Questions for those who are retired?

[Diesel_Bomber]

Had a rather heated discussion with one of my biggest clients today and decided I'd had enough. I told them I didn't need the work, the money, and definitely not the hassle. :wave:

I honestly expected to regret that action after I cooled down. However, as I type this it's been 14 hours since the discussion; I have cooled down and I don't regret it in the slightest. I called the rest of my clients and gave them notice that they'd better find replacements, too.

I don't feel any different. When does it finally hit you? That you don't have to get up anymore? That you can go ahead and snuggle a bit longer with your wife, no one will be tapping their watch? Did you get bored and find something else to do? Did you get depressed or lazy? I'm fairly certain I'll go get a normal job or find some rewarding volunteer work eventually, just to ease the boredom. Any input is welcome!

:buddies:

 

[mikemundy]

Hi Bomber,
I retired Nov., 2004 from a stressful career in IT - on call 24x7.
If your work was stressful, then the single biggest impact of retirement is the elimination of that stress. I really believe that it has added years to my life already.
That assumes, of course, that your financial ducks are in a row and you can really afford retirement. Don't forget to cover your health care bases - if you need private health insurance, as I do, then it can be unbelievably expensive.
If you have all your bases covered, then you will enjoy retirement.
It may take a year or longer for the feeling that you are playing hookey from work to go away.
And yes, there are periods of boredom to deal with - find interests to occupy your time (CPF, for example.)
When I was working, if I had a sleepless night, I sat up all night worrying about not getting enough sleep to be functional at work the next day.
Now, if I'm having a sleepless night, I just get up and watch TV or read or surf the Internet. I can sleep all day tomorrow if I need to!
Eventually, you will get used (VERY used) to the idea of not working and enjoy yourself.
Good luck,
Mike

 

[jtr1962]

I'm not retired or financially independent by any stretch of the imagination but something similar happened to me once I decided to work from home in business for myself. Since my work is still fairly sparse my situation is probably similar to someone who has retired, except of course I lack the financial independence. It'll be 18 years this September since I've been doing this. I'd say 45 weeks out of the year I have literally nothing work related to occupy me (I'd like to get more work once I get the house in order, but that's another story). Anyway, I can honestly say I'm not bored yet. My life might be a little more interesting if I had more disposable income (even taking the subway into Manhattan is something I can't do as often as I'd like) but I can hardly say I spend days not knowing what to do with my time.

I too thought I might get lazy but that hasn't really happened. I keep my mind active, I keep my body somewhat active (the Internet unfortunately hurts those efforts). I enjoy not having to run out the door at the crack of dawn each day and then return home long after the sun has set with barely enough energy to eat dinner and perhaps shower, then go to sleep dead tired only to repeat this ritual four or five more times that week. I especially enjoy not having to go out during the summer months, which was the very time I hated working the most. I enjoy knowing my fate is in my own hands now. And I most definitely enjoy not having to waste hours on the phone with customers answering the same questions for the same people week after week.

I thought the social isolation might bother me but to some extent forums like this help. I also realized that interaction with coworkers was highly overrated anyway. Most places I worked I saw the same five or dozen people day in and day out. It wasn't stimulating at all. In fact, more often than not they got on my nerves more than family members. The customers I interacted with were worse.

As strange as it sounds, the only thing I do miss a bit is getting to work. Every day you see different people on the subway. Sometimes you even have random conversations with them, whether for one minute or half an hour. It was always an unknown who you might see on the train that day. I talked with all ages at one time or another. Perhaps one day it was an elderly man, another maybe a middle-aged women, yet another perhaps a student in high school or college or even grade school. It was always interesting. Rarely did I initiate the conversations but always enjoyed them once they started. These subway rides were the only thing in my life different each day. It was possible I could meet an old friend, or a teacher, or even my future wife on the train. I really miss that part of working but not the rest.

I've always been a fan of the unknown. Now that I'm in charge of my life, each day is exactly that. No set schedule when I'll be eating, sleeping, on CPF, working in my lab. I like this lifestyle much more than the routine of a job. In fact, I often resent getting work now as it takes me away from this, but I haven't reached the point where I can afford to turn away work. So long as you're a self-starter, you'll have no problems finding something to do.

That's all I can think of for now. If you've really reached a point in your life where you can not work at all and live comfortably, then congratulations. I hope to get there in time as well. Even though I must still take any work I get, and will actively seek more in time, I can honestly say getting away from the daily grind has probably added decades to my life. I knew things were seriously wrong when I was screaming at my alarm clock every Monday morning. The life I was leading before wasn't a life to me, it was an existence. I felt like a rat on a treadmill.

 

[NA8]

Any input is welcome!

Looks like a full moon out there. Wait a couple of days and see how you feel.

