# When did you retire or you think you would like to retire? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766 "2016-03-21T14:21:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/41 "2016-03-22T01:08:31Z")
I am not working a day into my 60s. Not one f-ing day. That is a bit of a ways, but it seems feasible at this point, unless something catastrophic happens. I do fear that I’ll get bored, though. I’m one of those annoying people who can’t sit still, so maybe I’ll work well past my expiration date because I just don’t want to stay home. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/42 "2016-03-22T01:10:27Z")
I won’t outlive my debt, so retirement is more of a notion than a reality. Family health issues my force my hand though. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/43 "2016-03-22T01:10:36Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > In June of 2019 I will retire from teaching. I will be 57. it is my plan to never speak to another child from that moment on. I can’t tell you how wonderful it was the first day of school to hear the school bus go down the street, put my head back on the pillow, and go back to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/44 "2016-03-22T01:13:02Z")
No one my age is going to retire until they drop dead. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/45 "2016-03-22T02:31:20Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > No one my age is going to retire until they drop dead. This seems to be going from “Good Plans” to (myself included) to “This Is Going To Suck”. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/46 "2016-03-22T02:42:34Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > No one my age is going to retire until they drop dead. I’ve done the math for myself, and it wouldn’t be that hard\*. I could buy a condo or a small home, I could get solar energy (or buy into a solar co-op), I could get an electric car. Doing that I could easily cut my overhead to under 1k a month since I would eliminate several recurring monthly expenses. \*except for health care. I don’t know how I will afford health care when I’m older. If you assume health insurance premiums double every 10 years, which is about a 7% annual growth rate (which may actually be low) then premiums will be 400% higher in 20 years. People already spend $400+ a month on a health insurance high deductible plan for a single person who is in their 50s. By the time I’m in my 50s, it’ll cost $2,000 a month for a plan with a 10k deductible and so many loopholes I can’t even use it when I get sick. I’ll probably end up moving to a middle income country in my 50s, then moving back when I get to medicare age. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/47 "2016-03-22T02:50:12Z")
I’m 60 now and intend to work for as long as I physically can. I love my job and don’t want to quit. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/48 "2016-03-22T04:41:15Z")
I quit my U job at 57, which is a long story that doesn’t need to be told. Mrsin retired at 60 after 38 years with the same company with a very nice pension. We sold the big house, bought a small house and went on the road in our camper for 9 months of the year. We volunteer camp host for 4-6 of the 9 months we are on the road. Volunteering works great for us. We meet lots of families, we’re surrounded by happy folks on vacation…kids everywhere. By the end of our hosting time we are ready for some peace and quiet so we go back to our small house and chill. After a couple of months we are ready for traveling/hosting again. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/49 "2016-03-22T04:51:20Z")
Screw public polls. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/50 "2016-03-22T05:36:41Z")
I effectively retired at 61 when George W Bush flushed the economy down the drain and I was “downsized” although I worked a variety of menial part time jobs until I was 62 and economically forced to begin drawing SS. I continued the part time low paying menial crap until I was about 70 at which point I said “fuck it” and quit. I should say that I tried to find full time employment with no success. I’m nearly 76 now and wouldn’t go back to work if I had the opportunity—I’m physically handicapped thanks to an automobile accident and there are few jobs I could do. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/51 "2016-03-22T05:58:37Z")
I was going to retire in two weeks, but they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse to come in one day a week for at least two months. I’m 64. I’m turning over my stuff to six people. We’ll see how it works. I’ve got a spreadsheet of 85 things to do, so I’m not going to be bored. I’ve already cut down to 4 days a week, and permanent 3 day weekends are great. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/52 "2016-03-22T05:58:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > 1. Apparently I’m an outlier. I’ve got you by a Monroe itch. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/53 "2016-03-22T15:22:12Z")
I will retire this June or July, depending on some work commitments. We have very little debt with houses and kid’s college is paid for. I have a 401k that has grown quite a bit since I hired on, thanks to my monthly 15% contribution which the company matches. I also have other investment account that I started in college that have done quite well. Best of all, a few years ago I stumbled upon an annuity that the company has been adding to since I started working here. After all this time it has grown to a sizable amount. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/54 "2016-03-22T15:42:26Z")
I retired at 57. I lasted a bit over a year before I took a temp job. Then off for 6 months, and another temp job. Then off for 18 months and another job that I just left last week so I could start a new full-time gig yesterday. \ I was bored. I missed the routine and the challenges and even the social interactions. Plans now are to stay here for 3 years. I’m thinking when I hit 65 I’ll probably be ready to, um, go part time. Maybe. We shall see. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/55 "2016-03-22T15:43:52Z")
Planning on retiring 59 or earlier. Going to be 52 in a couple of months. MrsNQK want to be gone between 55 and 59 - we could do okay on my salary but if we could both continue to work until we both go together that would be good - and she would still be gone a year and a bit before me. Fortunately our plans look to be on track. House paid off this year, no kids and living in Scotland, reasonable free healthcare once we retire. I feel for our US friends with private medical insurance bills to meet… ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/56 "2016-03-22T15:44:32Z")
In my later 20s. I traveled and generally enjoyed things until I got bored out of my skull. I eventually returned to the workforce, by choice. I like having a reason to get up in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/57 "2016-03-22T18:07:07Z")
54-57 is the plan. I’m one of those dinosaurs with a good and reasonably solvent pension plan, I make decent money and I started at my job relatively young, so income-wise I should be fine in a very general sense. Sadly it does not come with fully adequate retiree medical coverage and I live in an insanely expensive area( which cost aside I like ). So some hard choices may be in the offing down the road. But even if I end up having to move to some cheaper region it is better than working to 70 - I tolerate my job just fine, but there is no love there ;). ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/58 "2016-03-22T18:18:16Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The longer we work, the higher is the SS check. > :dubious: And the shorter is the time left to enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/59 "2016-03-22T18:41:34Z")
I’m 49 and semi-retired. I don’t see retirement happening as an all at once thing. I do run my husband’s business - accounting stuff - right now. About 2 hours a week. I’ll probably take another temp job or consulting gig, then take some more time off, then get bored again and go back for a bit. I quit my last real job in 2013 - he quit his a year later. He still works - he’s 50. But about 30 hours a week. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766/60 "2016-03-22T18:49:17Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > And the shorter is the time left to enjoy it. Every silver lining has it’s cloud. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-retire-or-you-think-you-would-like-to-retire/749766.md?page=4)