Retirement? Whatchya gonna do?

[Pumbaa]

I'm moving to Colorado. I'm too familiar with the terrain to start somewhere else. Gonna buy a small farm and get some horses, a few sheep and a ton of chickens. I doubt I'm going to open a business, but that depends on how well I do when I sell my house/houses in NY when the time comes.

EDIT: I love talking about retirement BTW. Worth a thread?

The bar thing I dunno if I would consider it a business. The town I am looking at is population of only 900 and TBH I'd be looking to just break even and if I made any profit from it I'd look at it as a nice surprise. the brewery/distillery aspect would be part of the bar and only because it's something I want to do for myself and figured "WTF I can share"

 

[jmendez29]

I figure I have at least twenty years to worry about it, probably more like thirty or more...

I'm hoping that I'll have enough saved up that I don't have to work, but I would because I don't know if I could handle not doing anything. But I kinda had the idea that I would mow grass for a local golf course. Get up early to start the mowing. Golf for a couple hours, be home by noon to start drinkin'. Then I have the rest of the afternoon to get sh!tfaced and yell at the kids to get off my lawn.

That's my dream.

 

[Airborneguy]

My plan for a long time has been CO. I was sgtationed there in the Army and unfortunately didn't appreciate it enough to stay.

Do I feel bad taking my publicly funded pension out of NY? NOPE, because they deserve it. This state is horrible for the working man, especially the retired working man.

My goal is to become as self-sufficient as possible after I retire in 11 years at 43. My wife will still be working and I have other investments besides the pension.

More to follow depending on how this discussion develops.

 

[Yooper]

I'm figuring that out now. We'll be spending the next few weeks in south/coastal Texas, and be home around March 10. Then I'll see what I feel like doing.

I want to spend time with my grandson, do lots of fishing, spend time at the cottage, and travel. Oh, and brew. Not necessarily in that order.

 

[Pumbaa]

Do I feel bad taking my publicly funded pension out of NY? NOPE, because they deserve it. This state is horrible for the working man, especially the retired working man.

I dont blame ya one bit, maybe because I am in the same boat. Originally I was looking into Wyoming due to the Free State Project they have going on there but when I took that 21 day road trip a few years back I fell in love with a small town in the Flint Creek Valley in Montana just east of the Sapphire Mountains.

Depending on what my financial situation looks like I'll either do the bar thing right in town there -OR- do the ranch thing near by. The counties in Montana I am considering are Granite, Ravalli, Deer Lodge, Silver Bow, Beaverhead, and Madison.

I think the biggest difference is I have to wait until I'm at least 49 but I'll probably be closer to 50/51 (due to my kid still being in high school if I went at 49) and my wife is 6 years older then me and only works part time (when she isnt laid off >.< ) I'm thinking though between my pension, lump sum pension settlement payout from a law suit a few years back when we caught the city stealing, deferred compensation I should be ok to at least get settled and started. I'm just hoping I dont live up to the actuary tables for firemen and make it longer then 4 years past retirement.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Now that I live in America, retirement is just a pipe dream.

There ya go, Pumbaa, feel free to make hay with that one!

 

[Pumbaa]

Now that I live in America, retirement is just a pipe dream.

There ya go, Pumbaa, feel free to make hay with that one!

/shrug
even in retirement I wouldnt really consider my plans as retiring . . . next career may be more appropriate

 

[bob1852]

Leave it to LGI to bring debate **** into a normal thread...

Regardless of trolls....

I hope to have lots of gardens, fruit trees, chickens, maybe some livestock...a little bit of land - not a lot, an acre or so maybe? Access to water; and I hope a pond to manage as a sustainable fishery.

 

[Pumbaa]

Leave it to LGI to bring debate **** into a normal thread...

Regardless of trolls....

I hope to have lots of gardens, fruit trees, chickens, maybe some livestock...a little bit of land - not a lot, an acre or so maybe? Access to water; and I hope a pond to manage as a sustainable fishery.

