Well, I made it out alive, retired after working 43.5 years in the steel mills. I feel fortunate to have my health and all my body parts. I worked rotating turns, switching every week the entire time. I am still getting use to sleeping at nights. I've been busy catching up on things that I had put off doing for so long. I'll never get done! I have become my Daughter's handyman/babysitter. She says, "She loves me being retired." I was a little leery about retiring but I got over that real quick and I'm really enjoying it. What everyone says about retiring is true, you wonder how you found the time to work. One project, I have to get on soon, is to finish wiring & insulating the garage I have my lift in. Hopefully, I find some time to work on my Oldsmobiles. My new favorite line is,"I'm on a fixed income!" Any other "retirees"? Later, Ken

 

Sometimes I wish I could. I am only 58 so I have more years to put in. Even when the time comes I am not sure I could afford it. My Cutlass is sitting in the garage waiting for me to retire so I can start working on it in earnest. Glad for you that you made it, enjoy the time.

 

Congrats, indeed! Having spent a few years in "The World's Largest Plate Mill" (USS Gary Works 210" Plate Mill), you are lucky to get out alive, healthy and with all your body parts intact!

As for sleeping, hey you just switched over permanently to days!

Enjoy, you have earned it!

 

Congrats! What a great thing. I want to retire someday, but I just don't think it will happen. I don't really have a pension plan, and I'm sure there will be no social security for me by that time, even though I've paid in since I was 16, lol.

Enjoy it!!!

 

Working till death here, anyone else?

 

Retiring when I hit my 62nd birth month...15 years, 2 months and 23 days to go, give or take a few hours. Oh yeah, guess I gotta live that long first.

 

Congrats!
After this past Tuesday I see at least four
more years untill that sweet time!
Enjoy, sounds like youv'e earned it.

 

3 years more to go @ 57, got my fingers crossed.

BTW, we are all on a fixed income.

 

Way things are going I figure I'll be at the powerplant till death do us part. Me retirement stuff has taken a real beating the last few years (imagine that!) and I still have to pay off the garage. I've said for a while I expect to be as poor when I retire as I was when I started, and I came out of a tobacco field so you know how poor I was.

I just hope I won't be like some of the guys there who took an early-out package and ended up back out there within a year.

Anyhoo Ken- congrats and enjoy it!

 

Welcome to the fraternity of the retired.

Been retired almost three years now best thing I've ever done, spent over 43 years as a sales rep in the paint sundries, hardware and coatings business, all of it on the road (50- 60 thousand miles a year) and like most I can't remember how I managed to find time to work and restore a car at the same time. Glad you made it, many don't or can't...Tedd

 

I've still got 6 years, 11 months exactly to the day today. THEN I'll be joining the rest of ya. I won't be 60 yet at that time, but that's my goal.

 

Ken,

I hope to be there soon. It will take a little belt-tightening, since we won't be eligible for SS for a few years (if it's still there); but we figure it will be worth it to be able to have a little freedom to do (almost) as we please every day. Might take on a little freelance or at least part-time work.

I'm hoping the 300-some-odd point drop in the Dow yesterday is just a temporary thing; if it ain't, no soup for me....
Enjoy!!!

 

Welcome to the real world. It's definitely different isn't it? I've been retired now for a year and a half. Was lucky enough to have my ducks in a row at 55. Sometimes there are days I don't want to do anything and I can! Other times I wonder how there was time in the day for work. Fixed income is income that isn't broken.....

Enjoy your retirement. And for all those who aren't? One day it will be there for you. You just have to wannnnnt it.

 

Even though you are retired I see you still got up at 0622 to write this, lol. I'm 54 and on disability. Not quite the plan I had for retirement but I share your joy in making it to the end. Congrats and good luck on your project

 

I was forced to "retire" in 2001 because of health problems and couldn't do my job anymore. Had the forsite and had some good plans I paid into. First 2-3 years were good and could do what I wanted. Since then the diabetes and bad heart keep getting more and more in control. I do still enjoy life with my wife, daughter and the three grandkids. Still own the race car and enjoy watching it go down the track every chance I get. I also have some very great friends who help me. So don't take your health for granted.......it may not always be there.

