To retire or not retire?

[JJT]

Had a reminder a bit ago of one pitfall of retirement...it can be a bit harder to remember what day of the week it is.

I was sure it was Saturday. I guess I get to go back into town tomorrow night, too.

When you are retired every day is Saturday.

 

[Torvy]

When you are retired every day is Saturday.

Unfortunately, I have to interface with others who aren't retired.

 

[Dadah]

I think a lot of people on TBN are geezers like me. Tomorrow is is my birthday, 64. I am getting to the age of giving serious thought to retiring. I have mixed emotions. Still enjoy my work but am thinking I might enjoy retirement as well. I have friends who love retirement and some who have gotten bored and wished they wouldn't have retired. Let me know your thoughts. Are you glad you retired or maybe not?

TNhobbyfarmer, I don’t know if anyone can answer your question since all situations are different.
I’m 70, have Multiple Myeloma (bone cancer), almost the picture of health except for that/treatments/doctor visits. This diagnosis forced me into retirement at 58, Operations Captain for a police department. After the stem cell transplant and a couple of other treatments I’m good. I do maintenance infusions to keep it at bay. 5 yrs ago we built our first house on 5 acres with 5 barns which is now down to 2. Previous owner did not do maintenance on the barns so I’ve had plenty to do.
All this being said, yes, I wish I could go back to work. I loved my job, the folks I worked with and who I worked for.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

At 48 and retired, I do have to stay up to date on what day it is, because none of my friends are retired. My wife helps to remind me though.

I do enjoy finally being able to answer this one question. “When are you available?”

Any time!

 

[nybirdman]

Being retired means you don't have the weekends off.
Retired for 18 years after working 42.Well planned and have no worries.

 

[JasperFrank]

Retirement needs a plan. If you don't have one, don't retire.

 

[kf4uda]

I guess I am rounding turn 4 headed toward the finish line. I will be 62 in July and plan to retire then. The wife and I plan to trade our travel trailer in for a small RV and look around the country some. Besides that maybe I will have some more project time.

It will be a change for sure after working full time for 44 years.

 

[Torvy]

I guess I am rounding turn 4 headed toward the finish line. I will be 62 in July and plan to retire then. The wife and I plan to trade our travel trailer in for a small RV and look around the country some. Besides that maybe I will have some more project time.

It will be a change for sure after working full time for 44 years.

Congrats!

 

[ultrarunner]

Retirement needs a plan. If you don't have one, don't retire.

Maybe a real vacation would be a good start in the right direction and free the mind?

26 hours total for Saturday/Sunday

Had a a signed contract for 17k to remove and install a 65k steam Sterilizer… contract signed in June with delivery/install the first week of December…

Manufacture now says can’t get to it before end of January and their install team needs 3 days with hospital sterile processing shutdown and if weekends add 50% to the install cost.

I got it done alone starting at 6 am both Saturday and Sunday…

Here is a picture with most of the packing removed… manifest says shipping weight 1400 lbs

Just got it through several 36” doorways to get it where it needs to be.

January has several total joint replacement scheduled so end of January won’t cut it…

Correct me if I’m wrong but my idea of retirement is life on your schedule without chasing deadlines?

 

[Torvy]

Correct me if I’m wrong but my idea of retirement is life on your schedule without chasing deadlines?

Me, too, brother.

I could never figure that out with my folks. Even in retirement, they got involved with things that made specific demands on their time. (Like teaching classes at the senior center.)

Volunteering is great, but I prefer the type where I am not committed to a set schedule on a recurring basis. For me, it's more like "I'm feeling fit today, I'll go by and help at a local Habitat House (or food kitchen, or the parish)." If I wanted a fixed schedule and commitments, I could have kept teaching.

 

[riptides]

Retirement needs a plan. If you don't have one, don't retire.

Happy is the man with no plan, for even no plan, is a plan.

