All the threads on kids, college etc. got me thinking. Anyone have a plan for semi-retirement. I say semi-retirement since I plan on doing this at 60. I love my job and all but it is high stress and tons of travel. So I plan on semi-retiring at 60. The plan is get a real estate license and do that both where I live now and wherever we hopefully have our mountain place then. Going to write books and articles, have already written some articles for some SOF publications and I would like to help coach HS football. Really like working with young people and mentoring them to navigate a productive life. My main goal is to have jobs that give me flexibility. I also think the notion of actually retiring at 60 and just hanging out is far fetched, you have to stay busy and making some extra money doing things you have a passion for is just a bonus. The real estate thing my wife and I will do together and while we wont be pounding the pavement everyday, based on what I have seen from the countless real estate agents I know if you have an organized plan and make a decent effort you can make some decent cash doing it. My area is unique based on median house price and the number of 2nd homes people own here, so we have a little different model for success than most areas.
Do you have a semi-retirement job/plan
- Thread starter RangerNole
- Start date
Tentative plans. Don't have all the details worked out. All I know is I don't want to be in my role/industry in my 60s. I don't want to be in a "rat race" at all. I don't hate my job (thanks "What time do you get up?" thread!) but I also don't care about it in the least. When I walk away, I will never think another second about an industry I will have spent 30 years or so in. I could come in every day and press a blue button for 8-9 hours and I would feel equally interested. That's not to say I'm not motivated to do a very good job...I like delivering results and being successful for the people I work with and for...and I'm very good at it, I just don't have any affinity in the specifics of what I do.
We're five years from an empty nest, and 9 years from the last kid out of college. I will be 55 at that point. In my dream world, at some point between 55 and 60, I'll be able to ramp down. I'm very fortunate that while I've had stressful times in my career, especially now I'm not in a particularly high stress position relative to how much I make. But on the other hand, I started "real work" at 23 when my wife got pregnant, so I never had time to noodle around, find my interests, etc. I've been under pretty intense pressure to bring home the bacon since I was 23, with never an opportunity to take a risk, make a leap of faith, or exchange a little money for something more appealing. That's getting old after 20+ years, and will be moreso by 30+ years.
My plan is less about how much money we can save or make by that time (although that's part of it), and more about living a fairly frugal lifestyle. If my numbers hold, after the age of 55, we could live pretty comfortably on probably 50% of my current salary + 60% of my wife's current salary. My hope is that with that leeway opening up, I'll have plenty of options to get out of a rat race type job before I get old. Whether that means doing something in my current field but on a half-time or consultant basis, going into some other field altogether, driving Uber, starting some kind of business of our own, or collecting a few AirBNB homes...we've got about ten years to figure it out.
We're five years from an empty nest, and 9 years from the last kid out of college. I will be 55 at that point. In my dream world, at some point between 55 and 60, I'll be able to ramp down. I'm very fortunate that while I've had stressful times in my career, especially now I'm not in a particularly high stress position relative to how much I make. But on the other hand, I started "real work" at 23 when my wife got pregnant, so I never had time to noodle around, find my interests, etc. I've been under pretty intense pressure to bring home the bacon since I was 23, with never an opportunity to take a risk, make a leap of faith, or exchange a little money for something more appealing. That's getting old after 20+ years, and will be moreso by 30+ years.
My plan is less about how much money we can save or make by that time (although that's part of it), and more about living a fairly frugal lifestyle. If my numbers hold, after the age of 55, we could live pretty comfortably on probably 50% of my current salary + 60% of my wife's current salary. My hope is that with that leeway opening up, I'll have plenty of options to get out of a rat race type job before I get old. Whether that means doing something in my current field but on a half-time or consultant basis, going into some other field altogether, driving Uber, starting some kind of business of our own, or collecting a few AirBNB homes...we've got about ten years to figure it out.
Buy a small, profitable company and go in a few hours a week to make sure everything is still going well. I have a friend doing this now. Although, he is now up to 9 companies he's purchased and is working a ton. Each company seems to be a pretty good investment from what I can tell.
My plan is to wait until this thread gets to page 2 and then steal the best idea on the board.
Retired at 62 and working part-time (avg 10 hrs/wk). Do wood carving and scrimshaw for additional mad money.
So I just spent a minute or two making sure Hilltopper didn't miss out on a winning ticket there....lol
I've been very fortunate, its inexplicable really.
At 63 I am receiving a monthly retirement check and as a one man LLC provide expert testimony at hearings and trials.
This leaves plenty of time for FSU sports of all varieties, last night it was volleyball tonight its soccer.
At 63 I am receiving a monthly retirement check and as a one man LLC provide expert testimony at hearings and trials.
This leaves plenty of time for FSU sports of all varieties, last night it was volleyball tonight its soccer.
My dream retirement job would be to go back to the job I had while I was at FSU, slaving away as the home plate ump for sorority softball games. It was a tough job - it's not easy when you're not at all paying attention to the pitch & have to take a wild-ass guess as to whether it was a ball or a strike. 
Subject matter of your testimonial expertise, if I may ask? Continued good luck to you.
My retirement plan is to actually retire. Then hop on my motorcycle and visit every state. Maybe grow a set and hit Alaska and the Dalton Highway up to the Arctic Circle. I don't want to retire only to end up going back to work, even meaningless part-time work.
ACC ref?My dream retirement job would be to go back to the job I had while I was at FSU, slaving away as the home plate ump for sorority softball games. It was a tough job - it's not easy when you're not at all paying attention to the pitch & have to take a wild-ass guess as to whether it was a ball or a strike.
As long as we are here and they keep asking me to teach and play, that's what I will do. The saying goes that a musician is never retired until they stop calling you.
After the kids are out of HS I'll go back to weekend skydiving instructing. Maybe CFI for young pilots too. Whatever my body can handle. Son will be out of HS when I'm 56. Should still have a pretty good level of fitness then barring unforseen injury. I like my job and line of work. As long as I still feel that way I'll keep my day job too.
I went from teaching a lot in the OR to coaching my reps, many more rings up the executive ladder I don't know if that facet will exist. I really like the teaching aspect. I think I'd miss that a lot if it wasn't part of my day to day.
As you turn into an old fart one of the best ways to stay relevant is to pass down knowledge that was usually learned the hard way.
I went from teaching a lot in the OR to coaching my reps, many more rings up the executive ladder I don't know if that facet will exist. I really like the teaching aspect. I think I'd miss that a lot if it wasn't part of my day to day.
As you turn into an old fart one of the best ways to stay relevant is to pass down knowledge that was usually learned the hard way.
I am semi retired now. 34 year military retirement, invested all of my reenlistment bonuses. Stayed away from buying the Harley or huge truck! Now, I am the operations officer for a non profit. I am truly enjoying life now after the many combat deployments and time away from family and friends.
When daughter goes off to college the wife and I will move down to Florida, drive slow in the fast line and play lots of golf.
Life is good!
When daughter goes off to college the wife and I will move down to Florida, drive slow in the fast line and play lots of golf.
Life is good!
I'm 57, youngest is a freshman in college. I'm on the road a lot now, would like to semi retire when she's out of college. I volunteer at a place that's frequently looking for full time positions. I wouldn't mind getting a gig there( Christian )mentoring inner city kids. May also get a part time gig at the course we live on so I can golf for free.
Smart move there. I know plenty of dudes that didn't do that with their bonus. Also know guys that said they would do 1 or 2 contract jobs bank roll the money and then be done after they retired; only to make contracting their new job.
