Retirees - What age did you retire?

[barkley]

FTW, libraries offering per-diem work is fairly rare. I'm in a metro area with 8 public library systems and 7 universities, but only 1 of the public systems and one community college offer that kind of shift work, and not all that often; they basically use it only to cover when regular staff are on vacation or out sick.

i would be surprised if any libraries around us offer it as well-the public have a LONG waiting list to become a volunteer and the college's are staffed w/ft permanent staff and work study students.

 

[tvguy]

I’ll be 60 this year and would retire, but I’m having way too much fun(and getting paid)….

With me, I worked from home for 15 of my last 16 months. It was awesome. Most productive I ever was. I might have worked another year but they called me back in the building in June 2021, so I retired in July 2021.

 

[disykat]

FTW, libraries offering per-diem work is fairly rare. I'm in a metro area with 8 public library systems and 7 universities, but only 1 of the public systems and one community college offer that kind of shift work, and not all that often; they basically use it only to cover when regular staff are on vacation or out sick.

My home town library runs almost entirely on volunteers, but that's generally not the way in larger systems. Yes, as most per diem and/or substitute jobs it's for covering other positions. That's why I specified I work based on their needs, mentioned "substitute" in my post, and that I can work a few days a month or a few days a week based on their needs and mine. I in no way meant to imply that I have a "regular" job with "my own" responsibilities. (If I wanted that I would have continued in my career!) I work at several branches. This month has been a little slow since so many people took vacations over the holidays. I've been offered 16 hours this week. In December I could have worked almost every day if I wanted to. Our system does not use volunteers for work the employees do. It's usually a retirement type job or a way to work your way into the system, not something people count on for their livelihood.

 

[WDWJDS]

Just retired from nursing after 35 years at the age of 58. I had been wanting to for years and the pandemic sealed the deal for me. I had never been so miserable in my life.

I Cobra my health insurance and will start a per diem job in a totally different career next month. I haven’t worked for almost four months now and it has been delicious

I’m hoping that the per diem job leads to a part-time position so I can get off of Cobra. Hubby is an independent contractor will work until he drops because he loves it so much.

 

[mousefan73]

My DH retired at 55 as he took an early retirement package.. deduction of 17% of his normal pension. He took it as there wa a mass offering to reduce people with his status/benefits and if he didnt take it, he was risking having to stay until 67 by law ( he was a government worker). Was a cut, but our kids were still in gradeschool so he became the SATD while I worked, but at that time part-time still. I am now again full-time and it does help having him home full-time, though he started some small part-time job thing for 40 hours a month.. which is great because he was going crazy and so was I.

IMO; retiring early is a luxury not many can afford, not just due to lose of income, but health insurance.

 

[mousefan73]

BTW, IMO the use of the word "retire" is being missused. Retirement is when you leave a company with retirement benefits or are at the age of SS/Medicare. You are not "retired" but have simply stopped working as you have the "retirement" savings or other means of doing so. Nobody retires under 50, either you quit, get severance or have a disability.

 

[sdk1231]

I retired at 56. DH is still working, so carries the insurance. I love retirement. For the first time in years I get to focus on being a wife, mom, and on myself. I've got some serious hobbies including genealogy, reading, writing, baking, piano and travel. My "surprise" new retirement hobby - I accidentally discovered LEGO. Yes, Lego. Bought my teen a set for Christmas last year (the Home Alone house). She never put it together, and with time on my hands, I thought I might give it a try. I had a blast building that thing. I've continued building Lego and it's great fun. Bottom line, if you get to retire early, be open to new things!

 

[FastPasser.]

After retiring at 60 from a long engineering career I went to Disney casting the very next day and was offered a bus driving position. Even though I never drove a bus I accepted it. Disney trained me in order to get my DCL license and then it was off to the races. I enjoyed driving the bus but after six years I transferred to to the WDW Special Events Group. That was a lot of fun and I retired for real from Disney with full benefits four years ago. The Disney retiree benefit package is an amazing benefit to have. Between the park admissions, merchandise, dining, resort and cruise discounts I have saved a ton of money.

 

[CdnCarrie]

BTW, IMO the use of the word "retire" is being missused. Retirement is when you leave a company with retirement benefits or are at the age of SS/Medicare. You are not "retired" but have simply stopped working as you have the "retirement" savings or other means of doing so. Nobody retires under 50, either you quit, get severance or have a disability.

It totally irks me when SAHM answers threads like this saying they “retired”.
No you stopped working to raise a family. You didn’t retire.

 

[mjkacmom]

It totally irks me when SAHM answers threads like this saying they “retired”.
No you stopped working to raise a family. You didn’t retire.