 

[71bronco]

Retiring Jan 1 after 47 years as a bricklayer. Still in decent shape except for a shoulder that bothers me mostly at night. Not too many make it this long in this line of work so I guess I was lucky.
The wife and I have a little craft business on the side that will keep me busy plus firewood and every thing else that I've put off around here because I was too tired after work to do it.

Jeff

 

[chevy]

Correct me if I’m wrong but my idea of retirement is life on your schedule without chasing deadlines?

I am 70 years old. I grew up on a dairy farm. I started working when I was 5, feeding bottle calves, spreading bedding straw in barns & pushing hay from the hay mow into hay racks. After high school I worked for a remodeling company full time. For the first year I milked cows morning & night while working full time for the remodeling company. I worked for this company 17 years. I then became self employed doing remodeling & cabinet work. At 65 years old I had worked 60 years of being told what to do by someone else. Being self employed was supposed to give me freedom to do what I wanted. That was true to some extent. I could pick the jobs I wanted to do, but I still had to meet client deadlines for the jobs I took.

One day I decided I had had enough. Both of my knees & shoulders were shot. I completed the job I was currently working on, I called clients that I had estimates out on & cancelled the estimates. Then I started working under my deadlines. Except for the knee & shoulder replacements & therapy.

My only plan was to do what I wanted to do. I have been following this plan for the last five years.

 

[MossRoad]

Time to travel with his wife to all the places they talked about and to free from a schedule…

When we retire, we'll travel, but we'll also travel to see the kids. I guess we're fortunate that we like hanging out with them as adults and also love their pets... even the tortoise (and he's an a-hole) .

Heck, we still take the kids on vacations with us if they want to go. Wife and kids are in the early stages of planning a European vacation in 2027. I might even go with them!

 

[MossRoad]

The greatest thing about fishing is even if you don't catch a fish, you've still wasted a day.

 

[71bronco]

The greatest thing about fishing is even if you don't catch a fish, you've still wasted a day.

Don't you mean not wasted a day?

Jeff

 

[Eagle1]

Maybe a real vacation would be a good start in the right direction and free the mind?

26 hours total for Saturday/Sunday

Had a a signed contract for 17k to remove and install a 65k steam Sterilizer… contract signed in June with delivery/install the first week of December…

Manufacture now says can’t get to it before end of January and their install team needs 3 days with hospital sterile processing shutdown and if weekends add 50% to the install cost.

I got it done alone starting at 6 am both Saturday and Sunday…

Here is a picture with most of the packing removed… manifest says shipping weight 1400 lbs

Just got it through several 36” doorways to get it where it needs to be.

January has several total joint replacement scheduled so end of January won’t cut it…

Correct me if I’m wrong but my idea of retirement is life on your schedule without chasing deadlines?

View attachment 4618743

And this is why they want you die working there.... You can not hire dedication and the ability to get er done. You need the right person and some years to feel the ownership of the process, which you clearly do. They will willing let you retire just as soon as you body (or mind) will no longer allow you to be more productive then the replacement they can hire.
Well or until they replace everyone in charge with people that care much less than you do and there is money to be saved on paper.

 

[MossRoad]

Don't you mean not wasted a day?

Jeff

Nope.

 

[MossRoad]

Feed your husband a fish and he'll eat for a day.
Teach your husband to fish and he'll be gone for the entire weekend.

 

[NUTTERDW]

I was at this stage 12 months ago. what I did with the company I worked for was to work part time. I started off doing 3 days a week. Cut that back to 2 days a week and I think I will give 6 months and finish completely. Got plenty of other things to do so looking forward to a slightly less hectic schedule.
I think it would be a bad idea to retire without a plan on what to do to fill your hours. Research has shown that the worst thing you can do is to retire and sit at home and do nothing. That results in a quick end to life.
Happy Birthday

I have been retired 20 years January 1st.2026 and I have not yet been bored. I always told people I had enough to do for the first 20 years and then I would worry about what to do next. But I do have several hobbies that I enjoy. You need things that you look forward to doing to keep you busy. I am 82 now and I find it does not take near as much to satisfy my not getting bored mentality.