Retirement

[375 Ruger Fan]

I have worked 37+ years with a major oil company and 14 of those years have been working and living outside the US. It's been an incredible experience, both for me and my family. However, retirement is getting near. Fortunately, engineering is a profession where numerous consulting positions exists and I will likely do that part time for a while. Sort of a transition into full retirement.

Update: Officially retired Nov 1st after 39 years with a major US oil company. Instead of getting up at 5am, I now sleep into 6am.

I've had a few inquiries from a couple of firms if I'd be interested in doing some part time consulting. I'll wait until next year to decide on that, but for now retirement appears to be the best job I've ever had!

 

[Velo Dog]

Fellow Hunters,

This thread is pleasant to read.
I’m enjoying it.

Yours truly is retired.
I was a Peace Officer for 8 years in Soviet Occupied California.
At age 29, I resigned from the Colusa County Sheriff’s Department, to accept a job in the frozen north and thereby, I escaped to Anchorage, up here in the United State of Alaska.
I worked there for another 20 years, as a City Police Officer, in Los Anchorage.
Retired at age 49 and spent that summer building a cabin in the bush, about 7 or 8 miles from fellow forum member, Cal Pappas’ place.
Then I worked part time as a clerk in a gun shop, for a few months.
I liked guns a little more that I can afford and every payday, I had to write THEM a check.
At that same time, I discovered Africa and fortunately was able to hunt there 5 times, over about a 15 year span.
Affording those “safaris”, in large part was due to selling almost all of my lifetime’s gun collection, for adequate safari money.

While working in the gun shop, some of my fellow Police retirees began annoying me with the idea that I apply to work in oilfield security with them.
Eventually I caved in and did so.
I worked security for 10 years, primarily oilfield (Prudhoe Bay mostly), but some times in Anchorage as well, including occasional body guard details.
The company still calls me now and then but at age 67, I usually turn it down these days.

Twice I was able to work as a wildlife guard on photography and scientific expeditions to the Arctic, in both Siberia and Alaska.
These jobs were on ships carrying the people who needed someone to stay alert for bears, rabid foxes and grouchy walrus lol, while these folk did their work out in the ice and / or walking on remote shorelines.
Such voyages have ended with the mass hysteria of COVID. (It is a sort of reverse Beetlemania IMO).

Now, I mostly work on me and my wife’s old house here in Anchorage.
I have been trying to get out for summer fishing more often and last winter, fellow forum member, Dirthawker1 took me hunting for snowshoe hare.
We had a huge amount of fun but, I guess I’m loosing my eagle eyes.
I never got a shot at anything but, he shot so many that I volunteered to help carry his pile of bunnies back to the truck.

For my local friends here who also believe COVID is less contagious and less deadly that regular old strep throat is, we have been gathering in my man cave every now and then, especially when it’s cold and windy outside.
Here we have in fact solved ALL of the world’s problems, but nobody listens to our solutions LoL.

Meanwhile and sadly, my cabin up past Willow, Alaska burned down 3 years ago in a forest fire.
Might build another one there someday.
The nice thing about land is that dirt sand and rock do not burn well and so my land is still there.

I guess I’m about as retired as I can be now, except that I advertise for Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris of Namibia.
However, that is more like a fun, part-time hobby than a job.
Presently, I’m saving my pop bottle money toward yet another visit to the highlands there, for hunting and a long overdue visit with Khomas owner and friend, Philip Hennings, as well as his PH’s, Adab and Isaac.
Plus, hopefully we can also get over to the west coast of Namibia for some salt water fishing too.

Retirement IS everything it’s cracked up to be.
Well, as long as one can budget their reduced income carefully, it is wonderful.

I guess that’s about all the news that’s fit to print around here.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[Velo Dog]

1dirthawker, not “Dirthawker1” (my senile apology to you Don).

