Reply With QuoteEnjoy your retirement. I did a similar thing 6 years ago this month.
It'll be fine, honest!
After numerous (38+) years before a blackboard (and later a whiteboard), it is time to retire. And today is that day. This afternoon, I closed the school door behind me - for ever. I am retired!!!! I have been working 3d/week in school for the last 10 or so years and I had my 'interested in classic cars' as well. Before that I worked 5d/week in a school and had my own company: teaching company employees the fine art of Dutch spelling... I sold that in 2001.
The plans of my retirement started to get shape during Christmas. And it took some time to realise that I wouldn't be back in a school office in September. I will not jump into a 5d/week workshop routine. The guys overthere need their space as well. I will not change the current routine. Certainly not on the lookout for new customers: the order book is filled up until Summer 2018.
Come September, I will embark on a course: 'How to repair GPR boat hulls' because I believe it can be done a lot cheaper than quotes I get from GPR & maritime workshops! After that, the garden needs my attention and I want to repaint and replaster the inside of the house. After 16 yrs it needs a new lick of paint!
Now, let's hope for a nice Summer!
Menno
Last edited by thieuster; 27th June 2017 at 18:53.
Enjoy your retirement. I did a similar thing 6 years ago this month.
It'll be fine, honest!
Well done enjoy your retirement!
I retire next Wednesday after 33 years in the oil industry at 56
Will probably do a little low key contracting for a year or so
Also in process of selling up and relocating
It's all go!
Enjoy your retirement - I retired in late Feb this year, only to find myself working 4 days a week at a steam railway two week before i retired...no it makes no sense to me either.
That's nice to hear, Menno. Your plan sounds good. I really hope you enjoy the retirement. Just don't retire so hard you won't have any time for us over at TZ.I always enjoy your posts and hope you have time to be here in the future too.
Have a long & rewarding retirement, looks like you'll still be very busy.
Ki
Good to see you jumping off the treadmill, but there's no such thing as 'retirement' IMO - certainly not for the likes of you, Menno. ;-)
" 'How to repair GPR boat hulls' because I believe it can be done a lot cheaper than quotes I get from GPR & maritime workshops!" Oh yes, indeed it can - and I think there's plenty of demand for such a service too...
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Congratulations!
"A man of little significance"
Taking redundancy/early retirement at 52 was the best career move I ever made
It's v. important to find something rewarding/enjoyable to fill your time........can`t see Menno having a problem with that!
Paul
Don't forget that you'll still be duty transport to and from regattas etc for a few more years at least. You'll have no problem finding things to do, just try and make sure that you enjoy them. Congratulations...
Congrats to you and our resident Goat. Good to know that you have something lined up already to embark, so to say on, enjoy!
Last edited by VDG; 28th June 2017 at 21:13.
Fas est ab hoste doceri
Congratulations I envy you!
Congratulations Menno on your retirement. Throw your weight into supporting your son Maurice in his sailing adventures.
Congratulations on your retirement!Originally Posted by thieuster
If you need some advice just give me a shout. I'm a boat repairer (Grp specialist by trade)
Congrats Menno. Now you can be a full time taxi for Maurice.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Oh dear! Just what I need. Thanks for the nice gesture!
Menno
Last edited by thieuster; 28th June 2017 at 10:12.
Many contrats to you all.
Currently I am enjoying Amsterdam on expenses :) but after 40 years and the ripe old age 57, tomorrow is my last day. No more spreadsheets, forecasts, bids and service reviews - happy happy days.
Monday I start redecorating the house starting with the Utility Room and stripping the beach sink drainer. Lots to do in the garden plus golf on Tuesday and maybe my first proper Yoga Class in Thursday.
I also need to plan my Road trip to the Porsche Museum at Stuttgart, by way of The Ring, Spa and whatever I fancy in-between, plus prepare for my holiday to Corfu at the end of the month.
Don't forget the Test series against South Africa also starts 6th July.
What a wonderful summer it will be :)
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Congratulations to all who are retiring imminently!
Any advice for us 30-somethings where the end of the treadmill seems so far away?
M.
Advice to my 30yr old self:
- However much you're saving, increase it so that you can retire earlier - it's worth a few less nights in the pub!
- Set up more long term investments. It's really nice to get those maturity payments in your 50s and be able to plan an even earlier retirement
So basically, I should buy fewer watches then :D
NO -watches are investments!!! ;-)
Hahaha, need to have you in the room when I put forward the case to my missus!
Not necessarily :-) but buy carefully and buy vintage Rolex sports models with global appeal. Also don't forget these are free from capital gains and inheritance tax - so pretty solid investments.
