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See, I look at this list and I see this as meaning you will be working for many years, and saving most of your income, expecting to finally enjoy the above when you finally retire.
The problem is, life doesn't always cooperate. I suggest you at least budget for some of this list to do now.
I ended up retired before expected, and am really poor. So, I do with what I have. And honestly, I'm glad it worked out this way.
If you're happier on a tight schedule, that's fine. Just enjoy yourself along the way to retirement, too. You could end up disabled, unemployed, who-knows-what. Why look back and say, Dang, I should have taken a couple of those vacations while I was young and healthy.
And ironically, when I was young, I pictured wanting to do a lot of traveling in my retirement. I have found that I pretty much hate traveling now LOL! I wouldn't mind waking up somewhere I'd like to see. But, it's the getting there I really hate. I much prefer day trips. And I just moved to a place where others travel to get to - got the ocean in the front yard, and the redwoods in my backyard.
There are places I wished I'd gone to see when I was younger and enjoyed traveling. But, I probably won't see them now. And that's my choice. For instance, I'd love to see Mt Rushmore, but I dread the idea of getting there now.
Hahah - thanks, yes - in the last two years I've been to Maui twice, Orlando and New Orleans! I am loosening the purse strings a bit because I don't want to wait until I'm 65 to enjoy myself. But I obviously don't have months of vacation time at present or cash to spend on vacationing 60 days a year...so I'd like to plan to make that happen.
The type of time constraints you had experienced as a working person seem to be those you would like to avoid in retirement. A lot of posters have expressed a desire to have little to no restraints upon their time as a retired person, others look forward to those things that by their nature are going to impose upon some part of your day. I guess you could safely say that the one thing no two retirees agree on is how they should spend their days.
I personally had a difficult last five years on the job, retirement was more than just a way to have more free time, for me it was definitely about gaining my freedom from work and the stress that accompanied it. I remarried so that makes for a different scenario than that of a long time married couple or a single person. We spent the last two years travelling, pursuing the playing of my guitar, photographing, and my wife's art work, both of us are readers and entertaining is something we try to do when the occasion arises to invite others to our home or accept invitations to others. We have a mix of single and married friends, young and old, conservative and liberal, we all get along.
I try not to make plans beyond our basic travel needs and that which would be necessary to shop for essentials, beyond that we both like to let the day roll along unfolding to whatever we want to do. We live in a very scenic area so day trips are common for us, longer trips to the islands or Mexico seem almost a bother for the fact of all that planning, lol, but I am being serious when I say that making plans seems like work from where I've been standing.
Routines are the stuff of that structured life we all found to be a common part of our misgivings, at least those of us who feel that way, many people here do all kinds of things that require a structured day and love every minute of it. Escort Rider sounds like he has found a nice niche to fill out his days, and, doing for others in the process must be a great source of those feelings of accomplishment that some long for in their later years in retirement. All in all it's a mixed bag, and that's what makes for some great conversation between those of us in our twilight years, we are all doing what we want, that's retirement.........
I couldn't rep you so I'll do it this way: What a nice summing up.
One thing you said reminded me of three lines from Tennyson's poem Ulysses:
"Old age hath yet his honor and his toil;
Death closes all, but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
........."
I'm just starting to think about and plan retirement - I have at least 10 years and probably 15 to go.
Wondering if you have any daily, weekly, and annual routines and at what point you are in your retirement (5 years into, 10 years into, etc).
For example Daily: Get up at 8:00, brunch at 10, golf or tennis, then early dinner Weekly: Grocery shopping Mondays, laundry Wednesdays, local roadtrips each weekend Each year: At least one 4-week trip, monthly weekend trips to visit grandkids, and a couple week-long trips, season tickets to opera or sports?
I retired in 2006. DH retired in 2007. Before we retired I thought about a schedule, and decided that we should get up in the morning at 7 am. That seemed a reasonable time, not too late or too early. And we have continued to do that.
We now go to the gym together twice a week. We attend church once a week. We pick up a grand at school once on most weeks in the winter. I usually have a haircut on a Tuesday. We meet with a group of friends on most Thursday evenings. So that is as much routine as we have. I do think a schedule or routine is a good thing, and I would hate to live in such a disorganized way as to have none. But one of the joys of retirement is the ability to make our own schedules and routines.
I am glad you're doing some traveling now. The unexpected can happen. It did to me. At 59 I had to have a stent put in, 1 month later I was in a car accident that totally ruined my back. Every day I have to remind myself that the reality is, I should not have survived that accident. I had a small 4 cylinder car, she had a huge SUV. There was a steel sign on the side of the road because they were doing road work. Apparently she couldn't distinguish between green & red, and also did not see orange on the workers. She sped up to get around the truck, and crashed my car into the steel sign. My front end was ruined by the sign, as well as my windshield. She crashed right into the driver's (my) side, and between her & the sign, my back was crushed into the seat so hard, that it injured my back.
I will not be traveling anymore. But, I am alive.
Reading this over, I realize I turned this into about me, not you. I apologize for that. I was trying to make the point that things happen in life so do as much as you can, while continuing to save for retirement.
Last edited by meo92953; 12-17-2014 at 08:51 PM..
Reason: add
I'm just starting to think about and plan retirement - I have at least 10 years and probably 15 to go.
Wondering if you have any daily, weekly, and annual routines and at what point you are in your retirement (5 years into, 10 years into, etc).
For example Daily: Get up at 8:00, brunch at 10, golf or tennis, then early dinner Weekly: Grocery shopping Mondays, laundry Wednesdays, local roadtrips each weekend Each year: At least one 4-week trip, monthly weekend trips to visit grandkids, and a couple week-long trips, season tickets to opera or sports?
