POLL: Retired people -- at what age did you retire?

[murraynz]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I suppose if you call 55 old, I would do it the same way.

 

I could have retired at 47 after suffering a heart attack, but I thought hey this is a wake up call, and I took a year off, put my plan into place and decided retirement at 55 was achievable if I worked harder, I kept investing and if I survived, it would be good and it all went to plan.

 

One of the investments quadrupled, so at 55 I sold up, and now enjoy the fruits of my labor, which I have done for over the past 4 years living here.

 

50% of my money is invested in a tax free environment and I make on average enough to meet all of the outgoings per month, so it might cost me 10,000 baht or so per month to live here in total, with the other 50% of my money in the bank earning very little, that said, the bank money is my back up money.

 

Although I did retired 4 years ago, some clients still email me, or call me asking me to do some work for them from here, it might take me an hour for around 8,000-10,000 baht, and I pay 32.5% of that in tax back home, something better than nothing I suppose, I take it more so out of what goes around, comes around, a sort of pay back to them for seeking me out and finding me to do their work as opposed to going elsewhere, it all helps and with a large family, it pays for those annual trips back home, but that is slowing down after 4 years, not that I mind, as my original intention was to retire in which case I am 98% retired.

 

Even though I worked very hard all those years, retiring on a good 6 figure salary that most wouldn't give up because they have given their power to the oh mighty $, but if they really enjoy what they are doing and their large mortgages to keep up with the Jones, well good luck to them, but it was enough for me, as I saw friends younger than me that were just getting comfortable in life dropping like flies, with me almost being another statistic with the heart attack at 47 as mentioned above.

 

Everybody has a different approach, and I know people who are multi-millionaires, I am talking 10's of and hundreds of millions of $'s (clients) who are in their mid 60's - 70's who are still going hard at it work wise, whatever floats their boat, as long as their happy, but seldon stop to take a holiday and believe it or not complain to me because of where I am, go figure ?

 

Like it says below, I am where I want to be.....well, until the powers above make more changes which will force me to perhaps return to my homeland, plan B always in place, but for now, will keep enjoying waking up when I want, sleeping when I want, watching movies when I want, travel when I want, and eat what I want, well at least till the smoke season starts or another heart attack comes my way ????

 

I also know people who have 10s of millions, but still working hard late 60s and 70s. I find that really strange, sad really... Money is no good to us when dead.. 

I also like to eat, sleep, travel, boom boom, etc etc whenever I wish, with whoever I want.. 

[sanemax]

12 minutes ago, murraynz said:

I also know people who have 10s of millions, but still working hard late 60s and 70s. I find that really strange, sad really... Money is no good to us when dead.. 

I also like to eat, sleep, travel, boom boom, etc etc whenever I wish, with whoever I want.. 

Some people enjoy their work and dont just do it for the money

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, murraynz said:

I also like to eat, sleep, travel, boom boom, etc etc whenever I wish, with whoever I want.. 

Now that's what I'm talking bout ! ! !

[rickudon]

Was made redundant at 55, 12 years ago. Early retirement let me screw the company for a bit more, so opted for that. Did work part-time for 2 years in a garden centre for pocket money, half heartedly searched for real job without success. Researched retirement locations in my spare time, and came up with Thailand. Did a couple of exploratory trips but was quickly gobbled up by the ladies ... 

So, told the nagging wife i was leaving, going to Thailand and should divorce me (did all the planning for that). Never really worked since except on my hobbies. Last 9 years have been good - have wife and daughter, just not enough money (exchange rates, interest rates and Brexit have all compounded to derail my 2008 planning). Get by, but have to watch the budget.

[zaZa9]

Retired to LOS at 50.

I had a bad bust up with my ex and the upshot was the 40% I settled for was worth almost 1 million .

I said to myself , "That will have to do ."

I couldnt see it lasting till I died if I stayed in Sydney !

So I had some tours of S.E.Asia , had always like Thailand , so retired here. Over 10 years back.

Ive really enjoyed it , but I do think the Thais have changed a good deal and only recently Ive come to feel a little less settled than I once was.

Immigration attitudes , silly laws and demands  , and of course  my currency declining so much is a tad disconcerting.

 

Hopefully its just a passing phase , most things are cyclical , and this is just the bottom of a curve .

[Jingthing]

30 minutes ago, zaZa9 said:

Retired to LOS at 50.

I had a bad bust up with my ex and the upshot was the 40% I settled for was worth almost 1 million .

