Guns & Outdoors Forum

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 4:59 pm

shotgunshooter3 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 4:31 pm

Diver43 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 3:32 pm I'm enjoying retirement to much to go back. And i find it surprising how much extra disposable income I have for trips, dining out, guns, ammo, shooting. Didn't realize how much it cost me to go to work.

There's a "FIRE" (Financially Independent, Retire Early) blog I follow that had a very interesting post about how the commute to work is a sizable hidden living expense for most Americans. It was pretty eye opening to see the numbers.

Other than I don’t want to be trapped in one building to work, that’s a prime reason I’m doing what I’m doing. Had a company van now for 25+ years.
That’s 1300 weeks, on a stupid low average let’s say I spent $25 per week on gas. That’s $32,500 I saved. Just wish that
WOULD have been stuck under the mattress unbeknownst to the wife.

That is a nice chunk of savings for sure. It does make a big difference when you don’t pay to go to work. Think of all the vehicle maintenance this has saved you too! Ok bet you give saved 6 figures easy!

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 5:06 pm

Admin wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 4:42 pm

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 2:22 am

That’s the way I thought about it. Then I started realizing that all the retired folks I know basically get into a million meaningless hobbies, sleep late everyday and then go to COSTCO. Then they go out to dinner with another couple and discuss all their current medical poop going on and upcoming doctor appointments and “procedures”.
F that…

After being in a career where I have had to be a professional 'people person' for... pretty much forever, I am pretty sure there would be months where my family would be lucky to get 3 words out of me. Pretty sure I would live in the woods and be a hermit for a while

Luckily my people personing duties aren’t my whole job. It’s still a decent portion, but 98% of my customers are decent to work around, very few do I dread seeing. Some are friends I’ve made through doing work for them.

And even though I’ve made an honest effort to be more peoply to the general public over the past few years, especially this last year, they are still people. And I really don’t like people. But at least I’m trying to be nice.
The downside is, the non-peoply Chris doesn’t have small bursts of pressure that get vented. The pressure builds. One day, I’ll be on YouTube losing my poop at a fast food worker whose day it “wasn’t”.

And that’s why I keep looking for your name on YouTube. Getting my popcorn ready

I quite like my job. Trying to keep this body together with duck tape and baling wire so I can keep doing it. Even though eligeable to retire now. Once I hit mandatory…….I may consider putting in for an extension. Will have to see. Depends on the body and political climate when I hit mandatory.

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:29 pm I quite like my job. Trying to keep this body together with duck tape and baling wire so I can keep doing it. Even though eligeable to retire now. Once I hit mandatory…….I may consider putting in for an extension. Will have to see. Depends on the body and political climate when I hit mandatory.

Yep, that's kind of how I feel. Except for the getting beat-up physically. But then again, I don't think you'd have it any other way. I'm sure they are running you ragged now and I'm glad the young whippersnappers have your experience available to them. Hat's off to you buddy.

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:29 pm I quite like my job. Trying to keep this body together with duck tape and baling wire so I can keep doing it. Even though eligeable to retire now. Once I hit mandatory…….I may consider putting in for an extension. Will have to see. Depends on the body and political climate when I hit mandatory.

Sorry, no retirement for yous.
Because reasons.

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 8:28 pm

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:29 pm I quite like my job. Trying to keep this body together with duck tape and baling wire so I can keep doing it. Even though eligeable to retire now. Once I hit mandatory…….I may consider putting in for an extension. Will have to see. Depends on the body and political climate when I hit mandatory.

Sorry, no retirement for yous.
Because reasons.

Selfish bastard. I’m working on my self sustaining collection of toys.

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:49 pm

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:29 pm I quite like my job. Trying to keep this body together with duck tape and baling wire so I can keep doing it. Even though eligeable to retire now. Once I hit mandatory…….I may consider putting in for an extension. Will have to see. Depends on the body and political climate when I hit mandatory.

Yep, that's kind of how I feel. Except for the getting beat-up physically. But then again, I don't think you'd have it any other way. I'm sure they are running you ragged now and I'm glad the young whippersnappers have your experience available to them. Hat's off to you buddy.

I’d suck start my pistol in an office job.

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 9:45 pm

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 8:28 pm

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:29 pm I quite like my job. Trying to keep this body together with duck tape and baling wire so I can keep doing it. Even though eligeable to retire now. Once I hit mandatory…….I may consider putting in for an extension. Will have to see. Depends on the body and political climate when I hit mandatory.

Sorry, no retirement for yous.
Because reasons.

Selfish bastard. I’m working on my self sustaining collection of toys.

So, maybe not be so harsh. Instead of “selfish bastard”, why don’t you say that I’m “focusing on my needs ahead of others.”


That’s one (of a million ) reasons you’d never survive corporate life.

I started a pretty aggressive debt reduction plan last year. $'s gonna be tight for 3 more years but if all goes according to plan, I can retire at 60...

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 9:48 pm

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:49 pm

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:29 pm I quite like my job. Trying to keep this body together with duck tape and baling wire so I can keep doing it. Even though eligeable to retire now. Once I hit mandatory…….I may consider putting in for an extension. Will have to see. Depends on the body and political climate when I hit mandatory.

Yep, that's kind of how I feel. Except for the getting beat-up physically. But then again, I don't think you'd have it any other way. I'm sure they are running you ragged now and I'm glad the young whippersnappers have your experience available to them. Hat's off to you buddy.

I’d suck start my pistol in an office job.

We all have different talents.

I’d love to have your job or something similar but no one talked to me about that one on career day and my dad basically blocked me from anything military because he wanted me to follow in his footsteps career wise. It all worked out ok.

