How are you all doing it?
Posted by Character-Lack-3295@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 523 comments
59yo man. I'm not sure how I'll be able to swing it financially but I told myself yesterday that this is the very last year of my life that I'm giving up for a job that I hate. I don't mean to come across as ungrateful because I'm not, but I've worked full-time continuously since I graduated college and am so ready for of a break. My job causes me a great deal of stress I'm tired of the bullshit and I'm tired of being around people (coworkers) that honestly, I really don't want to be around. More than anything, I'm soooooo tired of the grind, day in, day out, over and over and over. All of the beautiful, sunny days that I've missed out on because I had to go to my job. I want my life back. Anyway, these last few years have been brutal and one month feels more like a year. How do you all keep doing it?
Entire-Flower1259@reddit
I don’t. I just left my job at 58 because I found out I can’t do any demanding work safely. I’m hoping to live off my savings, disability, and temporary jobs while I still have my mind.
JonCocktoastin@reddit
I’m tired all the time. All. The. Time.
lando-hockey@reddit
I found a niche within my industry that didn’t fry me anymore. I am good at what I started doing out of college, but it was a high risk and high reward sales job.
After a while, I couldn’t get excited talking to new companies and new people about what they did. Interacted with a lot of executives, and found many of them faking their enthusiasm, totally self-aggrandizing, or uninteresting.
There are aspects of the business world which I don’t like. However, I like my coworkers, even though I had a boss and business partner that was erratic. He truly cared about everyone, and that made me overstay for 5 years.
I’ve got a 6 figure internet based business that is successful, but now I’m trying to scale it which is stressful in itself. That said, it needs to happen, and if I didn’t do it, I’d be bored to tears.
I miss corporate life very little. There are good people everywhere, just waiting to be trusted to do great work in a field they love. Unfortunately I never found my true vocation, which I suspect may have been teaching. At 50, I’m content enough, busy enough, and not afraid of a little work to keep energized. I likely have some industry coaching opportunities that I expect will prove invigorating in my later working years.
Accx4@reddit
At 20 i was married and adopting my wife's son. I eneded up joining the Air Force to provide some stability and structure. Did 4 years and went into the reserves. We bought a house in 1992. A new house. Starter home for $86K. I had found work but not with any kind of livable wage. We had 4 kids by the time I was 27. To make ends meet, i worked 2 jobs plus the Reserves and wife was working too. If i needed a boost or if things were slipping behind, i would call my reserve unit and look for what we called mandays as they paid mileage for me to drive my car out there and back (about $200 for a round trip of 600 miles) and $58 dollars a day in per diem and $6 in miscellaneous expenses and incidentals on top of my base pay, BAS, BAH. Needless to say this definitely helped supplement our needs. At 34 I entered law enforcement. I was burnt out on the military and contemplating leaving altogether. After tbe academy i learned very quickly how nit to enjoy my job and struggled to continue. I promoted to leave my precinct and 4 months later opportunity struck. I got activated by the military. I spent the next 6 years on active duty at a base right in my own backyard. More than covered the bills and I could go home every night! Times were good. Ended active duty in 2010 and retired from the military in 2011 with 23.5 years (13.5 years of active duty and 10 straight reserve time just not in a row or any kind of order). Going back to my LE career was tough. Never got easier. I HATED everything about it. It was tearing me apart physically and mentally to boot. I was absolutely miserable! But they gave me credit for my military service so that was 6 years I didnt have to work for them. I retired as soon as I hit 20 years with them and never looked back. I have my pension and 4 great friends from that experience. Been retired for 5 years now. We sold the house for just over $400k We bring in more every month than we made working. We have no debt, noney in the bank, and investments we may never touch. Our current home got paid off by the sale of the previous one. I do have permanent damage from my work that i also receive compensation for. We are good. I am still in therapy, though it seems to be more for my therapist than me at this point. The big 60 is coming at the end of the year and honestly we are having the time of our lives now.
It was a hard row to hoe but sticking it out was always a means to an end. I chased pensions for security in my future. I have VA healthcare and now medicare (A & B due to SSDI). It wasnt easy and sometimes I question whether it was worth it but in the end it absolutely was. I hope you make it!
Virtual_Signature_68@reddit
I was terrified to quit working. Working was taking my health. I do not regret it, I was 53 . This month I turned 60. It was the best decision for my quality of life. If you have to downsize, it is worth it!
DSDI13@reddit
I feel the same way. I’m 59 and have worked since I was 16. Worked full time through college and ever since. I’m tired. Like dead dog tired. My husband retired 11 years ago with a nice state pension. I’ve created my own small pension via 401k and IRA holdings. We have quite a bit of equity in our home and I would LOVE to sell it and pay cash somewhere less expensive to live. But hubs won’t leave. So I just keep working. I’m giving it two more years and then I’m done come hell or high water.
Character-Lack-3295@reddit (OP)
You’re absolutely right and I’m right there with you and existentially tired. For me, it comes down to the question I ask myself, “how much of your time left on earth are you willing to trade for money? For me, I’ll live more frugally or I’ll do with less so that I can reclaim my life and my freedom!
DSDI13@reddit
Yes! I can live with so little! I’m not a collector and am not tied to any place geographically. I don’t need any crap in my life-just the necessities. Unfortunately my husband is a 180 from that. He collects more crap than I can even explain. But I love your analogy-we only have e so many years left on earth. Shouldn’t they be spent enjoyably?
TaxPuzzleheaded5688@reddit
I’m 69 and started working summers after my sophomore year of high school. Not a break since then. My wife and I are finally on the cusp of retirement with a decent fund and the house nearly paid off. I’m lucky to be self employed so I’m not burned out on the job, but I do want to stop and finally enjoy the down time.
Out-Of-The-Forest@reddit
We all need to start local communities and start mutual aid
FREDICVSMAXIMVS@reddit
Bring back the communes!
Sensitive_Pilot_77@reddit
I’m for it! When are we leaving and where are we going!?
librocubicuralist@reddit
The problem with "community" is the same every time though. There is always one or two people who are fucking annoying and so everyone quits showing up. One busybody wants to make rules and boss everyone around, and three people will love their authority because they love guidance. Everyone else leaves.
Dragonjax1970@reddit
After getting DOGEd in February 2025, I took the only gig 54-year-old me could get in April 2025. It was both horribly stressful and incredibly soul-sucking. Did that until December 2025, when I got shingles. That’s when I realized the stress I was under was having a cumulative impact. I wound up retiring at 55 (5 years earlier than planned) so that I could focus on my health.
Character-Lack-3295@reddit (OP)
Good for you. Retiring ASAP is my plan too. It seems the older I get, the more I value my time over money.
Sensitive_Pilot_77@reddit
If you get over not “wanting things” and take it to the basic needs you absolutely can. I stop buying stuff I wanted but didn’t really need. Started thrifting and while I’m still struggling a bit I realized I didn’t have to have the nicest stuff to be happy.
Nimbette2@reddit
💯
ShaiHulud1111@reddit
I have seen some who really identify with thier career take a hit after completely stopping. They pine for those busy hell weeks and being needed/having a purpose. I think we all would enjoy a year or two break right now, but many will want to come back part time. Plus the money—seen the grim stats.
Iko87iko@reddit
And what do you do for health insurance?
Dragonjax1970@reddit
In my case? My spouse, who is still working. We had a long conversation about it. My spouse is the one who suggested that I retire early, get back to writing (I have been a writer for a long time, but it was always a side gig/moonlighting while I had a full-time career), and focus on my health. We have been saving for decades. We ran the scenarios. Right now, it is working. (But oof, we have a high deductible, and my spouse was in the hospital for four days. After insurance, we have to pay $5,000. So…yeah. 😣)
Iko87iko@reddit
Nice, if all i had to do was make $ I could figure it out on my own doing something I like. The health insurance issue is a tough on to overcome though. I know all about the deductible. I pay $800 a month for my wife's monthly meds until we reach ours
What is messed is the drug maker used to pay for the meds until the deductible was met. Then the current admin came in and said "oh no, that doesn't count towards your deductible" What a joke
Five_String_Serenade@reddit
I. Feel. You. I just a few days ago had to pay out of pocket max ($2,100) in one fell swoop for an injection that, without, I can’t walk. That hurt. For the past ten years the manufacturer paid for it. Now the government says they can’t. SO fucked. I really feel you on this!
RemySchaefer3@reddit
BINGO. you get it. I am so sorry you had to go through this - through obviously no fault of your own. Some of us pay dearly with our health, and more. Others of us are the definition of clueless and thankless - all the while, so quick to judge others.
Dragonjax1970@reddit
Thanks. I have had two physical warning signs about stress so far, with shingles being the second and more serious/disruptive than the first. I am not going for a third. 😅
vamousecatcher@reddit
Good question. I'd like an answer myself. I'm 51, body not in the best of shape anymore. Yet here I am still slaving away in the construction field with no retirement etc.. I've pretty much come to realize that I'll work until I literally can't anymore or drop dead. Hopefully it's until I drop dead cause if I'm alive & can't work I'm fucked. Damn near that way now as it is with the economy the way it's gone/going. Wish the best to my fellow GenXers.
Sensitive_Pilot_77@reddit
I always say I’ll be able to retire at noon on the day of my funeral.
tiddervul@reddit
This does not have to be true for anyone. I know some choices are harder than others, but there are choices. The key thing is to make sure you have hit your 40 quarters of paying into Social Security. That’s ten full years worth. If you haven’t yet found out, do that first. Go to the ssa dot gov website and create/ login to your account to get that info.
Sensitive_Pilot_77@reddit
I think you can go on the IRS site and get it too. I get a statement mailed to me every once in a great while when they probably think, hey we haven’t made her feel like crap lately let’s send a letter on how much you won’t have when you retire. Last statement, and yes I’ve been in the work force over the 40 quarter mark, was $1250 a month. So while social security is cool and all as a back up, that’s about the equivalent of part time pay for some or minimum wage. Most retirees I know still have to work at least part time. The shiny side of that coin is that the part time job could be something that you’ve always wanted to do or enjoy doing but couldn’t make it a living. I’d love to be a gardener of sorts. Yanno the one who figures out the soil ph and prunes the roses. 😊
gargoyled1969@reddit
I'm right there with you. My wife just keeps telling me "you don't have much longer." She retired 5 years ago. I've been depressed since. I never want to go to work for reasons you described. Tired of co-workers and small talk to my customers. During the last 5 years my vacations have become staycations cuz, I'm tired. I've given up both my hips and my left shoulder to my job. I'm done! I have 83 working days left. Chin up to all. There is an end!
FruitDonut8@reddit
Congratulations! Welcome to the class of Retired In ‘26.
_Losing_Generation_@reddit
This is how I felt until I retired 3 months ago at 58. Worked in corporate for the past 30 years in an industry and position I hated. Early on I could do it because I was young and knew that if I wanted to succeed financially, it was pretty much my only option. Plus things and stress didn't get to me as much, so I sold a piece of my soul and my principles to make it work. I didn't even really think about retirement until I would be 65 at least, but I did contribute to the company 401k
Fast forward to around 50-55. Child is 17 and exceeding in high school. My 401k has increased to more than i ever expected and i was able to buy a house and save a decent amount outside of my retirement. The stress was getting to me and I found that taking a vacation and getting recharged was no longer helping. Total burnout. Dreaded every Sunday starting around 4:00pm. Even though I worked from home, the company kept turning the screws and micromanaging kept increasing. The fake corporate BS was no longer funny, but just sad.
The past 4 or 5 years or so I starting seriously looking at my numbers and questioning the feasibility of retiring early. I made a job change (same industry)2 years ago thinking it would help and I eyed retirement at 59 or 60. It helped a little, but not enough. Then in January, after diligently tracking my finances for a year, I decided I was in a position to make retirement work, so I gave two weeks notice in March and quit.
The best feeling was taking all of my equipment to FedEx and having them pack it up and ship it back to the employer. So far it has been everything I anticipated and more. The stress is gone, I love my Sundays, and I can do whatever I want whenever I want.
FruitDonut8@reddit
Are you me? I worked the same type of job for 35 years and the expectations from management kept getting dumber and weirder. “We want to save lease money by having you WFH.” Many years later after many people have moved, “We changed our minds! Back to the office. But no cubicle. No dedicated desk. On calls all day? It’s noisy? Too bad. Minimum 3 days. No, you can’t just badge in and go home again. Monday is a holiday? You still need to be in the office for 3. But wait! Now we want 4.”
Wrong_Pen6179@reddit
That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you! Same age and would love to do this too but switched jobs 4 years ago, best move ever, that offers long term incentives but they take 3 years to vest. I have to be over 55 which I am and have 10 years tenure to retire and collect my LTIs without them vesting. Som6 more years for me. They are worth not losing and I do live my job and also work from home.
What are your hobbies? How do you fill your days now?
Pink_Floyd_Chunes@reddit
Similar story here. Both my husband and I are retired, me at 55, he at 57. We discussed everything with our financial planner and she gave the go-ahead for him to finally join me in retirement. our biggest concern was of course, health insurance, because we live in the United States of Insurance Extortion. We are luckily in an Obamacare state, so we are definitely paying less than people in the other states. We made adjustments. We sold one of our cars (the one that was expensive to keep up!), and we live in a HCOL area in a big city - that also gives us access to many free and reduced cost venues for entertainment. We travel, which is our second biggest expense, and we adjusted that for only about one year, just to make sure we could remain retired and comfortable! We are both absolutely having the time of our lives, have both dropped weight, are working out, and playing tennis 3 times a week. Our quality of life had doubled, easily.
Character-Lack-3295@reddit (OP)
I live for that day. At this point in my life, my time and freedom are so much more valuable to me than money!
poisonfishtaco@reddit
I'm 54. I just spent 3 years caregiving for my mother, who has dementia. It's ruined me financially. However, it's also changed my perspective on how to bring in income. I now have a few income streams from baking, jewelry making and youtube videos. I'm also in the middle of downsizing and using that cash to relocate to a lower cost of living area where I plan to build up my income and go from there. No more shitbag jobs.
FruitDonut8@reddit
Caregiving like that takes so much strength. Good luck in your business endeavors!
Vinslom_Bardy@reddit
There are a few recent threads on the sub that are of a similar tone that can best be described as “burnout”. Not the casual form of the word, but a real psychological condition that arises from being our brains being in constant survival mode after working a job and caring for others nonstop for 40 years. I’ve reached the unfortunate conclusion that we were all lied to back in our teens and twenties - lied to about “rise and grind”, about “the American Dream” and about loyalty and perseverance. The realization that we’re all just disposable cogs working to turn a few billionaires into trillionaires while not knowing whether 45 years of dedication service will even be sufficient to provide for a handful of good years at the end of it all. We keep slogging it out, though, because we don’t know what lies ahead - does social security and Medicare rugs get pulled out from under us in 10 years all because the 1% “deserves” another tax break? It would surprise me at all. After all - it’s been nothing but one massive lie.
GenX-ModTeam@reddit
{community rule 7}
Character-Lack-3295@reddit (OP)
100% and make no mistakes, the politicians want our Social Security in the worst possible way. If they could figure a way to do it without creating political suicide for themselves, they would rob us blind in a minute!
GenX-ModTeam@reddit
{community rule 7}
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
[removed]
GenX-ModTeam@reddit
{community rule 7}
mlbryant@reddit
You know the other name for our generation is the 401k generation. We're the 401k experiment
Aamrie69@reddit
About to be 57... Retired on disability and trying to survive on $1700/month. I shouldn't complain it could be worse
sudrewem@reddit
msoats@reddit
51 and same.
auscadtravel@reddit
I sold everything and moved to mexico. A family member said i should have move to Uruguay as its even cheaper. Moved to have the life i want.
