Retirement Question

[OldMcDonald]

I don't think old farmers every really retire as there is always something they can do to help out even if the next generation is running things.

That is one way of looking at it. I collect my various small pensions and work at my own pace. Another reason we moved. Thirteen years ago (aged 58) my wife and I had to work over 100 hours a week each (honestly) to keep our business operational. We produced mainly free range eggs, with some honey and mushrooms. I was off the property for several hours each day except Mondays, making deliveries or attending markets. We decided to sell up and move rather than have an early death. Our place, Hazza Farm, then became Hadda Farm. But we bought another one here.

It was tough for a couple of years but gradually the pension schemes came into force. Now it is a doddle. We eat and drink very well. Fillet steak, mushrooms, onions and freshly picked asparagus in a few minutes, followed by cheeses and biscuits, then roasted almonds. A good red at about €2 a bottle and then a half decent Port at €5 and a Moscatel do Setúbal at another €5 with the nuts. And no, we do not empty all three bottles, but a couple of glasses of red and tasters of the others is still cheap living.

Tomorrow morning I will bust up an old olive stump for firewood with a block splitter and steel wedges. That will work off tonight's dinner.

 

[ultrarunner]

You mean you can actually heat with wood???

Only kind of kidding as wood heat basically is outlawed here anytime it is cold... all fire wood stoves must be registered... and so it goes.

 

[OldMcDonald]

You definitely need to move here.

 

[ultrarunner]

You definitely need to move here.

Always had Salzburg as a backup plan... things have really changed with as many as 1000 refugees coming in daily...

The country is simply not that big and very homogeneous.... public schools have Catholic prayer and this has already caused problems.

 

[OldMcDonald]

I will not stress you any further, except to add that Austria is an expensive place to live.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yes and no... it would be very expensive to duplicate today.

When I built the exchange rate was quite favorable... Property Tax is very reasonable compared to California...

My biggest expense is getting there and the cost of a car rental if I rent a car...

The home is on 1500 square meters of land with forest and open space on two sides...

 

[OldMcDonald]

Have to come back, despite my intentions. Sell it and move further south.

 

[jtygoku]

Thought I would rekindle my thread here by providing an update. I will retire from my current job (of 30+ years) next Friday, 9/9/16. I'll have a 3 week break and start the new job on October 3rd. I've made it past a couple months of being melancholy about leaving the people and friends I've become close to over the last 30 years and now am just ready to get to the final day and move to the next adventure. Of course, the money associated with double dipping while having considerably less stress in the new job is making me feel better all the time.
Gotta be honest, one of the things I do worry about is leaving my position at the top of the pyramid - plenty of stress, yes, but also knowing that you have the ultimately say in "controlling" decisions made in the work setting. I've always felt that to be successful, the folks at the top levels of the executive food chain have to have a bit of an ego - those that I have mentored, I've always advised that you don't wear your ego on your sleeve nor wave it in front of your employee's face but rather have an inner confidence that you have the knowledge, skill and thought process to make a decision as well as anyone.
I do think I'm ready to move out of that world, but I'm curious to hear from others who have made the same move and whether they missed "being the boss".

 

[r porter]

run for the door and dont look back.

i went at 51 and had no intention of doing anything but what i wanted. yeeeeehaaaaa

 

[ultrarunner]

My good friend just retired as city manager from a SF Bay Area city... she said it was time as there are many other things she would like to accomplish and one is traveling the country.

It's been 30 days now and she said there have been a few things and media requests but often leaving at the top of you game means cutting ties so the new person isn't fighting ghosts.

Not a day goes by without some kind of new news headlines and she is simply glad to be gearing up for her 6 months of vagabonding the USA.