 

Don't worry. Down 300 is the new down 100.

Congrats.

 

Congrats on pulling the plug

Thought this was the year but, still short on funds maybe 1-2 years away and I am 67 next month. Still gotta finish the 48...............

 

congrats!!!! I for one never see myself retired - too many kids, too many bills. Though I did take some time off because of a non-compete. One can get used to what seems like doing nothing, before I blinked it was 1:00 PM. The saying goes give the job to a busy person they will figure out how to get it done. I'm much more efficient when busy but would love to be less busy cause I'm never really that efficient anyway

 

Unlike many, I was in a good position to take a buy out........ SO I DID..... And that was over 12 years ago...... Honestly, never looked back, and definitely have no regrets..... Things can now be accomplished in my own time frame without the worry of having to fit them into "a normal work schedule"......

 

First, thanks for all the best wishes. I too never thought retirement would happen. The years flew by and I hadn't "mentally" planned to retire this early. {62} It just worked out this way. The steel plant I worked at was bought a few years ago and grouped with couple of other money losing plants, short story is it all went down. I was fortunate because of age/pension/saving I could just retire. I feel bad for the younger workers with children. My "Kids" are 36 & 33. The oldest, my Son is a teacher, married to a teacher. My Daughter is a lawyer, married to a lawyer. I am thankful for lots of overtime in paying for schools. The first thing on my "bucket list" was seeing the coastal Redwoods. My Lady-friend and I just came back from N. Calif. We flew into San Francisco and drove up the coast to Oregon stopping at every Redwood Park. No hurry or plans, had a great time and unbelieviable scenery/trees. I liked Northern Calif./Redwoods so much I put it back on the list. Thanks again and best wishes to all, Ken

 

Congrats to Kennybill and all the rest of you that made it to retirement!!!

Kenny, let me suggest Washington DC for your next trip. I could spend a month
in the national archives.

I just turned 50 so I have a few years to go. I don't think the
SS I paid in will be there when I turn 62. It's a real concern so I am banking
as much cash as I can but I am still worried it won't be enough.

So I have to ask, are all you guys millionaires? How much was enough for you to feel comfortable calling it a career? What helped you make that decision?

 

The thing holding me back is the cost of health care. No matter the health care act the insurance companies and for profit Hospitals along with the drug industry keep driving the prices up. I am on medicare with a supplement and it is going up 18% from 2012 to 2013. How do you handle that on a fixed income? Other then that fear I would be ok.

 

The thing that keeps me from retiring is that with current savings interest rates, ie-cd's, ira's, etc... my money is not making any money. I'm really not interested in throwing any money back in the stock market. Most people my age or older are having the same problem.

 

Congrats Ken
Having worked in a steel mill (USS) on 12 hour shifts, I know the feeling.
Blast Furnace, Coke Ovens, not the nicest places

Enjoy!! now is the time.

Joe

 

Good morning, every morning feels like Sat but today really is. To 67 442. I really hadn't planned to retire at 62 but the steel mill I worked at shut down. The job I had paid good plus I worked an almost unbelievable amount of overtime thru the years. I always use the IRA/401K plans mainly for the lower income tax benefits each year. I always hated paying interest/taxes. Once the mill shut down, I figured up my assets/pension/SS vs payouts. Even I was surprised, so I went from working 7 days (scheduled since 2005) to every day is the first day of school vacation. So basically stay dedicated to working/saving-sheltering as much as you can. I just got lucky that the shut down & my age happened when they did. So now I have a "slower" life, I use to be "that busy guy" that got things done. To 380 Racer, I really do appreciate good health. This "shut downs" golden lining is it made me retire earlier. I know my healths better now than it will be 4 years from now when I was "planning" to retire. I remember your car from Mondello/Miller meets at Norwalk. As I recall, at the earlier meets it was in primer. I was impressed, back then I believe it was a "gas" small block. Once again, thanks for the wishes. I will on the site more now, Ken