Five_String_Serenade@reddit
Cartels no scare you?
auscadtravel@reddit
No, not at all.
Five_String_Serenade@reddit
I miss Mexico so much but am afraid to visit. Such a fabulous place.
auscadtravel@reddit
Where are you visiting? Beaches and towns are totally safe. If you drive through the mainland and don't pay attention you'll end up in cartel territory but you really need to be off the beaten path.
Not sure why you think its unsafe when there are more shootings and crimes in the US than here.
j1knra@reddit
Ok-Mention6768@reddit
What is it you have been pining for? I would consider that kind of career pivot, but college is so damn expensive now!
j1knra@reddit
After I graduated with a BS in Psych, my intention had always been to get an advanced degree so I could do clinical work. After raising a kiddo on the spectrum, that shifted from psych to Occupational Therapy. We are in a family and financial position which will allow me to quit my job for 2-4 years so I can go to school full time.
Sensitive_Pilot_77@reddit
If anyone has the answer I’d love to hear it. I love the field I’m in but it’s become saturated with ungrateful little turds who expect to make my kind of money or more with no experience thanks to you tube, tik tok, etc. I’ve worked so hard to gain the knowledge and skill that I have and now we are more like a dime a dozen and us OGs are getting lost in shuffle. I get paid pretty good but with all going on in the world I’m barely afloat and working more. I’ve had to miss things for my kid because I had to work, barely ever take a day off because a no work, no pay. I talk more and more about selling everything and just becoming a hermit and living in some small town as the crazy plant lady who makes salves and tintures to help people who can’t afford even the basic medicine for a common cold.
StatisticianLimp3107@reddit
Small town crazy plant lady could be a good life.
Sensitive_Pilot_77@reddit
It’s what I’m hoping for!
Catnip_75@reddit
I’m retired already (51) and my husband is retiring this year (57). If we didn’t have 2 kids in university he would have retired 3 years ago when he was illegible.
Do it, if you can, just retire.
ziggurat29@reddit
(teehee; I'm glad to hear his penmanship has since improved!)
PsychologicalRip6998@reddit
56yo burnt out female with very little saved. This is my last six months of working. I’m so done and ready to just live way below my means. I want my life back too.
MimimalZucchini@reddit
This is all so sad. I'm 56 and when I hear folks that hate their jobs, use terms like sell their souls, it bums me out. Currently I do not feel that way, I have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams and just don't hate my job or myself, or my peers. I hope I don't get that way. I hope I'm able to maintain a little balance .
x650r@reddit
I think that a big problem is that people bought into the unrealistic expectations. You see it in this comment section. They think they’ve been tricked into spending their lives working for someone else, when in reality that’s always been what people do. They were tricked into thinking that you should always love what you do and if you’re making money for someone else then you’re doing it wrong. I tried self employment 20 years ago. It didn’t work out so now I happily work for someone else who pays me to show up and do what I know how to do. I didn’t get paid holidays or vacations when I was working for myself.
jaeldi@reddit
I don't hate my job, I enjoy the work. I despise my employer. My only cope has been to make it meaningless which it mostly was anyway. But I quit taking pride. It's just a paycheck. They have no loyalty to me so I have no loyalty. I turn 55 in July and im ready. It won't be a glamorous retirement but I will be 100% free to go do things meaningful to me!
PegShop@reddit
Got cancer at 54 that woke me up. Took my modest pension at 56 and sold the home and just bought a townhome with the equity. Work per diem 2-3 days to pay health insurance fees . Husband (a bit younger) downsized his job to one that’s only 32 hours a week with summers off, riding it out until we can tap his 401k.
We could have kept grinding to have more or help our adult kids more, but both were at our jobs / companies for over three decades and over it!
dancing_robots@reddit
I'm 50F and same. I'm tired of fighting for shitty raises to just scrape by. I have no pride anymore in what I do. I don't care about any of my coworkers and I give up on trying to compete in a man's (majority) industry for fair pay. I'm done climbing the corporate ladder. I'm tired of stressing off hours about made up deadlines. I don't want to lose another minute of sleep to this role. I don't have a paid off house, so I don't know what I'm going to do, but I too am planning on leaving next year as soon as I'm eligible to cash in on accrued long service leave. Or I'll go insane.
FruitDonut8@reddit
I felt like you and I retired one year later. I have so much peace now. Feeling the stress drain away was a sensation I’d rarely had in life - like being a kid at the start of summer vacation. I’m happy to sit in my yard with a library book, some games on my phone (and Reddit of course) which are easy on the finances.
Chocol8Cheese@reddit
Do what you love
Acceptable_Work_259@reddit
I joined the army at 17. I spent the next 21 years traveling the world and meeting the best people this country has to offer. I spent 5 tours in the sand boxes of Iraq and Afghanistan. I retired at the ripe old age of 38. It cost me physically and mentally. I suffered some injuries that will never heal. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I went on some amazing adventures and experienced the best and worst humanity has to offer. I feel like I’ve lived 10 lifetimes already and I’m only 46 now. I snowboarded in the alps, lived in Germany for 10 years, fought my way across the desert and the Hindu Kush mountains, I’ve loved and lost and found love again. I’m a father of two beautiful daughters and soon to be a grandpa. I live deep in the Ozarks on 120 acres of paradise with my wonderful wife and best friend. She works at home so we spend our days exploring the many creeks and bluffs on the property and tending to our goats, chickens, and garden. I build things outside and she turns our log house into a home. I gave up my youth for this. And it was worth it.
poisonfishtaco@reddit
I'm moving my mom in with her family near Russellville this week. My husband and I are relocating down there too. Starting over, really, after caring for my mom, we are hurting financially. I keep thinking, maybe we can get a patch of land in the Ozarks some day and put a little house on it and start building a quiet life there. I see your comment, and it gives me hope. I can't wait to start exploring down there. I'm so tired of urban life. I need peace.
Acceptable_Work_259@reddit
Peace is attainable in the midst of all this chaos. The Ozarks are a special place. In my county we have only one town. Its population is about 2k. I’m an hour and a half from the nearest interstate and hospital. I have two natural springs and three creeks on this place and it’s heaven to me. I’ll live out my days here. I’m not rich but I’m wealthy beyond measure. I hope you can find your peace in the Ozarks.
NotReallyButMaybeNot@reddit
Braggart… so jealous - tried to go that route but was DQed from service for a single painkiller shot administered by an overzealous college health center doctor
Acceptable_Work_259@reddit
Yeah it was pretty easy to get DQed back then. I’m the literal story of my recruiter went to court with me so I could try to convince the judge to let me go to the army instead of locking me up. But my whole life I always wanted to be a soldier. I tell you man I’ve lived lifetimes. If I could I’ll tell you a quick memory from Iraq. At the beginning of a 15 month tour in Baghdad I found myself under heavy machine gun fire as I was sprinting to one of our trucks that had just been blown to shit. I swear it felt like I had cinder blocks on my feet. But evidently I was hauling ass because my buddy told me it looked like I was dogging bullets like Neo in the matrix while he handed me his in case I die letter. That’s the letter we write that goes home if we don’t. He said after what he saw if anyone made it out it was gonna be me lol. 14 months and some days later we are getting ready to go home so I try to hand him his letter back. He said nah bro it’s for you so read it. I’m thinking WTF. I open it and it said “Bro I’m dead. Here is the password to my laptop and the exact location where you will find all of my porn. Please delete this file so my wife won’t see it when they ship my shit home.”
After_Narwhal8582@reddit
Thank you
Beckalouboo@reddit
You have to change you, how you look at things or it will always suck.
Grigori_the_Lemur@reddit
Same age almost but retirement is a long ways off. I still have kids that need to get on their feet.
Look, I nearly lost it all and came back from it. I let everything and everyone get to me and that just can't go on, so I have to change how I am. And it is working. No, it is not easy or natural. But I am happier than I have been since forever.
jaeldi@reddit
I don't want to learn how to create and then manage a team of AI bots/agents. They are just creating a way to make one human quadruple their responsibilities while getting rid of staff.
The younger people don't get it. I can hear it now "These agents you created are your responsibility. Your salaried. Don't give me excuses like the legacy system has been replaced or network access issues. You stay here all weekend and get all your shit working again BEFORE Monday morning...oh wait, make that Tuesday because I have a golf meeting at the country club." Aaaaand the Legacy transition team and the network team won't be there on the weekend and you don't have the authority to make them stay. So that means crunch crunch crunch stress stress stress Friday when they are still here, and then MORE clean up with them on Monday.
blaspheminCapn@reddit
You've seen the future and it stinks
Responsible-War5600@reddit
I’m borderline Baby Boomer and Generation-X, i.e., Generation Jones. I identify more with Gen X than Boomers because I’m not old enough to have been a hippie.
Anyway, I prayed for a job with excellent benefits so I could retire early. I retired just before the pandemic hit while still in my mid-fifties. Unlike you, I liked, and still like, my co-workers.
Like most places, the benefits at my former place of employment are not quite what they were. When I was hired, employees could potentially retire with a pension as high as 100% of their working salary, and that’s without a Roth IRA, 401K, or deferred compensation. That meant, because they’d no longer be paying into their retirement fund, they’d make more money in retirement than they did when they were working. We also had free medical.
old_motters@reddit
I'm 50 so have a few years til I'm in your shoes. And I believe I will be.
What keeps me sane is dark humour with like minded work colleagues who won't throw me under the bus.
Five_String_Serenade@reddit
Hubs’ employer just closed after he’s been there 30 years. He’s 3 years from Medicare. It’s the cost of medical insurance that dictated that he’ll continue in the workforce. I think we could be comfortable (with maybe less travel), were it not for the need for affordable insurance. And it’s not out there. The only thing out there for him sans job is some ridiculous policy that’s useless unless you have a major medical event and, even then, it would only quasi keep you from filing bankruptcy. We’re fuct and it’s been an EXTREMELY stressful period. I can’t believe people even consider quitting with no solid insurance plan.
Comprehensive-Art525@reddit
I'm 55 and want to be done. Too many years of corporate bullshit have worn me out. I would quit tomorrow were it not for the healthcare dilemma. I'm thinking about trying to establish some sort of residency in another country to bridge the healthcare gap to 65 (or is it 62?).
Five_String_Serenade@reddit
65 for Medicare
Expert-Hyena6226@reddit
I feel ya brother. Also 59M. I've earned a paycheck since I was 14, and have worked in corporate America for 29 years and been a performing musician for 40 years. I've seen those sunny beautiful days you speak of while walking into one psychic morgue or another. We're definitely being scammed out of our lives. All I can say is that I'm glad we live in modern times with indoor plumbing and grocery stores. I'm pretty sure I'd be total shit at having to hunt for food.
I'm not shaming you man. I'm with you. I think we all need a break.
I read all these posts about people working out and cooking elaborate meals, and I wonder where do these people get all this time to do this stuff??? I went from work yesterday to a performance. I left my house at 7am and didn't get home untill 11pm. This is not unusual in my life. Today I just have a performance, but it's over an hour away. I woke up tired and I'm thankful that I have Monday off. I'll need it to recover.
Let me know if you figure out how to swing it financially. I hope you enjoy every sunny beautiful day you encounter, friend.
Five_String_Serenade@reddit
What instrument do you play?
Expert-Hyena6226@reddit
I'm a saxophone player.
Five_String_Serenade@reddit
That’s badass. I love the 🎷!
Inner-Phone2933@reddit
Start investing. That’s how you make money these days.
Daensign@reddit
Feel the same but I can’t quit and retirement is a pipe dream. My workplace is toxic and slowly eroding my mental health. Trying to find something else but the job market is a hellscape and at 58, not an ideal candidate. Trying to focus on the good things in my life and just get through each day.
Kilted-Brewer@reddit
I’m sorry man. That blows.
I’m really lucky. Had a good run in retail selling books. Loved it. Quit a few years before they went out of business…
Became a stay at home Dad. To twin boys. Was only supposed to be a few years, but some family issues led us to pull them from school and homeschool. 16 years of loving that, and…
Started working for the state helping vets find job. Make a third of what I used to, but it’s enough and the work is incredibly rewarding. Even better, my coworkers are awesome and work is really more like an 8 hour playdate for overgrown children.
I can enjoy doing this for at least another 10 years. I’ll have a small pension and healthcare taken care of. Hopefully we’ll get the mortgage and other debt paid off quickly once the boys are out. With our other savings I think we’ll be okay.
Ok-Mention6768@reddit
Did you have any trouble getting back into the workforce? That's what I struggled with after being home with our kids for about 12 years.
formercotsachick@reddit
I've never stayed at a job more than 5 years and I've been working since 1994. We spend too much time at work to spend it being miserable in my opinion. When the going gets tough, I get going.
My current job, thankfully, is awesome even after 4 years. I'm paid well, I WFH full time, the work I do is personally fulfilling, and work/life balance is top tier. I'm planning on riding this bad boy to retirement in 11 years or so.
writergal75@reddit
Where do you work? Or what industry?
formercotsachick@reddit
I work in reverse logistics for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. It's a very niche industry and my employer has about 80% of the market. It requires a lot of regulatory knowledge and understanding as our operations are subject to the DEA, FDA and EPA.
I'm a Project Manager specializing in implementations (onboarding, offboarding and data movement/EDI), and have about 10 years experience in the industry.
writergal75@reddit
Wow! I’m consistently amazed by all of the jobs I never knew existed.
Initial-Text8394@reddit
60 and have taken my foot off the gas. Have a nice nest egg. Parents are gone and never had kids. My wife and have been together for 42 years and have lived very frugally. We enjoyed our life but were never extravagant. I’ve been driving the same car (that I bought used for cash) and my wife has 250k in hers. We’ve stayed in the same house 30 years ago. We’re prepared.
reddituser_05@reddit
Meh....never forget what my wife's grandmother said: "enjoy your money now while you're young."
She planned all her life for retirement, lived frugally, rode her cars into the ground with the plan to enjoy the fruits in retirement. Turns out her health declined, knees and hips in bad shape. Sure she had a ton of money, but she basically sat home and did nothing because her body hit the wall at 65.
Initial-Text8394@reddit
I have enjoyed my life, I just planned for the future. I’ve seen too many people outlive their savings and I don’t want that to happen to me.
CarbideLeaf@reddit
It’s the car. It’s always the car. Pay cash for a car and drive it forever.
Initial-Text8394@reddit
Get a good one and take care of it. I’m really lucky, even though I live in the snow belt I have a garage. Finding a mechanic you can trust is also a key factor. I wish I was more confident about doing minor repairs though.
Jenshark86@reddit
Ask them to lay you off so you get severance. It’s a great send off!
BillsBells65@reddit
It’s the endgame. I have my eye on the prize and that work BS is irrelevant. It will pass soon enough
DisclosE2020agency@reddit
Hey man. You described my life. Even the same age. If you get ot figured let me know Until then take comfort kn knowing you are not alone. Peace be with you brother.
SifuMommy@reddit
I’m a teacher. I can go out in 6, or as early as 5. I want to go now. It’s not the kids. It’s the life sucking admin and how they try to improve our teaching by coming up with some new acronym to basically mean the same thing as all the other “teaching initiatives” we are supposed to do. Our “new” one this year is HQI. High quality instruction. Wow! I didn’t realize I was supposed to be a good teacher! Suck my left tit. I’m one of the best fucking teachers in that school.
Andovars_Ghost@reddit
Isn’t it great when you’ve been around long enough you can remember what the current ‘new’ initiative was called five-iterations ago? I also had to reply because you are the only person I’ve heard use ‘Suck my left tit.’, since my college girlfriend.
