Was retirement for you a good or not so good choice?

[winnietrey]

I understand, and do not question, the reason folks retire. Job stress, health, want to do something different.

For some I think, it was the best thing they ever did, for others not so much.

I think, I fall in the latter category. I like my job, I have no real hobbies, I enjoy all that much. I take a lot of time off, and travel, we are healthy. I think for me, retirement could be one of the worst things I could do. Just wondering if anyone else feels the same. With my personality I think I would be bored stiff

[mabynack]

jplante4 wrote:
I see a common thread in this thread. A lot of us watched our parents'generation work until they died or became infirmed and said "That's not happening to me".

I just didn't want to be on my death bed saying "I wish I had ______".

That's definitely my case. My father and father-in-law both worked until they had throat cancer and were too sick to do anything. Neither one ever got to enjoy retirement. Both grandfathers died at work.

My dad always talked about buying an RV and driving the ALCAN. He and my mom even started buying stuff for the RV, but never got to take the trip.

[jplante4]

I see a common thread in this thread. A lot of us watched our parents'generation work until they died or became infirmed and said "That's not happening to me".

I just didn't want to be on my death bed saying "I wish I had ______".

[ol__yeller]

I retired 13 years ago at the ripe old age of 50. My company was downsizing and I took an early retirement package so the younger folks could keep working. My job at the time was a high stress, high pay, upper management marketing position. I have had a few jobs in retirement, Handyman, Classic car shop, Car Rental Agent, and School Bus Driver. Of all those, I loved driving school bus. Unfortunately that stint was cut short with a major heart attack at age 57. They frown on people with half a heart driving 70 school kids around town. So for the last 6 years I have been medically retired. During that time I have restored 3 cars, babysat my grandkids when needed, moved to a retirement community, become active in my church, adopted a regular exercise routine, and took many camping trips in our RV. We look forward to many more if our health holds out.

Given my family's medical history and my personal medical history, retirement was the best thing for me. If I had kept working the stress would have accelerated my undiagnosed heart condition and probably killed me in a year or so. The trick to retirement is to have a passion for something that gets you out of bed every morning. In my case I have several. Oh, and it can't be a passion for TV. I look at what I have been able to accomplish, the things I have been able to see, and the joy of doing what I enjoy, and the desire for another day on God's green earth and I say, "Yes, retirement was very good for me".

[mabynack]

I'm looking forward to retiring in 2018. I like my job, but the contract ends in 2018. My dad died at 62 and both grandfathers died in their late 50s. If I make it to 62, I'll be the first male in the family to actually ever collect Social Security.

I would like to be able to travel while I'm still able.

[Ductape]

I quit working when I could afford it. Financial independence is a wonderful thing. If I see some work I like I may take it. Don't need the money, so work is a hobby now.

[NYCgrrl]

I suspect the man would say his retirement wasn't the best choice when it happened. On the bright side he has more time to spend with our granddaughter.

I have no intention (or regrets) retiring fully in the next decade or so. Will use part of my savings to tour this country for a year or two prior to retirement and then its back to the "grind" for me.

[Me_Again]

In 2003 myself and 1049 others were outsource along with the Banks network to EDS. My wife turned 62 and retired from the bank and we bought a retirement home 70 miles North of Seattle. I worked and traveled at/from home for three years until I was 62 and retired from the Bank officially and EDS on the same day. Never looked back.

The first two years we traveled in Western States in the fall. Then for eight years we have wintered in Arizona.

Last year at this time we sold our boat after 19th years with it, and bought a new 3500 RAM SRW. In the spring we sold the Cardinal 5th wheel and purchased a new Bighorn 5th wheel.

THEY DW sold the retirement home to another customer in the chair next to her at a beauty salon and we moved into the Bighorn(short version of a long story). We have a RV membership lot in Washington as a Sunbird site and bought the one across the street for ability to have a second shed, visitors and additional parking.

DW wants to buy a park model in our Arizona Snowbird park when we get there next month.

We stay pretty busy. We just finish up my last Yacht Club official function hosting the "past commodores" September monthly dinner for 97 members.

So at 72 and 75 we are off on another chapter of our retirement. Changing official resident address, get a mail service, working out the many details for full timing has kept us busy, along with cruising around the RV park in our golf cart. Recently put an enclosure on it with lift off doors for warm weather.

Our health is pretty good(AKA manageable, I have my own medicare provided PT/INR meter to manage my Warfaran/blood clotting) and we worked hard cleaning up the new lot. Doctor just gave 75 year old DW a clean bill of health(she has been on heart medicine for 15+ years).

Big decision this week is which day to go see movie Sully! Which grocery store to go to and how many times will we drop by the mail box location.

I have some electrical work to do on the new lot. Wouldn't have time for a real job!

