from your profession/main source of income...

[hoping I can retire in a year or so, from my profession. don't hate the job, but getting tired of the bs, after 34 years...]

what do I need to know/consider?

What haven't I thought about?

How do I "keep busy"? ...my wife especially wants this answer...

Thanks!

Trapping man! That’s my retirement goal. A UTV set up just for trapping. About 15 dozen traps and run 3 properties a day for a few weeks, then move on.
Turkey hunting from first week of March until June in the Northern states!
Follow the ducks from Canada to Mexico!
I can’t wait!!

Buy a boat, RV, and go fishing around the country. I'm available as a relief driver, and boat handler.

Don’t owe anyone and it’s way easier to pay the bills that way. You will find plenty to do or your wife will, plus you won’t get a day off if you don’t set that up in your plans. I cutoff my trash service they wanted $80 every 3 months I just hauled about 6 months of trash stuff I cannot burn for $12.50 so money can be saved with a little work.

I retired two years ago,,and Im so busy,,i don't know how I ever had time to go to work.

It's $28/mo here. City councilman owns the trash business. Would you believe Wall, SD hauls their trash to Ogallala NE? It's a fact. I was in the business.

Can't wait.8 more years.

Boy, ain't that the truth! And I'm not even married!

Retired just means you have the time to do more projects, it gets to the point you don’t know what day of the week it is or day it is even.

Be totally 100% out of debt

Have an emergency - vacation fund of at least $20,000.00

Have several hobbies that you enjoy

Write down all of your bills-expenses. Don't forget any. Electric, gas, cable, phone, internet, life ins., auto ins., health ins., groceries, etc. Add them up and then add 10% to cover repairs, eating out, etc.

Obviously your income needs to exceed expenses. If it doesn't or if it is close, you may have to consider a part time job.

I retired early and now wish I had done it sooner. If you have any other questions I will try and help all I can.

Need paid healthcare, life insurance to protect surviving spouse, and a seven digit nest egg. Company pension required or a fat IRA. Defer SS to 70 for max income and financial security. Run your kids off.

Take your SS as soon as you can you save nothing by giving $60,000 back to the Government to get $300 more a month you might never see.

It will be 2 years in August and I am so busy and having lots of fun! Everyday is Saturday!!

I retired 12 days ago, I've been so busy I'm wore out. To many house things I've put off. I have a farm so there is always something to do. Plus turkey hunting & crappie fishing.

I have at least 11 more years before retirement. I've been thinking that through ones life you have school years, then marriage, kids, work, retirement, and then what comes next. I want no debt, good health before I consider it. But the good Lord will be the final decision maker!

I enjoyed my job very much but at age 60 when I had 31 years of service the college offered me a generous retirement incentive which I accepted. Six months later I was hired at 50% full time for a very similar job. I worked that for 4 plus years and then 1.5 years at 80%. I retired at age 66 and took a part time contract position that I gave up a year ago in April. I did not have to pull any savings or investments out when the markets tanked in 08 as I was working. Being financially independent is a freeing feeling and work is not really work when you can let it be. Being involved with productive work was helpful for me mentally, emotionally, physically and financially. Having some structure for me helped me focus and stay better organized and I fit in my trapping, fishing, hunting, hiking, gardening, small farming, canoeing etc.
I based my ability to retire on the fact that I felt that my retirement income would be equal to or even better retired then it was while working and at age 60 things looked like a go and 12 years later it has worked out as well or better than anticipated.

I also don't worry about being debt free. I have no mortgage or credit card debt but will take out a home equity loan next week. I have the weekly or monthly liquidity to pay it off in 3 years and with all our vacations cancelled this year I will have extra funds to pay down quickly. I had to pay 12-14% for money when paying on our house so I will sure use monies at around 4% and pay it off with money I don't even have yet.Having good equity and a good credit rating lowers interest rates quite a bit.

Bryce

Retire as soon as you can afford to. Do any travelling that you want, while you still have your health. We did a lot of travelling, and stuff on our bucket list, early in our retirement. As you get older, I am content to do a lot of stuff around home. Lucky to have a farm, workshop, like to putter around. Do a bit of wood work projects, cut firewood. Deer hunt in fall. Been retired 23 years, still enjoying it..old243

I retired 17 years ago at 62. The first 10 years were pretty good... then all of breaks in bones, stoved and damaged joint from the past started showing up, along with things that come along with age. The big financial crunch of 08/09 pretty well cleaned out all of my saving, but everything was paid for. With little left everything started going south along with the fur market. So, if there was nothing to worry about than day to day bills, it would have been all right, but when water line to the hose breaks, new roof is needed, car needs repairs, unexpected ailments, injuries and accidents happen, it isn't any fun.

The moral of the story is when you retire make the best of it and enjoy in the first years, don't wait until the past and age starts catching up with you.

Garry-

Agree. I took mine at 62 and not 66 for the full amount. It would take years to make up the difference and then when you do you may be dead.

You are very fortunate Law Dog
$65 landfill minimum here, if you walk in with a popcan