Retirement

[Conndog]

Scheduled to retire at end of April this year- in good health, finances generally okay but we can't go wild either. I'm curious, what have other people who have retired done with all that extra time on their hands? Did anyone pick up interesting new hobbies? How many went back to work, and if they did, was it due to boredom? My wife is younger and is still working but she works flexible hours part-time as a consultant.

I'm hoping to do some traveling, our house is getting remodeled and I'll work on landscaping for it, but I don't want to go back to work at all. I'll definitely be playing more golf!

 

[Waquoit]

I have 2 years to go and honestly I'm scared. I've always worked. I live alone and don't have a husband or companion to do stuff with. I feel like I'd still be too young for the senior center. I want to get a part time job and hope to meet some people that way. I used to work out a lot, but I was compulsive and did some permanent damage to my feet that limit me now. A 2 or 2-1/2 mile walk is about all I can handle though I can still lift weights, etc. I don't think I'll have too much to worry about financially (I hope) but you all are doing so much stuff I'm not sure I can afford. I have a financial planner, who like me, plays it close to the vest. I'm scared I'll sink further into a depression and that'll be it for me.

Have you tried cannabis?

 

[Kathy]

I have 2 years to go and honestly I'm scared. I've always worked. I live alone and don't have a husband or companion to do stuff with. I feel like I'd still be too young for the senior center. I want to get a part time job and hope to meet some people that way. I used to work out a lot, but I was compulsive and did some permanent damage to my feet that limit me now. A 2 or 2-1/2 mile walk is about all I can handle though I can still lift weights, etc. I don't think I'll have too much to worry about financially (I hope) but you all are doing so much stuff I'm not sure I can afford. I have a financial planner, who like me, plays it close to the vest. I'm scared I'll sink further into a depression and that'll be it for me.

I was widowed before I retired. When I retired I relocated to Delaware and landed in a small community where no one knew anyone. We have book club, Bunco nights, mahjong, golf, group that walks every morning, kayak, bike riding. Sure I travel but alot of how I fill my time is free. Volunteered for awhile, did some fundraising for Alzheimer's, diabetes, autism. I'm actually in my 2nd term on the hoa board of directors -kind of like unpaid work. If you meet the right people there are a lot of things you can do without spending a ton of money.
Good luck.

 

[Madmannsucks]

I was widowed before I retired. When I retired I relocated to Delaware and landed in a small community where no one knew anyone. We have book club, Bunco nights, mahjong, golf, group that walks every morning, kayak, bike riding. Sure I travel but alot of how I fill my time is free. Volunteered for awhile, did some fundraising for Alzheimer's, diabetes, autism. I'm actually in my 2nd term on the hoa board of directors -kind of like unpaid work. If you meet the right people there are a lot of things you can do without spending a ton of money.
Good luck.

I think I saw your profile on Ourtime...LOL.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I have 2 years to go and honestly I'm scared. I've always worked. I live alone and don't have a husband or companion to do stuff with. I feel like I'd still be too young for the senior center. I want to get a part time job and hope to meet some people that way. I used to work out a lot, but I was compulsive and did some permanent damage to my feet that limit me now. A 2 or 2-1/2 mile walk is about all I can handle though I can still lift weights, etc. I don't think I'll have too much to worry about financially (I hope) but you all are doing so much stuff I'm not sure I can afford. I have a financial planner, who like me, plays it close to the vest. I'm scared I'll sink further into a depression and that'll be it for me.

My mom has had some health issues this year and lives alone, so she’s beginning to be more open-minded about selling her home and looking at other options.

We have friends who recently moved to a 60+ community in Stratford and they both love it. Always something to do but plenty of alone time if needed.

It’s almost like there are so many possibilities out there, but I can totally see the upside of a retirement community, especially for single people like my mom, and yourself. Honestly, I didn’t know much about them myself, but know long what’s out there is reassuring.

 

[Madmannsucks]

My situation is a little different. First I seriously depleted my retirement savings when my wife was ill. I retired and while I had enough there a very small margin for error. A couple months later I went back to work. Work from home call center. Front line no responsibility. My retirement plans changed dramatically after my wife died.

 

[OviedoFLHusky]

I've been "officially" retired for almost 2 years now -- but I was discharged from a job that I loved 5 years ago (which is a loooong, nasty story; suffice to say that as a result, I learned what the work term "mobbing" means). I looked for another job, and I was about to be hired -- but then I had to go to the hospital for cancer treatment (I'm much better now). And then came Covid, and it was too dangerous for my immune system to be out in public... so I never made it back to work, not even from-home work.

And I couldn't be happier!