I said to myself , "That will have to do ."

I couldnt see it lasting till I died if I stayed in Sydney !

So I had some tours of S.E.Asia , had always like Thailand , so retired here. Over 10 years back.

Ive really enjoyed it , but I do think the Thais have changed a good deal and only recently Ive come to feel a little less settled than I once was.

Immigration attitudes , silly laws and demands  , and of course  my currency declining so much is a tad disconcerting.

 

Hopefully its just a passing phase , most things are cyclical , and this is just the bottom of a curve .

Yeah, good for you that you have an optimistic viewpoint, but in this case, I don't think we've seen the bottom. 

[PlastikbinLina]

55. 

[PlastikbinLina]

55. 

That's the official age in Australia to begin getting my Com super scheme payments. Actually I opted to leave it until I turned 65..

[Mike Teavee]

On 12/7/2019 at 5:00 PM, sipi said:

42, 48 and 52.

I'll try again at 58, 60 and 65.

Very similar here... 

 

40 and was climbing the walls after a few weeks as I wasn't mentally prepared to go from 12-14 hrs per day (6 or 7 days a week) to nothing so set up my own 1 man IT consultancy firm & did OK for a couple of years before returning to the Bank that I'd spent 20 years working for (1 grade drop, 1x 20% higher salary) as they offered me my dream job (travelling the world, setting up new data centers, contact centers, development centers even built a new bank from scratch in Pakistan & Indonesia) eventually moving me permanently to Singapore

 

48, I was offered the choice of taking redundancy or moving to India, UK or South Africa... No brainer, took the redundancy & spent 15 months travelling around Australasia before a mate asked me to come help on a 2 year project at another bank back in Singapore. 

 

53, I'd finished the project & had hung around for another 18 months but wasn't enjoying the work so decided to retire for the 3rd & (hopefully) final time (So far so good, but then again Today's my first official day of retirement :)) 

 

FWIW I put 51-55 down in the survey as I feel this is the final time & the others were just practice runs...

 

Edited December 9, 2019 by Mike Teavee

[crazykopite]

Semi retired at 4O Fully retired at 55 now 68 coming on 69 best thing I ever did “ Health is more important than Wealth “

 

[Kurtf]

I got “Downsized” after 26 years with a big name company. So I retired at 52. I found out that no matter how much experience one has, no one wants to hire anyone over 50.

[simon43]

I didn't vote in the poll because I'm not retired.  I suppose retirement assumes receipt of a government pension and/or income from savings or investments.

 

Well, I have neither!  Through a set of unfortunate circumstances, aided by loose-spending and expensive divorces, my savings are modest.

 

I started work after college at 26 years old, but worked until I was 43 years old mostly as an overseas contractor, doing short-term design work in the space and satellite sector.  My NI contributions were small, only for a few years, and so I'm not entitled to any UK government pension, other than a few pounds a month...

 

Should I be worried without pension or savings to cushion my retirement?  

 

Actually, no I'm not ????

 

I spent my working life doing jobs that I liked, whether it be designing satellite systems, building and running hotels in Thailand, or teaching in Burma.  I
never hated working, and as I approach 61 years old, I cannot even imagine giving up work, (even if I had the financial means to do so).  

 

My plan is to continue to work until I drop dead, just as my father did at the age of 89 years.  I work because I have to, and because I love working and keeping my mind active.  I have learnt to be happy with the minimum of material goods and no greedy wife ????

 

My lack of savings doesn't mean that I'm taking risks with medical cover.  I have $1M+ expat cover which I intend to continue to my dying day (I cannot be refused cover renewal, regardless of my age or medical condition).

 

My plan is to continue teaching online until I'm 70 years old, which should allow me to put a reasonable sum in the bank for my dotage.  But at 70, I intend to return to Burma to work for VSO in voluntary educational work.  (VSO pays for all accommodation, food, travel, medical cover and gives $500 a month pocket money).  That type of life suits me just fine.

 

My plans do rely on my good health, which is why I follow a good-food-daily-exercise regime.  If my health goes tits-up, then I could have a problem...

[emptypockets]

On 12/8/2019 at 12:56 PM, Oztruckie said:

Driving back to Perth one afternoon from Kal,quiet road,<deleted> all traffic,lots of time for thinking about things,my super account was at a healthy sum thanks to the government,good accountant,and being PTY Ltd co,I decided there and then time to retire,was 62 yo,was a great job but don't miss the 16 to 18 hour days.