 

[wesheltonj]

I guess as everyone is posting their retirement stories, I might was well too. Both my wife and planned on retiring 55-58 as we saved well and did not live above our means. As with best laid plans, all did not go as planned. My wife retired after 31 years from USAA, thankfully based on her hire date she was pension eligible, as USAA did away with pensions. Unfortunately, they decided that they were no longer going to offer retirees group health insurance and that's were the problem started with our planed retirement. That was quickly solve, by obtaining health insurance thru my employer. The next hiccup occurred at the end of my term while I would vest and be eligible to sit as a Visiting Judge for life (assuming I don't get arrested for anything, which is very remote except for maybe DWI), I would not be age sixty and not qualify for the retiree group insurance. Thus requiring me to run for another term in order to be employed at age 60 when submitting by retirement papers. And that did not happen. Fortunately, as a part-time employee I could be on the state group plan, as long as I sit at least one day a month. So far that's not been a problem. It was hard to get one day a month when I started out, and the winter months are still difficult to obtain work but I manage. The summers are no problem of course. It's just a problem if you want to go somewhere in June, July and August. As a Visiting Judge, they only type of private practice that you can have is ADR. The ADR work started out slowly at first, and now picked up rather nicely.

Now, I am working more "retired" than I did when I was a full time employee, and that does not include the "honey do" work that I am supposed to do because I am "retired". My retirement plan of daily hunting and rainbow trout fishing during the season and traveling in the summers has yet to materialize, if it ever does.

On another note, I am certainly concerned for my daughter's future and her ability to retire, with more and more employers doing away with pension. The four leg retirement stool having one leg removed is wobbly and with SS insolvent in a few years that stool could be down to two legs.

 

[PARA45]

I retired from US Air Force Reserve as an Air Reserve Technician after 34 years, 9 months and 28 days. I landed a GS job on the base I retired from, and I am looking at possibly retiring after I get back from Africa in 2022. I'll be 60 at that time.

I'm getting into wood working to pass time and keep my mind busy. Maybe make a little bit of extra money while doing it. Plans for the future, my wife wants to go to New Zealand and she knows I'll be hunting; go back to Africa again; hunt bear in Canada. Wife wants me to hunt a Billy Goat, but I don't know how my knees will be for that type of hunt. Maybe do it while I'm still young, vs. later in life. LOL!!!!!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I guess as everyone is posting their retirement stories, I might was well @too. Both my wife and planned on retiring 55-58 as we saved well and did not live above our means. As with best laid plans, all did not go as planned. My wife retired after 31 years from USAA, thankfully based on her hire date she was pension eligible, as USAA did away with pensions. Unfortunately, they decided that they were no longer going to offer retirees group health insurance and that's were the problem started with our planed retirement. That was quickly solve, by obtaining health insurance thru my employer. The next hiccup occurred at the end of my term while I would vest and be eligible to sit as a Visiting Judge for life (assuming I don't get arrested for anything, which is very remote except for maybe DWI), I would not be age sixty and not qualify for the retiree group insurance. Thus requiring me to run for another term in order to be employed at age 60 when submitting by retirement papers. And that did not happen. Fortunately, as a part-time employee I could be on the state group plan, as long as I sit at least one day a month. So far that's not been a problem. It was hard to get one day a month when I started out, and the winter months are still difficult to obtain work but I manage. The summers are no problem of course. It's just a problem if you want to go somewhere in June, July and August. As a Visiting Judge, they only type of private practice that you can have is ADR. The ADR work started out slowly at first, and now picked up rather nicely.

Now, I am working more "retired" than I did when I was a full time employee, and that does not include the "honey do" work that I am supposed to do because I am "retired". My retirement plan of daily hunting and rainbow trout fishing during the season and traveling in the summers has yet to materialize, if it ever does.

On another note, I am certainly concerned for my daughter's future and her ability to retire, with more and more employers doing away with pension. The four leg retirement stool having one leg removed is wobbly and with SS insolvent in a few years that stool could be down to two legs.

@wesheltonj
Mate in Australia we are very lucky as employers are by law to contribute 9% of your earnings into a compulsory retirement fund. This is to go up to 12% in the near future. We also have a public health system that everyone can access free of charge including the unemployed, age pensioners and all other people for free. If you are working you are advised to have private health insurance or pay a higher tax levy for health insurance.
A lot better system than the U.S..
Bob

 

[wesheltonj]

@wesheltonj
Mate in Australia we are very lucky as employers are by law to contribute 9% of your earnings into a compulsory retirement fund. This is to go up to 12% in the near future. We also have a public health system that everyone can access free of charge including the unemployed, age pensioners and all other people for free. If you are working you are advised to have private health insurance or pay a higher tax levy for health insurance.
A lot better system than the U.S..
Bob

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen

In the USA, we have Social Security in which both the employer and employee pay into and pays a retirement benefit. But that's not a pension and was designed to be a supplement to an individual retirement, and not their total retirement which unfortunately is the case for many Americans.