SifuMommy@reddit
😂😂😂 Did you go to NIU?
Andovars_Ghost@reddit
No, but I was in the Midwest. She also used to expand it and say: ‘Suck my left tit, and make my right one jealous!’.
SifuMommy@reddit
It’s really a multipurpose phrase. 😂
VicDough@reddit
I totally get you. I’ve been an educator for 25 years and I’m just done. I’m eligible for retirement in five years. I’m probably gonna work another eight years. But I’m just cooked as the kids like to say.
And as far as the kids go, I fucking love them. But every time I turn around admin is fucking us over or changing something that was already working. And God forbid somebody with experience critique them. They don’t love institutional knowledge anymore. They just want to change things for the sake of changing things.
SifuMommy@reddit
Exactly. Our principal does things that she thinks will make her look good- not that will actually help.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
I know and WHY do you think they do that?
SifuMommy@reddit
Because they want to sound like they are bringing new ideas as to the table., and this new acronym will fix alllll the problems.
Winter_Throat3109@reddit
And it’s the only profession I can think of where years of experience actually earn you lower levels of respect from parents and admin. Very few of my teaching colleagues made it to full pension. They all bailed early, and I already know that I will, too.
thetommytwotimes@reddit
When I had that exact feeling right outta college, I quit the big money job I had gone to college for and became a mailman, fifteen years later the gov ruined that amazing job too so I walked, yup senior carrier, I walked, started working for myself, now it's very true and very untrue at the same time when they say when you work for yourself never work with day in your life, but when you work for yourself you've never worked so hard for so long because you have never cared so much. I still love getting up and going to work everyday most days have to tear myself away from it or face divorce because I leave my wife at home while I work away the hours
Alarming_Condition27@reddit
Almost sixty, doing better financially then I ever thought possible. Physically not so good used my body hard though most of my life, paying the price now.
Particular-Leader538@reddit
Feeling this and I have at least 11 years to go.
halfpint1313@reddit
My 56th birthday present to myself was taking early retirement from a government career that was trying to kill my soul. I stayed one year too long. Now I supplement my pension with reselling online. Everything is on my time, no one else's. There was no way I could suffer office politics a moment longer. So glad I could take that option.
Iko87iko@reddit
No choice. I have people who depend on me working for health insurance. Just started a new job, which is insane anyone would even hire a 59 yo in corp America. Honestly, many times death seems a better option and no, im not depressed, it just sounds a whole lot easier than being the workhorse that others constantly depend on. The weight of the responsibilities is crushing. Yay merica
RemySchaefer3@reddit
Same. Which is fine, but it is hard to be surrounded by people who retire early and claim "planning" is all that allowed it. The sheer and willful ignorance is truly astounding. LUCK is absolutely what allowed them to retire early - SHEER LUCK.
We are on Plan Z right now and never aspired to retire early - but we will likely not be able to retire at all. We have simply helped too many people quietly along the way, and it has done nothing but drag us down.
Iko87iko@reddit
For sure, nail on the head
I look around, my buddies married ladies who work for the county, so they are set for life with insurance. My other buddy married a teacher, so same. My other is a nurse for the state. Me, Im the dumb ass who has a stay at home wife who's worked corp jobs for 30 years. Unless i get Canadian citizenship, it looks like I work till I die.
My wife is also 6 years younger, so if there even ends up being medicare, id need to work until she is 63, so 69. Yay. Sounds like divorce is in store.
RemySchaefer3@reddit
That is just it - the ones with certain few professions are never going to be touched - so we can only enter certain few professions? Even then, what if we ended helping the wrong people, but didn't know they were the wrong people (including the obnoxiously vocal ones who have NO idea how good they have it) and, until it was too late for us, and we had to pay dearly, for years, because of it?!? No good deed goes unpunished, indeed. Some people don't know what a real sacrifice is, and it shows. So you had to eat tuna in college? The college (and everything else) your parents paid for? Cry me a river. I honestly can not believe the cojones on some people.
madmustache4U@reddit
Lucky, indeed. Every time the economy took a turn for the worse, I got zinged in one way or another. Badly.
aztochicagogirl@reddit
You are me.
MimimalZucchini@reddit
When I have felt that in the past. I got a new job..don't know how easy it is now. But when people say older people can't get hired never me me cause I've hired people in their 60s. Then they retired and I was glad cause I used their experience to train other newer people. Circle of life
Amyarchy@reddit
I have my own business and work from home. It’s stressful finding clients but otherwise I enjoy it. I’ll never have enough to retire but I’m doing what I can to save and I’ll manage somehow.
Backtothefuture1970@reddit
This ! Fellow small business owner. Keep it up , but always find time for yourself
Glum_Manufacturer232@reddit
I want to leave so bad (age 60) but my age (63) husband has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer and it’s too risky to be without insurance so I gotta stick it out until he’s on Medicare which of course I would do anything for him but I just freaking hate the work.
Five_String_Serenade@reddit
I’m so sorry for your situation. I will add you to my prayers. Keep fighting the good fight.
Trickam@reddit
Wife turns 61 next month and will be done at 65. I turn 57 this summer and really want to check out with her. I'm living tight and maxing out my 401k too try to bridge any financial shortfalls. Healthcare is the one piece of the puzzle I need to iron out. Working since about 12 or so and paying taxes since I was 14. Full time since high school and never collected a dime of unemployment. I'm past burnt out. On fumes.
RandomDave70@reddit
56 and doing much the same. Unfortunately, .y wife has not worked outside the house in over 15 years, at least not officially, so her SS will be minimal, but our overall retirement savings are pretty good. Healthcare is the kicker for us, too. I have great insurance through work and she has a number of medical issues that make good insurance a necessity. If we could solve for the healthcare issue, I'd be done at 60.
Five_String_Serenade@reddit
Healthcare is our bottleneck as well. Sux ass.
LetsBNiceYall@reddit
I'm sorry it's been like that. I'm sure I make considerably less than u but it is a profession serving & helping people. Also it comports with my political beliefs since it's a truly democratic institution.
I hope u enjoy retirement or that u take that well deserved break & then begin to work at something that brings u joy.
marugirl@reddit
Have no choice, bills to pay.
Pure_Explorer3821@reddit
And college tuition🫠
Ohshitz-@reddit
Just had to tap into my retirement the 4th time to live. At 54 years old, im now in the $90ks. Im so fucked.
ZakanrnEggeater@reddit
poorly. have had to engage my full time whatever gear to survive the day. either things go in cycles - meaning the pendulum is/will swing back towards a manageable, not batshit crazy, laws mean things, mankind's self interest in not ending the world wins - or it was a good run.
all i can control is what i choose to focus my remaining time and resources on. saying no sucks. but saying yes when i don't actually mean yes sucks worse. the good news is many of us are well versed in hunkering down and riding this out. i'm pissed to be required to count on that skillset but it's my time greet people at Walmart, so be it.
so, yea, poorly
NapalmGirlTonight@reddit
Funny you should mention that. A close friend, age 57 like me, after years of self-employment and unemployment and very marginal employment, finally got hired as a greeter at Walmart.
This was the job she swore she’d never take, no matter how poor or desperate she got.
Funny how hard it is at age 40 to imagine that you could end up even worse off (plus FAR more tired) at 55!
In the interest of sanity, I’ve been advising her to keep telling herself that she’s actually undercover working on a documentary about the daily life of massively creative & highly educated yet financially struggling Gen X-ers.
Or you can imagine turning it all into a scathing sitcom someday.
That’s what I do. Helps me survive emotionally, spiritually, and creatively.
Little do they know I’m filing away my reports on all the batshit crazy days working as a cog in their giant machine.
Diligently jotting down notes that capture the constant insanity with a crunchy candy coating of very black humor.
In 10 years we’ll be so numerous we’ll be an entire separate regiment at the Walmarts of the future!!😂
With our signature ‘80s Gen X’er uniform of raggedy black Chuck Taylors and grey skinny jeans under our bright blue Walmart vests!!
Wallfacer218@reddit
My coworkers (boomers and millennials) made my dream job unbearable. I was fired 2 years ago and can't do anything that pays besides what I was doing. 51M.
Equivalent_Vast_1717@reddit
Maybe shift to a work from home type of job. That lessens interaction which hopefully will lift some stress off of you. All the best.
Lauralanthas01@reddit
Just had 3and a half months off work with stress. Slowly coming back from a very hard period of my life but thankfully my employer has implemented everything I told them I need.
the_natis@reddit
Edibles, music, & cats.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
Interesting. What kind of edibles and where do you get them? Sorry to sound ignorant here
the_natis@reddit
A few brands, but the most enjoyable one so far for music listening, especially via headphones, is Cheech and Chong's Space gummies. I take it about 2 hours before bed and just chill listening to music. I was never a classic rock fan, but decided to try some Zepplin and others and I was like "oh shit, I get it now". I've also never felt such a level of relaxed contentment as I do now.
Nimbette2@reddit
I have that same experience at night and use binaural beats sometimes too .. Modus Gummies work for me
Nimbette2@reddit
Speaking my language .. I also add in theme parks and waterparks and beaches to go with it
Sinja_Minx@reddit
Tra La La!
Altruistic-Part6071@reddit
54 here. Worked hard for years, finally got promoted, loved my job. The they moved me into another department that is ten times more work and more difficult.
I still have a third to pay on my mortgage, bills keep rising, and yiu can forget about holidays abroad, the prices are mental.
I am going to leave my job and look for something else. I cannot stay in this absolute stressful shit any longer.
I don't think I'll be retiring until I'm 67. And for what..? Five or ten years as an old guy pottering about in the garden..?
Our world is fucked. Work hard, get fucking nowhere, and die.
Sometimes I think we all be better off on benefits.
Nimbette2@reddit
I think that's what they are moving everyone towards.. that's where it may be heading .. UBI
1998no3@reddit
Yes, I feel exactly the same
GwonWitcha@reddit
I, too would much rather enjoy the last 20 years of my life as opposed to the last two.
I think a lot of us feel this way.
Nimbette2@reddit
💯
Cryo_Dave@reddit
I feel for you because I actually like my job quite a bit, but I also feel a sense of urgency to move on. I wouldn't mind it if I had control of when and how much I work, but I feel like the clock is running out and I'm missing out on all the things I'd rather be doing much of the time.
squirtloaf@reddit
I have a job that supplies enough money and benefits to get by. It is low stress, and when I walk out at night, I do not even think of it until the next day when I get in.
My side hustle is playing in bands, which is both fun and lucrative.
Overall, I (pushing 60) never made enough to even consider retiring...but I am having a great time and my benefits are covered.
Last few years have given me a little $$ to start investing, too, so I can maybe kinda sorta see a path to maybe eventually retiring...but what even is that?
Simple_Work674@reddit
Playing in cover bands in my 20’s made bucks,played frats made 5k a show. If i stayed in a cver band for like 20 yrs i wonder how much i would have made a year heaps i think
squirtloaf@reddit
I've been doing it a few years. 50-60 shows per year. Been getting liiiike 25k on top of my day job. I put 100% into my Roth and the market.
I think this year is going to be a bit more. I have a fu8ckton of shows coming up. Doing one today even. Did one last night. Doing one tomorrow.
B9M3C99@reddit
I've been working in some form since 11 years old. 53 now and absolutely DONE. Was hanging on better when I switched to remote work but got layoff off from that job. Made the mistake of accepting an in-person job and am furiously seeking remote work again. It's the only way I'll make it to retirement age without losing my mind.
utinfection@reddit
The yu
Litcowgirl@reddit
I worked for 30 years, but I loved my career. I liked almost everyone I worked with, and although it was hard on my body, I would still be working if my clients hadn’t either relocated or retired. And that’s all I have to offer you- if you can find a way to do what you love, and be self employed so you can have more say over who you work with, go for it. You may not end up the richest person, but you deserve to spend your time and energy with something that you feel good about.
MagentaMist@reddit
I'll be 57 in June. My company is doing an RIF also in June, and if I get axed plan B is to work part time and start a backyard nursery. I have 2 pensions coming at 60. I'm actually hoping I'm let go for the same reasons you give. I'm just over it. I work in public health, and the pandemic did me in. I used to think that most people are basically good and decent. I don't believe that anymore.
I've been toying with the nursery idea for 5 years and this will leave me with no excuses.
IndependentlyGreen@reddit
I maintain a butterfly garden and got some of my plants from a retired couple doing the same thing. They sell native plants from their website. They're registered with our local DNR for their work in preserving our pollinators.
MagentaMist@reddit
That's exactly what I want to do. I won't make a ton of money, but I'll be doing something I love and care about.
Over_Market_3998@reddit
Late 40s, always wanted to be a flight attendant. Decided to look into it more seriously. Median age of flight attendants where I work is 55. Made a complete career change. Couldn't be happier! This is now my "retirement job". I found the right fit for me. I plan to do this as long as I can. Traveled earlier this week as a passenger and the fight attendant was 81! Most people stay past retirement age there bc they enjoy it, and it gives their life purpose, and gets them out of the house vs needing the money.
beckrath@reddit
This sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing. Is the training rigorous? Do you have to work a minimum number of hours per week or can you pick and choose when to work?
RCA2CE@reddit
I quit the corporate job 2 years ago and went to work at a place that suits me better and is a little less stressful. I made a big financial decision but it really wasnt.. since my salary pays my bills, lets me still contribute to a 401K and doesnt have me using savings to live, thats a win.
This less paying, less stressful job will probably get me to actual real retirement age with some health and not financially tight
kat2211@reddit
Good for you for getting out! I abandoned full-time office work for gig work last year and I've never been happier. Even with less than a month's expenses in the bank. Escaping the toxicity is so, so fucking worth it.
DifferentMention1422@reddit
Luckily I got fired from my old job in manufacturing and went into public schools.
The difference between the two is night and day. I love kids anyway and wished I did it long ago.
Being in a job you love makes the difference. I come in happy now. I feel good, not stressed out all day. Education is about cooperation and love. Manufacturing was all competition and pushing to breakdown. Get out ASAP. Stress is a killer.
Shushawnna@reddit
What do you do for a living? Are you saying that you don't have time to enjoy life? Or, your job doesn't bring you fulfillment at all?
No_South_9912@reddit
So many working for health care 😕
Phreakdoubt@reddit
How do I keep doing it? The alternative is dire if I stop "doing it." That's how the system is designed. Getting older has shown me that every interest, desire, personal relationship or milestone achievement has a price tag associated with it, and ratchets don't get looser round these parts.
I used to joke that my retirement plan is "die at my desk." That gets less funny every year, and it was never that funny to begin with.
I found a place that I like to work at with people that I like, and work/life balance is a priority there... for now. I live in a town that I love, but the cost of living is more expensive than other areas nearby and I could be making more in a bigger city. I got a couple of cute dogs too. That helps.
Basically I have been as kind to my mental well-being as the system allows me to be and I'm hoping I can ride the margins til they tell me I'm too old to do it anymore.
Snapcrackleburp@reddit
I’m at the beginning of 50 and I work in a very acute environment. There is a pension. It’s hard to imagine getting to 65 but if I don’t, it will be bad. This is a fucked up system.
EnjoyingTheRide-0606@reddit
What’s in your span of control? Can you telework one more day a week? Can you work 4 days for 10 hours, having every Friday off? Can you take a few weeks off to reset? Can you retire? Can you start some kind of hustle to keep you funded til 65?
Critical_Seat_1907@reddit
"Can you make it just tolerable enough so you don't kill yourself? At least until you retire."
