My Retirement Job: Govt. Clerk

by Richard
(Hawaii)

Hi. I retired from a blue-collar utilities company in 2002, at 55, after 32 years' employ, with a pension. I squandered most of it quickly, with grown kids and poor choices.

Then my wife found me an entry-level clerical job in 2004. Four years later, she retired. I've been working 17 years.

My, how time flies. I'm not interested in job promotions. I like my coworkers and love what I do. God willing, I'll retire in 5 years, before my 80th birthday.

The job include paid annual leave, paid holidays and a pension. I hardly stay home from work, so I've accumulated 800 hours' leave.

My wife and I like to travel, but with the pandemic, we've been stuck in town. We live on our Social Security and my wife's pension. I save 68% of my government paycheck.

We'll probably give our 401K's and IRA's to our children and grandchildren, when we die. They'll need it more than we do.

My wife and I live a comfortable life, even with a heavy mortgage. I'd suggest anyone looking for a retirement job to get a government one.

For giggles, I save every $1 and $5 that passes my hands. That amounts to hundreds of dollars every few months. Then I give it to my wife to spend. I like the savings part, not the spending. But I do like to spend on my old classic car. It's a beat up 1957 Chevy. I just can't get myself to spend thousands on it to make it look nice. I like my clunker, lol.

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Re: Michael
by: Richard

Michael, thanks for responding.

I like my old Chevy. My therapist says my 64yo car is a metaphor of myself.....simple, old-school, no electronics, no frills, no automatic transmission. But it does have a powerful old-fashioned engine to keep up with modern times, like me in life. In fact, I had a similar car as a teenager.

I could spend $50,000 to make it look and handle really nice, but that's crazy, to me. My daughter will inherit my Chevy, when I pass on.

Kudos to your grandmother, who worked for so long! I hope she was enjoying life while working, as I am.

I deal with kids on my job. Sometimes they ask me, innocently, "How old are you?" I tell them "Older than your grandfather!", or "I could be your mother's grandfather!" That blows their mind, lol.
Great post - awesome car!
by: Michael - Sunny and Warm Venice Florida

This was a great post. I often see older vehicles while riding my bike here in Florida and during the summer in upstate NY.

Yesterday, I saw a 1950's Plymouth and a DeSoto. A 1960's Mustang and VW Beetle. I'm trying to convince myself to buy a new or used Mazda Miata. I have the money, but our two Toyota Camrys already occupy the garage. I need a four-car garage, but no room to add on and homes are too pricey now to move. And, the mice would have a field day if I kept an old car in my barn upstate over the winter.

My Aunt Ethel worked as a receptionist at City Hall and retired at age 96. She lived until aged 105 years, 6 months.

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