Retirement
- Thread starter chicks
- Start date
This is an encouraging thread. I'm looking forward to retirement in 5 or 6 years, perhaps a bit longer. I've been a college professor for 30 years, and like many of my colleagues, I expect retirement to include the parts of my job I like (research, scholarly activity) without the parts I don't (administration, meetings), and at my own pace. I've got plenty of other stuff I'd like to do - including spending more time reading and listening to music. Many of my colleagues have said something like this:
hdewees
Super Member
One of the things to think about 5-7 years away from retirement (me) is to get your house in tip top shape so those $$$ are not spent with your retirement money.
I work with a guy who still works (68 yrs old) because he is still fixing his house and he does not want SS to pay for it. He did buy a new SUV and a new motorcycle in preparation. He retires next year.
I plan on having my driveway replaced, a bathroom renovated, and other smaller things before I retire. I bought a new F-150 that will only be 5 years old when I retire and it is paid off, and my wifes car is now paid off with 14,000 miles on it.
I work with a guy who still works (68 yrs old) because he is still fixing his house and he does not want SS to pay for it. He did buy a new SUV and a new motorcycle in preparation. He retires next year.
I plan on having my driveway replaced, a bathroom renovated, and other smaller things before I retire. I bought a new F-150 that will only be 5 years old when I retire and it is paid off, and my wifes car is now paid off with 14,000 miles on it.
chicks
Lunatic Member
DougRuss47
Well-Known Member
Retired at 62 (2008) and never looked back ! Worked for the same company for 39 years...just couldn't take anymore of the changes that were taking place.Had a Stroke 2 1/2 years ago,so I just take life,a day at a time.
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dosmalo
T-Totaled
I agree but about the time I retired from the job, Antenna TV and MeTV came on the tube around here. Hard to not watch all those vintage, classic shows from when we were growing up.
As far as daytime network television - hell yeah, avoid it like the plague!
chicks
Lunatic Member
I agree but about the time I retired from the job, Antenna TV and MeTV came on the tube around here. Hard to not watch all those vintage, classic shows from when we were growing up.
As far as daytime network television - hell yeah, avoid it like the plague!
Yeah, I recently discovered the Black Sheep Squadron; missed it back in the day, so all new episodes to me. A fun time waster. :thmbsp:
Two more years for me and I hope to pull the plug as well.
I already have more projects lined up than I can possibly do within the years left to me!
My retired friends have told me they are busy, however, they are busy with things they choose to do, not what their employer assigned them to do. Apparently this makes a huge difference in quality of life, with some of them saying they have gotten their "second wind" and are busier, and happier, than they have been in decades.
Certainly something to look forward to, IMHO.
I already have more projects lined up than I can possibly do within the years left to me!
My retired friends have told me they are busy, however, they are busy with things they choose to do, not what their employer assigned them to do. Apparently this makes a huge difference in quality of life, with some of them saying they have gotten their "second wind" and are busier, and happier, than they have been in decades.
Certainly something to look forward to, IMHO.
I could have taken a pension 11 years ago but would only have been 50, I'm in much better financial shape now. I really don't know what I would do with myself if I had all that time on my hands. I like to bicycle in the summer but I manage to get in over 1K miles most summers as it is and have time for my other hobbies while working well over 40 hrs a week.
Most family members that have retired seem to spend all their time watching cable news, my God that must be terrible!
Most family members that have retired seem to spend all their time watching cable news, my God that must be terrible!
The most important thing when you retire is to have a sense of purpose. Many people get that from work, retire and die very quickly because they don't have a reason to go on living. So, you probably should investigate suggestions of other posters here and stay busy.
Dennis Gardner
Jazz Nut
Stay busy and stay healthy, as once the health declines, the quality of retirement does also. I see so many people that didn't take care of themselves as they aged and now spend M-F taking each other to doctors visits as though that seems to become their purpose in life.
Many times this revolves around a fall due to poor core strength and balance loss.
Stay flexible, keep learning, give back to the world and enjoy!
Many times this revolves around a fall due to poor core strength and balance loss.
Stay flexible, keep learning, give back to the world and enjoy!
I retired 5 years ago, and can highly recommend it. Keep your brain and your body busy and you'll do just fine. Enjoy!
KingBubba
"Too Much Stuff"
The addage about not being able to come up with things to do is not the case here. I retired in December of 2013 and have not looked back. I get frequent work dreams, which I had before I retired. I have not yet run out of things to do. As a matter of fact I enjoy blowing off whatever it is needing to be done and doing nothing instead. My wife does not make honey-do lists. I work on AK stuff when I am in the mood.
My wife and I have to babysit our grandson every weekend. This is fine and fun except for the fact that he brings home every sickness known to man and since we don't have much external contact; we have no immunities to help us. I have never had as many colds, sinus infections and chest infections in my life. We are finally learning to alcohol everything he touches, to protect ourselves. being sick for months at a time is no fun.
I retired at 61 and started taking my SS in 2014. I did not want to, but it was the only way we could get Obamacare. In the next 4 years Obamacare will save us close to $50,000 as my last quarter's insurance through my local union was running $3570 a quarter and going up around 8% to 10% biannually. As of this point, my payments have not exceeded $61 a month. This year, I have added dental and for all I pay $48 a month. I can't understand why people are all up in arms about it. If not for this my wife and I would not have been able to get insurance at all.
I highly recommend retiring to anyone who can.
My wife and I have to babysit our grandson every weekend. This is fine and fun except for the fact that he brings home every sickness known to man and since we don't have much external contact; we have no immunities to help us. I have never had as many colds, sinus infections and chest infections in my life. We are finally learning to alcohol everything he touches, to protect ourselves. being sick for months at a time is no fun.
I retired at 61 and started taking my SS in 2014. I did not want to, but it was the only way we could get Obamacare. In the next 4 years Obamacare will save us close to $50,000 as my last quarter's insurance through my local union was running $3570 a quarter and going up around 8% to 10% biannually. As of this point, my payments have not exceeded $61 a month. This year, I have added dental and for all I pay $48 a month. I can't understand why people are all up in arms about it. If not for this my wife and I would not have been able to get insurance at all.
I highly recommend retiring to anyone who can.
Geeze, it will be 9yrs this summer I've been retired.... where did the time go?? Oh, I bought an old house and have been slowly (too slowly) restoring/remodeling all that time. I work harder now than when I was working, but it's on my own terms. Plus I have enough hobbies/interests to keep my busy.
noogies
My Favorite Woofers.
Looking at it coming, just 5, maybe 6 years down the road. Financially more than ready, but wondering how you old farts stay out of trouble with all that time on your hands? I mean besides welcoming newbies to AK, and wishing birthday members well?
Have been steadily employed for 30 years at MegaCorp; any time things started to get boring, moved on to new challenges. Expect the last few working years to be just as intellectually stimulating. Worried about staying intellectually involved after retirement. Maybe some EdX courses, maybe back to school at a small college.
Welcome input from those of you who are there...
Word to the wise: if you're financially more than ready, what are you waiting for? Do it now. You know, while you're still healthy and everything?
I retired last August 1. Have kept myself busy building a new house. But after all that excitement dies down I wonder about staying busy. Of course all my audio refurb projects have gone untouched since packing up and moving to MS. Am looking forward to getting the Klipsch Chorus speakers and Dynaco ST-35 amp purchased since moving in peak shape and giving them a listen.
P.S. - Have not missed my old job a minute since leaving. Had gotten burned out on the political BS and all the traveling about 3 years earlier.
P.S. - Have not missed my old job a minute since leaving. Had gotten burned out on the political BS and all the traveling about 3 years earlier.