I’ve never had a real office job as most folks define it. I started as a computer programmer and hardware architect when not many folks even knew what that was. And that was actually fun, especially when I was working on real cutting edge stuff and building hardware prototypes.

Somehow I managed to move to sales and then into business development and it started to go outside of our borders really quickly because of my language skills.

I’ve been lucky that my career has always kept me on my toes (great for an ADHD guy ), and because it’s leading edge tech it looks different every day. It has taken me to a lot of places and experience things many folks don’t, including getting to see and sometimes even have input on things coming down the line and meeting/working with the folks making it happen.

And the best part, It’s also provided a pretty good life for the wife and kids and that was always my first priority. So like you, I’m happy it’s not over quite yet.

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 9:59 pm

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 9:45 pm

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 8:28 pm

Sorry, no retirement for yous.
Because reasons.

Selfish bastard. I’m working on my self sustaining collection of toys.

So, maybe not be so harsh. Instead of “selfish bastard”, why don’t you say that I’m “focusing on my needs ahead of others.”


That’s one (of a million ) reasons you’d never survive corporate life.

And shoes…. Don’t forget shoes…

And, the constant rug burn in his knuckles would irritate him and make him crankier than he already is

jbp-ohio wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 10:05 pm I started a pretty aggressive debt reduction plan last year. $'s gonna be tight for 3 more years but if all goes according to plan, I can retire at 60...

Good for you brother! Sounds like a good plan

Welcome back to the circus!








I told you so.

LMLarsen wrote: ↑Fri Mar 14, 2025 12:30 am Welcome back to the circus!








I told you so.

Yes you did

So, any business trips to our neck of the woods?

sakodude wrote: ↑Fri Mar 14, 2025 12:53 am So, any business trips to our neck of the woods?

Funny enough the guy that took over my job and now is handing it back and keeping just U.S.A. and Canada is in Denver. I’m trying to figure out if a joint planning trip for our Americas Region is in order. You, Elk creek and SS3 will get the call immediately if I can make that happen. We’ll take a day (or a few) to shoot and a day to shop

Well I retired for you.

Well I’m glad I unretired. I’m having a blast! Got a warm welcome from my team and I got some great projects in my hands

How old are you? I'm 56 and thinking of pulling the pin sooner rather than later.

sakodude wrote: ↑Fri Mar 14, 2025 12:53 am So, any business trips to our neck of the woods?

Hey funny enough it looks like I’ll be in Denver around the 26th of June! I’ll know more in a few weeks.

Scott E. Mayer wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 7:24 pm How old are you? I'm 56 and thinking of pulling the pin sooner rather than later.

I tried, I’m 66 now and I had a taste of “retirement” and it doesn’t really suit me…. I have waaaaaaay too much fun doing what I do and there is nothing in retirement activities I can’t do while I’m still “working”. Sold my boat, gave away my golf clubs and fishing gear. Headed to Mexico in a few days to go change the landscape of my industry beats golf with a bunch of guys waiting to die all day long

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 8:04 pm

sakodude wrote: ↑Fri Mar 14, 2025 12:53 am So, any business trips to our neck of the woods?

Hey funny enough it looks like I’ll be in Denver around the 26th of June! I’ll know more in a few weeks.

I guess working from home and setting your own hours makes it different. Since retiring we have more fun money than before. Didn't realize it cost so much to go to work. We spend a week in Ireland and I'm headed to Texas in the morning. Couldn't donthat if still on the clock

Diver43 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 8:26 pm

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 8:04 pm

sakodude wrote: ↑Fri Mar 14, 2025 12:53 am So, any business trips to our neck of the woods?

Hey funny enough it looks like I’ll be in Denver around the 26th of June! I’ll know more in a few weeks.

I guess working from home and setting your own hours makes it different. Since retiring we have more fun money than before. Didn't realize it cost so much to go to work. We spend a week in Ireland and I'm headed to Texas in the morning. Couldn't donthat if still on the clock

Working from home, and I've been doing that for over a decade, and being in charge of my schedule makes ALL the difference in the world for sure. I usually get my coffee, light up the laptop, do a few hours of conference calls and the rest of my day is up to me to do as I see fit. I answer pretty much to no one since my work is based on goals that if achieved no one cares how we got there or where I am. And I can do my work from anywhere so if I want to go away for a week I don't really even have to use "vacation time".

Wife and I were talking about renting an RV and me getting a portable Starlink setup for it and just going walkabout around the west for a few months at some point, maybe park it in Yellowstone for a while after the tourists leave. Traveling overseas for vacation holds no attraction for me, hell if I never see another airplane it'll be to soon but it' is a business "evil" that I'll never escape. This old body has hundreds of thousands of hours in airline seats on it already.

Right now I'm more focused on finding my next forever home close to the kids/grandchildren and watching BLM Mustang sales because I'm dead set on getting a young horse and training it for myself (and one for my wife) so I can do it right. That's my idea of retirement fun

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 8:04 pm

sakodude wrote: ↑Fri Mar 14, 2025 12:53 am So, any business trips to our neck of the woods?

Hey funny enough it looks like I’ll be in Denver around the 26th of June! I’ll know more in a few weeks.

Cool, let us know if your plans firm up.

sakodude wrote: ↑Fri Apr 25, 2025 3:34 am

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 8:04 pm

sakodude wrote: ↑Fri Mar 14, 2025 12:53 am So, any business trips to our neck of the woods?

Hey funny enough it looks like I’ll be in Denver around the 26th of June! I’ll know more in a few weeks.

Cool, let us know if your plans firm up.

Will do! Maybe I’ll even drive so I can bring some toys with me. I’ve been told the drive is spectacular!!!