 

[adamlau]

Buy a high output HID and have some fun . I have so many interests that I could never be bored. From league sports to hobbies, to eBay and Wikipedia, there is always something new to do, or to learn about. Take up a cause, or two. Join the Peace Corps. Remodel your home. Get down to 15% body fat, go for that 405 lb. squat. Teach, coach, or tutor. Start a family genealogy tree.

 

[tvodrd]

In the last two years I've received 2 patents and have 2-3 in the "Pipe." Last year they flew me to Chicago for a Corporate technical achievement award presentation. I've saved their a**'s a couple times in the interim Two years in a row, my end-of-the-year performance review has been "partially meets," which includes a "corrective action plan." The reviews were dictated from afar, and not from my local management.

I already receive a "geezer discount" from the greasy spoon I brunch at every weekend, and told them of my intention to retire end of the year! My Director is in denial, and I would have hung in there another couple years to 63 and full retirement, but enough is enough!

Looking forward to moving to a "Free State" early next year!

Larry

 

[Diesel_Bomber]

Hey folks-

Thank you for the great responses, you've given me a lot to think about. Any other thoughts are most welcome!

:buddies:

 

[LEDninja]

I was involuntary retired a few years ago. All the interview offers were out of town and I do not have a car.
When my employment insurance ran out I took stock of my savings and decided I could retire.
I do not have a hobby and got bored sometimes. I joined CPF and hangs around here a little too much.

The only comment I make is that financial advisers do not know what they are talking about when they say you can retire at 60% of your working income. CAN! Not will. No fun retiring if you are living like a pauper.
There is a lot more time to go spend money. Of course hanging around CPF does not help . Overall I think I spend roughly the same as when I was working.

 

[BIGIRON]

You'll be in good shape. If you need to earn additional money, you mechanic skills and experience will let you work as much (or as little) as you want on job work.

The best inflation hedge is your personal skills and abilities. A good plumber can always earn about the same income, now matter how it is measured. If the value of the dollar goes down, the amount of dollar income can increase. This applies only to the top folks in necessary professions and services. Someone with poor or mediocre skills will suffer. Those in non-essential fields will suffer income loss -- the very best barrista at Starbucks will not be secure if folks stop buying lattes.

I got forced into semi-retirement about a year ago by some physical issues. Can't say I'm not enjoying it, but it did (and does) require some psychological as well as financial adjustment.

 

[gorn]

I was medically retired in 2006 after 28 years in Law Enforcement. I basically traded my knee for the freedom of a pedophile having injured it during a search warrant. After surgery and months of therapy my Doctor told me that the knee was as good as it was going to get, and the I would be unable to return to my previous duties.

When the Doctor told me that I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. I talked to our HR person and was offered a non sworn job at a desk. Since I was within a year of normal retirement I retired.

It took me about a year to finally cure myself of the strange feeling I had every day when I infact didn't have to go to work and trade my time for pay. The Vouges song Five O'Clock World played on the radio and the verse "it's a five o'clock word when the whistle blows, no one owns a piece of my time" brought me to the realization that after all those years I was finally at the point I never really thought about during my carrer.

Now my Wife and I can do what we want when we want. It's a great feeling. Enjoy yours.

 

[Diesel_Bomber]

Thanks again, everyone. Your words have helped a lot.

A common theme seems to be money. My wife and I are financially secure. I could have retired 5 years ago but chose to keep working and earn a better retirement.

Thanks again. :buddies:

 

[BIGIRON]

I think retirement is pretty much all about wealth. If you got it, you can retire. If you don't, you can't. And how "well" you retire depends on not how much wealth you have but whether you've got enough wealth to do what you want.

edit. wealth = all your assets - money and investments, property, social security, health insurance, earning ability and so on.

 

[gadget_lover]

I was able to work occasionally from a home office for a few years. I'd put in a couple hours a day whenever I felt like it. I counted myself semi-retired. Then my back went out, and I spent a year barely working at all.

I "retired" from the phone company after 25 years but I've worked most of the time sinse then. My wife, on the other hand, is fully retitred after 30 years at the phone company. We both started very young.

It took my wife a couple years to get used to it. She's now as busy as she ever was when punching a clock. She's got a needle-work habit (crochet) that makes my flashlight collection look like a passing fancy. She moderates a chat group about crocheting. She takes care of her mother AND she takes care of me.

I, on the other hand, was able to use the time to learn locksmithing. I became rather good at it and came THIS close to getting a license. Then my back went bad and I decided it was not worth it. So I got into machining to make my flashlights easier to modify. Very satisfying.

Unfortunately, at 50 years old I can't see staying retired, so I went back to work as soon as my back healed. By the time I retire again I should be ready to really enjoy it.

I must say, it was delightful to do what I wanted every day. I stayed busy, but enjoyed it.

Daniel