I'm hoping for at least 40 acres, and the whole water thing . . . thats something I am going to have to get used to when I go out west. I'm kinda spoiled with the big puddle we have here in Milwaukee.

 

[blizzard]

The bar thing I dunno if I would consider it a business. The town I am looking at is population of only 900 and TBH I'd be looking to just break even and if I made any profit from it I'd look at it as a nice surprise. the brewery/distillery aspect would be part of the bar and only because it's something I want to do for myself and figured "WTF I can share"

Even small towns need bars. Small towns ESPECIALLY need bars. If there is any tourism there you'll probably be fine.

 

[Pumbaa]

Even small towns need bars. Small towns ESPECIALLY need bars. If there is any tourism there you'll probably be fine.

I know I grew up in a small town (pop 1500) but this place is around pop 900 and all ready has 1 that I know of . . . but like I said as long as it makes enough to break even + pay the taxes it's all good. I really need to look into Montana's distilling/brewing laws . . . on the plus side I have most of the food menu already worked out (in my head)

 

[Ricand]

I'm retired so I'm doing what I'm going to do. I own a great little space on two acres just outside a funky little town. I can walk to several pubs that serve Pliny and other great micros on tap. The 'brewery' is a 24X60 barn, 10 faucets and all the other things you'd want in the 'cave'. My wife and I joke that EVERY day is Friday for us. I hope all you guys can retire the way you dream it will happen.

 

[jezter6]

I've been researching homesteading for a while, and I think I'm slowly going to start working towards that.

Start with 10-15 acres, small house or trailer. Get some chickens, grow some beans (only veggies I like to eat). If I can clear a pasture to board horses for some $$, that could be cool.

I've been looking also at "group" homesteading, which is really the same, but with maybe 3 or 4 families on a plot of land instead of 1. For me, it's the work/cost savings of economies of scale and being able to split some of the larger items (barn/shed/tractor) 3 ways instead of 1.

 

[Airborneguy]

See the small town thing is a toss-up for me. I'm going to have at least 1 kid who will be 11 when I retire, and that's not considering at least 1, possibly 2 more. I will definitely be retiring from the PD and moving out of the city, but I don't think I want to move my young kids to a small town. As much as I HATE NYC, I can't deny that growing up in the big city holds its benefits. Ideally, I want to bring my kids to a moderate-sized city, like Colorado Springs, Boulder, Woodland Park (suburb of COS), something like that.

That's actually one of the main reasons I want to move to Colorado as opposed to upstate NY where my pension would be tax free. In Colorado, I can stay close to a major city and still have some land and horses, chickens, etc. In NY, the only options for that are crappy cities like Syracuse, Rochester, and Albany.

Retirement in the proto-typical American "small town" just isn't my cup of tea.

 

[TxBrew]

Relax. I'm going to put my feet and not move, ever.

 

[Reelale]

I retired in September with 29 years of Federal service. I went back to work as a contractor in November. Go figure. I guess I like working.

 

[jgln]

The economy tanking, cut in position and eventually a layoff notice on hold has changed my plan greatly so far so I don't know now. We bought a small farm 3 years ago and my plan was to pay it off and have a supplemental income on whatever I raise. Already have the barn and tractor and a hay business. I want to raise meat goats but wife says she would have a hard time killing an animal she raised.

I decided to buy my dream home now because if I waited until I retired I would be too old to enjoy it, work it.

I expect one day we will need to downsize unless I hit the lottery.

 

[jgln]

This reminds me of a survey I saw once where teenagers were asked what their plan to become wealthy was.

1) Hit the lottery
2) Inherit parent's assets
3) Sue somebody

 

[shamrockdoc]

I just want an address where friends and family can find me. I'm leaving the military this year in three months in fact. 16 years and I'm done. I consider this a retirement because SWMBO and I are like kids again looking at neighborhoods and houses. We want to live in Portland where we both grew up. I want to fish again and brew and ride my bike to work then get hit on my bike again by a tourist that never drove in that city. Roots and routine is what I look for. Plus I want the most dangerous thing I do to be dodging spilled hot wort.....not bullets.

