Retirement - is it great?

[VeryBumpy 272]

I'm sure there is a strong user base in here that is already retired so feedback should be diverse.

 

My main question to all is...

 

what do you truly plan to do when you retire? I mean, do you have a specific, for sure idea of how it will 'go down' for you?

 

For those already retired, did you have a plan or definite ideas of what you wanted to do or how you planned to be before you actually retired?

 

 

I'm trying to figure out what I might want to do or where to live but I come up empty. I have nothing in my mind that says "Yes, this is absolute what I want to do!" in retirement.

 

Do most of you have a clear plan?

[hightower 8]

I retired 6 years ago. That lasted 3 months. My GF is still working full time and there is only so much time in a given day that I can mow the lawn over and over, and eventually you have to take a break from flight simming as well. I was going berserk, so I went back to an employer of some 30 years ago and asked if he had any part time delivery jobs available. I've been delivering auto parts ever since for 4 hours a day, so my status is now semi-retired. My GF is retiring in 6 months so my status will change again. We plan on doing some cruises. The important thing is to keep active both physically and mentally. Mother nature is not kind to us at this age so it does take some effort to retard the aging process. 

 

I waited to the full term to take my SS and with no mortgage or car payment, I can live on that monthly check with no problem. I also have a nice pension but am saving that to help my grand kids with their college education. Each of us has different desires and goals with retirement and of course there is never enough money to accommodate all our wishes. Find somebody you love and who loves you and share the times ahead together. This is the most important factor.

 

Good luck with your plans.

[january 19]

 

 

Do most of you have a clear plan?

Yes- Now at age 82, I have decided to come back in my next life as a psychiatrist- there will be an incredible amount of business, judging by the number of wacko theories being proposed on CNN regarding the disappearance of Flight 370 .

Can you advise if I should grow a beard or goatee?

january

[mwilk 1,106]

January 19th, 2016 will be my last day working for US Airways/American Airlines. I'll be retiring with almost 37 years of service. About 8 months after that, my wife and I are planning to sell everything and move to Maui. We'll see how bored I can get in the sunshine and salt air. :lol:

[Tushka 0]

I wish retiremend was great. I am not retired but unfortunately the money for retirement here is under 150 dollars/month. So no, it is not great. But retirement age is over the age of average life span anyway so no worries there.

[kevinc5 15]

 

 

Can you advise if I should grow a beard or goatee?

Might as well go with the beard, but don't forget the tweed jacket with elbow patches.

[Fitz505 21]

  Retired truck driver here (car hauler) and live in upstate NY. About a month ago, we had about 18 inches of snow overnight and the windchill was 18 below zero (tough winter here). I stood at my front window with a cup of coffee watching the young woman next door, trying to dig her car out of the snow with a Tupperware bowl. I thought about going out to help her, but the wind chill was 18 below. Then I thought about offering her the use of my shovel, but my shovel was out back and i would have to go outside to get it and it was 18 below. So, I poured myself another cup of coffee and logged on to Avsim to see what was new. Retirement is Great.

[Tushka 0]

That's just selfish. I remember when I had to pull out a man from a lake a little outside Minsk in -32 degrees celsius. I did not simply pour myself another coffee or vodka. This is stupid!

[BMG50 9]

70 years old here..Retired 6 years ago after working for the same company for 40 years,rested for a couple of years,bought an airplane,got my private ticket, and now fly regularly...Wish I had retired earlier!!...loving it!!

[KSATRoadWarrior 91]

I retired a little over 9 years ago. I did have some specific plans and am still implementing some of them. I did travel around the world on a general purpose cargo ship as a paid passenger. 4 1/2 months and 27 ports which meant I finally got to Asia (Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwain, China, South Korea and Japan). I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who has the desire, time and money to do it. I then travelled throughout the US visiting family and friends, and have been to 49 of the 50 (Alaska hopefully this year). I worked a number of seasonal jobs and now am working full time again at the San Antonio airport. So I really was retired for about 3 years but had to get back to work to keep my sanity.

 

Before I retired I moved to Texas (no state income tax) and decent weather, so my living location change was made while I still had money!!

 

I do collect a pension and social security. Luckily when I retired I still have health coverage as a retiree as well as Medicare.