This is literally what modern capitalism is saying to us, and it's pretty pathetic that we try to rationalize it anymore.
cozycorner@reddit
I advise students all day long. I’m 49 and exhausted. I can technically retire in 2 years, but trying to get to 55 so I can withdraw retirement with no penalty. I am good at my job, but we are expected to do so much and it’s a “caring” job, so we aren’t supposed to point out how burned out we are.
Significant-Deer7464@reddit
At this point I either win the lottery, find a rich relative (that does not exist) or win some kind of huge lawsuit
Otherwise I stay at the job I hate right along with the people I don't like, can't stand most days. Likely until I get rolled out on a gurney
IWantMyOldUsername7@reddit
I reduced to working part time (70%) because I'm still healthy and energetic and thus can use the spare time to do interesting things, which I will not be when I'm close to 70, which might be the new retirement age in Germany.
F this system when nature gave us everything we need to live for free.
dog4cat2@reddit
I am like 10 years younger than OP. Been at current job for like 12 years. Previous job for 12 years. Worked full time through college too. Weekends get here and i have all these things I want to do, I wind up sitting onnthe couch and doing the bare minimum. My boss is and idiot, but I like my current co-workers. I don't know how I sm going to continue Worst part, this is a semi-rural area and I am employed with the biggest and "best" paying (think of benefits/retirement too) within a 60 miles radius.
Responsible_Fun_4062@reddit
I am a Fed working a hybrid schedule (80-90% time working home) my boss is a no nonsense combat veteran (I am also a combat veteran OIF) that leaves me absolutely alone, as he knows I will get the job done and never had the need to breathe down my neck. I Thank God everyday for my relatively stress free job (especially with my own personal issues) and I am thinking I might retire from this job (48)
No-Spray-6694@reddit
56yrs , worked since I was able to get my working papers. I think that was 14yr old . I feel your pain . I’ve aggressively gone after packing money away . No toys, planned travel on a budget etc, tight finances. I’ll be done in 6 yrs. I tell myself everyday this is my goal. So close.
anyoutlookuser@reddit
Sounds like me. I’m 56 and although I don’t hate my job, I am ready to be done with it. I was a late homebuyer so I’ll have a mortgage payment longer than I want but it’s a reasonable amount. I can make a decent amount on a side hustle by working on cars/motorcycles so I’ll be working to some degree forever but it’ll be for me not someone else. Still working out the details but 62-63 is where I’m aiming.
Wise_Quality_5083@reddit
Same I do woodworking. I’m going to take some of my last bonus check and invest in my shop and find something I can make and sell. Believe it or not I have a cop friend who said making custom wood pistol grips for a few brands of guns that cops have would sell like crazy and people would pay good money for them. A idea.
Zipstser257@reddit
56 yrs here too, I’ve actually had a job since ‘81 (paper route but it taught me customer service, accounting and a lot more). I’ve worked a job the ENTIRE time. I hope to retire in 4 yrs with 30 yrs served in a state job and a full pension. Hoping for no major health issues between now and then. I haven’t lived the most healthy lifestyle in my years and it’s starting to show with health problems managed with daily meds. I’ll be more than happy if I can enjoy at least 10 years of retirement but hoping for 25. I’m literally counting the days until retirement like a prisoner counting down days left in a cell.
Wise_Quality_5083@reddit
Same. 55 and counting down. Will be ok financially but the grind after early 50’s get to you. Good part is I care less and honestly if I got fired/layer off I could take a lower paying job for a few years.
1968Chick@reddit
I was in this same position. Decided to ask for a package to vacate - they agreed. Sitting at home for a year, getting paid my same salary, but after that, my income will be cut by less than half. I didn't care - my QOL was worth it. Watching my husband get to sleep in every day (he's been retired for years already) didn't help the situation. I have a year to learn how to live on less - soooooo much happier!
writergal75@reddit
I had this same feeling but it happened when I was 35. I felt like a cog in somebody else’s wheel. I was working in a very lucrative industry, but I was doing the grunt work for those making the big bucks. I quit my job and started my own LLC. I was able to be at home with my kids, taking them to school, working my own preferred hours, and enjoying life. At your age, look into early retirement if possible and then perhaps work a part time job with very low stress?
Papa_jschoeps@reddit
Gotta stop being loyal to a company that will not pay you for what your worth. We are Genx…. We can figure anything out with little direction, we are hard working, and never quit. And if they do not see value in that, it’s time to go somewhere where you’re wanted and appreciated.
Eustaquio1974@reddit
I’m 52. I got laid off at 50 after grinding away for almost 30 years. It was actually the best thing to happen to me. I took a year of “micro” retirement to reset myself. I spent time with family and friends and did some traveling. I’m not yet financially able to fully retire - so I took a lesser paying job a month ago and try not to take it as seriously.
Xryanlegobob@reddit
This where I’m at, except I’m 50 and was laid off a few weeks after my bd ( after 25 years with the same company). Still haven’t found a new job, although I didn’t realize how unhappy I was with my job until I left
Terrible_Emotion_710@reddit
I'm getting laid off in the very near future and will be receiving a severance that should pay the bills for about a year. While I will eventually find a role with a different company, I am going to take my time, enjoy the first summer break since sophomore year of highschool and get back to a place of balance first. I'm soooo fucking tired.
Dirtbag_mtb@reddit
This is me right now. 52M Laid off 1 week ago and I haven’t felt this free since summer vacation in HS. The severance is great and can certainly stretch a year before dipping into any savings. Best time to get laid off is the summer. I’m going to start looking cause I don’t want to wait too long but man. Everyone who sees me says I look happier and healthier after just a week. No kidding! Stress kills. The folks left behind at the company are all miserable picking up the pieces. It makes me feel even better.
Louisiana_sitar_club@reddit
I’m 55 and last year I quit my “big boy” job and traded it in for one with waaaay less responsibility and stress. Of course I don’t make as much money, but I enjoy going into work and I like the people I’m working with. That’s worth more than money to me.
Komobu542@reddit
I quit doing it at 59. That's when I simply retired. You'll find after 60, things just get harder.
Scifidelis@reddit
Dude, quietly quit.. Slow down, stop giving a shit make them lay you off with severance and unemployment. Don’t be an asshole, just trend down. If your review starts getting hit , tell HR you have some mental issues, claim ADA get “help”. Become a burden and they pay you off
-CanisLupusLycaon-@reddit
I decided to fully retire at 40. Best decision I have made in the last 6 years!
Old-Arachnid77@reddit
I have hard boundaries. HARD. 5 o clock comes and I’m either done or wrapping up. My job makes rich people richer and there is nothing about it that would be urgent enough to warrant night and weekend work. I have hobbies I fund and we keep our expenses low so zero debt persists.
I have been in burnout before and it sucks. Never again.
Xavelle@reddit
I was just thinking about this this morning while scrubbing my kitchen floors. How can I save more over the next 10 years to retire without fear of being broke? I have a coworker in her 70s and I can't imagine still working at that age.
I could live on a lot less if I wasn't still supporting 3 of my daughters. They are working part time and going through college, so hopefully done with that in 3 years.
I'm also taking more time off work instead of losing vacation days.
Inner-Phone2933@reddit
I admire your dedication to your kids, but please put your financial future first. You can help with your kids but you have to take care of you. ❤️
JulesSherlock@reddit
I’m 54 and retiring this year. I have a good job, like my coworkers and am paid well but it’s time for freedom and a new adventure. I have the funds so why not. Ain’t getting any younger.
luckyshot33@reddit
Similar situation but the golden handcuffs of health insurance from employer is keeping us from making the call. We can afford to get it on our own but it's still a big decision. How are you managing that?
JulesSherlock@reddit
ACA. I have friends and neighbors on it and they do fine. They all have health issues and haven’t had problems with it. But I understand the hesitation. My company insurance is excellent but not excellent enough to keep me working for another 10 years. So I figure I have to do it sometime. Also, I don’t know how much better Medicare is anyway. I feel like they’ve made it all about the same based on income.
luckyshot33@reddit
We're also considering COBRA. You can get an idea how much it is if you look at your last W2, Box 12.
Sparkvector@reddit
I burnt out, sold my house, lived off it for 2 years, and got a remote job.
1989DiscGolfer@reddit
I had my big mental breakdown at the beginning of my career in the '90s. Started out as a middle school science teacher, made it 2.5 years with my sanity hanging by a thread. It fucked me upstairs forever. It turns out you've got to have the nerve and situational awareness of something like an air traffic controller to be good at the job. I had the heart for it, the knowledge base for it, and I was all into the mission to help youth and improve the future, but the kids OWNED me. It was all I could do to fight hyperventilation at times and I got out when I couldn't ignore the suicidal thoughts, especially staring down a local university's bus coming down the street as I clung onto a light pole. This was 1997.
Like Peterman in Office Space, I've been blue collar ever since. "Fuckin' A." The job pays an average wage but isn't stressful. I am hobbling around quite a bit these days, but hip joint pain isn't nearly as bad as the mental anguish I experienced as a failing teacher. I still have a good decade to go and the worst part is having to go to bed early when I don't want to. Otherwise, when I'm at work, I'm really lucky that it's a pleasant and largely non-stressful occupation. I really need this job to keep on ticking for a good little while. Thankful to be 3rd in this union shop in seniority. All things considered, I am blessed. Wish I would've picked a better major to suit my skills back in 1991, though!
Away-Ad3792@reddit
Thank you for this. I am in my 29th year of teaching middle school math, and I do have an talent for it and it doesn't crush my spirit the way you described, BUT a lot of people don't understand the absolute over stimulation of the job. They think it's just summers off. So thank you for saying all of this.
1989DiscGolfer@reddit
My hat tips to all of you fighting the good fight.
Beautiful_Extent_384@reddit
I felt like you do, and I changed jobs. It made my life immeasurably better. Good luck to you.
mr_beakman@reddit
I've been very fortunate that I got a decent wfh job a few years ago. I was 54 at the time and it was only part time to start but after 6 months it evolved into a full time gig with a half decent (though not as great these days) wage.
I keep having my 40yo step daughter who's in the same industry telling me I should ask for more money and I'm worth more and blah blah blah. But the money isn't as important as the flexibility I have with this job. My company is overseas, and they don't care what hours I work or where I work as long as the work is done. I go camping all summer and work in the evening. I answer emails from my phone, I get to take my mom to her appointments and I get to go for hikes in the middle of the day if I get too stressed. And I can drink on the job, lol! Seriously, we've had video calls where my boss is drinking a glass of wine. So all that is worth me making less money and I will happily keep doing it as long as I can.
K2TY@reddit
You need an assistant. I'm available.
Alarming_Dot_6278@reddit
What do you do and where can I apply? Lol, no. . .for real.
Nuclear_N@reddit
countdown app tells me how many days left...
lovemesomezombie@reddit
59 on the precipice of 60 in a few weeks. Lost my job last month and had to.borrow money to get groceries and gasoline today. NO savings. Lost my beach house in 07' and never really recovered. Live in California but will be moving away in a couple years due to tax rates. I will be coming into a small amount of money soon and will use it to get a place or at least a good down payment on something so when I go on SS I can still eat. The hardest thing I have going now is seeing all my friends retire and travel. It's not like I didn't and don't work my ass off. It just is.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
That does suck. I'm so sorry. Get a place? You mean buy a place?? Where would you get a place? In California?
lovemesomezombie@reddit
Nah, going to move to the Oregon coast and buy a house. Hoping my son wants to go in with me.
Dunkelregen@reddit
I hear you. Screw the grasshopper and the ant, Aesop. I worked my tail off on every job I've had since I was 16. I saved and tried to live cheaply for years, but company mergers and layoffs and "lateral-promotions" screwed me over. Sometimes it's just dumb luck. I'm disabled now, but luckily I found a great wife a while before I became disabled, and she's well paid, otherwise I'd probably be moving in with my brother to have someone to help me with regular household tasks.
NeedsUnfullfilled@reddit
Hate hearing that CA is losing another. As a 4th generation it’s so heartbreaking to hear. I used to love it here, this was home. Many of my life long friends baled years ago.
The culture has fundamentally changed. No longer the “whatever” attitude to…tbh I have no idea wtf are these people proposing now? IMO techie quick money ruined it.
CA is truly the land of fruits and nuts. What a shame.
bondpaper@reddit
I'm 54. Retirement wouldn't be on my mind but all my buddies are older and THEY are all either actively talking about it or have set the end date. So that gives me the itch to shut it down. I'll go to 59.5 at a minimum.
-beachin-@reddit
Moving to Thailand in 2 years. That will help the dollars stretch and make up for the lost days in the sun.
hacksaw2174@reddit
I am with you, I am really hoping to be able to retire at 60, I am so over it.
Resident_Zebra933@reddit
I had to to retire early and move a cross country to take care of my aging parents. We discoverd we can live on a lot less than you think you can. Especially after Covid and the inflation.
marge7777@reddit
My plan was to retire in early 2027 at 55.
I currently like my job. It may partly be because i could leave any day.
Do I have enough saved? Honestly, who knows. If it seems I don’t I may consult at some point. Or teach yoga again. Or write a book. Or live off my kids.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
How would you live off your kids?
pdx-peter@reddit
Spatchcock them so they get crispy all over. Use the backbones for stock.
librocubicuralist@reddit
Don't all these American workers deserve free healthcare, money in the bsnk, and two big vacations a year??
librocubicuralist@reddit
I've noticed that most people ("the masses" or "the sheep") don't feel their life, and working is a relief to them.
Over and over I have seen that if most people have even a little bit of idle time outside of short vacations, they lose their mind. They either have an affair, or have drug and alcohol problems, and/or get depressed. People swear this won't be true of them, but I've seen it all my life.
Sadly, most people need a boss, a punishment strucure, and their life time eaten up by routine. Most humans really are unimaginative worker bees. Truth.
rumblepony247@reddit
Why do you care enough to condemn what others are doing, or struggling with. Just do your thing.
librocubicuralist@reddit
I do. I do my own thing. This was the topic of discussion: "How do you do it?", so I discussed it.
Meeplemymeeple@reddit
The real question is what pain are most people trying to numb with drugs and alcohol. Maybe when a system generated similar negative behaviours from "most people" there is something fundamentally wrong with the system.
alchebyte@reddit
yes. but think about the myths. that empty structure is all we have /s
middlingachiever@reddit
I’m a teacher with summers off, and I just become a gym rat.
People need something in their lives that makes them feel alive. If constructive sources of excitement are absent, destructive sources emerge.
Ok-Development2520@reddit
Yes, geez this is true.
ExtraAd7611@reddit
I'm kind of doing it, but it took 25 years of planning and avoiding the temptation of lifestyle creep and a lot of good luck. I always felt like layoffs were mostly outside my control and my professional life has been mostly a big disappointment so I have been hedging the risk by focusing on things that were within my control: limiting spending, saving money, investing to enable a smooth landing. It happened before I expected it to and wasn't quite as smooth as I had hoped but we will be ok
Sonoran_Dog70@reddit
I’m closing in on 56 and I realized that I’ve been earning a paycheck for 40 years this month. And before that, I was doing other things a kid does to earn some cash, yard work, collecting cans, etc.
40 years and I’ve got a solid 10 more because life hasn’t always been kind so I don’t have a huge bankroll behind me. At least I’ll be debt free in 2 more years.
Defiant_Property_336@reddit
same! gonna just do this current gig and lay low for like 7 more years then at 60 get the F out of corporate nonsense with dipshit clients
Nimbette2@reddit
Well, I took the route of the and FIRED out of work many years ago. Winging it.. have enough to do okay, but not retiring with 10 million like I am seeing some aspire to. Not worth the effort to me :)
But doing okay. Our generation can endure a lot. We aren't soft
pangysmerf@reddit
I turned 60 this year. So over it. In fact I’m giving notice soon and walking away from my career that I’ve been in since I graduated college. Just done!! You’re not alone my friend.