The four retirement legs in the USA are: (1) pension, (2) Social Security, (3) 401k or 403b and/or IRA account and (4) Savings. More private employers are eliminating the pension benefit, which is going to be a financial disaster for future retirees. And of course, I suspect, most will be yelling for their government bailout, just like the recent college graduates who want their loans written off because they cannot find jobs to pay the debt load they voluntary took on.

At age 65, everyone goes into Medicare the government run health care. But you still need a health insurance supplement of top of Medicaid.

Not so so the Australia system is any better. But at least we can still own semi-auto firearms. I really enjoy my time visiting Australia and wish I could go more often.

 

[Newboomer]

Next chapter from two years ago. Still doing odd carpentry jobs picking up more and more. Seems nobody wants to do the small jobs. I had to quit skiing and mountain biking because I got run over last January skiing and tore up an already bad knee. Surgery didn't do much. It's still about half again as big as normal and quite painful. That means my hunting days are over, too. Can't get around very well anymore. Doc won't replace it, says I'm too old. Hell, I'm only 80 and still working, busier than when I was really working.

Lets see: woodworking, carpentry, shooting, reloading, just finished laying a wood floor( damn near killed my knees), cut my woodpile, precut a planter box and planting shed for my daughter, bowling two leagues. And I wonder where my time goes.

I keep telling myself I'm too old for this but I don't have sense enough to quit. I can't quit, I'm having too much fun. If I did quit I'd wither away and die. I have to have something going and as long as people want me to work I guess I'll have something going as long as I want.

 

[Hogpatrol]

My father, WW2 vet, hobbled around on a shot up braced leg until he died. He used to say "If you don't use it, you lose it". I think that goes for life too. Funny, the older I got, the smarter he became.

 

[browningbbr]

I retired at 58 and have not regretted a single moment. (I'm now 64.) I still have more hobbies than time, so I am seldom idle. The difference is, I'm doing what I WANT to do when I WANT TO DO IT. The change in perspective is dramatic.

 

[Newboomer]

I retired at 58 and have not regretted a single moment. (I'm now 64.) I still have more hobbies than time, so I am seldom idle. The difference is, I'm doing what I WANT to do when I WANT TO DO IT. The change in perspective is dramatic.

That is the beauty of it. Do what I want when I want and no one ragging on me. As my Dad used to say about working for a company, "Whistle in, whistle out and put up with the bs. No say, no security"

 

[JimP]

I retired at 58 and have not regretted a single moment. (I'm now 64.) I still have more hobbies than time, so I am seldom idle. The difference is, I'm doing what I WANT to do when I WANT TO DO IT. The change in perspective is dramatic.

I got out of the rat race at 55 and now I am 67, and agree with you completely

 

[SRvet]

Currently 46 and sold our business two years ago. Have worked through the tied in period of two years now and am currently on a sabbatical until mid January. It has been a revelation and I now feel I can be myself at long last!! In 2021 have cut my work commitments down to 2 days per week to give me time to hunt 2 days per week. Assuming COVID doesn’t stop us it will be RSA for buff for the first time in August 2021. I will probably keep working 2 days a week until my youngest finishes college ( might be 6 or 7 years)

 

[Ed Lally]

Lots of "early retirement" posts here but I'm one if the exceptions. At age 14 I told my dad, who had to work 2 jobs, that I needed to spend more time with him. His solution was to get me a job working 10 hours every Saturday in a land survey crew. He was the crew chief and the other men were all Korean war era vets who loved their God, their country and had a great work ethic. I was blessed to learn so much about life from my dad and these men who I worked with for years. I was running a transit by 16, my own crew by 18 and transitioned into design work by 19. I worked while in college, virtually every weekend, every break, every summer. College was a breeze because I had designed projects before taking classes on how to design those projects. I loved the problem solving and creativity that went with my work. Life was not all work, varmint hunting most evenings, or fishing, and weekend trips to Maine or NH for deer and bear for years. At 27, continued arguments with my boss over treatment of clients and business ethics resulted in my starting my own Consulting and Design firm. Growth was slow at first but soon led to a well respected firm of 30 providing services exclusively to individuals and corporation's as I couldn't stomach working with Governmental agencies. Lots of local hunting and then Elk in Wyoming at 29, moose in Canada at 30. Fishing in Alaska and Hawaii and other great destinations. More inshore and offshore fishing. I continued work until I was 70 and then sold my files and almost all of my equipment to my employees but not my business. I still do consulting for clients who not only put my kids through college and paid my mortgage but became friends. My working life was a good balance for those times but now the balance is about perfect. Still work a bit on the most challenging projects to keep using my mind; cut, split and stack 8 cords of fire wood for myself and 4 for my kids, built an elevated 520 sf deck on my house without assistance this year and continue to build on my camp in Maine; and hunt. 2021 has Cape Buffalo in Zim and PG in RSA in May, Elk in CO in October, Moose in Newfoundland in late November and fishing all Summer. The best part is sharing all this with my beautiful wife Cynthia. She doubles, no triples the enjoyment. Two points. Use it or lose it. Once you say "I can't.", you can't!!