 

[Pumbaa]

Start with 10-15 acres, small house or trailer. Get some chickens, grow some beans (only veggies I like to eat). If I can clear a pasture to board horses for some $$, that could be cool.

One thing I seriously considered was getting enough land for a wild mustang rescue sort of thing. From what I have read the Federal government will pay you to "keep" the mustangs on your land and just let them be. The only responsibility you have is to not harm them (dont hunt them, dont sell them for dog food, etc). I thought about that long and hard for a while, but my libertarian side of me ended up vetoing that idea. I may still do something like that but I wont be receiving $$ from the government for it.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Leave it to LGI to bring debate **** into a normal thread...

Regardless of trolls....

I hope to have lots of gardens, fruit trees, chickens, maybe some livestock...a little bit of land - not a lot, an acre or so maybe? Access to water; and I hope a pond to manage as a sustainable fishery.

My bad. I thought I was still in the debate forum when I posted that. I was only trolling Pumbaah though, so that doesn't count.

 

[glenn514]

Welp, I retired about 18 months ago [1 July 2009] after a 41 year career as a Lutheran teacher and church musician. Our overwhelming desire is to sell our house here in northern Illinois and move to central Wisconsin. I'm originally a Wisconsinite...and my wife has lived in Wisconsin longer than any other state. We'd like to find a place in/around Stevens Point, WI that has a bit of land [1-3 acres]. Why "Point?" Because we LIKE it there!

But, with the real estate market basically in the toilet, we're still here, fixing up this old place in hopes of selling it sometime this year.

So, what am I doing in retirement? Just brewed a batch of Dawson's Multigrain Red this morning! And I'm working on the house...and I still play for worship at least twice a month. And in good weather, we get to ride our motorcycle whenever we want!

glenn514

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

after I retire in 11 years at 43.

Man that would be nice. But I'm past 43 and prob won't retire for at least double that 11, if I even live that long.

So...this thread sucks.

 

[jgln]

Man that would be nice. But I'm past 43 and prob won't retire for at least double that 11, if I even live that long.

So...this thread sucks.

+1

 

[Airborneguy]

I definitely agree that I am lucky to be retiring so early, but in these 9 years I've been in countless fights, hit by a police car while chasing someone on foot, shot at twice, fought one person with a knife and had another guy attempt to pull a sword on me (he had 17 of them). I've also seen dead people from 17-80+ years old in various states of decomposition (and aroma), worked every single holiday, and lost one marriage to this job which also found time to force me to go to the big R because of her allegation. And of course survival is always a concern...

So I think I deserve it

 

[jgln]

I definitely agree that I am lucky to be retiring so early, but in these 9 years I've been in countless fights, hit by a police car while chasing someone on foot, shot at twice, fought one person with a knife and had another guy attempt to pull a sword on me (he had 17 of them). I've also seen dead people from 17-80+ years old in various states of decomposition (and aroma), worked every single holiday, and lost one marriage to this job which also found time to force me to go to the big R because of her allegation. And of course survival is always a concern...

So I think I deserve it

No problem, little faces with angry expressions are just that.

 

[Airborneguy]

I wasn't upset; I'm serious I know how lucky we are. Most departments don't have 20 year retirements anymore, so we're even unique in that aspect. My father in law is 61, and he says he's not even sure if he'll be retired when I retire!

 

[springer]

My first retirement was forced on me I was a police officer in the village of Scarsdale I was 31 and had three young kids . Really screwed up my right shoulder ,performance of duty injury I get a disability pension. So I stayed home with the kids wife went to work. Went into the insurance business 9 years ago and just sold my agency in June. I am working harder now than when I worked

 

[passedpawn]

Flower Shop.

[me] Hmmm, smells nice in here. Soft chair, paperback book, tea and muzak...

[I put down my paperback] "Can I help you find something"

[customer] "Anniversary..."

[me] "Can I recommend one of our fine bouquets? Fresh-cut tulips in a bunch of baby's breath" ... "or perhaps this "... blah blah blah

[cust] "perfect" - pays - leaves

[me] Hmmm, smells nice in here. Back to soft chair, paperback book, tea and muzak... hopefully no more customers ...