Firm-Candle8462@reddit
I love my work, I went that route. I figured out early for me, if I didn’t love my day to day I didn’t function well. It creates other challenges, but it’s the road I chose.
MacaronOk1006@reddit
I took me years to go that route. But the last 10 years has been great. It has/ will cost me tens of millions in lifetime compensation so my kid will inherit way less but he had a dad that coached Little League baseball, Little League football, was the Cub Scout leader, showed up at all his events, took him on vacation, went to amusement parks all summer. I’m pretty sure when I’m dying. I’m gonna remember all the fun stuff. I did with him not how much money. I’m leaving him. I hope he remembers the same.
Ceorl_Lounge@reddit
By utterly coasting through it all. Lucked my way into a chill job with some decent people. The company is so weighed down under its bullshit expectations are modest. Figure I can wring a few more years out, but 59.5 isn't far from mind. My wife is done sooner, but her job is profoundly stressful and I need her healthy and sane in retirement. We've saved like fiends, she's great with money, we're just going to turn off the lights and walk out of work as soon as finances allow.
JollyGiant573@reddit
I am 54 my wife wants to quit her job that she makes $120 an hour at. Guess my grind continues. She only bills for about 40hrs a month but it's good money.
imagine966@reddit
I am in the same boat. 59 and hate my job. I tolerate it knowing I only got 5 more years until Medicare. Then I’m sure they’ll plan a retirement party to celebrate all I have accomplished for the organization, which I will of course not attend.
demona2002@reddit
I am doing a lot of research in clinical burnout and recovery. I am setting firm boundaries with work, taking up small pleasurable new hobbies, logging my patterns (like when during the day I start to feel depleted and what I can do to mitigate that).
I also had my bloodwork done and discovered a treatable medical issue impacting my energy levels.
These small changes are making it bearable. 2 years to go to hit my number and retire.
gotchafaint@reddit
I love this. I have to push through burnout and it’s just the worst. I’m also trying to pace myself through little things you mentioned. I think there is some blind faith involved- to trust I’ll get everything done even if I need to rest. I tend to work in waves of productivity and rest.
Canaduck1@reddit
By the time i hit 59, i'm going to be "working" with intent to get them to lay me off. Better they get rid of me than I quit -- then I'll get a couple years worth of severance.
Objective-Pen-1780@reddit
That’s my plan.
Snogafrog@reddit
59 and can retire this summer but not sure. Seems more wealth is more freedom?
And as a single man (albeit with tons of hobbies and interests, and friends) still not sure that I won’t go off the rails without the focus of work.
Health is impacted by work stress for sure though…so this post is a good read.
Zestyclose-Sea-5687@reddit
Be careful. I went from 60 to 70 hour weeks down to about 10 hour weeks and it’s still difficult. A lot of free time is a little difficult. But I should add that I’ve got a sciatic nerve issue that’s holding me back from kayaking and mountain biking, which is difficult
Snogafrog@reddit
Sorry about your sciatic nerve issue. Is there any hope of recovery?
Most of my pursuits are physical (running, cycling, yoga, weightlifting, hiking) so injury is scary for me.
I am trying to lean into my music and art and games interests to mitigate the risk though.
Zestyclose-Sea-5687@reddit
Hopefully. Dr said do nothing that is jarring and come back in two months.She wants labs done two weeks prior to seeing her again
gotchafaint@reddit
I’m 59 and will likely be working a long time yet. In my 20s I quickly realized I can’t handle fluorescent lighting, polyester, and rigid schedules. I created a WFH life. The downside is I was poor for a long time. But it can be now more than ever.
13maven@reddit
Im addicted to my contractor paycheck…. But I hope to be retiring from my career when im in my early 60s. So, another decade
Huge_Many_2308@reddit
First thing I did out of college was go talk to a financial planner, wanted to retire at 50. My whole career(which I hated) was focused on that. Saving and compound interest is just amazing. Picked a job with full benefits at retirement at 50. Not much of a pension, but I planned for that. No kids, no debt, no mortgage and until 45 no wife. I just hated working, so my entire focus was to put myself in a position to not have to work. Also shit happens, many people I know ( and probably me if I had kept working), just get surplused , or laid off , or the company goes broke.
MiddleKlutzy8211@reddit
I'm a teacher... so I have a good amount of time off. Every time I get to the "I just can't" point? We get a break/holiday. Otherwise? I don't know how I would hold on. 30 years in and I'm just tired.
Silver_Breakfast7096@reddit
Teachers need those breaks. It seems like things only get worse in our schools and even good kids take a lot of energy.
Silver_Breakfast7096@reddit
You need a different source of income if you’re not sure how you’ll swing it. But go for it. Life left to live is waning.
fLeXaN_tExAn@reddit
Early 50's here. I have a few more years of the corporate grind coming my way. I'm going to build up our nest egg up just a little bit more. After that, I'm totally going to pull an American Beauty. "I want the job with the LEAST amount of responsibility." I'm going to take a job that I want to do, not that I need to do. I will do it for "fun" money and for medical benefits. It would be even better if it were Mon-Thurs so that every weekend is a 3 day weekend.
D-Dubb@reddit
I’m almost 51. About 6 years ago after being laid off from Covid, I got a remote job in the Clinical Trial industry.
I can tell you that working at a company that is trying to make the world a better place, instead of just trying to make some rich assholes a little richer, has made all of the difference for me.
Are there days my job stresses me out? Of course. But at least it’s worth it in some way…..
ddm00767@reddit
My last job I liked but the boss and conditions sucked. I knew i was close to retirement age so in my area not likely to find a job that paid enough to bother. So my last few months I paid off all my bills, bought tools and supplies to be able to make side money on my “hobbies” ( tshirts, photo mugs, jewelry, woodworking, graphic artist etc). When i was ready, took my 2 weeks vacation, went to visit my son. Came back, turned in uniforms, keys, resignation letter. Living the good life since 2013! ☺️❤️
DaddyOhMy@reddit
I just turned 59 last weekend. I'm in my 31st year as a teacher and can retire with a full pension. I'm lucky that I like where I'm working and not ready to go yet. I'm still helping my kids pay off their student loans and my wife can't leave her job yet. I figure I've got a few more years to go.
ChaosReignsNow@reddit
I'm a liitle bit older. I recently shifted to a job with less stress and less travel. I could retire now, but every year I wait gives us a little more cushion and an extra $5k or so to spend each year in retirement.
Bahlore@reddit
I have been offered almost double my salary to do things I dont want to do with people I dont want to work with. Right now I have a great team and I enjoy going to work. I could be making a lot more; but to me its not worth it. I enjoy what I do and the people I work with; we cut up, tell non pc jokes and fuck with each other constantly. I have a job that is not only challenging (keeps me on my toes), but I feel like I am actually doing something that matters while also having fun doing it.
BeachPlze@reddit
I have no choice if I want to pay my bills. I will likely never be able to retire and I’ve accepted that. I have to serve my family.
Shinesandglitters@reddit
Grateful everyday that I WFH (except for 1-2 days a month) and don’t have to deal with the commute and toxic people in person. Able to take walks on breaks during nice weather, and have my dog at my feet napping, while I work. If it stays like this, I’m hopeful I can make it to retirement in about five years.
hair_10@reddit
Same. If I had to go into the office I think I'd be in the OP shoes.
Revolutionary_Tale_1@reddit
Three more years in a high-stress job, but then I can retire at the age of 53. Plan to move out of the US to reduce my stress further.
Frigidspinner@reddit
similar - was working to retire at 57 but was offered a package at 55 and took it
irreverent06@reddit
I feel the same way, but am terrified financially. I’m also 59. I have some money in a 401K, but it’s not enough. I have no pension or benefits if I leave/retire now. The biggest thing holding me back is the cost of health care premiums. I’d love any insights or advice that people have found to conquer these demons.
Evening-Magician-824@reddit
Hold out until 62 years of age if you want to retire. Keep saving for the time being. Keep setting aside a portion of your income for rising healthcare premiums. Cut back on unnecessary purchases or luxurys. The little longer you wait to retire, the more you will earn on SS. This will add some cushion in addition to your 401K savings. Also, if (by chance) you're considering a another job at age 59, it seems employers are looking for a younger pool of qualified applicants. I finally retired at 62 and took a huge pay cut pay and lived within SS parameters for earnings. I am now 65 and suffered a major unforseen health event that has prohibited me from working all together at least for now. I live a very frugal life. I never thought I would be in this position. Bottom line, keep working, keep aggressively saving.
digawina@reddit
I'm a bit younger at 53, but I can't retire until I hit the rule of 85, at 63 (I'm one of the very lucky few who still has a pension). And financially, I should wait until 65. I'll be leaving a lot on the table if I don't. So the short answer is that I don't have a choice but to keep at it.
NotReallyButMaybeNot@reddit
Rule of 85?
Grouchy_Vet@reddit
Your age and the number of years you are employed by the company equals 85.
I retired under the rule of 85 in 2019. You get your full pension even though you aren’t retirement age. You still can’t file for Social Security until you reach your true retirement age
NotReallyButMaybeNot@reddit
What’s a pension? Joking/NOT joking
Grouchy_Vet@reddit
Back in the day, some companies actually cared about their employees.
I was lucky. They did away with the pension for new hire around 2010.
I don’t know of any companies who still offer them
digawina@reddit
I'm at a private company with one. They also 401k match. It's a god damn unicorn, and also kind of like a prison? Like, I absolutely cannot leave these benefits.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
No pension? No nothing? What DO you have then?
NotReallyButMaybeNot@reddit
And now we have….
digawina@reddit
Correct, but if you keep working after, it keeps building. An extra two years will be enough every year to cover health insurance premiums if I want something in addition to Medicare (Medigap? I'm not at a place yet to deep dive into that research).
disinterested_a-hole@reddit
Age + years of service = 85 or more
QueenScorp@reddit
Oof, OP, it sounds like you need a different job. I'd rather take a massive pay cut to do something that didn't stress me out like you've described then to continue doing that for another year. I know it sucks to job hunt at 59 but you can at least try to see what else is out there. Because that much stress is going to take years off your life and you will have even less time to enjoy the sunny days
HypergolicHyperbola@reddit
I am counting the days to retirement. I'm in the same place mentally that you are. The grind, the stress, and the bullshit are just getting to be too much. Hopefully I'll bail out at the end of next year and enjoy some peace.
Spiritual_Crow409@reddit
I’m 59 and there’s no retirement in my near future. Fortunately I like my job and most of the people I work with. Hopefully my job likes me enough to keep me around too. It pays enough to get by but not enough to really save for retirement much. I’m just thankful I have it in this economy.
165interbond@reddit
I’m 58 thinking that I was going to work till I fell over dead. 2025 it almost happened. Mild stroke and a double bypass. I’m still able to work, but for how long? My attitude has changed tremendously. I just smile and nod over everyone stressing out over production. I’m in aviation manufacturing and business is booming. Leaving the stress to the millennials and the zoomers
SpankyDammit@reddit
57, desperately looking for something different to get into after 3 decades of physical labor on concrete floors in a declining profession. The old grey matter doesn’t retain information nearly as well as it used to.
Getting out of bed every morning to go do something I’ve almost completely lost interest in isn’t easy but a healthy mix of stoicism and mild apathy (if there is such a thing) is what keeps me pushing through.
Ksks2999@reddit
Self employed. Scaling back clients, "partially" retired, I guess. Continue adding to Roth IRA, HSA. Still working because of long term clients we like, & future uncertainty. Definitely spending less.
swissyfit@reddit
At the age of 46 , I got up from my desk, looked at my boss and said " I cant do this anymore". I walked out of the door. I haven't worked since, no private pension to look forward to. Now I'm 59 .
Best decision ever...
Didn't Einstein say that "The definition of madness is going to work 5 days a week , 50 weeks a year , 50 years a lifetime "
Or was it the marz brothers
irreverent06@reddit
But how do you cover costs and medical insurance premiums?
swissyfit@reddit
Ok , here's the deal.
I was in IT . I earned enough . Assets , which are being depleted .
International_Fix580@reddit
I’m 51. Doing okay financially, and at a job I enjoy for the most part. I also started 2 side businesses doing things I enjoy so I can stay productive when I retire.
utvols22champs@reddit
What side gigs did you start? I’ve been doing a few things as well but mostly property maintenance. I enjoy it after 20 years in IT.
chzplz@reddit
Hate my job, but I’ve got four years left ‘till I retire, and it is worth hanging in for the financial stability of a big fat pension.
I plan on mentally checking out for the last two years with the justification that I’m grooming my successor.
overmonk@reddit
I’m 56 and the math doesn’t work unless I keep pushing to 67.
RunningWineaux@reddit
I just did some math recently because I had miscalculated the amount from an IRA that the ex was entitled to. It lowered my viable retirement age from 70 to 65 (compound interest baby!!). That’s the best I can hope for. Drive and grind upward for 14 more years and then hopefully have enough leftover to die quietly.
Now if the ex decides to not honor her mothers wish and use her inheritance to pay for the kids to go to college, I’ll be the worlds oldest IT project manager in 2057.
Swellsbells73@reddit
I quit a 6 figure job year and a half ago at 51 and have been living off my cashed in pension. Might be penniless, but do not regret it whatsoever.
PolPotDomeScandal@reddit
54 and I retired 11 years ago. Your job will never love you back.
soleiles1@reddit
And if your keel over, your job will be posted the next day.
soleiles1@reddit
My pension which I am grateful for as most do not have that option anymore.
Also, I still have 2 teenagers at home.
Zestyclose-Dream-409@reddit
I can't even imagine doing it. I downsized, reduced monthly expenditures, stopped buying expensive cars, dropped health insurance, grew a garden, and retired in my 40s. I have some income from my deceased husband, I live within my means. Sunny days (and rainy days) are too precious to waste in an office staring at a screen. I retrained and make enough teaching yoga and giving astrology readings online to live comfortably enough. I hope you find your way out.
Puzzleheaded_Low_619@reddit
51 and planning on 55 retirement. Want to have a little fun before I fall apart and spend it on the 4 acres waiting for me.
AlwaysatTechDee@reddit
I’m going to be 55 (how?!?!) and plan on working until I drop.
I have a young child that has special needs and I’ll have to support one way or another. I love my job but I have a side hustle in order to live. I do have retirement accounts, but it’s not enough.
They really should’ve taught us about money management/investing in high school instead of the mitochondria being the powerhouse of the cell.
seraphan6@reddit
Just retired from military service and now on a 'freedom tour ' to figure out what's next. No hurry.
Ordinary-Switch5144@reddit
This is what happens I think when the retirement signals come thru and the decision to get out happens. Was talking to friends from HS about “when do you know it’s time to retire? Does a star rise in the sky? Is there a bat signal?” No. I think we just get tired of the bs, decide it ain’t worth it anymore, and begin to plan our exit. I’m sitting here trying to decide if I take one more new role or call it quits after the one I’ve got now. How much more do I want to deal? Once the question enters our mind I think that’s the beginning of the end.
Candleforce-9728@reddit
Well, but it’s not just a matter of getting tired, for many. I have to keep working til I put the kid through college, and then it’s a matter of what has happened to 401k in that time. If we get a major crash, that will add more working years.
I would retire sooner if it weren’t for needing health care coverage before Medicare kicks in.
patroklus68@reddit
Took the payout after 24 years and I’m not regretting it at all! Will take pension early next year and might need to a bit more frugal. But being “time rich” for a change is wonderful
IndependentlyGreen@reddit
Feel the same.
