So if you were in my shoes....

Benoitthegr8

Benoitthegr8

Filthy Pensioner
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I'm about to retire from 25 years of federal service, my pension plus my disability will be enough to pay the bills, mortgage and keep our standard of living on par with what it is now. I've been wanting to take time off and pursue my interests (hunting, fishing, house projects) and just regroup for about a year. I now find myself in the position to take another job (part time) doing something I enjoy, working at the hockey rink and driving the Zamboni. The pay isn't great $12 an hour, but it will keep me honest and busy, the kids and can skate and play hockey for free and I really love the hockey crowd. I've also thrown around the idea of going back to school to finish which would be paid for, but I can't go full time until fall 2017 when my youngest starts kindergarten. The wife thinks I should just take some time off and go back to work full time when I'm ready. Besides, she wants to start to work full time again and with our youngest at home it wasn't feasible when I was working full time. So the question is, would you go back to work, chill for a year or so until my youngest gets into kindergarten, go back to school (I'm 44 next month), or just take it as it comes and not make any concrete decisions as of now?

Edit .... I've got a fucked up back and have been having issues with a 40 hour work week for the past year, I've also been diagnosed with PTSD and have my good days and bad days, it sometimes makes it tough with anxiety and insomnia to be productive at work. I got fucked up in Iraq in 2006 and nearly bought the farm, that being said I'm doing as good as Ive been since before then, but I'm worried that sitting around the house may suck me into a depression or leave me with a feeling of lack of purpose or even worthlessness.
 
wait! your youngest is still in preschool and your mortgage is not paid off?

DO NOT retire!!!!!
 
It's too early for this amount of sadness, bro.

200w.gif
 
Retiring at 44 is fucking awesome man. Just enjoy doing things you like and find new hobbies if money is coming anyway.
 
SammyPops said:
wait! your youngest is still in preschool and your mortgage is not paid off?

DO NOT retire!!!!!
Click to expand...
We didn't have him until I was like 39 and my wife was 35, and we purchased our house about 8 years ago. The house was a foreclosure that was picked up dirt cheap, I've sunk a ton of money into it and it's a beautiful home now, and my mortgage is dirt cheap...lol

I've got it paid down to where I can get away to $600 a month if I opt to pay the minimums, we looked at houses last year at were in the $200-240k range and I'm glad we couldn't agree on a house because I'd be a slave to that mortgage if we did buy.
 
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Benoitthegr8 said:
I'm about to retire from 25 years of federal service, my pension plus my disability will be enough to pay the bills, mortgage and keep our standard of living on par with what it is now. I've been wanting to take time off and pursue my interests (hunting, fishing, house projects) and just regroup for about a year. I now find myself in the position to take another job (part time) doing something I enjoy, working at the hockey rink and driving the Zamboni. The pay isn't great $12 an hour, but it will keep me honest and busy, the kids and can skate and play hockey for free and I really love the hockey crowd. I've also thrown around the idea of going back to school to finish which would be paid for, but I can't go full time until fall 2017 when my youngest starts kindergarten. The wife thinks I should just take some time off and go back to work full time when I'm ready. Besides, she wants to start to work full time again and with our youngest at home it wasn't feasible when I was working full time. So the question is, would you go back to work, chill for a year or so until my youngest gets into kindergarten, go back to school (I'm 44 next month), or just take it as it comes and not make any concrete decisions as of now?

Edit .... I've got a fucked up back and have been having issues with a 40 hour work week for the past year, I've also been diagnosed with PTSD and have my good days and bad days, it sometimes makes it tough with anxiety and insomnia to be productive at work. I got fucked up in Iraq in 2006 and nearly bought the farm, that being said I'm doing as good as Ive been since before then, but I'm worried that sitting around the house may suck me into a depression or leave me with a feeling of lack of purpose or even worthlessness.
Click to expand...
Congratulations on your retirement!

Take a 2-week vacation in Maui with the family and don't think about life-after-retirement too much. The chips will eventually fall where they may.

Sometimes, you just need to clear your head a little, before making life-altering plans like that.

Did you have a TSP with the feds? Can you use that to pay off the mortgage?
 
Jesus Freak said:
Congratulations on your retirement!

Take a 2-week vacation in Maui with the family and don't think about life-after-retirement too much. The chips will eventually fall where they may.

Sometimes, you just need to clear your head a little, before making life-altering plans like that.

Did you have a TSP with the feds? Can you use that to pay off the mortgage?
Click to expand...
I do, the question is weather the IRS will recognize my disability to draw it without tax penalties, otherwise it's not touchable until I'm 58.

