we have no debt but the house. But, it’s worth at least $500K more than we owe. We may sell and have a house mortgage free and then we have no debt.

We have some cash but not the $1million or more I read online is the bar. That seems high for middle class unless you started saving in your 20’s.

Yeah, I’m looking to a stress free environment, at least no work stress. The last two years have been extremely difficult for me, health wise and I think getting rid of the work stress will help tremendously

Same boat. 6 months and some change for me.

I get it and wish you the best on that.

Now I stress about stupid shit like weeds in the yard etc. :D

Work stress is what was part of what helped me make my decision to retire.

I didn't want them to carry me out of the office toes up and have a stranger show up to my wife's work and tell her that her husband died of a heart attack.

Yep, if you can swing it…it’s liberating. Between bureaucratic and political office bullshit, changing leadership and philosophical direction, and constantly changing technology that came with minimal ‘training’—all of which you endure every 7-9 yrs as part of a normal cycle, COVID and toxic cultural issues were the final straw. I do what I want, when I want, how I want and if I want. It’s awesome.

Yep, if you can swing… it’s liberating. Between bureaucratic and political office bullshit, changing leadership and philosophical direction, and constantly changing technology that came with minimal ‘training’—all of which you endure every 7-9 yrs as part of a normal cycle, COVID and toxic cultural issues were the final straw. I do what I want, when I want, how I want and if I want. It’s awesome.

I don't really know what to do. I love 90% of my job as a shop teacher. I could retire and make about the same money. I could then go get another job and bank all of it. But man I think I will miss this. I thought about getting my cdl and driving local. Get in, drive, get out, go home.

The bolded part above is what really made the job difficult...

Yeah...it's the 10% of your job that drives the frustration and makes it difficult to enjoy your job.

:)

😆 🤣


How true that is!!

My advice is: Get that library card out, and go check out some good reading material. Dashiel Hammet, Gene Wolfe, James Crumley are a few of my favorite.
Get a gym membership utilizing 'silver sneakers'. You can go work out 'for free'. You'll discover the truth of the old saying 'Move it or lose it'. So move it.
Buy a fishing license. Go, sit on the bank with a line in the water. Bring one of those good books from the library. Bring some bug spray.
Learn to cook mo' betttah. Grilled chicken breasts or lamb, marinated in a little italian dressing and cut into chunks to cook on skewers. Mushrooms are also good griled/olive oiled, You've got time, put it to good use.

All of this is great advice and I am doing some of that already....the only bad piece of advice for me is the mushrooms part....I have a bad allergy to them, :)

Yep, you begin losing something like ~.5%-1% of your muscle mass per year after 40 or ~5-8% per decade if you don't do anything about it.

(and by "anything", not sure it includes the old people at the gym who put 10lbs on the leg extension machine and lazily do a few reps... but, maybe it gets the hear rate up a bit if nothing else...)