Tired of being a drone for a company's financial gain. I never liked W2 work. It's all BS. Stupid managers make employees do stupid things. Only did it because I had to. Went to college believing what they said about a better life, but now that I'm on the other side, it's disenchanting to say the least.
I hope to stay healthy enough to write my own chapter in my later years.
CoastalMom@reddit
58 and looking to retire next year. My job is not that stressful and I wfh FT but every week I am more over the BS. Can't wait until my time is y own.
Right-Eye-Left-Eye@reddit
I’m only 50 so I’ve got a little ways to go yet and it’s one week at a time. It’s getting harder to decompress on weekends but I remind myself that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel
Viperlite@reddit
I’m just about 5 years from a planned retirement at 62. I could go now, but this is peak earning years on both my and my spouse’s careers and our 401ks/pensions. I’ve given up the career ladder climb and am just taking it one week at a time. I’ve started taking the sick time I never took my whole career and taking long weekends now. We plan to start taking multiple vacations a year and to test out retirement. I’ll be counting down weeks to retirement and watching the gains in my savings to maintain the willpower to get up each day to grind it out.
Original-Yak-966@reddit
This.
Cantech667@reddit
I retired last summer after 36 years of service, and I’ll be 60 later this year. I enjoyed my job and the people I worked with, but I felt it was time. A few months ago, I went back to help out for a few weeks. When it was over, I had a reminder of why it had been time to retire.
LoudArtist1968@reddit
I got laid off at 57 this year. Blessing in disguise. small job five minutes from my house with nice people. two hours a day of commuting time I get back each day. I spend it doing things I want. I don’t miss it at all.
larissaorlarissa024@reddit
Ok so this is good inspiration. 57 and commuting an hour each way, management is nuts, looking to retire and just do something fun and close to home.
LoudArtist1968@reddit
I worked in a very toxic and volatile environment. I am saving almost 600 dollars in train, parking and gas to the station a month so less pay doesn’t hurt as much. the benefits are more generous too and for the first time in 23 years I am in the house during dinner. my next goal is disciplining myself to get in an hour of physical activity before work in the am. I am also getting back to some passion projects I put on the back burner. if the finances work out go for it.
Geezerker@reddit
I took an early retirement from teaching after 25 years, at age 52, and have ZERO regrets. The catch is: I’m still “working” but it’s at a job that I absolutely love. My wife and I opened a pottery studio and the amount it brings in is way more than enough to cover the hit I took from my pension to tap out early. We’re still saving, still have a solid ACTUAL retirement planned and covered eventually, and both our kids’ college is paid for. We own two houses and have zero debt, so if I decide not to work in the studio on a sunny day, then that becomes the plan. The important part is this: we started saving and investing with our very first paychecks and we were able to outright buy a second career (pottery). Neither my wife nor I had ever touched clay before five years ago. Now? It’s 5:00 AM and I can’t wait to set up at the local farmers market in a rainy Saturday. We will sell a thousand dollars of mugs and bowls in four hours and then have the real joy of making more this coming week. We set up at other events and also teach classes. We are retired teachers and the switch was easy for us but we still put in the time… it’s just that it’s on our terms.
RHND2020@reddit
That sounds amazing! I need to find something like your pottery that I can make into a job/second career.
umeboshiplumpaste@reddit
Congrats! What an amazing situation to have created. I was too dumb in my 20s and 30s to not know that I needed to have a retirement plan. You're living the dream!
brockclan216@reddit
I consider myself semi-retired now at 54 working as a nurse in an easy job with private home care. I work 3 nights a week and my goal by the end of the year is to reduce it to just 2 nights after I pay my car off. I get an annuity every month from my ex's retirement so I am needing to stay working until 62 at least as I need some type of income until 62. I want to get out of nursing all together but still have 2 young adults at home. One is moving out by the end of July and the other I am not too sure about as he is failing to launch/take his independence/life seriously. I sat them both down at the first of the year and told them that inside of 2 years and I am downsizing, moving, and they will not be coming with me so begin working towards your independence. I have been a single mom for over 10 years and I am t-i-r-e-d. I am serious when I say I could make some rickety old shack into a home and live in it just so I won't have to keep working.
katzinthebuf@reddit
Two more years for me. Already doing volunteer work and considering a part time retirement job
SquirrelBowl@reddit
Counting down. 8 more years retiring at 60. I don’t mind my job I just want freedom.
Dee-Whizz@reddit
Do you have an exit plan? Most don’t. I don’t know what’s more stressful these days-going to work or wishing you were going to work. The gas prices don’t help ⛽️
ExistingFun5496@reddit
I left at 55. You will NEVER here someone say that they should have worked longer
SouthConsideration15@reddit
Yep. I retired last year at 55. Absolutely no regrets.
rbetterkids@reddit
I started stock options trading as a side thing.
Last year, I loss $2k to learn what works and doesn't.
Now, the last 2 months I made $800. My wife made $7,000 since she put more money in it.
It's not a get rich thing; howeo, I can definitely see it becoming something that will eventually make me quit my day job.
Cheska1234@reddit
I’m doing it because I have to. My job isn’t terrible but the grind sucks the life out of me. I can’t afford to retire any time soon. I took time off to raise my kids so I don’t have years in yet. I went back to work in 2017 and will be working until 65+.
Benisey@reddit
55 and tired . 35 years in at a state job . Just waiting for my house to sell ( separated from husband in January )and I will retire but not completely. Plan on part time work as I will go crazy not doing anything plus want to have some extra spending money apart from my pension until I start collecting social at 62 .
TraditionalYard5146@reddit
I mostly like my job so i I guess I’m fortunate. That’s doesn’t mean there is no BS and interpersonal crap to deal with but that’s true even when I volunteered my time.
Formal_Plum_2285@reddit
I manage well cause I was born in a country, where we work 37 hours per week and have 6 weeks paid vacation a year.
FarCry5372@reddit
I get unlimited PTO and sick days and I live in America.
Formal_Plum_2285@reddit
No idea what that is.
mlbryant@reddit
Is it just me or do unlimited PTO suck. I feel guilty everytime I take it.
GroupCurious5679@reddit
Germany?
Formal_Plum_2285@reddit
Denmark
fire_works10@reddit
The 6 weeks of vacation would be glorious!
Testy_Coyote_@reddit
Can you work for less pay? Go part time or move to something you like better?
What do you like better than what you're doing?
Like tinkering with things? Part time maintenance somewhere. Like mowing lawns? Find a landscaping company.
That's what I was able to do. Left the grind for something I really like. I'm poor but making ends meet I and feel better.
AmharachEadgyth@reddit
This is my plan in the next 4 years.
disco_duck2004@reddit
54 here and plan on working another 9 years to make it to 40 years with the company, if that. I personally don't think I have enough saved for retirement, but I see plenty of stories/posts of people say they financially retire. I could retire right now, but want to make it to 40 years, which is unheard of these days.
Infamous-Yak2864@reddit
I'm NOT being sarcastic, but whenever there are posts on this sub regarding retirement/finances, I am truly amazed at the percentage of GenXer's on Reddit who are not only millionaires, but multi-millionaires and retired quite early in life....
Zestyclose-Smell-788@reddit
Because they are so happy to crow about. Love to talk about their millions and paid off houses. Nobody is anxious to chime in "well, life has been unkind to me and I have almost nothing saved. I'll probably end up in a cardboard box eating cat food". That's my situation, and these discussions make me feel like a fool. A failure. Loser. But, it was no fault of mine. Tragedy and bad luck can happen to anyone. I'm 58 and working my butt off to support 2 mentally disabled women. I have health problems of my own, but there is no getting off this treadmill. So like so many silent readers out there, I quietly sacrifice for the ones I love, day in, day out. I'm not bitter about it, I accept my fate and honestly I'm lucky to be alive.
GroupCurious5679@reddit
Same here, you're not alone. I'm 58 too. Bottom of the pile, shit job, hard physical work, no chance of ever retiring.
Zestyclose-Smell-788@reddit
We walk this road together, brother
ButterscotchPlane744@reddit
I am on the treadmill right next to you
FarCry5372@reddit
I grew up poor and spent my life grinding, learning different skills, gave up fun for the grind but it all paid off. At 40 I found a job that has no set working hours, is fully remote work, is project based, and pays really well. If I had opted for memories, I would still be grinding today.
GroupCurious5679@reddit
Same here!! I'm 58, always had low paying jobs, never enough to save for retirement, and whenever I had any spare cash, something came up that needed fixing or replacing. I own my house,but can't afford any repairs. Don't think I'll ever be able to retire. Happy for the people who are able to. I sincerely wish someone, like my parents, had taught me to save from an early age. I also have ADHD which isn't helping.
Character-Lack-3295@reddit (OP)
Apparently, but sadly, I’m not one of them!
Infamous-Yak2864@reddit
Things that make ya go hhmmm....
dcamnc4143@reddit
I'm leaving in 3 years at 55; though I could go now. I don't make a ton (less than 100k), but I've always been a big investor, and I knew I wanted to retire early. I just never took on much debt. Bought the cheapest house I could a long time ago, and paid it off quickly. Drove beater cars, etc. I DUMPED money into the stock market for decades. I'm pretty sure I have a higher net worth than my bosses that make 3x what I do 🤷♂️
Allmyexesliveintx333@reddit
What is your NW
dcamnc4143@reddit
I won't say exactly, but it's in the millions, and not one.
Allmyexesliveintx333@reddit
Great job! I love to see people make it
dogsaybark@reddit
Good for you. I’m your age and I’m a similar position. It was very significant for me to reach the position of “fuck you”.
https://youtu.be/xdfeXqHFmPI?si=7Akd1i4Dezt-jO-_
rumblepony247@reddit
I don't. Felt the same as you, and shut it down a year ago at age 57. Couldn't do it anymore, and the numbers worked financially, so I retired.
I've still got issues with regulating emotions (always have), but it was certainly nice to eliminate the anxiety and depression that work demands caused.
Ckc1972@reddit
I really enjoy the core responsibility of my job. But I have to tolerate a bunch of extraneous bullshit and annoying people to get to do the good stuff. I try to focus my attention on the good part as much as possible. I can't afford to retire yet so I have to hang in there.
Bobby_Globule@reddit
You can start to collect social security at 62. You do get less when you start collecting early, but you get to collect for longer. In my calculation, the total came out the same whether you wait till 67 or start at 62 --say if I live till I'm 82. We're planning for Mexico, central highlands, for retirement. Cheap cheap cheap.
My dad lived til 73. Grandad, 82.
FabAmy@reddit
I'm working 4 jobs right now to have savings. I lost everything in the pandemic, so I'm just trying to work as much as I can, while I can. I'm 55 and can't wait to retire.
cleg74@reddit
My “plan” is to keep grinding in my job at least 4 more years when my last kid will be done with college. Pound out another 3-5 years and bank all the money we have been spending on college (11 straight years, 3 kids) and then reevaluate at 60 or 62. My hope is to be able to quit my high stress job and go work at a small community based nonprofit and not worry about the salary and supplement with my 529 if needed. I figure to try and be in position to do that and then I would have options.
platypus5709@reddit
I’m 54 and getting ready to send youngest to college in a year and then law school. Once that’s done, I’m out. I have a high stress corp job that I changed roles last year as I was totally burned out. I don’t know the magic answer for you but knowing I have an exit plan keeps me going.
Archie_Pelego@reddit
I’m thinking of retiring early and self-terminating around 75-80. Purely based on my own experience with ageing parents, their quality of life, autonomy and ageing factors as they aged. I believe it’s a good balance of quality and quantity, and the diminishing returns and changing locii of interest we have as we age. I’d like to think it would be a celebration of joy but it won’t in others eyes so I’ll have to keep stum about it until the time hits. Reality is that grandparents get to an age where their friends are dead, the emerging wonders of the world are underwhelming, they can’t really enjoy their grandchildren. That’s the time to snap the fingers - before the decision is taken out of your hands.
GroupCurious5679@reddit
What's your plan for self termination if you don't mind me asking? I'm curious.
Son_of_a_NutButter@reddit
My parents will turn 80 this year and my Dad keeps saying that someday soon he and my mom are going to pull a Thelma & Louise. My mom thinks he’s joking but I think he’s serious.
vf-guy@reddit
I'm on the same plan. 38 year T1D and am extremely grateful for the time I've had. I realize that if I had been born before insulin therapy, I wouldn't have made it to my 23rd birthday much less married an amazing woman, had 2 amazing kids, and been to places and done things that I could never have imagined. I refuse to spend money to just give to doctors and care facilities.
Active-Confidence-25@reddit
I completely get this. I am a nurse, and hope to create my exit strategy in a way that leaves no doubt ork to anyone, and leaves any money toward those who deserve it/so the maximum good. I’m not a billionaire, but I hope to make a difference where I can….
notguiltybrewing@reddit
I wish I could retire. Doesn't look to be possible. Ever.
bbh42@reddit
About to turn 56. Both kids are out of the house and established in their own careers and lives. Wife and I have spent the last two years enjoying things we couldn’t before. I have a decent career and like what I do. Looking to work until I’m 62 but I’m ahead of schedule and am starting to see if I can retire at 60. We live in a great community and generally have a good life. I focus more on my health and staying active. I have a few more aches and pains than I used to but that’s why I’m paying more attention to what I eat and try to exercise each day.
Practical_Artist_276@reddit
On the brink of homelessness. Laid off last year and no one will hire me right now. Burned through unemployment and 401 k
Public-Air-8995@reddit
I’m so sorry, hoping things improve 🤞
umeboshiplumpaste@reddit
I'm so sorry. I'm in a similar situation but haven't burned through everything yet. Unemployed for a year and losing my savings. Betting on me now starting a couple businesses. Rooting for you. Brutal times in the job market. Not what I thought would be the future so many of us. Sending you strength and good vibes, stranger. <3
Meeplemymeeple@reddit
I am 53 and I fucking loath our economy. A system designed to motivate through coercion while destroying everything.
Mguidr1@reddit
I’m 58. When I turn 59 that’s it. Stress affects us more profoundly as we age I Think.
ApprehensiveClaim516@reddit
1970 here currently out on workers comp with neck and shoulder injuries that both will require surgery and give me a forced medical retirement before my time. I downsized at 48, cleared all the lifetime of “clutter” and am currently dreaming of the day I won’t be bustling and hustling to and from specialist appointments and can be the grandma that’s there for every school event and milestone. My savings was wiped in the 08 recession due to my youngest having a medical crisis while visiting his dad who on all accounts was only semi dad when showing off his abilities when he got a new girlfriend. That medical crisis was a diabetic coma with a life flight. I won’t have a lot but I will be happy to just breathe after working taxed jobs since I was 13. I’ve become a master of budgeting and relearning how to have just enough. Not the way I planned my rebuilt life back in 2010 but I’m also tired of 16 hour days where nothing I did seemed to make a difference but back then I loved my job as a paralegal and running a non profit for domestic violence and getting protective orders for women and children and then I traded my soul for insurance defense for money and not peopling. Now I can’t even think about going back to it. I’d rather be “poor” and be there for my family and have the moments and live simply. Corporate isn’t going to welcome me back with open arms and I’m really ok with that. Here’s to early retirement!
melty75@reddit
I stayed in the same line of work but changed departments, teams, managers, and what my core work on a daily basis is. I was stagnating in my old role, so I changed it, and now my work is meaningful and awesome. I am 50 and eligible to retire at 55 due to spending nearly 27 years with the same employer. I didn't hate my old role, but I was kind of bored.
Wasting_Time1234@reddit
At 59, how much do you have saved for retirement? If you’re above $1 million, start planning to exit. If you’re above $2 mil…you could probably pull the trigger at 59.5.