I was thinking this as in just take my time drawing full pay while on my vacation leave which is about 60 days to just figure things out, I've got a few applications in but haven't gotten a call yet, although it's only been a few weeks.

I'd love to go back to Hawaii, but we have a family reunion and wedding to attend and this will eat up my wife's vacation time. Thanks for the constructive advice.... ;)
 
if you want to make some extra coin i can sort you out with a package
 
how about work part-time?

retiring early with mortgage and a young kid is a bit risky
 
Benoitthegr8 said:
I do, the question is weather the IRS will recognize my disability to draw it without tax penalties, otherwise it's not touchable until I'm 58.

I was thinking this as in just take my time drawing full pay while on my vacation leave which is about 60 days to just figure things out, I've got a few applications in but haven't gotten a call yet, although it's only been a few weeks.

I'd love to go back to Hawaii, but we have a family reunion and wedding to attend and this will eat up my wife's vacation time. Thanks for the constructive advice.... ;)
Click to expand...
10-4, Brotha!

You're old enough to know that things will work out in the end. Just hang in there, and stress too much about it.
 
Me? I'd definitely do nothing for a year to celebrate. But you've got a reason you're concerned about doing nothing.

Try for part-time work and/or school that still leaves you free to watch the kids and have your wife work FT.

That gives you something to do, lets her work like she wants, gives your kid a parent taking care of them. Win for everyone.

If you can't make school or PT job fit the schedule, find something (hobby, volunteering) that gets you out of the house and preferably socializing a bit somewhere.
 
Congrats. I'm eligible to retire now, but will likely do a full 30 years and call it quits at 53. :)
 
Gotta find something dude. I like the idea of working at a hockey rink or doing something that you love. I think chilling at home is cool for awhile but then you start to go stir crazy. When my last son was born I took a month off of work, the first two weeks were awesome, near the end I was going nuts and ready to go back.

What dates in 06 were you in the sandbox btw? I was there from August 05-March 06 Al Anbar Province. May have been there at the same time. Congrats on retirement!
 
Tongue punch your wife in the fart-box regularly... It will keep you spry.
 
You cannot retire. Defer your pension and get another full time job.
 
I've been 'retired' since January 2015 and its frikkin' boring as hell. Take a break, but don't let it be so long it harms your resume.
 
First of all, thank you for your service, and congratulations on retirement!

Second, taking some time off may be good initially, but too much can really have an adverse effect. When my pops retired from the military, he went into a bit of a depression. He felt like he lost a lot of socialization and purpose, which is probably pretty common. He toyed around with getting an umpire job, but ended up deciding to get a full-time gig. He actually seems to fear retirement now. That zamboni job seems like a great way to stay active, socialize, and feed productive. I'd jump all over it if I were you.

Use that to fill the gap between now and when your kid goes into kindergarten. Then, you and your wife can reevaluate your plan together. Best of luck to you!
 
Benoitthegr8 said:
I'm about to retire from 25 years of federal service, my pension plus my disability will be enough to pay the bills, mortgage and keep our standard of living on par with what it is now. I've been wanting to take time off and pursue my interests (hunting, fishing, house projects) and just regroup for about a year. I now find myself in the position to take another job (part time) doing something I enjoy, working at the hockey rink and driving the Zamboni. The pay isn't great $12 an hour, but it will keep me honest and busy, the kids and can skate and play hockey for free and I really love the hockey crowd. I've also thrown around the idea of going back to school to finish which would be paid for, but I can't go full time until fall 2017 when my youngest starts kindergarten. The wife thinks I should just take some time off and go back to work full time when I'm ready. Besides, she wants to start to work full time again and with our youngest at home it wasn't feasible when I was working full time. So the question is, would you go back to work, chill for a year or so until my youngest gets into kindergarten, go back to school (I'm 44 next month), or just take it as it comes and not make any concrete decisions as of now?

Edit .... I've got a fucked up back and have been having issues with a 40 hour work week for the past year, I've also been diagnosed with PTSD and have my good days and bad days, it sometimes makes it tough with anxiety and insomnia to be productive at work. I got fucked up in Iraq in 2006 and nearly bought the farm, that being said I'm doing as good as Ive been since before then, but I'm worried that sitting around the house may suck me into a depression or leave me with a feeling of lack of purpose or even worthlessness.
Click to expand...

Spend the year with your kid. Be deliberate in your time together- go places, do things, work on her vocabulary and numbers, cook together, give her chores, things like that.
 
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