On the phone Wednesday I made the arrangements...
We will Winter in Destin, Florida this year. The plans now are to arrive in November and stay there until the end of February.
It's a huge step... so huge, Sara Jean cried all day stressed with the thought of such change in our lives. We've since had long discussions about how this will work and she has settled to the idea.
Me? I'm just disappointed the old rule is true that "the plan will work perfectly until contact with the enemy is made"...
My retirement plan went all to pieces over the last two years.
It was never my plan to quit work completely. Sara Jean's work is physical, so I wanted her to be able to quit completely if she wanted. But I always figured I'd continue to work at least part-time until my body assumes ambient temperature...
Flight/Ground instruction.
Buying and selling used aircraft.
Scavenging aluminum cans from the roadside.
Being "Greeter" at the WalMart.
I like work and feel no work is beneath me. We'll be fine so long as there is enough money.
But there is the rub we all face...
How much is "enough"?
Most of us are facing the same scenario...
Our 401K's have become 200.5K's.
Until two years ago I felt phat...
We'd have had more income in retirement than while preparing for it. The market downturn means my years of preparation will provide just enough income to continue our present standard of living. Supplementing retirement funds with part-time work will put gravy on the mashed potatoes and will also provide a second benefit... I'll be out of Sara Jean's hair much of the time.
Now the "elephant in the room" question...
When do I actually retire? I still love my job. I respect most of my co-workers. It's the petty politics and the attitude of a few people that irritate me and keep my job from being perfect.
And that's my burr beneath the saddle...
I've never been good about keeping my mouth shut when I get irritated, and it gets harder as I get older.
So I'm working to pay off our debts. I'm shuffling money around to conserve it.
And as we realize we'll be fine, we're adjusting to the idea of spending next Winter on the balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico with an adult beverage close at hand.
"Welcome to WalMart. Enjoy your shopping experience!"
7 comments:
Congratulations on having the foresight and discipline over the years to at least have the option.
Yep, when it comes down to that 'final' decision, we all get hinky... I'm looking at the same thing, not next year, but in the next few...
I hope I can keep working til I'm 70.
I like to eat...
It will all work out. Worry is the only dangerous enemy. Banish it and rely on you plan. Let God handle the rest.
I'm doing the same damned thing. I never expected that, at 61, I'd still be a cop, much less a Sergeant in Patrol. I'm old and slow and fat and God bless my troops for taking care of me, because I take care of them.
My wife is going to lose her state job. That announcement was already made. I've earmarked March of 2014 as a firm retirement date. Yeah. Firm. Right.
I bled out $100,000 from my deferred comp in 2004. I bled out another $100,000 in 2009/2010.
That, after FORTY ONE YEARS in law enforcement.
Think I'm just a tad pissed, eh?
BZ
BZ, don't feel alone. I ditched law enforcement after 8 years but the retirement plan went south just the same in the Info Tech business. After the recession my retirement investments are down to 39k vs. nearly a quarter mill in 2008.
Wish I had a few of those facebook shares. They say about 1/3rd of those employees with private shares are going to be instant millionaires with the forthcoming IPO.
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