Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A few years ago when we lived in SC, my husband had a part time job with a company that preferred older employees. He was 60 years old at the time and the youngest person in the staff. The oldest ones were in their early '80s. Each week when the schedule was posted, he could accept it whole, or part of it, or decline to work that week. There was always someone who would gladly take his hours if he did not want to work. He once took two months off for our vacation and his position was there when he returned.
The job was fun to him because just like you, he loves to drive alone. It's with Hertz, and his job was to drive a car from one city to another, and then drive another car for the return trip, or being driven back in a van. The longest drive he did was 4 or 5 hours OW, but others took in longer stretches that sometimes required spending the night in a motel, which was paid by the employer.
When there was not enough work delivering cars, Hertz asked him whether he would prefer working within the city, as in picking up people who needed car rental. He did that for several months and enjoyed it just as much as driving longer distance. The only "problem" with this job, according to him, was that people kept giving him tips and he felt embarrassed saying no each time. (Hertz did not discourage or encourage tipping, but husband felt he should not be given tips for simply doing his job, one that paid him a decent wage and allowed him to enjoy himself and his life at the same time.)
He quit when we moved to FL. The company offered to transfer his job to a FL office but he declined.
Hertz was not the only company that hired retirees. In SC, Avis and Budget did the same.
My step father did the same thing for many years and also loved it. He quit when his dream job came up -working at a golf course (free golf).
One of the things that changes the work/retirement thing is technology. More than fifty years ago, a visionary said that in the future, we won't commute, we'll communicate. The internet, email, cell phones and wireless make that possible. I'm about ten years from traditional retirement age, but for the last couple of years I work twenty weeks a year from a resort-type climate. This was driven by the realization that I never want to retire, so there is no magic day after which I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want. Therefore I need to mix work and leisure in an integrated fashion.
I will say that the enjoyable activities I've worked into my schedule, like swimming and bicycling, make me hunger for more. An hour or two every nice day in a kayak would round things out...but I'd have to step down my work activity to fit it in. And I'm wondering if I won't end up rethinking my idea of never retiring. But for the present, life is pretty grand.
This thread has a lot of interesting posts on it, thanks to all.
Someone suggested that the thread should have been titled, "My retirement plan..." and its a good point. I wanted to throw the idea out there because I've seen so many posts concerning, "is this enough to retire on." If a senior retires and just works part time, it makes a huge difference to their financial picture, and it takes away some of the stress and worry about the future.
I might also add that studies have found that people, "on the average", will tend to live longer if they keep working. That doesn't mean we have to stay in our full time job. I'm hoping for one of those dream jobs, like with the car rental agencies or at the golf course. Seriously.
I thnik its more if they stay active. But those type studies are always swayed by many who can't keep working that are fully retired by cause.Nor can they stay as active.I know that epople I have seen who fully retire but stay active seen to do much better because they do active things that have more benfit physically while I suspect have less stress over all and even eat healthier too.I know I never eat as hnealthy when working a schedule because of time to both eat and make chice of cokkig more fresher healthier foods.
I might also add that studies have found that people, "on the average", will tend to live longer if they keep working.
Do studies really show it to be true that this finding applies to people who are being paid for their work? Or is it that people who are happily engaged in something in which they are contributing time and talent, regardless of renumeration, live longer?
Do studies really show it to be true that this finding applies to people who are being paid for their work? Or is it that people who are happily engaged in something in which they are contributing time and talent, regardless of renumeration, live longer?
must be the same people who tell us married men live longer than single men.
i dont understand that either. for anyone married ,until death do us part isnt a vow ,its a goal lol
. As you well know, all these studies have questionable reliability. Obviously, someone might retire early because of health problems. That puts a person with bad health in the retire early category. Maybe its the "which came first the chicken or the egg" in another form. But it does seem that when people slow down, and just veg, like in retirement, they aren't as physically or mentally active in most cases, and then theres the "if you don't use it you lose it" phenomena. Who really knows? In my case, the reality is, I can't just sit, I get bored very fast, so I might as well keep working. Then I am free of the "will I run out of money cause I don't have enough saved up" worry. To each his own.
That's a plan that'll work for awhile. Eventually your body will have other news for you.
I know what you mean by that, because I retired at age 49 working for the U.S. Government for 30 years and just received a small initial pension at the time and moved overseas so I could quit working all together and I did just that 14 years ago and we're still here enjoying our retirement! My pension has tripled when I started collecting my USAFR military pay at age 60 and Social Security pension at age 62! We only spend 50% of my combined pension now for our daily living expenses here in the Philippines and the other 50% goes into our savings for whatever we need it for!
Best decision I ever made retiring at age 49 and moving overseas - our roots, because it gave us back our health and peace of mine, because we got out of the "Human Rat Race"! Anyway, my wife and I weren't much of a workaholic and we were both ready for an early retirement! I'm now 63 and my wife 48. We own our own home and we don't have any bills except for our everyday living expenses!
Life is truly grand when a plan comes together!
. As you well know, all these studies have questionable reliability. Obviously, someone might retire early because of health problems. That puts a person with bad health in the retire early category. Maybe its the "which came first the chicken or the egg" in another form. But it does seem that when people slow down, and just veg, like in retirement, they aren't as physically or mentally active in most cases, and then theres the "if you don't use it you lose it" phenomena. Who really knows? In my case, the reality is, I can't just sit, I get bored very fast, so I might as well keep working. Then I am free of the "will I run out of money cause I don't have enough saved up" worry. To each his own.
I agree with you on the philosophy "Use it or lose it." For many of us, work was our opportunity to "use it." Once retired, that can leave us at a loss as to how to "use it" in a way that gives us stimulation, satisfaction and reward. I was advised a few years back to retire to something rather than from something. I found that sage advice, and am putting myself to use in several ventures where I can still "use it." I am not paid for them, but my planning together with a bit of luck have given me that freedom.
It' sounds like you know yourself well and have a good plan to ensure you will continue to be "using it" for quite a while. Hope it all comes together for you!
Last edited by Pine to Vine; 03-31-2012 at 12:51 PM..
We've been contimplating retirement for several years and finally decided to take a totally different attitude. Rather than worry about how much our SS payments will be, if we'll have enough savings, if SS will keep paying etc. I've decided I'd just as soon just keep working.
However, I would like to change locations, so we'll just find other jobs in the new locale, even if they don't pay much. If we combine SS, retirement, savings and earned income, we should be fine. Besides, I am quite sure I'd soon be bored out of my mind with complete retirement.
It is said....."Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life"
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
).
Who wants to work until age 70? Not us! No way!
