Anybody recently retired? Or contemplating retirement?

Hi all,

I turned 61 last month and have begun thinking about retirement. How, when, doing it all at once or making it a gradual process, what I would do, etc. I'd appreciate hearing thoughts from others on retirement.

 

I have done it but don't have any thoughts about it. I have been retired for 7 years now. Everyone is different. If you do it enjoy..... :-D

 

My husband retired a year ago, I "retired" when we moved to the farm almost 8 years ago.
Thoughts:
Have something that really interests you. For my husband it's woodworking and keeping bees. For me, growing a good garden, and having chickens.
Don't expect retirement to be a slow slide downhill. It can give you the chance to try new things, meet new people, and enjoy each and every day (except when the plumbing fails or the roof leaks but then you meet a nice plumber or a good roofer).
Don't let others decide what you ought to do. "Oh, you're retired, so you can volunteer at this charity, man a desk at this place, or weed a public park". No is a wonderful word. Use it.
And most of all, plant at least one rose bush so you can go out and smell the roses!

 

My first 5 years of retirement had been very rough. I have always given to my community. I have planted sooo many plants in our garden it's not funny but a great joy. We have a cute little rose garden and I do smell the roses when they bloom.

That's what gives me those little pleasures in life.

Anyone else going to join our conversation? It's very interesting.... :-D

 

Wish I could join in, but I've got to work for another 40 years before I can retire

 

I'm on the retirement road. I have cut back my work week to 4 days a week, and over the next 3 - 5 years will slowly phase out my work altogether. I think it's less of a shock to one's psyche to do it gradually. Most folks don't have that option, so I say if YOU can, then I'd approach it that way.

I am very much looking forward to devoting more time to my grandchildren. Plus I have so many backlogged personal projects to take care of that it will be quite a few years before I'm looking around for things to fill my time.

I have 40+ years of photos that need to be scanned in to the computer to create digital images. Some are in albums, some are just random photos, some in frames. But all have to be taken care of so that there's a more permanent record.

Once I have those photos scanned in, I want to create a photo album for each of my kids (more likely a couple each) so that each have a copy in album form of their most treasured childhood photos and memories.

I have a similar scrapbook project….boxes of 30+ years of collected keepsakes that need to be sorted, organized, and placed in something in which to keep them permanently displayed.

There are a number of projects like that, involving memorabilia and keepsakes, going back to when my Mom and Dad were first dating…..1920 or so with letters and newspaper clippings, cards, pay books, some of my old report cards, things like that. Lots to work on, lots to keep me busy, and I'm very much looking forward to it!

Plus I also have dance as a very fun hobby, and a permanent part of who I am. I'll still be dancing when I'm old and decrepit!

 

I am 62 and love my work, but have begun some of the initial planning. I don't know your line of work, but I would highly recommend retirement workshops (not the ones that want your money). The two I attended were very informative, so much so I will attend a few more times before I leave service. With social security, Medicaid, supplemental insurance, managing IRAs, pensions, tax considerations, any savings and investments and some opportunities related to retiring provided by the state not highly published I was surprised at how much needs to be considered. You can get information from SSI as to your benefits at different ages of retirement, but this is just a small part of the information you will need.

There is separation from work vs. retirement. Different jobs, and states have differing considerations. From listening to some of the mistakes, or overlooks you can make by not considering the latest laws, etc. it is best to be as informed at possible. There are week-end workshops offered in my area a couple of times of year, check in your area.

As for what will I do? More of what I am doing right now, but without all the paperwork. It will be at my own pace without the pressure of deadlines. Lots of gardening and the joy of sharing

 

Toni & Jewell--I am a psychotherapist, social worker by degree & am self-employed. I do like the idea of tapering off gradually. I have signed up for a 2 day workshop on contemplating retirement for counselors in private practice. I am going with 2 friends. I think that will be fun.
And Jewell, I agree. My husband & I have begun looking at the finances of it & it is confusing & a lot to decide. All in good time.

Ronni--You are an inspiration! Your life sounds so full. You too Barb. I have seen the pix of your property. Beautiful. I think I know what you were alluding to re your 1st 5 years of retirement being a challenge. You are an inspiration.

MG--Yes, having things to do and interests that you enjoy is important.

Much as I am beginning to look forward to retirement, I actually think it will be difficult for me. I love my work. It is also how I have partly defined myself for 35+ years.

 

How recent? I will be 76 this Month and have been retired 21 years, best thing I ever did. Take your SS while you still can.

 

We are thinking about our "retirement". Bob has his own business, and I really only work part time (except for peak times of the landscaping/ gardening season.)
I know both of us are slowing down, can't physically do as much as we used to. We'll probably both just work as needed, and try to live frugally and enjoy what we've saved and worked for.
A lot of our friends are retiring, and it seems like opening new chapters of our lives.

 

I had to have quadruple bypass in 2001 and have been "retired" since then. Went on Social Security disability right after that and at age 66 switched over to straight retirement. You need to have something to do to keep from going totally bonkers. For me, it's working in the yard and reading. I read from one to 2 books a week. The biggest problem I had was that I could no longer do the things I used to do in the same amount of time. I had to teach myself to do them until I got tired and then go rest.

The definition of retired is " Tired yesterday and tired again today!"

 

Retirement for me is a long way off, but if I think about it - I'd say that I can only be happy if I buy an uninhabited island (one that will not drown when sea levels rise), and declare it as a sovereign nation - With me as it's Admiral/General type of a dictator ruler (constantly threatening the world with my numerous ICBMs, and thus becoming a new "international migraine")! But then again, that's just me being me...

You guys however may enjoy this free PDF book, 437 best things ever said about retirement.
http://www.thejoyofnotworking.com/ebook ... E-book.pdf

 

Retirement is pretty good. Both my honey and I are retired. My SSS is not something I could live on as my past hubby was self employed and I just worked for him with out being considered an employee. My mistake. Before that I was a stay at home Mom. After we split I went back to work full time but it wasn't enough years to amount to much.
Then I married my sweet babo in 1999 and continued to work until I took an early retirement when I was 60. Not a wise decision.

Anyway as I had said in another post, we should have planned our finance a lot better, and checked into how much we would be receiving a month to live on. Before retirement we were just living off the cuff so to speak. We always have enough if some emergency came up like needing a new stove, or something like that. His insurance was great.

We had always thought that we would like to do some traveling after he retired. Nothing big and expensive, just a few days say taking a train ride on some scenic railway, or driving out to Oregon a seeing the sights along the way. Well after he retired our income was cut in half. Yikes! With both of our SSS we now get a month and a small amount from his retirement acct. It only adds up to half of what he alone had been making when working full time. That canceled any traveling we had wanted to do. Unless it is just a day trip to somewhere close. Don't take me wrong. We are very thankful we have been able to continue to live in our wonderful home out in the country.

We've needed to make a lot of cut backs and live very frugally. We can if a need would arise get money out of his retirement acct. But we try and avoid that at all costs. So please do your homework before you make what can be a life changing decision.

We do enjoy being home. During the summer my hubby does the veggie garden and I have my flower beds. During the winter he does a lot of reading and I paint, craft, and build bird houses. So I keep really busy. My honey could use a hobby during the winter. We both go an mall walk several times a week to keep those extra pounds at bay.

I thank the Lord that we were able to keep his insurance as our supplemental insurance. That is something else you should check into. Some insurance companies will let you do that.