60+ year old thread.

I have a little over 30 months to get to 62 and I'm pulling the plug. I could have done it 3 years ago but the plan is to check all the boxes, throw my keys on the desk and turn off the lights on the way out the door.

 

I've always preferred mids, worked a lot of them on active duty it's all I've worked civil service. The sleep cycle part on days off is just getting more difficult for me as I get older.

I starting to think 62 will be the mark for me. Guess I'll see when I get there.

 

Wait for the 20. In the long run, having that extra "rolling in bed" money will be worth the two years and you'll add some to your SS, too. Just mu $.02.

And, good morning fellow Porchatonians!!!

 

sixtys/wannabes/still workin's. I liked swing shift best; I never managed to settle into mids sleep-wise, and on day shift there are all the muckity mucks to deal with at work, after which I'd waste my nights boobing on the toob as often as not. On swing shift I'd get up in the morning, work around the house on whatever the latest project was, then go to work. Relatively normal sleep schedule too. The downside was the late night commute home.

I agree with @Devious6 that waiting to collect SS is beneficial. Each year you wait adds 8% to your monthly payout, plus the COLA increases get factored in every year. That's a pretty good bump. That said, I also think that everyone's situation is different and they need to do what is right for them. My dad took SS at 62, had a great retirement, no regrets.

I got my little fabrication job finished yesterday amidst never ending interruptions. I'm going to try to put the engine in today. I need to get this car off the lift and on the road!

 

Yikes, 62 has come and gone for me; my wife and I needed to start over without a dime to our names when we were 57, which was pretty bad timing to go broke. I figure I'll work until I'm 72 or 73 and then hang up my spurs.

 

Ivan: We go to local, and not so local, restaurants that feature musicians. Great way to have a meal out and the music is always good. Just leave a 10 spot in the tip jar on the way out. The musicians do not get paid that much for performing.

@MQQSE Glad to see you posting in the thread again and that you are doing well. I miss the Alaska pictures.

Good Saturday morning. Off to the gym in a few minutes then home to start to knock out some outdoor projects. I am up to 15 projects that need to be completed in the next 3 weeks.

Last nights dinner came out so much better than expected but my glucose level was a little higher this morning. Maple&Honey glazed salmon bites.

 

Morning 60+

 

Good Morning

Morning 6 & Thank you,

Morning Dave. Yes you do.

I know getting the 20 year mark is the right thing to do, in my gut I know it's what I will do. It's possible I might be able to do the last two on swing shift.

I appreciate and respect the advice from you both.

Morning Tom & Thank you

Here's a couple from last week:


and this from my friend, he's coming in on the pig gutpile the day they butchered

 

Morning all:

I'll add my 2c also MQQSE, go for the 20 if that adds a pension and the 18 yrs. of civil service doesn't.
I took pension at 62 and never looked back, if I had to live on just my pension and SS it would be tight, and I may have waited longer to take SS. The cost of living/inflation over the last couple of years is really eating into the "mad money" that was left from SS and the pension after paying just basic living expenses and I am fortunate that I have the means to generate extra income.

Not having a very good year, last night we hit the river and managed 4 walleyes and a brown trout, the walleyes were all too short and we released the brown trout, oh well. at least we caught something.

 

Good Morning Porch Folks

Thanks for posting the pics from Monkey Mountain Rob. The eagle pic is amazing.

Retirement will come when you finally decide YOU need to hang up the work clothes for good. Life is good when you retire .

 

Morning Carl and Thank You.
Getting to 20yrs civil service makes the retirement check (civil service part) about $300 more than if I punch at 62yo. I'm sure waiting to 65yo is the right thing unless anything drastic changes that. It'll make both civil service and SS checks higher. Plus extra time to plus up my TSP.

I appeciate the advice and perspective from those who have lived it already.

Yes Sir ... "I still wanna be like Ken."

 

Good Morning Porch Pals & Sue! Yesterday was putz, today I will concentrate on stuff! Didn't rain, so some watering needed.

Great pics @MQQSE - like turning the AC down a couple degrees here!

 

I don't know how you guys back east do it. Your living expenses are scary high. My wife and I retired and took SS at 62, and we live on it well enough that we bank money every month. Before this present inflation hit so hard our target goal was putting $500 a month in the bank, but now it's less, maybe half. Still, we eat well and are comfortable, and we do pretty much everything we want to do. I couldn't afford to live back east. But that's okay by me.

 

I could be way off in my thinking...but I'd guess that property tax is the biggest variable, along with (obviously) state income tax.
Here in Connecticut we have some of the highest real estate taxes and vehicle taxes in the country. Real estate taxes can vary tremendously, if I lived two towns away my house would 50% more based on higher value for the same house. It's the vehicle taxes that make me crazy. Granted, our cars are relatively new (2014, 2014 and 2019) but $2600+.....is that high compared to other parts of the country?

 

Here in New Hampshire we have high property taxes, but zero income tax and sales tax. For me at least, the lack of those two taxes more than makes up for the high property tax and high vehicle registration ($760 this year for my new Tacoma).

 

Vehicle registration and real estate taxes in my area in PA are not to bad. I paid $105 for my Tacoma and $49 for the wifes Kia Sportage this past year. Real estate taxes combined (local and school tax) are just shy of $6000 a year. The state tax on goods is 6% except for the likes of food and clothing (non luxury items) is 0%. In Philadelphia the tax is 8% . It isn't to bad living in my neck of the woods and paying and being retired.

 

Well I don't pay any property taxes now that I'm over 65, and as long as I don't have more than 35K in employment income. And my heating bill for natural gas in the winter probably averages a hundred bucks. When I hear about people heating with oil back east, and the prices they pay, Holy COW!

 

Our house...taxes are $5800

 

My house is much smaller and I wish my taxes were 5800..
I lived in my town all my life and the time to go is now.
(Looking heavy in Litchfield county)

Was considering NH for a while as I still have distant family there.
Yes ,your property taxes are high, depending on town, but still less than what I'm paying down here in addition to the rest of the state and local BS taxes.
Town with high property taxes in NH was Clairmont when I was looking heavily in NH.
I've been there several times over the years and nothing special. Crazy high taxes compared to neighboring towns.

 

Nice house and beautiful landscaping Dennis .