JayVincent6000@reddit
My plan exactly! Get the kids settled, clear $2m by 59, downsize from the "family size" house to a retirement size house (hopefully wipes out my remaining mortgage debt) and peace-out. A quick look at my family tree is not encouraging - most of the males don't make it past 70. Even with modern medicine, I have no plans to make it to 80, so if I plan to enjoy my retirement I'm going to have get started before 65.
Physical_Ad5135@reddit
So you never know. My mom and dad’s parents died young of heart related illnesses and some of their siblings were younger too. But they are both going strong over 80 years old!
Littletinybug@reddit
54 yo here. I can do it because I found a job I don’t truly hate and because I’m child free by choice so I come home to peace and quiet. My fur babies are cheap so I’ve been able to save and only have a few more years before I can quit for good.
glh2009@reddit
I am you. Went through my 50s getting more and more angry about what I had to put up with just to work and earn a living. I hit 60 last year and had had enough, gave my employer a months notice. It has only been three months but I have never been happier. My income has plummeted and I can no longer splash out on treats or fancy trips but I have enough “stuff” and I can still eat well and pay my bills. I feel like I can breathe freely for the first time in years. You have to do what is right for you but life is for living.
Kimber80@reddit
I have a very easy job, very foetunate, eg am poating from a caribbean cruise right now.
CoolJeweledMoon@reddit
I feel extremely fortunate that, for the most part, I really enjoy my job. I'm hybrid remote & only have to go into the office once a week, & my employer genuinely supports having a good work/life balance.
And counting paid holidays, I have nearly a month of PTO, & I get to take 2 business trips a year that are part of my job.
And it's a good thing I like it because I need to work until I'm 65 due to needing the health insurance. Just 6 more years to go...
I'm definitely not in the financial position to retire any earlier anyway, so I've got to go hard & keep grinding a little while longer...
Fabulous-Trouble-299@reddit
Had my dream job and became deathly ill and had to go on disability. Would love to go back to work and I dream about it. Doesn’t feel like things will get better anytime soon.
Certain-Criticism-51@reddit
I'm pulling for you. Hoping you'll regain all that you lost. 🩷
Alamohermit@reddit
I fled big city life to get a job making half my previous salary, and live on a rural homestead.
It's pretty fucking sweet.
Boognish-T-Zappa@reddit
It’s always been for my wife and kids….and my dad. Pops did two tours in Vietnam, two Purple Hearts, came home to boos, started a career, had six hell raising asshole kids, worked his ass off only to get shitcanned months before he was vested, and had a grabber at 61. I bitch slap myself all the time with how fortunate I am and how much worse things could be.
Able_Boat_8966@reddit
Because I have obligations and dependants amd debts, so don't have a choice but to keep working.
Any-Neighborhood98@reddit
This
Kooky-Laugh-7861@reddit
I loved my job, my co-workers and pay was good
BUT
at 56 I was done and decided to retire. Time is more valuable than more money and life is precious and short.
zaphodmonkey@reddit
First off, I’m sorry it’s so brutal. Been there done that have the t shirt. It sucks, I’m sorry
Second, you’re definitely not alone. Some parts of my life are pure joy but there’s a lot, esp work related, that makes me want to scream.
Third, and this is something I started working on a few year ago — you’re in control of this. Remove assholes, find a new job, move on with your time and energy. You should have a life of, if not full joy, at least not fully awful.
ShareMission@reddit
Recently outta work. For most of a year. My life is very inexpensive, so I made it. How.. dude. We just keep going. I know exactly how that feels. Gotta find the exit ramp. Working on mine now.
PNWest01@reddit
I tried getting off the treadmill and start a little art business twice in mid-life, cause I hated the rat race so much. Failed spectacularly both times. I’m so very, very lucky that I finally found the best job I’ve ever had at 59. So I don’t feel like I’m on the treadmill going nowhere anymore. The bad news is I haven’t a dime saved up like a lot of us. I’m planning to work until I’m 70 because the Social Security is $500 more than if I retire at 67. I have 8 years to go - here’s hoping my health holds up!
AdSpiritual220@reddit
Good luck. I bet your health will hold up fine. As long as you take care yourself, you will do fine!
PNWest01@reddit
When I was younger the idea of working until 65 seemed a million years away, and I never thought I'd make it. When I turned 60 i thought, pfft, ten year? I can do that standing on my head, lol.
Old__Medic_Doc_68@reddit
I do what i love and love what i do for one year and seven months them retirement time. I’ll be 59 and look forward to that next chapter of my life.
lubbockin@reddit
fuck work man, if you can escape it do so.
Purgii@reddit
For the most part, I enjoy my job.
This week, not so much since ive been hit with an 11pm-2am job every night of the week, and I'm scheduled for a 1am job tonight.
Right now I'm sitting in a mall food court waiting for an Apple store to close so I can fix something that should take 5 minutes but will probably take 2 hours because of outsourcing.
I mostly work alone in data centres so I don't have to deal with office politics.
If I won the lottery tomorrow, while I would definitely retire, I would probably still be interested in the stuff I do for work.
So I've probably been lucky. Get paid well to do a job that keeps my interest - and I can moose interest in things pretty quickly quickly.
zephyrthewonderdog@reddit
Self employment, if it’s possible. You work longer and harder but the stress isn’t as bad.
Dorkus_Mallorkus@reddit
That's a very general statement. A lot of self-employment is quite the opposite - not as many hours but dealing with the stress of owning a business and your livelihood reliant on that.
I do agree that self employment is generally the way to go though. I became self-employed 18 months ago, quit a job where I was making $150k because my boss was a dickhead and they were making pay cuts. The first year of self-employment was stressful and I made just under $100k, had to work to drum up business and stay busy. But now in the last 6 months I've already surpassed the previous year income, and the future looks bright. 10 years of this and I hope to retire.
zephyrthewonderdog@reddit
Yes it’s a very general statement. Lots of problems and only you to solve them.
But would you go back to your old life? That’s the big question.
I’ve been self employed for three years now. Just set up a small limited company that employs six people. I don’t mind the long hours and hard work if it’s me making the decisions.
Dorkus_Mallorkus@reddit
Good on you. 6 employees sounds like a headache in itself. I'm just working solo, avoiding employing people as long as I can. LOL
zephyrthewonderdog@reddit
Oh it’s hard work. But I wouldn’t change it.
Hitting the 100k is a big milestone. You will probably find you expand quickly - just be sure to take on the right staff. We had to sack our first employee for trying to steal all our clients.
Nobody loves your company as much as you do. It’s always your ‘baby’.
d_ippy@reddit
I’m out next year. I can’t take anymore
yourilluminaryfriend@reddit
I’m hoping my mom has more money than I’m aware of that I can inherit
skylersparadise@reddit
I have no freaking clue- I broke a little at work today and I too am ready to retire!
kenny1911@reddit
I still got people who depend on me. So, until my mortgage lender and utility companies accept existential dread as a form of payment, I gotta stay in the grind.
general-illness@reddit
I have a great job, my dream job and it was completely ruined by corrupt leadership. Their favoritism with promotions absolutely killed the drive and passion I had for my work. I am bitter and disappointed and I just can wait to quit.
brawdbach@reddit
I've been exactly here too. Blatant favouritism from corrupt bosses looking after themselves and their mates, ruining what was previously a wonderful thing.
SesJan2013@reddit
That sucks :(
dudeatwork77@reddit
Live below your means and build a nest egg. Things are better if you have financial freedom
snarkdiva@reddit
Honestly, the only way I'll ever be able to retire is with help from my adult children. They have already voluntarily said they want to help me when I retire. I would never ask or expect it from them. If they can't help or don't want to (which is their choice), I'll keep working until I die, I guess.
GoslingIchi@reddit
I want going to spend one day more than I needed to working for those asshats. So the day I could is the day I started my pension.
My income is down 25% so I've had to tighten my belt (and I'll get another job soonish) but it's better than dealing with all the bs from working for corporate idiots who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground.
some_dude3645@reddit
My brother did that April 1st. His last day was 3 days after his pension kicked in. He worked for them 20 years and 3 days. Exactly
He's much happier now
GoslingIchi@reddit
Good for your brother!
1974HelloKitty@reddit
I had my dream job until I became the most senior member on the team. Classic story. I was great until I hit a salary befitting someone whom has been with the company for 12 years. Now they can use my salary and hire 2 junior analysts.
mrkstr@reddit
Well, personally, my job allows a lot of flexibility through the day. To be honest, I love it. I think I'm going to work past 65. However, I have had jobs I hate. If it were me and your shoes, I would look at going part-time at something I found relatively enjoyable and just kind of coast into retirement.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
Good advice!
ThisSaladTastesWeird@reddit
Sabbaticals. Every six years I get a paid year off. No, I can’t believe it, either.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
How do you get said sabbaticals? Please do tell
ransier831@reddit
I keep checking every time the renegotiate our contract to see if sabbaticals are offered. They never are, but I always hope 🙏
SifuMommy@reddit
Sooo jealous.
Thin_Ad_9816@reddit
Retired at 37. Military service was the right answer.
Vebran@reddit
Sorry brother, same for me. Although retired after 24 years which was 60% of active pay. Then 80% VA. And still working with the VA.
Not something you plan at 20, but something you tell your kid to at least use as a foundation of they don't know what to do.
ivgrl1978@reddit
I'm only barely doing anything lol I've been a teacher 25 years and I love my job (high school art) but it's emotionally drained me. I'm counting the days until I can retire, get the pension I paid a crap ton into and just do the online university teaching I've been doing. Teaching has put me into therapy because I can't let go of how messed up some of these kids are and I think by the nature of my subject and my personality I've become the safe person. It's not the teaching. It's what millenial parents have done to their children (sorry not sorry). I will burn out and literally die if I have to teach much longer.
BigBaboonButt5@reddit
Another teacher here. Couldn’t agree more. Empathy fatigue is real. There is nothing physically challenging or impossible about my job, but the constant emotional/mental stress is utterly exhausting. There are some poor souls out there that need our help and we will always step up, but the toll on my own mental health is starting to affect me and my family. I’m 8 years out from retirement.
drmanhattannfriends@reddit
I get paid too much to quit.
CSFCDude@reddit
I was laid off in 2024. I have been running a side business and doing consulting work, but supporting my daughter in college and now getting her setup for her first post college job in NYC has been chewing through the money. I’m probably taking another full time job in a couple of weeks (waiting on lawyers to work through the details). I’m 58 and I was thinking about not doing the corporate thing anymore. Now it looks like I may work full time into my 60s as I beef up my savings. I think I’m neutral at the moment. The new job is interesting and the pay is excellent. I am tired of the grind…..
SesJan2013@reddit
College and NYC are 💰💰💰 Don't know how you've managed it. It's hard everywhere but that's one of the priciest lifestyles out there.
KindProperty1538@reddit
You gotta work where you like it
CosmoKing2@reddit
Laid off. Tons of experience and pretty darn good at what I do - but can't even get a response to job applications. It's like AI and ATS kills every single submission based on information I haven't provided.
freerangetacos@reddit
You need to be first on the pile more than crafting the perfect resume and cover letter. Use something like hiring cafe or there are others that will surface the freshest jobs so that you can jump on them immediately.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
What the hiring cafe??
throwaway762022@reddit
My husband had good luck with using AI to redo his resume to get past ATS. He has gotten numerous interview requests.
ransier831@reddit
Thats it - I know that AI is damaging, but it also has a knack for pin pointing weaknesses and giving you pointers for things there would be no way you would know. When we started working, we took shoe leather express and filled out paper applications - hiring online is different now and any leg up I can get I'm going to use.
NeedsUnfullfilled@reddit
Woman perspective:
My last lay off)2022) at 48 was really bad. 2.5 years to find another in Silicon Valley. The other past 4 layoffs sometimes days I’m between multiple offers. Ohhh but not this time!
Interviewing at 48 was awful. As soon as the lobby opened and I see the panel…I knew.
The panel were all women(of course) who were 10-15 years younger than I. Totally dismissive and pompous, some even questioned why I didn’t hire help for my parent. (Context: Laid off, my parent takes ill 3 month into layoff).
I truncated detail for brevity. The point, maybe try something new. I finally landed in the public sector, and love it. Totally different vibe than tech. Overly complicated but fun. At least at my agency everyone is super nice and aren’t fucking each other.
My 2 cents
chompy187@reddit
Facto mundo what the heck king! We know so much!
Vivid-Pin7688@reddit
I feel you! I’ve been working 60 hours a week for the last 2 years now and it’s aging me! I don’t have the stamina or give-a-sh!t anymore now that my “baby” is finishing university next year. I would love to have some boredom!
RuggedLandscaper@reddit
I took a brk from truckjng in 2021-2024/5iah. I have Crohns-Colitis. I'm on what Canada cslls Ontario Disability, but with special food allowance the max a month is 1500.00 I had to go vack into the truck b c it paya more money. I have a fall back, if I retire. Think ODSP ends at 65, and I have to chhose..old age pension which ive been paying into sincecmy first job at 15. Im trying to develop a good way now at 52 to invest, so by the time im 65 -66, I have a retirenent, Plus old age security
Gotta dovwhat you gotta do
No-Big-2512@reddit
No job is worth your happiness. None. We are hardwired to push through and get the job done. It’s sounds like you’ve done that and earned yourself a MF’n break! Go on git now. Git! Enjoy that break. You’ll be happier
inode71@reddit
1550 days until retirement. I count down every day and just focus on the future.
Kaa_The_Snake@reddit
The closer I get, the harder it is. I feel ya!! But you’ve got this. Just keep your head down for just a little bit longer. You’ve come this far don’t be the dude that fails right before the finish line.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
Right on
MGC00992@reddit
My grand plan isnto stay till I can get SS at the earliest date. Then Ill pour beer close to home 20 hours a week.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
Really? Pour beer? Why?
majorflojo@reddit
I love these "Well I do love a roof over my head." retorts.
Y'all are missing the the real message behind the post - we are in a shitty system.
At least OP sees it
QuoteHaunting@reddit
There are days when I think 62 is just around the corner, take the pension and run. But then I think about how grateful I am to have the job I do. I don't love it. It is not some great dream job, but it affords me the money to save and travel. So there are some days when I think working until I am 67 might not be the worst thing. I don't know. I told my wife I will decide at 62 if I should work another 3 years, and if I am working at 65 I will decide then if I should work until 70. The one thing I have learned is "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." So I stop and look around at my family and I am thankful and then I get back to it.
AdSpiritual220@reddit
Good for you~
Rig-Pig@reddit
Well here's the thing, I like to eat and have a roof over my head. Honestly when I'm at work I just shut off the BS and go through the day amd take it one at a time. Save up so once I do pull the plug I don't ever have to go pick something up. Totally done. I just try and tune out everything. The stressful parts I just try amd shake off quick as possible once I get through it.
JJQuantum@reddit
I gotta eat and so do my wife and sons.
robm1967@reddit
After getting laid off at 58, I couldn't find a job I liked, even a little. I retired 2 years earlier than I planned and haven't looked back. I invested since I started working at 23 and fortunately never stopped. I refuse to work a job I hate, ever again.
After_Narwhal8582@reddit
My fear is I will blow off the ability TO work and then kick myself later by not capitalizing on the opportunity when I "Could" I switched paths a few times trying to find something I could stand. Work from Home Mon-Friday the line of business isn't my forte but I enjoy talking to people who need our services and hopefully am a bright spot in their day. They sure are mine!
pronoialover@reddit
I’m in a similar place. I don’t even think it’s the work itself anymore. I think it’s the repetition. Wake up, get ready, commute, work, come home exhausted, repeat. Years of telling yourself, “Just get through this week,” and suddenly decades went by.
