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Old 12-02-2019, 01:36 PM   #48
sourdough
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,600
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Lockwood View Post
George,

Well I turned 66 (FRA) four years ago and at that time started drawing my SS. At that time we still had a mortgage of sorts and I figured if I compared my trade off of working until 70 without drawing my SS, I may be dead before I made up the difference. So I took it a FRA and used it to pay down our debt so we're debt free at 70 when I retire. The interest $$$'s saved in the mortgage alone was more than if I had waited to draw at 70.

My wife took early at 62 and we were both covered under my work insurance policy. When I turned 65 and "could" go on Medicare, the company paid my Part B and Plan F supplemental for the health insurance and also Part D for drugs, although I only take one pill for cholesterol. They did the same thing for my wife when she turned 65.

So at 70 I'm getting a bit nervous about retirement. I'm sure that I can find one of my many vehicle projects will keep me busy. But at work I had the run of the shop after hours with their water jet and all of their welding and metal fabbing equipment etc. So I'll have to use my home equipment now and make do with a bit less convenience in a few places. They say I can come back and use the stuff, but it won't be as convenient.

Thanks for the encouraging words. I'm sure traveling for the next couple years will help take my mind off of work...


Dan,

If you are retiring at 70 it may be different than my story because I retired at 55, but, you do need to have those backup "hobbies" to give you something to do. When I retired I thought I was set and couldn't possibly be bored; we had multiple houses, one on a lake, one in the mountains, a new bass boat, a new deck boat plus a fully equipped shop including all kinds of wood working machinery. I thought there was no way I could get bored with so many interests. Wrong.

The day I retired was a little surreal and then the next 2 weeks it was sort of like being on vacation - "retirement" hadn't sunk in. As the weeks rolled on I lost any motivation, wouldn't eat, wanted sleep all day. This went on for TWO YEARS then DW told me to get it together; that I was suffering from depression....and she was right. I didn't know how much I would miss the pressure, taking off in the dark and coming back the same way, traveling all over the state on a whim....the people. I never saw it coming and had no idea until Susan jerked my chain. Just a heads up in the event you encounter something similar. I will say that I came out of that funk almost 13 years ago and we've been blowing and going ever since. I will say your plan of taking off and traveling for a couple of years could very well prevent that "boredom" from becoming front and center and really help you adjust to the lifestyle change. Wishing you the best.
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Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
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