 

[Airborneguy]

springer, enjoy that pension! You deserve it. All day we were joking about what we would take to get 3/4. The conversation always comes up because I want to move to Colorado so bad. I don't know if I'm gonna make it 11 more years before I give up and get another job.

 

[Pumbaa]

springer, enjoy that pension! You deserve it. All day we were joking about what we would take to get 3/4. The conversation always comes up because I want to move to Colorado so bad. I don't know if I'm gonna make it 11 more years before I give up and get another job.

If I can make it another 9-10 you can make it another 11 . . . TBH after nights like last night I'm kinda shocked I havent ended up in prison or a lunatic asylum

 

[jfr1111]

Still in school and somewhat young, so retirement is still far, far, far away if it ever comes for me, but a dream of mine if for my children to inherit the family business (I'm hoping to go solo after a few years working for a firm) so they don't have to hussle and stress for years on end about money like my girlfriend and I have been doing for the better part of a decade.

I'd be happy with pretty much anything housewise as long as it is as far away as possible from traffic and somewhat near a small stream where I could fish.

 

[blizzard]

a dream of mine if for my children to inherit the family business (I'm hoping to go solo after a few years working for a firm) so they don't have to hussle and stress for years on end.

Seeing my parents sacrifice, hussle, and stress to make their business(es) great is what made me decide not to go into the family business.

Airborne - you can't wait 11 years; I'll even save you some beer.

 

[jfr1111]

Seeing my parents sacrifice, hussle, and stress to make their business(es) great is what made me decide not to go into the family business.

Airborne - you can't wait 11 years; I'll even save you some beer.

You might be right and I wouldn't force any of my children to do something they wouldn't love just for the money: you can be very miserable practicing law if you don't like it.

 

[Airborneguy]

jfr - My grandfather was an attorney with his own practice. None of my aunts or uncles followed him into it. The youngest did get a law degree, but did not go to law school. I used to love hanging out at his office though; he had cool paintings and books! Best of luck with your own practice, that's tough, but it must be nice to be your own boss, especially in a business where you really won't have to worry about more than a few employees.

blizzard - I come to Colorado about every other year, so even if I do wait, I'll take the beer if you want!

 

[Yooper]

My last day of work is actually tomorrow. I retired a few months ago, but stayed on to train my replacement. I've been working a couple of days a week to assist her.

Anyway, yesterday was a BAD day. I decided that I made a mistake retiring, but it's too late to not do it.

Tomorrow I send out a company-wide email saying goodbye and to contact Mary from now on.

I'm going to work a few more days in the same building in a different office "cleaning up" some stuff. My last day there will be January 24.

I am feeling so different than I thought I would. I thought I'd be exhilarated and happy. I am not.

 

[Airborneguy]

When you like you job, I can imagine it would make retiring hard. Not to mention, it's one of those steps in life that makes you realize you are only getting older. In my job, most people I've watched retire hated work, so we only see how happy they are to leave. I rarely get to see people who don't want to retire.

 

[Bigeb]

I'm gonna be a pole dancer!

 

[springer]

springer, enjoy that pension! You deserve it. All day we were joking about what we would take to get 3/4. The conversation always comes up because I want to move to Colorado so bad. I don't know if I'm gonna make it 11 more years before I give up and get another job.

ya its nice that the check is deposited the last business day of the month without fail. And since its a disability pension its tax free . My tier didn't get 3/4 though its just about 66% of my last pay .

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Anyway, yesterday was a BAD day. I decided that I made a mistake retiring, but it's too late to not do it.


I am feeling so different than I thought I would. I thought I'd be exhilarated and happy. I am not.

My dad took his chance at early retirement when it was offered. He soon started bitching and moaning about taking it. He went on and on about how he missed work, lost his sense of purpose etc.

A few months later his firm asked him back to help out for a while. A couple of days into starting work again, he was thinking.....Oh yeah, THAT'S why I took the retirement!! Get me the hell out of here!