Officially retiring, does it really ever happen to a DJ

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tunes4046

DJ Extraordinaire
ODJT Supporter
Jul 24, 2008
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Fennimore Wi
For years I’ve tried to price myself into retirement, however I still seem to find events that pull at my heartstrings and I still really enjoying playing at a couple of the local bars, Wedding are too much work, but a few people seem to talk me into it every year, now with 3 other businesses and one of them in the middle of a pretty extensive remodel, I wonder if it’s time
 
There's no reason one can't "do it for fun" well after retirement .. and help keep the retirement "slush" fund filled.
 
I've always called it a profitable hobby, and it can be that as long as you're willing to say yes. Granted... I'm doing more of this work than really qualifies for "hobby" status at this point, but I still talk about it that way.
 
What advantage does completely officially retiring offer? Regardless of your status (full time; part time; hobbyist), it makes little to no sense tossing in the towel officially.

Deductions.

Nuff said.
 
DJs who like to be DJs, and end up doing this for more than 10 years DO NOT Retire until they physically can't do the job any more, or health issues force an early retirement.

My Dad is Cap's Age, and still DJs. 74 this year. Hell...He is loading up his Convertible Corvette with his equipment and taking it to the legion or Elks Lodge to load in. Last week he did 3 gigs. This week he only had 1, but next week back to 3 gigs. He says he won't stop deejaying.

Now, he isn't doing weddings any more or so he says...He did do one for a friend's son 2 years ago, and did a neighbor's wedding 3 years ago..

Now, for me...I won't run away from deejaying either. The money is better than any job I have ever had, and I love deejaying, and making people dance. I also feel it's the only thing I have complete control over that I can make money with. Any job, I'm working for someone else making them more money than I made myself, and the monetary reward, or emotional reward is no where close to what I receive in return from my DJ gigs.
 
Myself I have considered retiring from being a DJ because of my health issues but my friends say what will I do if I retire. The thought comes in when I'm in extreme pain after a gig. Honestly I would really miss it because I believe it was God's calling for me. In fact got an event to do this Saturday and another for sure the last Saturday in August. I guess I will retire once the wheels completely fall off.
 
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Honestly the bowling alley and roller rink have given me an outlet for my desire to purchase new gear so

If you were DJing because you were a gear head, and that itch is being scratched... you might be right. I don't know how far you'd want to go to actually close that door, but all you need to do to stop DJing is to stop accepting new gigs. So the next time you get a call for one, think about whether you really want to do it.
 
I have a home office, music subscriptions, internet, software enhancements, transport vehicles, maintenance, dry cleaning, and on and on. Quit the biz, not showing income? Bye bye all those business-related deductions. Also, the time to qualify for Social Security is during the highest-earning 3 year period, not the lowest.
 
Also, the time to qualify for Social Security is during the highest-earning 3 year period, not the lowest.

Not to derail this - but Social Security is based on your highest 35 years of income, not necessarily as impacted by the most recent years. But they do their projection on expected SSI payments under the assumption that your current income will continue until you file. So there is a perceived loss of benefit for those that decrease earnings during that projection period, but if you already have 35 higher years on your earnings record, it may not have an effect on the benefit.
 
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Honestly the bowling alley and roller rink have given me an outlet for my desire to purchase new gear so

So you're not REALLY trying to retire...
you're just focusing your attention to other things!
But I think most of us over 50 understand how you feel.
We'd all like to take it easy and enjoy our lives and re-connect with our spouses on the weekends.
But I know that I would really miss it.
AND I would be really bored.
I enjoy weddings more than ever, I can use the exercise of lugging gear around,
not to mention that I am an attention-hound and need my "fix".

So, I will keep going until I cannot do it anymore.
 
But I think most of us over 50 understand how you feel. We'd all like to take it easy and enjoy our lives and re-connect with our spouses on the weekends...not to mention that I am an attention-hound and need my "fix".

Mike, now that I'm out of the biz, I do love having the weekends to be with wifey.

Gives us time to see movies, go to concerts and comedy shows...

But I agree on the ego fix....miss that. Thankfully, wifey applauds me in the...ummm....you know...:embarrassed:
 

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My friend DJ Jay Jay is 68 and doesn't look it at all. He's still going strong. I don't know when he will quit. I know a lot of people will be sad when that happens.
 
I know quite a few people who have totally stopped DJing and sold off all their equipment. I used to sell off my old equipment & records in the 90's and I bet 95% of the 100's of DJs I have in my database are out got business. There maybe a few do continue on as a hobby. I know myself I sold off all my 1200s, CD players, huge bass bins as those days are over. As music & clients have changed over the passed 10 years some parties just aren't the as fun as it used to be. Plus I wanted to move away from weekend events to weekday & weeknight events which are usually only 2 to 3hrs. Depending on the money I will still do a high school or college party but usually it's a Video Dance Party or Semi-formal. When I did my last High School Video Party, it took me 2 days to recover because of the intensity of the party. The music I had to played was noise but the kids loved it and luckily it was only 2 hrs. I have my son working for three more years until college. Then I think one of guys who used to work with me will be retired from his state job & might want to come back for the road trips. If everything health wise holds out I might continue out pass my 60's since I do have clients provide some of the labor at the events. But after re-reading my business plan I first wrote when I was in my 20's who knows what will happen because life never unfolds the way you planned.
 
For years I’ve tried to price myself into retirement, however I still seem to find events that pull at my heartstrings and I still really enjoying playing at a couple of the local bars, Wedding are too much work, but a few people seem to talk me into it every year, now with 3 other businesses and one of them in the middle of a pretty extensive remodel, I wonder if it’s time

I left the business for 10 years ...but there was always that magnetic pull...especially when i would hear a "bad" dj at a party or wedding ...lol....so long story short...i started back up 4 mnths ago...hahaha... :laugh:

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