Work another year and buy a Kirkham or Retire?

[olddog]

Unfortunately that thought has already crossed my mind, but I have be trying to find a way to have a life after retirement and still share it with my wife. Otherwise I might as well continue to work.

I have worked all my life. I started cutting grass for a neighbor at the age of 10. Started bailing hay at 13. Worked at an apple orchard the summer and fall, I was 16. Finished the year pumping gas. Carried dry wall on the week ends and put in swimming pools when I wasn't carrying drywall, while working 48 hrs a week at the gas station my last two years of high school. I went to work for a chemical company shortly after. Most of those 41 years, I worked 300-400 hr of overtime a year.

So here I am looking at the end of working. It's all I have ever known, but I am tired of it. However it is very sobering and unnerving. There is much more I would like to finish before I retire, but I know there will always be more to do. I loved my job, most of the time and few people were ever that fortunate. It is tough to give it all up. I have attended too many funerals of people who never got to retire, so I do not want to work too long. Yes I am conflicted with many feelings.

I likely will never have grandchildren. I have plenty of money to live on. The only reason I am working is the medical insurance. Unfortunately, my wife's health leaves her unable to do much. I have already worked past the time that she could have enjoyed it. It is too late for her, and I feel quite guilty for that, even though I know it is not my fault. So yes maybe I am grasping at straws.

[1795]

Originally Posted by olddog

Unfortunately that thought has already crossed my mind, but I have be trying to find a way to have a life after retirement and still share it with my wife. Otherwise I might as well continue to work.

I have worked all my life. I started cutting grass for a neighbor at the age of 10. Started bailing hay at 13. Worked at an apple orchard the summer and fall, I was 16. Finished the year pumping gas. Carried dry wall on the week ends and put in swimming pools when I wasn't carrying drywall, while working 48 hrs a week at the gas station my last two years of high school. I went to work for a chemical company shortly after. Most of those 41 years, I worked 300-400 hr of overtime a year.

So here I am looking at the end of working. It's all I have ever known, but I am tired of it. However it is very sobering and unnerving. There is much more I would like to finish before I retire, but I know there will always be more to do. I loved my job, most of the time and few people were ever that fortunate. It is tough to give it all up. I have attended too many funerals of people who never got to retire, so I do not want to work too long. Yes I am conflicted with many feelings.

I likely will never have grandchildren. I have plenty of money to live on. The only reason I am working is the medical insurance. Unfortunately, my wife's health leaves her unable to do much. I have already worked past the time that she could have enjoyed it. It is too late for her, and I feel quite guilty for that, even though I know it is not my fault. So yes maybe I am grasping at straws.

Olddog,

I too started mowing neighbors yards at 10 and as soon as I turned 14 got my working papers and worked all of the way through high school and then college. Towards the end of my career I took on a second job as well. Got my first cobra after the kids were out of high school. Retired from my main job and worked the very next day at my second job, which I have continued. Was not ready to just sit home, was just tired of going to my primary place of employment.

It sounds like you are in a tough situation and my only suggestion to you would be to find something of interest to keep you occupied. While you said that you know people who never got to see retirement, i also know of people who never enjoyed retirement because they did not know what to do and just sat on the couch all day till they died. You have a couple of years to prepare yourself for retirement, find something that makes you happy.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by olddog

Unfortunately that thought has already crossed my mind, but I have be trying to find a way to have a life after retirement and still share it with my wife. Otherwise I might as well continue to work.

I have worked all my life. I started cutting grass for a neighbor at the age of 10. Started bailing hay at 13. Worked at an apple orchard the summer and fall, I was 16. Finished the year pumping gas. Carried dry wall on the week ends and put in swimming pools when I wasn't carrying drywall, while working 48 hrs a week at the gas station my last two years of high school. I went to work for a chemical company shortly after. Most of those 41 years, I worked 300-400 hr of overtime a year.

So here I am looking at the end of working. It's all I have ever known, but I am tired of it. However it is very sobering and unnerving. There is much more I would like to finish before I retire, but I know there will always be more to do. I loved my job, most of the time and few people were ever that fortunate. It is tough to give it all up. I have attended too many funerals of people who never got to retire, so I do not want to work too long. Yes I am conflicted with many feelings.

I likely will never have grandchildren. I have plenty of money to live on. The only reason I am working is the medical insurance. Unfortunately, my wife's health leaves her unable to do much. I have already worked past the time that she could have enjoyed it. It is too late for her, and I feel quite guilty for that, even though I know it is not my fault. So yes maybe I am grasping at straws.

I'm not an expert on insurance but being 67 I know if you retire before Medicare eligibility without an affordable health insurance plan you can carry into retirement until you turn 65 - it can get very expensive. I was a long term Gov't employee so I could carry my health insurance into retirement until I reached 65, when it became secondary to Medicare.

I initially retired at 59 but almost immediately was hired back as a full time annuitant at full salary for another 4 years after which I switched to being a part time employee which I continue to be at this time. We were pretty comfortable financially but the extra income on top of our pensions has allowed us a lot of freedom from worry about finances, splurge on a few things, build my ERA and take some pretty nice trips.

But you have some very real issues with your wife's health so it's pretty difficult to not make that the prime issue in your decision. Good luck with the decision.

[Blue66]

my wife is only 5'2". She steps on the seat getting in an out of the car. Works for her.