I think a lot of us keep doing it because we have bills and responsibilities and people counting on us. But if I’m being honest, I think a lot of people are also white-knuckling it more than they admit.
Lately I’ve started realizing I don’t necessarily want some fantasy life of endless vacations. I just want more ownership over my time. More random Tuesday afternoons. More sunlight. More feeling like my life belongs to me and not my Outlook calendar.
You’re definitely not alone in feeling this way.
bloodinthecentrifuge@reddit
I’m about to blow my life up because I’m feeling what you’re feeling. I’m so pissed at myself for giving my life and energy to a job that sucked my soul out so that I had nothing left for my family. I’m over that. So, with a ton of doubt and anxiety, I’m getting out.
Kalena426@reddit
11 years and 11 months till I can retire. I do it for the medical benefits. Plus, I get to have some fun. Worked since 1984, only lapse was when my employer of 31 years retired me out, 4 months off, went to Disneyland, and thought about going ba k to school. Under 50 trying to find a job was hard. Found an employer who allows me to work from home. I get to see the sun, listen to the birds, and PTO is flexible and encouraged.
Nearby_Blackberry350@reddit
I feel you. I am 55 but with elementary age children. I am so over work. I do my best but the long days and stress get old. I have no time for myself and I work remotely, which you would think is better but it is isolating. I’m hoping for 10 more years, but just because I’d have more savings, but I don’t know how realistic it is.
AltruisticMiddle2775@reddit
I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. I understood what you meant when you said that working remotely is harder. The isolation is a problem as well as the nonexistent lines between work and life. I think joining a gym and attending classes regularly is a great and healthy way to meet people. Maybe join a card game, anything really but it has to be out of the house. If you do some little things that fulfill you, you will then start to have a clearer and more productive mind. Then you can ponder the big questions and of life. Wishing you the best!
mari815@reddit
I have parents who have millions but don’t plan to pass it to me, and a divorce under my belt with a protracted litigation that cost me almost everything in my 40’s. I’m 46 and cannot remotely see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I hope for something- a windfall, finding a new partner I can build a new life with, making more on investments. I was stupid with money, ignorant. I’ve been earning six figures since 2010 and nothing to show for it. I will probably work until 67. Blah.
I_love_Hobbes@reddit
176 working days...
Tls-user@reddit
I retired at 53.
I got my first job at 15 , put myself through university while working and was never unemployed.
I was sooooo ready to get off the hamster wheel,
It has been 3 years and I have zero regrets
Present_Muscle_2375@reddit
I feel this and started feeling it intensely in my late 50s. I’m 61 and retiring from teaching in 3.5 weeks. I am exhausted of everything and ready to take my early social security, pensions (I worked in 3 states) and enjoy life with my 70 year old wife who is remission from cancer right now. If you can do it, do it. I can’t wait.
Waffuru@reddit
I am just on autopilot. I have a blue-collar job that's the same thing day in and day out. I can retire at 55, at which point I'll have been with my company 30 years. Words can't fully describe how much I want to retire... only now, the concern is whether or not I'll be able to afford insurance once I do. I won't be old enough for social security or medicaid... so I guess I'll see where I am in 3 years. I'm not rich by any means, but my husband and I live fairly modestly and have no kids, I'm hopeful we've saved enough to either be able to survive on what we've made, or move somewhere where we can.
Grouchy_Vet@reddit
Fellow rule of 85’er!! I was able to retire in 2019. Zero regrets. I liked my job but I was so tired
Knitwitty66@reddit
I just woke up every day, drank my coffee and just did it. Until May 1, when I got downsized. Now I'm bored and depressed that I haven't found another job, especially knowing there are thousands more like me who have been looking for months.
New_Somewhere601@reddit
One day at a time!
raford@reddit
I’m a widower at 59. He’s been gone for over 2 years and life insurance supported me for a couple of years. I’ve had to withdraw from IRA and will have to withdraw even more as I plan my move to Mexico for a lower cost of living and higher quality of life.
Character-Lack-3295@reddit (OP)
I’ve given serious consideration to moving to Mexico!
raford@reddit
It’s looking great to me! Very affordable and close to US, but out of US!
battlesong1972@reddit
I just take it day by day. I’m 54 and I don’t hate my job, of course I also don’t like my job, I’m completely apathetic about it. Retirement seems like such an odd, foreign concept to me; I’ve been working full time for 33 years and I can’t wrap my head around the idea of not having to do that.
WhereverUGoThereUR@reddit
Retired at 52 and wouldn't have it any other way. Mountain biking in the morning and beers' on the deck at night. Wine if the wife's around.
duvzorkeeper@reddit
How? Do you have kids? 51 now….wish I could retire in a year 😎 Cheers to you !
Quinn_tEskimo@reddit
I’m happy you got out but goddamn, man, read the room
Left_Huckleberry_166@reddit
I retired last year at 55. I’m busier than I ever was working for the man, but I get to do what I want, not what someone tells me to do.
brooklynbotz@reddit
Shitty. Spent the day throwing out all of my mother's stuff after her passing. On a positive note I'm going to see Mike D perform tomorrow so I'm going to have a few beers and hopefully a good time.
flyers1169@reddit
I rage quit my job after 21 years, and 43 years of straight work. Im living on my 401k money foolishly and dont care
Cubbance@reddit
I hate this pervading feeling that we need to be grateful or thankful for our employers employing us. That shit's transactional. They get something out of it, and so do I. I don't "owe" them. They pay me in exchange for the service I provide, and that alone isn't enough to earn loyalty.
Zestyclose-Sea-5687@reddit
I’m self-employed and when I closed up my shop and moved home, I let some of my clients know that I wouldn’t be able to do the work for them anymore. I think a few of them were perplexed thinking they were doing me a favor.
LuckyAd2714@reddit
I don’t work full time. I went to school to get a career I love and my spouse makes more than I ever will .. I did not like being a stay at home mom. I felt like I needed to be somewhere else all the time. Part time for me is the answer
stockzy@reddit
This. OP, maybe work part time so you can live full time and that way you keep some coins coming in during the last few laps around the circus
pth@reddit
58, need to get my youngest to graduate college (this December), and his own health care, and then I am ready to retire. My wife will probably push me to wait, as she is worried financially, but she is a worrier.
Life is too short, after my responsibility to my kids is handled, my biggest responsibility is to enjoy spending what my kids otherwise get when we die.
Winter_Throat3109@reddit
You nail it! I always told my parents that my first choice was that they leave me nothing…I wanted them to spend it on travel and fun for as long as they could.
flyers1169@reddit
lly and wont care. But Im not playing their game. Fuck it
Grafakos@reddit
I reached the same point in April 2021, and I've been retired since then. Highly recommended, and zero regrets. You certainly have my permission to do the same!
ColdKickin72@reddit
Electrical_Ad2652@reddit
What do you do for work?
Doozer1970@reddit
I got my first job at 14. I'm 54 now. I have been working for 40 years. With the exception of two years in a factory, it has all been retail/customer service jobs.
I am just... so... tired of it.
I need to do something else, but I don't know what my options are at this point.
ransier831@reddit
Im sorry, but the worst thing they ever did was to give me the use of chat GPT - even if some of what I learned was wrong, it still helped me explore what my different options are in the industries I have experience in, research how much they will cost and how long they will take and also make the idea real for a person my age. It helped me explore, but also helped develop a plan to accomplish it. Its like Kit in Night Rider.
Cutaway2AZ@reddit
The job I have right now is the best I’ve ever had although I get paid far less than in the past. But every Friday afternoon I’m in such a good mood. When my vacations start I suddenly sleep better and bound with energy. I don’t do it. I’m expecting to just drop dead at some point. But for now, it’s better than it has been.
TallStarsMuse@reddit
I don’t know. I’ve been working since I was 15, and at my current job for more than 20 years. I like my work and I appreciate my job, but I’m just soooo tired. I have health issues too that make the job harder because my stamina sucks now. I’m so wiped out by the time I get home. I had intended to take early retirement in two years and follow my husband to a change of career for him in a different state. But my husband’s profession has suffered under the current administration, so now we think he’ll lose his job and won’t be able to get another. So, I’ve had to commit to 8 more years until retirement. I’m trying to readjust my attitude.
hapster85@reddit
I'm 59. I walked away from work almost 2 years ago after 39 years. But I was fortunate enough to have been in a good paying job, at one of the few private sector employers still offering pensions. I also contributed to a 401k. I took a reduction in pension to leave at 57, but it was worth every penny.
SMakked@reddit
50 here retired about 3 months ago Best thing I ever did. Never bored always plenty to do. Health ha aimlroved 10 fold. It's took some adjusting but love it. It's good waking up when I want. Going to sleep when I want. Basi6soing anything I want when I want. No stress. Minimal bills
whatsasimba@reddit
I googled "aimlroved," because I'd never heard of it. It's "improved." I'm going to guess that "Basi6soing" is "Basically doing."
SMakked@reddit
Yeah my bad. Thanks for that edited
ransier831@reddit
I am not playing the games - im 54 years old, will be turning 55 and im going back to school online to learn a skill that I can take to another industry if necessary, even though I work for the government now and hope to be hired for this position when I finish. I'm scared, but resolute - no one else is going to control my older years. Im not going to be the old lady dragging her ass into a soul sucking secretarial job for 8 hours for people who make 2x the amount I do because I can't afford to retire comfortably. This certificate can enable me to work from home if I choose and pays so much more than what I make now, it seems like a dream.
samebatchannel@reddit
Almost 58, I feel like I’m coasting. I can see retirement, but it feels so far away. When I talk to friends around my age, we view retirement as a place we’ll get close to but never reach. Still moving that way, but keeping my expectations low.
H82KWT@reddit
I’m 61. For several years I was deeply involved in some creative and edgy stuff in my career. Last summer I get a call out of the blue to leave all that behind and do something far more mundane and ordinary. It wasn’t necessarily bad, and it was not a pay cut, but I made the decision to walk away because damn if that was going to be my last chapter.
Fast forward to this summer and my 56yo wife is now getting ready to join me in retirement. We just bought a retirement home in another state and are happy as can be. Yeah, I’d choose this lifestyle over pounding away a few more years 100 times out of 100
Life-Zookeepergame58@reddit
I was let go last September after 16 years with the company I worked for. I just turned 60 and my prospects are iffy at best for finding a new job, but I'm not going to worry too much. I can tap into my meager retirement fund if I absolutely must, but I'm working on not doing that. I kinda miss the job, but I'm feeling pretty good all the same. I just wish they had kept me on for another four or five years.
CountHoliday8311@reddit
Waiting for child to go to college. That will be my last responsibility. Then I'll walk away. Like you, I'm tired of everything and everyone. I'm going to do what I want even if I have to live in a shoe box and eat ramen everyday. It's a small price to pay to have my life back. Freedom to make choices without being criticize and second guessed
FullCircle2024@reddit
55 here and 67 is my earliest hope. In the last year I am really starting to drag and seems like I'm always thinking there has got to be more to life than this.
I totally get it.
HHSquad@reddit
64 here and trying to get to 67, it's a struggle......just working 4 days a week now
Draco53@reddit
51 here and likely to have to work to 68 to get my full pension. Can still do it every day, but it is getting harder every year.
HHSquad@reddit
It sure does, especially once you hit your 60's. Be sure to invest your money!
Draco53@reddit
I've also got a Roth from my 401k rollover, so that'll be earning interest the whole time.
But pension will still be a decent chunk of retirement income.
thegreatgatsB70@reddit
Same here. I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth and it looks like I will be working until 70. I don't blaim anyone, it's just the way she goes.
endlesssearch482@reddit
I found a few different outs. In 2012 I started volunteering as a firefighter as a side gig to the job I hated. In 2014 I went part time at work so I could volunteer more. In 2020 I changed careers and became a paramedic and left the job I hated. The money sucks, but I love my life.
beek7425@reddit
I like my job for the most part. It’s pretty low stress and I adore my coworkers.
That said, one makes trade offs. It’s pretty low paying. Not poverty wages but low for the level of education.
agirldonkey@reddit
I have been in my underachieving era since Covid. I have a ridiculous resume but I am living a project-based life now, and my current project only peripherally involves a paycheck.
CollectsTooMuch@reddit
Divorce this year is fucking up a lot of plans but I can’t spend the rest of my life with somebody that I don’t trust. I’m making more money than ever and have my place on an island paid off so I just have to get my youngest out of college, which is 6 years away, and I’ll be set.
NVJAC@reddit
I'm resigned to working until 70 because I spent too long in a dying industry getting paid shit wages so barely anything saved for retirement.
On the bright side, now I WFH in a different industry at a company that's paying me much better and is more focused on results than clock punching. My coworkers are all pretty chill, but I don't spend much time communicating with them.
onions-make-me-cry@reddit
Idk. I want out every day.
Unexpectedly99@reddit
I think of it as a means to an end, I've also started to treat it that way. I leave early on beautiful days, if anyone has a problem with it, that's their problem and not mine. Hang in there.
jkepros@reddit
I'm trying NOT to keep doing it. Working is hell. I'm 46 and hoping to be done by 48. Potentially sooner if I get a windfall or can finagle another way out.
Dillenger69@reddit
I'm going to have to work until at least 70 unless something magical happens. Fortunately, I love my job and it only feels like work sometimes. So, 12 more years of working ... still a bigger hill than I'd prefer to climb
AtOm-iCk66@reddit
I am also 59 and I retired at 58. I worked at the same place for 34 years. Having a savvy wife making me max out 401 contributions with employer matching made it possible. Now I stay up late, golf, cycle, tie flies, fly fish and camp without having to ask for vacation time.
Opening-Squirrel-433@reddit
wwhijr@reddit
I enjoy what I do. I'll keep doing it till they pay me in the face with a shovel.
therelybare5@reddit
61 and I’m planning on 4 more years before retirement and I’m counting the days.
yountvillwjs@reddit
Low-Blacksmith5720@reddit
I retired this year at 62, no regrets. Having been born in 1964 I might be boomer technically but identify as a GenX.
purplenurplen@reddit
Retired at 59 best decision ever
Lemonking_@reddit
60 here. I hear you. I’ve been working since I was 12 in the family business, and then moved on. Now it’s only month until I’m retired and done. I never thought I’d get here, but the last 10 years have moved so slowly I question time itself sometimes. You’ll make it; we are Gen X.
parkerhalem84@reddit
I stopped working 3 years ago from an injury and had retired before 50 courtesy of the government's benefits system.
SAG2025@reddit
I retired at 57 and never looked back.
tharesabeveragehere@reddit
Get a job you’ll love! Join the Army!
deagh@reddit
55 and retired and I adore every minute of it. Everyone assured me I'd be bored. I'm absolutely not.
Efficient-Tart456@reddit
Same situation, 4 working days left, 41 years, 8 mos, 24 days! Luckily I obsessed over my 401k and now it’s time to GTFOH 😂😂😂
MuttsandHuskies@reddit
Congratulations! And nice job making your last week at work not a Monday!
Mammoth_Ad_483@reddit
49 here. Trying to make it to 60. It's a struggle.
MavBro@reddit
I quit my job at 35. I couldn’t handle it any more. Combine that with a divorce and expensive custody battle. I was done.
I went part time and did consulting after that. On my own schedule.
Downside is I don’t have a pension, and I still don’t have enough to retire. I’m 50now.
KingPabloo@reddit
59, been retired 6 years. Can’t imagine still being in the rat race.
Serious_Ad4542@reddit
Hang in there. Having made it the 59 is no small thing.
Prospectorjack@reddit
I stopped doing it when I was 58 and I don't regret it. It's nice not stressing.