Well since my youngest are 20, and I only have 2 still living home (4 when they’re home from college), I feel retired (especially from when they were little). Just last week I stopped doing their laundry!

 

[Seahorse17]

Retired at 52, with my pension ,medical and dental. I am now 79.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Well since my youngest are 20, and I only have 2 still living home (4 when they’re home from college), I feel retired (especially from when they were little). Just last week I stopped doing their laundry!

Me too and I work full time.

 

[georgina]

BTW, IMO the use of the word "retire" is being missused. Retirement is when you leave a company with retirement benefits or are at the age of SS/Medicare. You are not "retired" but have simply stopped working as you have the "retirement" savings or other means of doing so. Nobody retires under 50, either you quit, get severance or have a disability.

Most dictionary definitions disagree with your opinion. Many commonly say - withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from active working life. So sorry for all those irked but you can't define my retirement. You can join AARP at any age!

 

[tzolkin]

BTW, IMO the use of the word "retire" is being missused. Retirement is when you leave a company with retirement benefits or are at the age of SS/Medicare. You are not "retired" but have simply stopped working as you have the "retirement" savings or other means of doing so. Nobody retires under 50, either you quit, get severance or have a disability.

Technically the definition of retirement is simply the act of leaving one’s job and ceasing to work. It does not matter how old you are or what benefits you are eligible for. Yes, what you describe is what retirement has traditionally looked like since social security/pensions/etc have been around, but I don’t think that’s what it has to be for everyone.

What if social security and company retirement benefits ceased to exist? Then people would only be able to choose to retire once they had enough in savings to support themselves. That’s basically the entire purpose of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early).

If I plan and save so that I can stop working at 50, when do I get to say that I’m retired? When I reach a certain age? When I start receiving social security?

 

[GAN]

BTW, IMO the use of the word "retire" is being missused. Retirement is when you leave a company with retirement benefits or are at the age of SS/Medicare. You are not "retired" but have simply stopped working as you have the "retirement" savings or other means of doing so. Nobody retires under 50, either you quit, get severance or have a disability.

You’re free to your own definitions, but when I retire …I’m RETIRED. I don’t care how old I am or what benefits the company wants to give me! Some people that retire early don’t need a benefits package or SS/Medicare…

 

[lucas]

I retired 3 days after my 65th birthday in 2021. (After a year of working from home.)

 

[barkley]

You can join AARP at any age!

i think they are psychic-i began getting solicitations in my 30's with no idea i would end up officially retired in my early 40's!

 

[disykat]

BTW, IMO the use of the word "retire" is being missused. Retirement is when you leave a company with retirement benefits or are at the age of SS/Medicare. You are not "retired" but have simply stopped working as you have the "retirement" savings or other means of doing so. Nobody retires under 50, either you quit, get severance or have a disability.

I use the term "retired" because when I thought I was quitting my job to care for family members (the second time, for my parents, not when I took a break for my kids) they literally gave me a clock and announced me publicly as retired. Originally it hadn't even really occurred to me that I was retiring, but I was - because of my age. In my teaching job, retirement could start at 55. Whether you could get your pension then depended on whether you had at least 20 years in and by personal choice (because it was reduced if you took it that early,) but it was officially considered retirement. (I am waiting until I am 65 to claim my retirement benefits because it makes the most sense financially, so I choose to work flexible part time to make up the difference until then.) I was 56 so I was at first kind of amused, then sort of horrified, then I embraced it.

When I quit the first time to be a SAHM, it was not called retirement because I didn't meet any of the qualifications for retirement. I took a leave of absence and then rolled my retirement into an IRA and I resigned. It also would not have occurred to me to call myself "retired" when I was only 30 because I planned to work in my career again at some point.

 

[shh]

It also would not have occurred to me to call myself "retired" when I was only 30 because I planned to work in my career again at some point.

THIS is how I define retired vs quitting/fired, extended leave, sabbatical, etc. If someone is leaving their job or business and has no plans to look for another job/career/biz or to work again for money, that feels like "retired", regardless of their age. But I guess, one can also "retire" from one career and start another. Every pro athete says they're "retiring" when they end their playing days. But many go on to start businesses, coach, etc.

 

[tvguy]

. Nobody retires under 50, either you quit, get severance or have a disability.

Not necessarily. A friend from College has three children who all went into the Air Force at 18. They will have their 30 years in by age 48 and retire. And I was on jury duty with a woman who had just retired from a City Job at age 48. Started at 18, fully vested in the retirement plan after 30 years so gets 60% of her base pay as a pension, and healthcare for life.