What are these things you call "routines"? Sounds anal to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by silibran
I do think a schedule or routine is a good thing, and I would hate to live in such a disorganized way as to have none. But one of the joys of retirement is the ability to make our own schedules and routines.
There's nothing "disorganized" about it. It's freeing! Ergo you can make schedules and routines, or not, as the mood suits you. If you really need them you might as well go back to work.
Why am I sensing control issues with these two posts?
I've been retired for almost 5 years and after giving myself 6 months to do nothing but move to another state, I've settled into a routine that suits me well.
I keep a couple of days completely unscheduled, to do what I want, when I want and to fit in the routine stuff that needs doing like shopping and medical appointments. On other specific days, I volunteer at my local hospital and for our community patrol, play golf, play cards and do ceramics. I also go to concerts and live theater with friends. I travel locally four or five times a year, exploring my neighboring states for sight seeing or an annual Shakespeare festival or hot air balloon festival. I travel to the Midwest a couple of times a year to visit my kids and grandkids, and plan one major overseas trip each year. I also serve as treasurer and secretary for a couple of the clubs which only takes a few hours each month. And I would say out-of-state family and friends visit me here 4 or 5 times a year which means that my schedule goes out the window then and I get to enjoy their company.
I'm not a slave to my schedule and if I wake up and am not feeling like golf, cards or ceramics I don't go. I seldom miss my volunteering however because people are counting on me to be there. I love to read and I have scores of books in my "to read" pile, plus a couple in progress. I'm busy but not too much so -- I'm being selfish in my old age. I only do what I want to do. However, my schedule keeps me connected to my community, challenges me physically and intellectually and suits me just perfectly for as long as I'm blessed with good health.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Working 40 yrs for a company that pioneered 'Flex-time', took care of any schedule issues... I was 'ruined-for-life' after the first day. I will venture to guess I NEVER worked the same hours / tasks / schedule two days in a row, or ever again!
Show up, make a superb contribution (or not... on a bad day), go home (or anywhere else you might desire... often NOT home).
It really was a blast and a very nurturing environment (trust). I absolutely can not think of one person reprimanded for abusing 'flex-time'. Tho certainly some did. Not my job to worry about others, nor did my manager ever question my hours. Bonus... I worked 28 yrs of nights with NO manager !!! hurrah! We did great things, very quickly and ahead of 'schedule' (whatever that is ). In fact... we cut 50% out of the design time by working nights! No complaints, no watches, no time-clock, no schedule, and certainly no 'routine'; Everyday was very different.
I got plenty of 'routine' at Dairy Farm Boarding School! 4:30 AM & 4:30 PM 7 days / week... Now THAT is seriously a routine! Never had to worry about weekends or after school sports / activities. Memories... BTDT.
Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jim9251
Routines and schedules? HAHAHAHA. I've been retired since 2009 and this is my schedule:
Morning - Wake up when I want, eat what I want, when I want. Then do what ever I want to do.
Afternoon - See above
Evening - See above
I found the joy of being retired is I don't have a schedule, don't have to be anyplace and certainly don't have to answer to anyone.
Look, it's Thursday, guess I'll go trout fishing.
Being in my 83rd year and retired for almost 22 years, I pretty much agree with what "jim9251" has written above.
I worked for just short of 40 years (and was married for over 51 years), during those working years I had schedules and routines that I had to follow as a working husband and father and had to travel extensively due to my job.. After retirement, my late wife and I agreed that after 40 years of sticking to a daily routine and certain schedule(s), we would pretty much just "kinda-live each-day" in a "more-unscheduled-fashion"...............so for the next 12 years we did just that i.e.: .. trips to Alaska, trips to TX and AZ............and it worked out just fine.......then I lost my wonderful wife. After that I decided that since I was living alone, I would "do what I want, when I want, as frequently as I want and continue to enjoy the activities and "toys" that I had worked those Forty years to acquire and participate in.
Having several "areas-of-interest", hobbies and "never, ever "be without a dog", have been my salvation.......AND, talk once a day (on the phone) to my wonderful daughter.
We all are different, and thank God we are......schedules and routines are "just-not-my-cup-of-tea"
I will admit......I spoil myself...I think (IMHO) I deserve it!!
A little over 63 years ago I was a passenger (R/S front seat) in a 1949 convertible that hit a large tree, at very high speed, in the middle of the driver's door...........Killed the driver and the person seated between the driver and myself. I have lived with the long term effects of the physical injuries (17 fractures: several vertebrea, pelvis, ribs, arm(s), shoulder, collar bone, wrists, right knee, and sternum.) Having received the "Last-Rites-of The Catholic Church" (aka: Extreme Unction), survived major Cancer Surgery, plus over 100 days in a body cast (neck to down below hips) and 5 months in the hospital and several months of physical therapy.....has allowed me to look at life from a "long-term-perspective".
Without my Faith and a "hellava-lot-of-luck", I'm sure I'd be on the other side of the grass, lookin' up! Carpe Diem my fellow retirees...............The Clock is Ticking!!
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). In fact... we cut 50% out of the design time by working nights! No complaints, no watches, no time-clock, no schedule, and certainly no 'routine'; Everyday was very different. 
Memories... BTDT.
i.e.: .. trips to Alaska, trips to TX and AZ............and it worked out just fine.......then I lost my wonderful wife. After that I decided that since I was living alone, I would "do what I want, when I want, as frequently as I want and continue to enjoy the activities and "toys" that I had worked those Forty years to acquire and participate in.
......schedules and routines are "just-not-my-cup-of-tea"
