our mini-retirement during shutdown

[mcneally]

I enjoyed the time off but also got very bored at times during the furlough, in large part due to limited social interaction. I literally went a week where all I spoke was "good, how are you" to the grocery store clerk. The experienced reinforced my belief that I want to cut back hours to 3 or 4 days a week once I'm about half way to FI (luckily my agency allows us to work 16-32 hrs/ wk for a proportional salary minus large insurance deductions) but still stick around long enough to get a pension, which is almost 30 years away as I am 27.

[little_owl]

OP, it may take a while for the "retirement" mentality to set in. I'm 1.5 months into it and the reality still hasn't quite settled in yet.

SO JEALOUS!!!!  ;)

[oldtoyota]

I'm not convinced the folks at the IRS were ever on furlough.  I mailed in a check when I filed the return on Tuesday (October 15).  It was CASHED yesterday (October 16) and deducted from my account.  So unless someone stole it, the IRS folks, at least the ones that process incoming money, were working yesterday.

Yep, they had people processing money coming in, but nobody writing checks back out.

http://www.npr.org/2013/10/15/234833260/the-irs-cant-take-your-questions-it-will-take-your-return

I had to call the IRS about something. No one was answering the phones. They were 90% furloughed.

[Mr.Macinstache]

I'm not convinced the folks at the IRS were ever on furlough.  I mailed in a check when I filed the return on Tuesday (October 15).  It was CASHED yesterday (October 16) and deducted from my account.  So unless someone stole it, the IRS folks, at least the ones that process incoming money, were working yesterday.

Yep, they had people processing money coming in, but nobody writing checks back out.

http://www.npr.org/2013/10/15/234833260/the-irs-cant-take-your-questions-it-will-take-your-return

The ones who collect and cash the checks are essential, you know. :P