I often wonder if AP5 Valiant I rolled in 1974 about 50 K from Coolgardie is still there.

[kralledr]

since i am 22 years old, made my money via btc... back in 2008-2009 bought them  cheap, sold them expensive..

[cmarshall]

6 hours ago, kralledr said:

since i am 22 years old, made my money via btc... back in 2008-2009 bought them  cheap, sold them expensive..

There are always some people who make money out of a pyramid scheme.

[SiSePuede419]

In America, most people can't afford to retire.  They work until serious health issues prevent them from continuing to work.

 

Usually, they die a few months later, because without work, their lives have no meaning.  ????

[Jingthing]

17 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

In America, most people can't afford to retire.  They work until serious health issues prevent them from continuing to work.

 

Usually, they die a few months later, because without work, their lives have no meaning.  ????

I don't know the actual statistics but it's no doubt true that a very significant number can't afford to ever retire and also that many people don't adjust well to retirement (either forced or by choice). I think men in particular are conditioned to define themselves by their work so for those men without work they have no identity. 

 

There is a potential funny psychological benefit of the Thailand expat retirement system which starts at 50, especially for earlier retirees. So what do you do for work? Nothing. Because it's illegal!

Edited December 11, 2019 by Jingthing

[GinBoy2]

I retired at 55, mainly because I was sick of the whole Corporate world.

 

We moved from Singapore to Thailand a few years before I retired and just used to commute, and against my wife's better judgment, because she predicted the future....don't you hate it when women get to tell you "I told you so"

 

When I finally retired, the first few years were great, but then the boredom set in. 

 

Obviously in Thailand I couldn't work, and it was one of the factors that made us ultimately move back to the US, although my wife's career was the primary driving factor.

 

Now I do a little part time job at the local airport, it gets me out of the house, and a sense of purpose somehow.

 

It I got to get a 'do over' I wouldn't have retired so early, and would have probably moved back to the US earlier so I could have transitioned to the part time non stress workforce 

[meechai]

On 12/10/2019 at 11:39 PM, Jingthing said:

I think men in particular are conditioned to define themselves by their work so for those men without work they have no identity. 

I agree & think it really is quite sad.

 

It is like a slave once set free returns to a slave master because they have no idea of what to do with the freedom

They can find no happiness in it.

 

Not unlike serial criminals who once released from prison purposely commit a crime to return to the structure of prison

that they have grown to need.

 

Of course there are those that have built up more than one lifetime of bills & can never retire due to that need to pay bills.

Others claim after retirement they needed to go back to work due to other mental reasons (boredom,lack of self worth etc )

 

Edited December 13, 2019 by meechai

[GinBoy2]

33 minutes ago, meechai said:

I agree & think it really is quite sad.

 

It is like a slave once set free returns to a slave master because they have no idea of what to do with the freedom

They can find no happiness in it.

 

Not unlike serial criminals who once released from prison purposely commit a crime to return to the structure of prison

that they have grown to need.

 

Of course there are those that have built up more than one lifetime of bills & can never retire due to that need to pay bills.

Others claim after retirement they needed to go back to work due to other mental reasons (boredom,lack of self worth etc )

 

Well I'm not ashamed to admit I was bored.

 

There is only so much TV, reading books, various sports you can do.

 

My self worth was just fine, but for myself at least I needed something that made me get out of bed in the morning.

 

Many of those who can retire early, and enjoy it, were pretty lazy in their working life and the early retirement just became a culmination of their lifelong desire to do nothing.

 

That just wasn't me

[Jingthing]

Hmm.

Without getting into morality judgements about people's relative laziness or not, I wonder how much role models come into this.

In the U.S. I think the classic retirement age spans ages 60 to 65 with 65 as perhaps seen as the most normal. 

Well, my Dad retired much earlier than that with a generous pension as well (the good old days!). As a young man I quite often met men in their 40's or early 50's that described themselves as retired (instead of unemployed, ha ha) usually without pensions so independently wealthy and that was surprising to me and I didn't see any possible path for me to do similar. But then I discovered expatriation and it turned out it was. (Sort of.)

[neeray]

On ‎12‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 1:50 PM, Jingthing said:

This poll is for people ALREADY retired. Only them. It is not for people to say at what age they plan to retire. 

Sorry Jingthing but I choose to ignore your request and say my 2 baht worth.

Work keeps me active and healthy.

I will stop working when either my brain goes silly, spittle runs out my mouth or my legs or organs give out.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, neeray said:

Sorry Jingthing but I choose to ignore your request and say my 2 baht worth.