 

[BWH]

I guess as everyone is posting their retirement stories, I might was well too. Both my wife and planned on retiring 55-58 as we saved well and did not live above our means. As with best laid plans, all did not go as planned. My wife retired after 31 years from USAA, thankfully based on her hire date she was pension eligible, as USAA did away with pensions. Unfortunately, they decided that they were no longer going to offer retirees group health insurance and that's were the problem started with our planed retirement. That was quickly solve, by obtaining health insurance thru my employer. The next hiccup occurred at the end of my term while I would vest and be eligible to sit as a Visiting Judge for life (assuming I don't get arrested for anything, which is very remote except for maybe DWI), I would not be age sixty and not qualify for the retiree group insurance. Thus requiring me to run for another term in order to be employed at age 60 when submitting by retirement papers. And that did not happen. Fortunately, as a part-time employee I could be on the state group plan, as long as I sit at least one day a month. So far that's not been a problem. It was hard to get one day a month when I started out, and the winter months are still difficult to obtain work but I manage. The summers are no problem of course. It's just a problem if you want to go somewhere in June, July and August. As a Visiting Judge, they only type of private practice that you can have is ADR. The ADR work started out slowly at first, and now picked up rather nicely.

Now, I am working more "retired" than I did when I was a full time employee, and that does not include the "honey do" work that I am supposed to do because I am "retired". My retirement plan of daily hunting and rainbow trout fishing during the season and traveling in the summers has yet to materialize, if it ever does.

On another note, I am certainly concerned for my daughter's future and her ability to retire, with more and more employers doing away with pension. The four leg retirement stool having one leg removed is wobbly and with SS insolvent in a few years that stool could be down to two legs.

With all do respect. Have you considered running as a democratic judge? Speak of pensions, govt aid, benefits, etc. those tend to align with the left. Your in San Antonio, seems to align with constituents.

 

[wesheltonj]

With all do respect. Have you considered running as a democratic judge? Speak of pensions, govt aid, benefits, etc. those tend to align with the left. Your in San Antonio, seems to align with constituents.

(1) I could not win in a Democratic primary. I do know some Democrat judges who are actually Republicans, and some former Republican judges that are actually Democrats. (2) I believe in Capitalism not Socialism. Pensions and group health are what employers offer to attract and keep employees. Those don’t align with the left, those align with a free market. A National Health systems (Medicare for All) align with the left.

 

[Certus]

Daaang some of you guys retired young! How!? I’ll be working til I drop, ha!

 

[WAB]

Daaang some of you guys retired young! How!? I’ll be working til I drop, ha!

I can’t speak for others, in my case, hard work and lots of luck! Choosing Chemical Engineering opened a lot of opportunity. Again, luck! When I chose ChE coming out of high school I didn’t even know what Chemical Engineers did for a living!

 

[Certus]

I can’t speak for others, in my case, hard work and lots of luck! Choosing Chemical Engineering opened a lot of opportunity. Again, luck! When I chose ChE coming out of high school I didn’t even know what Chemical Engineers did for a living!

Ha! I like that
I’m almost 30 and only just doing a diploma, been working in a trade for 12 years ain’t no way to get ahead.

 

[Lee M]

Great life stories on here gentleman! I enjoyed reading about the different careers and experiences. I may go back and reread from the beginning of the thread. There is definitely a life balance between work and play. I have a few hunting friends that are ~15 years older than me and they all say do it while your age and health allows.