 

Visit family and friends as much as possible and when not flying FSX I do a little golf (live on a course).

 

Good luck with the retirement...........VeryBumpy

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

For me, retirement was like "getting my life back" 

 

Moved to Vancouver Island, built a house - lots of outdoors things to do.  Hiking, Kayaking, traveling..

 

As long as you can manage financially, and you have someone to share it with, retirement can be the best time of your life..

 

Few responsibilities, and lots of neat and interesting things you can do with your time.

 

I love it  (retired 12 years now) .

[mebull 27]

I want to go back to work! My wife allows me no free time. I had more free time while working, wife gave more rest time then.

 

 

 

I did not simply pour myself another coffee or vodka.

 

Agreed! Worst winter here in the last forty three years. I have lost track of how much snow we have gotten, something like six to eight feet total since mid December. Temperatures near zero F and wind chills as low as -50F. Snow blower died so it was a shovel ready job. Up before daylight to shovel our sidewalks and driveway, the neighbors sidewalk and porch, and my wifes business sidewalks plus part of the parking lot all by hand with wife helping. Go in and warm up and wait until the job had to be done over again that evening. RETIREMENT IS GREAT!!!! Well at least I'm staying in good shape, even if it kills me.

 

Retired in 2007. I loved my job and still miss doing what I was enjoying. Despite what I described above we've vacationed more and actually been able to have the time to enjoy it at a slower pace so it all soaked in.

 

Regards to all,

Mel

[rlkjmt73 7]

Retired in '04 (after almost 30 years).  Received my PPL in Oct '04...Life is Good.  Then got bored, worked for 3 1/2 yrs for a youth academy.....was offered a teaching job at Gonzaga University and taught there for two years.  Finally retired "again" in '11.....and loving it.  FSX everyday..... if I want, I'll go outside and look at the birds....if I don't want to, I get back on FSX...ha.

 

Seriously though, retirement is good as long as you have something to do (hobby) and stay active.  I fly r/c airplanes every chance I get, do a little wood working, and do what the little wife wants to do, as she's followed me around for approximately 40 years.

 

Sometimes I feel like going back to work.  Just for something to do and to be productive for others.

 

Rod

[bic 44]

I'm sure there is a strong user base in here that is already retired so feedback should be diverse.

 

My main question to all is...

 

what do you truly plan to do when you retire? I mean, do you have a specific, for sure idea of how it will 'go down' for you?

 

For those already retired, did you have a plan or definite ideas of what you wanted to do or how you planned to be before you actually retired?

 

 

I'm trying to figure out what I might want to do or where to live but I come up empty. I have nothing in my mind that says "Yes, this is absolute what I want to do!" in retirement.

 

Do most of you have a clear plan?

I've been thinking of creating a topic like this for quite some time... I'm 46 now, but ready.  My wife is six years older, so she will probably stop work first.

 

My first task will be to get out of New Jersey where the property taxes are so darn high. I am probably moving south, though my wife doesn't want to go to Florida as it's too hot (I don't care, the hotter the better).  The compromise seems to be living in the United Kingdom in the warmer months, then Florida or something south of Virginia in the colder months.

 

I envision my day to be checking avsim.com, watching CNBC (maybe even branching out to Bloomberg), flying some FSX with AirHauler or similar, going for a walk (I walk with 18 pounds of hand/ankle weights right now), perhaps riding my bike.  I don't mind yard work (I'd rather be outside), but not overly good at it.  My other big goal is get some place where I can sail cheaply. 

[Captain_Barfbag 31]

I just turned 67.  I'm still working, but there are persistent rumors here of a "voluntary lay off."  I could volunteer to be layed off and collect the severance package, which is pretty generous.  I'm waiting for that.  I heard a rumor that it could happen in the next few weeks.

 

Or, it might not happen at all.  Then I have to decide when I want to stop.

 

I remain apprehensive about paying for stuff in retirement.  I'm substantially better off than most, but with a statistical 20 or so years to go and a wife who will likely outlive me, I have to wonder how the future economy will affect me.  From what I've seen of our so-called leaders of the last couple of dozen years, I see little reason for optimism.

 

We will probably relocate.  It's one thing to go to someplace like Maui, because you want to.  It's another to feel you have to leave your home to conserve your financial resources and dodge the high tax structure around here.