I find that I always have something to do! If it's not laundry, it's cooking up a new recipe, or mopping the floor, or vacuuming, etc. around my house. Plus there's always yard work that can be done. I've always loved to read, so I try to have a book available at all times (I go for used, unless it's one of my favorite authors). And I've taken up "upcycling" as a sort of hobby. I've painted all of my old, sun-faded outside furniture (chairs, tables, plant stands, etc.) so they look like new. I also have a lot of worn, decrepit-looking old plant pots that look great once they have a new coat of paint. And paint is fairly cheap; you can get outdoors paint in the crafts section of Walmart for just a few dollars a bottle. Thinking about getting a sander and doing some more serious refurbishing on some of my indoor furniture. Maybe best of all -- all this activity, instead of sitting in a cubicle at work, has helped me lose 15 pounds! I LOVE being retired!!!

 

[GoUconn7961]

I've been "officially" retired for almost 2 years now -- but I was discharged from a job that I loved 5 years ago (which is a loooong, nasty story; suffice to say that as a result, I learned what the work term "mobbing" means). I looked for another job, and I was about to be hired -- but then I had to go to the hospital for cancer treatment (I'm much better now). And then came Covid, and it was too dangerous for my immune system to be out in public... so I never made it back to work, not even from-home work.

And I couldn't be happier!

I find that I always have something to do! If it's not laundry, it's cooking up a new recipe, or mopping the floor, or vacuuming, etc. around my house. Plus there's always yard work that can be done. I've always loved to read, so I try to have a book available at all times (I go for used, unless it's one of my favorite authors). And I've taken up "upcycling" as a sort of hobby. I've painted all of my old, sun-faded outside furniture (chairs, tables, plant stands, etc.) so they look like new. I also have a lot of worn, decrepit-looking old plant pots that look great once they have a new coat of paint. And paint is fairly cheap; you can get outdoors paint in the crafts section of Walmart for just a few dollars a bottle. Thinking about getting a sander and doing some more serious refurbishing on some of my indoor furniture. Maybe best of all -- all this activity, instead of sitting in a cubicle at work, has helped me lose 15 pounds! I LOVE being retired!!!

Now this made me happy. So many people were posting about things I probably won't be able to afford. And this happiness in doing the simple stuff around the house is great. I'm like you. When my depression isn't too bad I get joy in cleaning and fixing things. I love to read also. Who knows, maybe I'll take a class on tiling and finally do my bathroom. I'm so glad you're happy.

 

[OviedoFLHusky]

Now this made me happy. So many people were posting about things I probably won't be able to afford. And this happiness in doing the simple stuff around the house is great. I'm like you. When my depression isn't too bad I get joy in cleaning and fixing things. I love to read also. Who knows, maybe I'll take a class on tiling and finally do my bathroom. I'm so glad you're happy.

Sincerely very happy to help! Feel free to DM me if you feel down about this in the future. I am no stranger to depression myself, believe me.

PS -- Tiling the bathroom is a great idea! There's some really cool-looking tile being made these days (this I learned from watching HGTV -- which I now have time to do!).

 

[billythekid]

I retired at the end of March. My first week of retirement included a trip to Phoenix for the Final Four. Needless to say, that set a high bar for what retirement was going to bring. In the couple of months since then, I've taken a few trips, including to visit friends that I hadn't visited in over a decade. The type of stuff that you always tell yourself you'd get to if you had more free time. At home, I try to arrange my week so that I have a reason to leave the house every day. A couple of days to the personal trainer, a couple of days to the gym for some cardio. I've always done volunteer work visiting isolated seniors, so I picked up an additional client to visit. I live in the Bay Area of Northern California, so the weather is always nice enough to sit outside on the patio for a few hours with a book and some music. So far, I haven't missed working at all.

 

[billybud]

My wife and I are retired...and have been for a while.

We led an active life while working...and retirement has been joyous.

....we retired to a beautiful locale....It is simple things that make for a paradise.
We have made friends and spend four or five evenings a week with one or more couples doing the simple things...chatting, grilling on the porch, listening to live music at local venues (a big thing here in small town Appalachia).

....After being close to death a year ago (the docs told us it could be a matter of weeks)...the radiation and chemo has killed my tumor and my lymph nodes are no longer malignant...I have lost 61 pounds, and for a while looked like death was indeed on my doorstep. I insisted on going to our haunts in town to listen to music and be with folks...As I was wheeled from the car in to a table, I knew I was never alone...The whole dang town was behind me.

Our formula for a joyous retirement:

----be in love. When your heart still goes pitter-patter when you see your wife's smile it makes the days together like a date.

----have good friends to share life with...and don't just sit around at home..that trite stuff is still true. live, laugh, explore. Every day is a holiday and every meal a banquet. Happiness is an attitude and self generated.