Chris

[goducks10]

I retired 7 years ago at 56 yrs old. It took a while to get used to being retired but after 5 min I got the hang of it.:) I have never understood why someone wouldn't retire if they could afford to.
I spent 30 yrs in union construction, driving 30-60 mins one way to work everyday, eating lunch out of a lunch box, working in the rain, wind, cold, hot, you name it. Had enough. Got out without any major body damage as in bad back or such.
I have plenty of hobbies and except for a couple months during the winter have no loss of things to do.

[Matt_Colie]

Where my wife was working, they just kept cutting her hours and benefits until there was no ROI on driving to work 6 days a week. As soon as she could pull on her SS she did.

I was forced into retirement from a job I really liked. I tried to get back in that game but gave up. I thought it would be OK until I got hit by the abrogation of the bankruptcy codes for the benefit of a major labor organization. We were supposed to be comfortable. But when the power people rip off 28 years worth of scrimping and saving, you really can't recover. We could have lived like the grasshopper instead of the ant.

Matt

[DallasSteve]

gbopp wrote:

I don't know of anyone who said on their death bed, 'I wish I would have spent more of my life working.'

I like that quote. Don Henley has another one I like: "You don't see no hearses with luggage racks."

I love my work (computer programmer). No heavy lifting. No sweating in the sun. Nobody dies if I make a mistake. Good pay. But I think there are some things I could do in retirement that I will love too. Travel. Games. Family. Music. Exercise. Sports. I've always wanted to get good at playing the piano. If I do I could play in a cocktail bar or something. Money's not the object anymore. I figure I'll run out of time before I run out of money. (That's one that I thought up) And if I get bored I can go back to work. I may try to start my own Internet-based business if I get bored. If I don't get bored I'll be able to survive on savings and Social Security.

[FunnyCamper]

wow what a fun thread to read, how everyone handled their working life and walk into retiring. very interesting!!

OP, I get ya. My Dad was a workaholic. Loved to be productive. When he retired at about 62 he went onto tons of part time jobs. He loved doing that. Time for free time and travel with Mom and PT work to keep him moving. He was a 'never stop type person'.

Me and hubby. We are working on early retirement right now. I am 54 and hubby is 50. I am selling big land right now (being our farming days are over) and when that money comes in, we are setting up for him to quit the big job he does and go into PT work or whatever.

We are done. We are in a full lifestyle change and want it to come sooner than later 🙂 We have hobbies. Kayak, all fishing from surf to lakes to trout streams, hiking up mountains, swimming, biking and dog walking long ways just to move. We always have something of interest for us at any given time but my Dad never had that and work was his outlet.

Do what feels right. part time easy work. Just live the day 🙂 Everything never has to be totally planned out, winging it thru how your life changes is fine. We stumble onto something that works for all of us!!

[LarryJM]

punomatic wrote:

winnietrey wrote:
...I think I would be bored stiff

Dear old Dad told me, "Son, whatever you want to do in life, do it before you retire, because you won't have time to do it after." He was absolutely right.

I have no argument with those who work for pleasure, but I don't know anyone who is retired and bemoaning that he has nothing to do. Work if you like, but don't avoid retirement because you fear it. DW was worried along those lines and now wonders how she ever had time to work.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

I consider myself in that category. I retired back in 1990 at age 42 from a military career and haven't regretted it for a moment. Never worked after that for a day for pay and definitely haven't been bored. Since retiring all the things I had to do with time as a consideration now are done with my personal satisfaction as the the main criteria. The old plan twice measure thrice then take twice as long to complete is a luxury I can now afford to do and has been ultra satisfying and rewarding. Also, being retired for some years before the sons left the nest was a HUGE PLUS since the time spent together can never have a price put on it.

Larry

[tatest]

It wasn't a choice (forced by corporate mergers) but ultimately a good thing. The first year was pretty rough, even with 6-7 months of it traveling.

Went to my high school 40 and 50 year reunions. At the 40, a lot of friends were jealous that I could manage such an early retirement. At the fifty, the few still working couldn't imagine a transition to retirement. Two who kept working didn't make it to the end of the year.

I find that I spend more time working (12-16 hour days) on things that really interest me, than I ever did working for pay.

But if your work is all that interests you, you'll most likely be happier working until you die at work.

[oldcat1]

We both retired 3 years ago after 30 plus years at our jobs. Besides the freedom to travel (we do around 100 nights a year on the road), for us the health benefits are the huge plus. We now have the time to shop and cook healthy meals, and almost never eat fast food anymore. We have the time to walk a couple of miles every day. We have lost weight, and get at least 8 hours sleep a night on average, no longer laying awake thinking about work problems. We actually log less "couch time" than we did while working. We feel better than we have for years.

Retirement may not be for everyone, but if you stay active, stay positive, and are open to new opportunities, how bad can it be? If it doesn't work out, you can always go back to work.

Safe travels.

[Fabguy]

I worked 8 years for a fairly large corporations as a "Fabguy" and 29 years at a larger corporation as a Fabguy. My wife has been with that same larger corporation for 39 years now.

I got laid off last year and am now a custodian at a local school district.

Gonna happen next year and we can't wait!