How did you adjust to retirement?

This thread is intended for those who have made the leap...or on the cusp of making the leap to
retirement. However, in good TSD fashion, wise cracks from the peanut gallery are welcome as usual.

Retirement is on the horizon for me...so I ask this question of everyone I meet who has retired: How did you adjust to retirement? How did you prepare yourself for retirement? Or did you prepare? Did you leap cold turkey? Or ease yourself out? I am surprised at the even number on both sides: some seem to have adjusted easily...others seem like they are struggling. What say you?

 

Enjoy it fo the both of us would say, here in Belgium retirement is further away the older i get.

But, buy a property and renovate, get a boat and start sailing, watch the grandchildren,...

 

I have been retired six years this coming August and have loved every minute. No regrets. No looking back. No what ifs. I clearly remember the last work day. I said good bye to my co-workers, clocked out, and left the building. I called my wife while walking to the train station and said, "Well, this is it." It was a great feeling. Like a load being lifted of of my shoulders. After a wonderful 20 year Air Force career and 25 years with one of the local defense contractors, I decided it was time to go.

The main thing I did in preparation was save money and max out my 401k so we would have money for the retirement years. I drove my car and truck ten years. I live in the house my wife and I bought back in the early 80s. Several years ago we got rid of all credit card debt.

We are able to live a comfortable life; do some travelling. I do some wood working and yard work. Our son and his wife and our 6 year old granddaughter live about a mile from us. I did a lot of babysitting the past 5 years.

All in all it has and continues to be great. My hope and prayer is that others are able to retire and enjoy life.

 

After long haul trucking from 1964 to 2010 I got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it was a good excuse for me to sell my truck and trailer and take care of myself.
It was a real treat for me to sleep in my own bed, to eat 3 meals in my house, and watch TV when I want, to take my wife out for dinner, lunch, or breakfast. You have to be a truck driver or any other profession that takes you away from home to understand what I mean. Save money save money and save money. That's my advice to any one who is thinking about retirement.
To sum it up, I love being retired, wish I did it 50 years ago.

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My Bride and I retired 18 months ago after 39 and 32 years of service, respectively. I left a lot of stress and worry in the rear view mirror, and I sleep better than I ever have. We volunteer a few hours a week at a local children's hospital, travel, and have more time for Bible study, family, friends, household chores, and hobbies. We love it. No regrets whatsoever.

Enjoy your upcoming retirement!

 

Right now it looks like I’ll spend the first year (maybe two) fixing everything that’s simply patched together because I never have the time to start and finish a long project. If I decide to finish off the attic and/or basement or remodel the kitchen you can say three years minimum.

I would really like to have two or three weeks straight to just start and complete an entire project, take a week off, and then start another one. All without interruption.

 

I have been retired for about 5 years (from teaching) and love it. I had been part of the pension system, my whole career, so I’m OK financially. Before retiring, I had consultations with my union to get the financial information I needed.

I do think it is important to have some social involvement after retiring. In my working years, I joined a Bonsai club and took up archery, so these activities keep me involved in the community. In addition, when a volunteer opportunity presented itself, I became an English tutor to kids in Afghanistan (via Skype). I find that immensely satisfying.

While I believe it is important to have some activities, you don’t have to be busy every minute. SOme days, I am very busy and other days, I am quite content to spend the whole day reading a book.

 

Some of the folks I talked to about retirement planning said their workplace focused too much on the money part. And while the money part is important (more like essential)...it is equally important to think about what you are going to do with yourself after retirement.

 

One other item. I heard not good stories about Medicare and was a little concerned as to how this would go. As it turned out, Medicare has been good for me. I have an excellent doctor. My medical needs have been met.

 

That's very true. There are financial and emotional considerations to retirement. Our employers obviously helped with the financial piece, but it was up to me and my Bride to figure out how we'd like to spend our time, what interests we wanted to pursue, and what we wanted to accomplish. In my opinion, it's worth taking some time to figure this out.

 

I am tired enough; I cannot imagine retiring.

 

+1

 

Question .... What's retirement?

I am unable to find that word in my Bible. Work was given to man asa gift from God. The word "retire" was first used by the French in the 1600's and prescribed by Otto von Bismarck in the late 1800's. I figure I'll be working as long as God lets me. I've had times of not working and I thought it was torture.

As long as I can do ... I'll do.
When I can't do ... I'll teach.
When I can't teach ... I'll pray.
When I can't pray ... I'll be with God.

I like that plan.

 

I received the gift of diabetes and stage 3 ckd when I was 68 years old, the work I did I was unable to continue to work, now I am 75 years old and enjoying my retirement.


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Something else to think about is routine. That is to say, how much do you want? For instance, although I no longer have to get up as early as I did, I am still an early riser, so I am generally out of bed by 6:30.

 

While I wouldn't say it's the best thing about being retired, something that rates very highly for me is not having to say "Yes Sir I'll get right on that" to a newly hired manager who knows nothing about the business or even what it is the other employees and I actually do. He's always right of course. Even though last week he was working at a kitchen cabinet company and our firm delivers packages. I don't miss that.

 

Sounds like your retirement has been good for you and him.

 

Retired 7 years last May. I'm lucky and blessed to have a penison and now social security. I make no apologies I put in my time; played by the rules, military, raised 3 kids, paid taxes, etc. My wifes still working but will also hang it up this year. I do not miss work one bit. It was time to go because things have changed to much in the work place for my liking. In some respects it was me not fitting in - I get that. When I started I turned in my reports to a typing pool. That seems so long ago but not really. Tech has brought many improvments to the work place but also a host of new problems. I also do not think people have a commitment to the company anymore but the corp world has caused some of that problem. I think that many new employees are not timely; to impatient and not willing to pay their dues. Sometimes as I see people scurry around I do miss being a part of something - if that makes any sense? I have 4 grand kids so it's nice to have time with them. So there is my 2 cents (rant). Carry on.......

 

Amen....

 

I'm a Jazz Musician...which means I retired the day I graduated from High School...Ha,Ha...The Golden Era of Jazz they talk about wasn't last week!

But I have officially done the Social Security thing now, and I'm very happy with my Medicare Coverage, so far...not so much my monthly SS check...};^))

And I'm practicing, writting, recording and making gigs as much as possible...same as before...}8^)) Sometimes/Hopefully more.