----exercise. We go to the gym three days a week (I lift...usually leg presses, bench presses, curls...and machine work for hips and back). Building back a robustness that I have always had...cancer causes you to lose muscle weight as well. On alternate days we walk...sometimes on creekside and mountain paths, sometimes on a 1/4 mile track. After exercise, we often drop by our local coffee shop and have a cuppa and chat.

----we take rides through the mountains visiting the small towns, wineries, etc...there is always a festival going on somewhere..blues and brews, arts, music, bbq, Scottish games, etc.

Yeah..it does sound fake, like a Facebook life...but it works for us...

 

[Sonofabeach]

Take up Kayak Fishing it's a great way to fish and get exercise. I do it now, but in 4 yrs when I retire... I will be out there every day if my wife lets me

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'm not retired yet, but I'm thinking about it. We are planning to buy a place in Bluffton, SC pre-retirement but with retirement in mind. When I do retire, we'll sell out house in Mass and get a another one on Cape Cod hopefully. Affordability is a challenge on the Cape, but we haven't found a good alternative.

Many of my local friends have moved away. We walk the trail, but my golf partners are gone, as is my local 9 hole course. Hoping that by moving to an active community with pickleball, kayaking, walking trails and maybe golf, we can build some healthy, active hobbies. Avoiding New England winter will help as well. I'm not worried about the Cape, have friends there and know how to find things to do in the summer. But for those of you who moved somewhere new, how did you meet people? Is it a formal community with events and leagues that you can join or just a house where you need to make your own way? What's the experience been with those communities? My parents have been in one since the 90s, so I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully if @Chin Diesel is still traveling that area he can stop by for a beer.

Anybody have experience kayaking in fresh water in places with alligators? I'm told not to worry, but I'd be new at it so, yeah, I'm worried. Going to try to get some experience this summer on the Bass River at the Cape.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I'm not retired yet, but I'm thinking about it. We are planning to buy a place in Bluffton, SC pre-retirement but with retirement in mind. When I do retire, we'll sell out house in Mass and get a another one on Cape Cod hopefully. Affordability is a challenge on the Cape, but we haven't found a good alternative.

Many of my local friends have moved away. We walk the trail, but my golf partners are gone, as is my local 9 hole course. Hoping that by moving to an active community with pickleball, kayaking, walking trails and maybe golf, we can build some healthy, active hobbies. Avoiding New England winter will help as well. I'm not worried about the Cape, have friends there and know how to find things to do in the summer. But for those of you who moved somewhere new, how did you meet people? Is it a formal community with events and leagues that you can join or just a house where you need to make your own way? What's the experience been with those communities? My parents have been in one since the 90s, so I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully if @Chin Diesel is still traveling that area he can stop by for a beer.

Anybody have experience kayaking in fresh water in places with alligators? I'm told not to worry, but I'd be new at it so, yeah, I'm worried. Going to try to get some experience this summer on the Bass River at the Cape.

My work around Hilton Head, Beaufort and Bluffton has dried up as of late but there's always a chance of getting back to the area. And I'd gladly hoist a beer with you if I was there.

I think I've mentioned it before, one of the top 5 beers I've ever had was at Bay St. in Beaufort. Steel Hands Coffee Lager on tap. Perfect balance and flavors. I'm looking at Google Maps and it might have been at Panini's On The Waterfront.

Beers - Steel Hands Brewing

steelhandsbrewing.com

 

[HuskyHawk]

My work around Hilton Head, Beaufort and Bluffton has dried up as of late but there's always a chance of getting back to the area. And I'd gladly hoist a beer with you if I was there.

I think I've mentioned it before, one of the top 5 beers I've ever had was at Bay St. in Beaufort. Steel Hands Coffee Lager on tap. Perfect balance and flavors. I'm looking at Google Maps and it might have been at Panini's On The Waterfront.

Beers - Steel Hands Brewing

steelhandsbrewing.com

Wow. Never heard of those guys. From near Columbia I guess. I'll ask my sister. The best brewery in that HH-Bluffton corridor is probably Shellring in Port Royal. Side Hustle in HH is good too. If you didn't know, they are building a massive community along the water in Port Royal, going to be boating focused. Q on Bay has good taps, could have been there.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Wow. Never heard of those guys. From near Columbia I guess. I'll ask my sister. The best brewery in that HH-Bluffton corridor is probably Shellring in Port Royal. Side Hustle in HH is good too. If you didn't know, they are building a massive community along the water in Port Royal, going to be boating focused. Q on Bay has good taps, could have been there.

Curious as to where on Port Royal they are adding homes.

Olde School Pizza had decent pizza in Port Royal but I haven't been back to that area since 2021.