Work keeps me active and healthy.

I will stop working when either my brain goes silly, spittle runs out my mouth or my legs or organs give out.

The punishment is 100 lashes with an al dente noodle. 

[LivinLOS]

28.. Started my biz at 22.. 

[Mike Teavee]

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

The punishment is 100 lashes with an al dente noodle. 

OH NO!!! Not Al Dente !!! [skit on Monty Python's "Shrubbery Bush"]

Edited December 13, 2019 by Mike Teavee

[Mike Teavee]

3 hours ago, neeray said:

Sorry Jingthing but I choose to ignore your request and say my 2 baht worth.

Work keeps me active and healthy.

I will stop working when either my brain goes silly, spittle runs out my mouth or my legs or organs give out.

< 30 I thought that way (then again, until I was 30 I used to write my own compilers)

 

At 30 you grow up a little, let somebody else write the compiler, in fact let them write the code just tell them what they need to write, then re-write the none error parts (I.e the 20% of the code that's important)

 

At 40 you're getting on now, let somebody else tell them what code they need to write, you just give them the big picture & tell them (& the Infra teams) what parts need to come together to make it ALL work.

 

At 50 you're like... fck this, I just want to sit on a beach & sip cocktails... 

 

 

So how old are you & what stage of your career are you at???

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

I retired early because nursing has too many bully managers and they were making my life <deleted>.

It just wasn't worth saving lives and ministering to the sick if I was living in hell to do it.

I had a fiance in Thailand and had that worked out I'd be the proverbial pig in clover. Sadly, as some know, it didn't so now I'm too decrepit to have a job, and survive ( just ) on the taxpayers largess back in NZ.

However, while I never thought I'd say this, officialdom in LOS has destroyed what used to be a good place to retire in and reading all the stories about immigration, I'm happy not to be having to put up with all that <deleted>.

So, just one day at a time, one day after another.

 

To those living the dream in LOS, live every day there as if it were your last, as one day it will be.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/13/2019 at 1:59 PM, GinBoy2 said:

Well I'm not ashamed to admit I was bored.

 

There is only so much TV, reading books, various sports you can do.

 

My self worth was just fine, but for myself at least I needed something that made me get out of bed in the morning.

 

Many of those who can retire early, and enjoy it, were pretty lazy in their working life and the early retirement just became a culmination of their lifelong desire to do nothing.

 

That just wasn't me

One of the great joys of retirement for me is staying in bed and day dreaming after I wake up. No <deleted> manager telling me off for being 1 minute late for me.

I get up when I want, do what I want, eat what I want when I want, watch movies on DVD or not, as I want ( I don't have tv as it's all complete garbage now- the most I watch is Al Jazeera at a friends place, and sometimes HGTV if I can stand the ads ), sleep when I want.

Only thing I HAVE to do is go to the Dr to get my prescription renewed every 90 days.

Having said that, most weekends I go out to a friend's farm ( where I see Al Jazeera on tv ), and during the week I mow the lawns for a friend, so not bedridden, yet.

I'm not bored as I have a great imagination.

I think people that get bored in retirement are those that need external stimulus.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/13/2019 at 1:21 PM, meechai said:

Of course there are those that have built up more than one lifetime of bills & can never retire due to that need to pay bills.

When I was 30 I was given ( I didn't ask for it ) a credit card by the <deleted> bank. I quickly ran up max debt. Once I saw the light, I paid it off ( took a year ), cut the card up and never went into debt that I couldn't pay off quickly. Think the most I ever borrowed after that was $5,000 one time.

Didn't have a house after the <deleted> from hell partner took me for everything, so never again a mortgage. Bought second hand cars for cash.

Although I made some bad decisions financially ( never lend a friend large sums of money ) when I retired I could walk away with zero debt.

[FruitPudding]

On 12/7/2019 at 8:15 AM, worgeordie said:

42, start saving and working hard while young,you can do it,

OK, too late for many now.

regards Worgeordie

This must resonate with many.

 

I have actually been surprised by so many retirees posting that they don't have the 800k for the visa.

 

It got me thinking what the hell have they been doing all these decades?

 

It must be sad not to have 800k when you are 50 plus.

 

I mean, I ain't rich. I have had a financial wipeout or two (i.e. picking the wrong women) and I frittered away plenty in my 20s experiencing the world, but I just can't imagine how someone gets to retirement age and the only thing they have is their state pension from home and can't make the visa.