I am a basket case. Signed up for SS last Friday , now having anxiety attacks for 3 days. My health is Very bad , 3 knee replacements in 9 years on 2 legs. 63 1/2. Saved some money but not enough. My brother says Marty no one ever saves enough. When I made a column for and column against retirement it seemed to me it was time. Now for 3 days I have not slept. I can make $20,000 a year part time but still I am questioning my decision. I don’t feel like working at all but will need to work 15 hrs a week to keep me in pen money. I have been in Mfg Management for 42 years and have hated every single day of it , every single day !
I hope you guys have some positive stories and can encourage me. Thanks. MD

I'm wondering how much more convincing you really need? If you're finally not working a job you hated every single day for 42 years, I'd say you are ahead already.

A few years ago, I retired early at 62. After working in a factory for 32 years, I too, was ready for a change. I didn't hate my job, I was just tired of missing out on all the things I'd been missing out on. It took me about 2 days to figure out that I had made the right decision to retire and I'm grateful that I did.

You may find that your health might even start to improve without the stress or hate you had for your job.

My encouragement to you would be; try to relax and finally enjoy your "new" life. Go do the things you've missed out on and do them until you can't go any longer.

It sure should not take 42 years to make the mental and emotional adjustments to enjoy not going to a job you hated for 42 years. Hope you can improve your mental and emotional outlook as the hormone change may work to help with some physical alignments as well. I am so grateful that I had two major adult jobs that last 37 years that I enjoyed.

Bryce

I retired this Fall after 32 years. It got to where I just dreaded to go to work. Fore me, I live a VERY simple lifestyle, I don't really go anywhere exotic or spend money on things that won't pay for themselves. Adjust your lifestyle to your income or keep working. As long as I have a few bucks for minnows and gas I am pretty happy.

I worked in Coal Mining for 32 years. I ended up with two Pig Valves in my heart and 2 strokes on the table while they were trying to put the Pig Valves in. I waited too long!! I could have taken early retirement years earlier but I waited too long!!! YOU did the right thing!!! I waited too long and I LOVED my Job!!!

Thanks for the encouragement. My brother that I am close to said the same thing to me this am. Said Marty your health is everything. Mental and Physical. I have No wife or kids ,
it’s just me. Brother said Marty you have no one to worry about leaving any money too. Brother Said take it 1 day at a time and live on your budget and focus on staying healthy. Said that is your job now. I can see I will be needing to give myself this pep talk every morning. MD

I have five more years before I'm 62, I don't know if I'll take it then or not. I'm trying to get things to a better place then I am but it still won't be good. I understand a bit about where your at but don't have any answers. Keep things tight and keep an eye out for a part time job or side hustle that fits you with out the pressure.

Something I've thought about but don't know enough about to know if it would work or be possible would be to set up a llc to work through so if you made more then $20,000 in a year it wouldn't affect your social security. I don't know if this is a good idea or even legitimate, just a thought that I had while having a conversation about something else.

Mine was a different situation but not having to worry about being somewhere everyday, accounted for every minute , and if I didn't retire I lost health ins benefit. But let me tell you it is relaxing to do what you want when you want. It doe not have to cost money, walk, bike, read, nap oh napping is great! I could not imagine hating my job especially for 42 years. You earned it realx and enjoy yourself.

It is beaver season, they are big and heavy and you always have to carry them up hill. The traps are nasty if you make a mistake. Only set 3 or 4 and hope you dont have a full catch. But it is a challenge that gets you going each day. You need day by day goals, going to bed thinking about what are the chances for one tomorrow and which trap set is the most likely. Do not over do it like I did two weeks ago, had to many, the weather was perfect and I was exhausted. Just get one ever other day if possible. Aim for a perfect fleshing job a perfect put up job, keep the electrons firing in the old bean. Also read some books about stuff that you did or like. ENJOY it!!!......j.k

Don't know your debt situation , but if you can make 20,000 a year" part time" that is a lot more than most elderly MUST live on that are on SS !!!! You'll be fine !!!!

