have seen to many companies say their employees are family, but when times get tough,the family is laid off

I'll work till I die, I do as I please and hardly ever fish when it's hunting season.

I dont plan to retire unless I cant do my job any longer. Its not physically taxing, I don't have to be in a building at any certain time or there all day and can travel and still do it with some minimal support from my office. Plus I enjoy it. Stress can be controlled by who I take on as a client and easily remedied if I make the mistake of working with a shin biter.

I was kind of taught, a man must be productive or he's not a man.

Grandpa and Grandma were still farming 100 acres, miking cows, raising a garden and chickens at 80 plus. Of course, with regular help from assorted grandsons. Of which they had plenty close at hand.

I inherited arthritis from my Mom. I will be glad to retire earlier than that. My 66'th birthday is in a couple weeks. SS at 66 and 4 months, Pension after I see a couple SS checks hit the bank. I figure Feb 28.

We are not wealthy. But I have a HD 3/4 ton 4x4 with 130K on the meter that will last me as long as I can drive it. There's a 9 foot Lance Camper for when I want to pull the 19 foot jet boat, and a 26 foot trailer if the ATV is going instead of the boat.

We are set for toys and entertainment. We do not have expensive tastes, we never intend to get on a commercial airplane or rent a motel room. Hell, I have not even been able to get Momma into a movie theater in over ten years. And I do not do hookers and coke. So we should be able to continue feeding the savings accounts.


My goal is to keep both of us off of medicaide and food stamps until we depart this Earth. Depending on future actions of the damned Democrats, I think I can do that.

I've been retired for 9 years. I think I've found my calling.

Being self-employed I work whenever I'm needed and as long as it takes to get the job done on time.

I've retired 2 times once when i was 48 yr old, lasted 2 years, got bored, next time at 68 yrs old, lasted about a year got bored, went back to work, signed up for S.S. at 73 yrs old, now i'm 83 yrs old, and looks like i'm about done working,but will still guide hunters as much as i can, my day's of traveling are over, my back just can't stand long drives, I still reload and shoot long range in the off season, I will hunt even if i have to go out in a wheel chair. I don't have to walk far my jeeps will take almost any where i want to go on the ranch, and if i need help all i have to do is get on the radio and help will be here soon, old age sucks, but i've had a great life and i'm not ready to give it up yet. Rio7.

Im almost 60 and job has no pension.
Work til I keel over. Job is kinda dangerous and physical, so may happen sooner rather than later.

401 and SS about it.
Aint even looked to see how much has been lost recently.

Oh well.

Hard work defines a man... always has.

The ability to turn it off... keep it in balance... or just go fishing... is not easy for some of us.

I would LOVE to hire out some of it, but can't find available skill anywhere.

"Can't get a good man these days, under 60" Quint

Saddlesore: I agree with your contention of retiring as soon as you can 100%!
I retired at age 50 and could have retired at age 46 - if I had known how absolutely wonderful retirement was I would have taken my earlier option!
I am in my 25th year of retirement now and it has been heaven on earth.
I hope the original poster does not burn himself out before his upcoming retirement.
Retired life is NOT just good - it is GREAT!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

OT is a way of life here. We have guys at $29/hour making $110,000 plus/year.

In 2020, I added 40% to my annual income with OT.

We have new managent this year, and she is determined to reduce OT. I expect some of the guys to lose their homes or cars if that happens.