# Stepped back behind the counter again.



## Happybill68 (Feb 4, 2020)

After 6 years away from retail I was called by a recruiter to see about working with bikes again. It’s a big box store but bikes are bikes to me. 

Did my first shift yesterday and really enjoyed being back working with the public again. They are giving me as many hours a week as I want/handle.

I built bikes and it was fun. 

This is really a trial period to see if I want to retire from my full time gig in a year and a half (when I’m eligible to retire) and do something like this instead with my life. 

Let’s see how things go 


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## Stahr_Nut (Nov 7, 2006)

Cool! You don't name names so I'm not sure exactly what you mean by big box. Could be REI or could be Walmart. But either way your post sounds good to me. The guys working the bike dept. at my REI are just as knowledgeable and down to earth as any of my LBSs. If its Walmart, its good to hear they have a guy like you doing assembly for them.


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## kosmo (Oct 27, 2004)

Stahr_Nut said:


> Cool! You don't name names so I'm not sure exactly what you mean by big box. Could be REI or could be Walmart.


I've heard Walmart bike builders get a free one week vacation to Bentonville for every 1,000 bikes they build.


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## Happybill68 (Feb 4, 2020)

It’s Dicks sporting goods. Did my second day, a busy Sunday and the day just flew by. 

Definitely enjoying the whole thing. 


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Happybill68 said:


> It’s Dicks sporting goods. Did my second day, a busy Sunday and the day just flew by.
> 
> Definitely enjoying the whole thing.
> 
> ...


That's a great idea to give it a trial run ahead of time. 

I've got 4 or 5 more years until retirement and want to work with animals in some capacity at that time.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

Happybill68 said:


> This is really a trial period to see if I want to retire from my full time gig in a year and a half (when I’m eligible to retire) and do something like this instead with my life.


I have a hard time figuring out why someone will retire and then go back to work.

Once I retire (in about 5 years) I have so many things I want to do and working won't be one of them.


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## Happybill68 (Feb 4, 2020)

Crankout said:


> That's a great idea to give it a trial run ahead of time.
> 
> I've got 4 or 5 more years until retirement and want to work with animals in some capacity at that time.


Yea I’m very burned out at my current job. So trying something new has been good for me: trying this new job has opened my eyes to how much different my life could be. 

It’s definitely worth doing 


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## Happybill68 (Feb 4, 2020)

prj71 said:


> I have a hard time figuring out why someone will retire and then go back to work.
> 
> Once I retire (in about 5 years) I have so many things I want to do and working won't be one of them.


My retirement is generous, but all my retirements don’t kick in until age 60. 

I guess I just like working with people. It’s fun to me. But to each his own. Hopefully you have a great retirement in 5 years. 


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

You can take earlier than 60...









Guide To Rule 72(t) And Substantially Equal Periodic Payments (SEPPs)


Tax-advantaged retirement accounts provide you with plenty of valuable benefits. In exchange, you agree to lock up your money for the long term. Need early access to your retirement savings? The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may charge an early withdrawal penalty. That’s why you need to understa




www.forbes.com













Substantially Equal Periodic Payment (SEPP)


A Substantially Equal Periodic Payment plan allows individuals with qualified retirement plans to withdraw funds before the age of 59 1/2 without penalties.




www.investopedia.com


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Crankout said:


> That's a great idea to give it a trial run ahead of time.
> 
> I've got 4 or 5 more years until retirement and want to work with animals in some capacity at that time.


Everyone in retail works with animals. 
=sParty


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

Crankout said:


> want to work with animals in some capacity at that time.


That would be a dream. Any ideas in what capacity? 

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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

prj71 said:


> I have a hard time figuring out why someone will retire and then go back to work.
> 
> Once I retire (in about 5 years) I have so many things I want to do and working won't be one of them.


It's only work if you think about it that way.

If and when I retire, there are things I'd like to do such as: be a Barista, work on bikes, teach, work in a free medical clinic.

If I were retired and only had personal things to do, I'd end up working harder and having less fun because all I'd be doing is remodels, landscaping, and construction.

Since I ride all the time as a working stiff, there's not much more I'd do biking related other than travel to other riding areas more often.

Work is good for you


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Trailwork. Here in the rain forests of the PNW, there's always plenty of trailwork to do. I'm a lucky man. 
=sParty


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

WHALENARD said:


> That would be a dream. Any ideas in what capacity?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk


There's a local zoo, animal shelters and various wildlife sanctuaries around here. Honestly, the biggest turn off could be the folks who work at some of these places. Some could be hardcore Sierra Club peeps who may be hard to take, but that's an aside.

I mean really, I see some TikTok vids of people petting rescue cows or donkeys, and I could do that all day long.


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## dir-T (Jan 20, 2004)

Nurse Ben said:


> It's only work if you think about it that way.


I agree. TLDR version of what follows: I seem to be on the "work a little bit for a long time" program.


Like the OP, I'm feeling burned out in my current job but it's a pretty good one WRT pay and (moreso) benefits. One of things I like about it is that I'm allowed to work part time in the winters, so I've spent the last 20 years doing that and snowboarding a ton. It's kinda like I've been semi-retired for my entire career. 

That's been really really great but I'm not sure it's been stellar for my retirements savings. So, I'm considering quitting my "real" job when I hit my mid-to-late 50s (I'm 47 now) and finding something enjoyable that pays enough to cover the few expenses I'll have at that point while I wait to draw from my retirement savings sometime in my late 60s or so. 

Depending on whether my wife and I relocate somewhere, we might be able to cash out of our house for a pretty penny too.

This all pretty loosy-goosy though, I need to take a closer look at my finances before I'll know if it's doable.


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## Curveball (Aug 10, 2015)

Happybill68 said:


> It’s Dicks sporting goods. Did my second day, a busy Sunday and the day just flew by.
> 
> Definitely enjoying the whole thing.
> 
> ...


My son works at Dick's. He seems to like it. He wanted to work assembling bikes, but they put him in footwear and youth sports.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

Nurse Ben said:


> It's only work if you think about it that way.
> 
> If and when I retire, there are things I'd like to do such as: be a Barista, work on bikes, teach, work in a free medical clinic.
> 
> ...


No. It's work because I'm on their time schedule not mine and I'm not free to do the things I want to do other than in the evenings after work, weekends and when I take vacation.

When I retire I want to do the things I want to do on my own time schedule not someone else's time schedule. Personal things like remodels, landscaping etc. those are the types of things that I pay people to do. My time is more valuable then money.

As a retired person I would do all the same things I do now, but do more of it. Currently I mountain bike, road bike, fat bike, snow shoe, grouse hunt, fly fish, ice fish, kayak and dabble in a little bit of photography. There would be no time to work.


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## Happybill68 (Feb 4, 2020)

Update. Left the job at dicks sporting goods. The people were really nice but I hated the hours I was working. 

Ended up at my local shop working more manageable hours and loving the work. Actually repairing old bikes and helping customers. 

Much better fit 


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