Take it one step at a time, your health is more important than money. Look at Steve Jobs, billionaire but ends up the same place everyone does.

Marty, I obviously don't know you but here is my take from my experiences. I retired at the end of April 2021, I was 55 1/2 at the time, I had almost 35 years of credible service. I could have worked until I was 57 before mandatory retirement. I really enjoyed my job and had always kind of planned on staying until mandatory retirement. I woke up one day and felt down deep in my heart that I was done, I just kind of ignored it but the feeling just got more intense of over the next several days/weeks so I put my papers in.

It was an incredibly good decision, my stress level has dropped an unbelievable amount, my relationship with my friends and family have improved dramatically as well as my overall sense of contentment. I have stayed very busy during this time doing things around my place and things that I wanted to do. Not one time have I regretted my decision to retire. I don't make quite as much as I did when I was working but I don't spend as much either because of not being on the road so much, you don't think eating a meal out is that expensive but when you have to do it several times a week due to unplanned events it adds up quickly.

Your brother gave you some excellent advice.

I just worry about not being able to make it. I have zero dept. nothing at all but not saved a lot. Rent , don’t own a house. But with my health problems and poor family genetics I bet I only live to 73 maximum. Thats only 10 years from now. I know I am coming across as negative but just trying to be realistic to myself. I just have so much anxiety. Thanks. Marty

Marty, first thing you DO have to do is get off the negative bandwagon! You’ve made a decision, can’t go back, so go forward! Your going to be dead in a month if you don’t.
There are a lot of things to do, a lot of people and organizations to help, limitless ways to make extra cash, and mostly a whole lotta
life ahead to live.
As for the longevity thing it’s bull shoot. If it were reality that we don’t live longer than those before us we would all be gone by 40 which was common only a few hundred years ago.
Lastly Marty quit with the selfishness. Take a look at at all the special needs folks, the handicapped, the wounded veterans and on and on…. So many folks who do not have your choices but would give everything to have what you do have.
Suck it up kid, your worlds not ending, it’s just beginning if you want it to be.

Osky

They gave you the amount you should draw when you signed up. Did it sound like the amount you can live on ?
You will be fine. ZERO debt and any side income should be plenty to live on. At 65 you can get medicare ins. Just 18 more months of the BOBO circus. Hang in there . WE ALL would be surprised on what we can SURVIVE on when we have to.
Heck get you a small riding mower . Pick up a few yards... Tons of extra cash . If your handy handy man chores people are begging for someone to do it..

Go back to work... but not the way you used to! Make yourself a job you enjoy, charge 25+ an hour to maintain gardens, work for a sprinkler company just driving around to do simple repairs, work at an archery shop once or twice a week.

You've hated work for decades but you're not to old to learn work can be fun and rewarding! You made the right choice to retire now find something you enjoy enough to make unretiring the next right choice.

42 years and you don’t have a nest egg??? I’ve got 7 more years before 62 and I can start drawing SS. All I’m counting out SS for is paying my insurance. After 42 years you should have close to $3K a month just in that. Whatever pension and retirement plan you had should put you living better than most Americans. I’d work on improving my health more than worrying about money.

This is going to work out. First and for most have a long conversation with yourself. You are experiencing anxiety because you have been been at the same place hating it for 42 years. Seems to me you might feel a little guilty for taking care of yourself finally. It will pass as you will come to realize what you have been missing. You're probably a little anxious because you haven't made it through a little bit on your new income. That too will pass. I remember when I first started a business a long time ago. The first few months without garunteed income almost killed me emotionally. But once I realized after a short time I was going to make it I have never been happier. I am right about where you are as far as retirement but I am looking forward to it because I know it is all going to work out and will be a new chapter that I get to write. Hang in there, you are going to be fine. Take a deep breath and start being retired. I think you will get used to doing what you want when you want with who you want pretty quickly once you realize you only have to worry about you. Blessings.

I know that $20,000 cap on income sounds like a problem, but if you run fewer traps, and keep good daily records, you should be able to pull the line early, when you're up around $19,500!