This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Walter Green, 52, from Northwest Arkansas. It's been edited for length and clarity.
I officially retired from my 30-year career in technology at the end of 2024, at the age of 52.
When both my parents passed away, at 85 and 91 respectively, it recentered my priorities. I always thought I'd work until the typical retirement age, 65 or 70, but I realized I wanted to retire while I was still young and healthy enough to enjoy it.
I experienced euphoria after retiring, but it's not all easy.
I don't have enough money to go the rest of my life without working
My job gave me a generous retirement match, which I had contributed to for many decades. I also received a six-figure inheritance from my parents, which was the bump that made me really believe I could retire earlier than expected.
Still, it's not enough to stop working for the rest of my life. There's this widely accepted idea that retirement means you're done working for good, but I see it as a new phase for me to fill as I'd like.
It's a great season to take some time off and do jobs that perhaps pay less but can provide a lot of fulfillment.
Before retiring, I started tracking my costs very closely
Before retiring, I started using You Need A Budget, or YNAB, an online service with a subscription fee. I wanted to truly understand how much money I needed to cover essential needs while feeling comfortable doing some extra fun things here and there.
There are some common retirement guideposts to follow, like the 4% rule or having 25 times your expenses in savings, but for me, it felt most important to stick to my basics: food, healthcare, utilities, transportation, and veterinary care.
I've used websites such as Boldin, FI Calc, and Honest Math, which have free tools that allow me to view my savings aggregately, predict investment returns, and project future expenses.
Retiring was a scary decision, and it felt like a lot was at stake
I had some hesitation, because what if I found myself in a tough financial position after I quit my job? I questioned whether I'd be able to go back to my old employer or even get a job as an older person with a career gap.
I also worried whether it was responsible to potentially impact my family — my wife, who does not work, and our three adult children, who depend on me — by making this decision.
The economy changes, personal things happen, and I have a general plan, but I am ready to tweak it as needed. An important aspect of my retirement plan is flexibility.
I'm loving my freedom, but it's been stressful spending money
I'm loving the slow mornings and freedom of retired life, but it's been stressful spending money without having a paycheck coming in. I have to keep reassuring myself that I have the financial resources to spend money and go do fun things.
I'm still fine-tuning my budget, but I find reassurance when I go back to my spreadsheet and see that I have at least enough money to be fully secure for the next year.
Despite not having a steady paycheck, I'm happy with my decision
I see retirement as a blank canvas of endless opportunity. I can choose to work again full time, volunteer, or work part time; it doesn't matter. It's a new chapter of life to find purpose, and I can't wait.
I probably think about budgeting and money more than I should, but I've redefined what retirement means to me.
Would you like to share tips on how you transitioned into retirement? Contact the editor, Manseen Logan, at mlogan@bjinnox.com.
Correction: May 27, 2025: An earlier version of this story misstated one of the common retirement guideposts to follow. The guidepost is to have 25 times your expenses in order to retire, not 25 times your income.