Other than that save like bugger and don't rely on things like state pensions to keep you fed and watered.
But a few gems of advice
Don't divorce
dont have to many children
pay off your mortgage as soon as possible
invest in your pension and maximise your tax relief
move jobs in order to get more money - obvious, but lots of people remain with companies to long
never buy brand new cars
buy quality products that last - especially shoes
maintain the same weight - putting on or losing lots of weight - can be very expensive
dont waste to much on coke, hookers and technology
other than that have a plan and enjoy yourself 😀
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Definitely a few gems in there! I have a son, but not planning on getting married (If I can get away with it!).
Just realised that I have a work pension but have no idea of documentation or value - probably a good idea to dig this out!!
Thanks!
Congratulations on the retirement - sounds like you'll have plenty to keep you busy and engaged - and that's really important.
MJGerrard - definitely dig out your pension paperwork and make sure you know what you're invested in, the costs you're being charged etc and take a few mins / calls to see if you're happy with those (especially the costs). As I approach the 50 mark, I wish I had taken more time/paid more attention to my pension when I was much younger. The only solace is that at least I paid into the various pensions over the years.
Nothing to add. I did all of the above. And switched from savings to real estate: renting out homes, apartments and commercial estates etc. I 'encountered' a divorce in the early 90s. It nearly destroyed all my savings + I had to pay the mortgage on my own. Not knowing that it was 15mins before the housing bubble started. That was my lucky streak. Two years later, I sold the house with an 80% profit, bringing me back on track.
I met my second wife and with her, I started the 'buy a derelict house in a good neighbourhood' campaign. My wife pointed out to me that I could use my Summer holidays to make money by renovating a house! That's what we did: buy a house like you see in 'Homes under the Hammer', we took care of it (with friends and family of my wife in the 'trade') in 8 or so weeks. After that, we stayed two years in the house and then we started again in a better neighbourhood. We did that 4 times. Until our kids were born. And now we live in a house that's too big for the two us when the boys are living on their own within a few years!
Menno
Surely if you're working, even part time, you're not really retired?
Anyway, enjoy it.
Some days (today, for example) I envy people who are retired, but at the same time I have a lot of places to go and things to see before I'll voluntarily give up a good salary and I don't have any particularly useful skills that I could turn into a profitable sideline (Which I suspect, anyway, tends to become a full time job before you know where you are!)
M.
Welcome to the club
Cheers bambam will do.
Congratulations on retiring. Don't know how I found time to go to work now I'm retired, days fly by and always something to do.
Ian
I worked my ass off during my working life and was able to retire in 2002 at the age of 51 with the house paid off and I have had(and am still having) an absolute ball! I have been lucky to be able to do this and have the massive benefit of the big 3, namely a super wife and family, good health and sufficient pennies. Being an old bastard, I like to whinge a lot but the bottom line is that I have damn all to complain about!
Good for you, Menno, and welcome to the Club! Keep the chess board handy and maybe I'll pop in for a game and a pint some day!
Congratulations to those retiring in their 50s and thanks for passing on your wisdom to those of us not there yet! Personally at 46 I'm on track for retiring in 9 years time after saving like mad into my pension for the last 12 years. I'm enjoying my job so whether I do actually fully retire at 55 remains to be seen but at the moment I'm assuming I will. In the meantime I'm trying to maintain my fitness so that I can enjoy my cycling once I do give up working.
Chess or no chess, you're always welcome!Good for you, Menno, and welcome to the Club! Keep the chess board handy and maybe I'll pop in for a game and a pint some day!
M
Well done thieuster, sounds like you played a cracking game. Enjoy your well earned YOU time.
Enjoy Menno - great place to be!
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Indeed, old boy. I did it last year, a month before I was 50. I planned for 52 or 53 but I over-invested for a few years, so when the opportunity came I walked off into the sunset. Mark you, a long while before I can start to claim my pensions, so will get used to living off investments till that time comes.
Key thing for me was not to go back "as a consultant". Not sure how an ex-consultant can go back as a consultant. 😀 Plenty of other fun stuff to mess around with and plenty of folk that really need a hand with something.
Enjoy your productive tinkering, and time with your family and the wider society.
Analogue
Congratulations, Menno. Enjoy every minute of your retirement.
I managed to jump from the Corporate hamster wheel at 54. Best thing I ever did.
Have a ball hope I can get to that stage too, but I have too many divorces and way too many kids. To get the in the next 10.
Congratulations on your retirement.
Retirement is great - apart from the winter!
Congratulations and enjoy your new found freedom.
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