Early retirement-do we work to keep busy? (physically, vacations, moving)

[lieqiang]

Originally Posted by Julian658

I suspect that those that want out so early dislike what they do or have NO time to do anything while they are working (perhaps a 60 hour week). I suggest a transition to a 15-20 hour week and with that schedule you can basically function as retired.

My job was fine, I was a software developer which was one of my hobbies anyway. I worked about 40-45 hours per week.

A 15-20 hour work week would not allow me to function as I would like retired.

[lieqiang]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

This year I am on a one year frugal trip around the world (also looking for a place to live that has access to healthcare).

We're eight months in, currently in western Thailand near Myanmar border. Let's meet for a beer sometime!

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by lieqiang

My job was fine, I was a software developer which was one of my hobbies anyway. I worked about 40-45 hours per week.

A 15-20 hour work week would not allow me to function as I would like in retired.

Since I am stricken with wanderlust and I am the definition of a 'non-conformist';

I could absolutely not work a steady PT job during my retirement. I have not punched a time clock since 1968, and i have never had a watch. Not sure I can even tell the time . If the sun is up... I'm outside, if the sun is down... I am available for work, social, or eating activities (unless I have something better to do... Highly likely). The last time I watched TV was Circa 1968; Hogan's Heroes and Lawrence Welk

I really am enjoying the 5am - 10pm Jan /Feb sunny days in southern hemisphere, now I realize why so many Canadian grain farmers also have farms in Australia and NZ. Why not! Year round fun (work to some)

Being a farm kid + 30yrs as caregiver, & many yrs of extensive OT...by the time I retired @ age 49, I had accumulated the equivalent of 99yrs of 40hr work weeks. I was phyisically tired and eager for the delightful change of becoming a FT grad student for 2 years (availed by my 'adios' package).

Work has always been very fun and very ez (i don't mind working hard, tho occasional need to PLAY hard too!). I took countless extended breaks 1-12 months without pay. My benevolent high tech employer allowed us to take the summer off, if we could find and train a school teacher to do our job. (This Kept teachers engaged in current technology, and paid them well, & gave the company a steady stream of availble workers and referrals for interns. Win-win-win.

I will gladly join you for a beer and celebrate our freedom from the 'past life' of high tech, and share the excitement / mystique of our current life. (I don't do coffee, and tomorrow is a great mystery, especially living without healthcare coverage). Benchmarks, goals, milestones, metrics, annual performance reviews, .. Poof - purged from my memory. But... 'Drop dead dates' have taken on new meaning

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by cyberous

Thanks for the positive responses. I'm hearing that there are are actually more early retired people out there than I thought. Volunteer work is a great idea, I did that in college and it was very rewarding.

By the way, I started working at 15 1/2 and full time since I was 16. Have never taken a break since then, so the work work work methodology might be stuck in my brain and might be a challenge.

Not to fear... You can be healed!

Early retirement is a special blessing you will come to much appreciate. Health and wealth can be very fleeting, don't let your few remaining 'numbered' days be robbed by unnecessary work.

As a 3 person 'night crew', we read the book 'Dying Broke' about 15-20 yrs ago. It transformed 2 of my senior co-workers, and they have reaped great reward (their last couple years at work were great, they each retired early, they have each been very active, healthy, and very happy (tho never wealthy) during their retirement).

Ironically, my worst manager, who dissed our early retirements saw how happy we were and joined us. He was really transformed from 110% company man, to a reasonable person who now cherishes his early retirement, and is engaged in several volunteer groups. He even has time for his very bitter family, and is helping to heal his many yrs of bridge burning. That is amazing to see the results. Far more important than a few more yrs in the trenches, incrementally adding to an already bloated retirement fund.

[jrkliny]

I am always saddened to read about those who are concerned about retirement because they feel they will become bored. Looking for "activities" to keep active and to kill time is equally sad.


Most of us work because we need the money to support ourselves and family. Enjoying work, putting in effort and doing a good job can be rewarding. Many of us were lucky enough to find jobs and careers that to least to some extent were pleasurable. Work also has its downsides. Usually work means we are specialized in our activities. We often operate in a limited sphere with lots of "structure" and requirements imposed on what we do. Once retired we can pursue countless opportunities to grow, learn and achieve.


There is another issue that seems to be involved to one extent or another. We can easily become stuck in a rut. I think the worse (or best) example is the housewife of a generation ago. My mother was an smart person who became trapped into wasted lifestyle. She cooked, and cleaned and spent her time in "raising" a family. When we grew up and left, she was without a purpose and did not live long.


Regardless of your work (raising a family, operating your own business, or working for the Man) I think there should be more in life. If not during your younger and middle age, at least before retirement, I think each of us should examine our lives, our goals and our interests. After the work and after the family, what is it that you want to do? To learn? To achieve? What did you never have time to do or to see? Once I started to answer those sorts of questions for myself, I found I had a very full life ahead with not enough time to accomplish my goals. I certainly did not need to worry about finding activities to kill time or to "keep busy." I also realized that to a large extent I had gone through life in an aimless fashion going to work and doing what seemed best for raising a family. Unfortunately I do see a lot of people who retire and are lost without goals. They read the paper, watch TV, go shopping, and in general kill time waiting for death.

[thinkalot]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

Exactly. And things are immeasurably worse if one has no spouse. Whether retired or still working, most of our social connections outside of the workplace are family. For persons whose parents have passed on, who have no siblings, no children and no spouse, the workplace is almost the totality of social-life. Once retired, and thus separated from the workplace, the remaining social connections are meager. What then?


But it is not possible socially or emotionally. We persevere with our workplace routine, not because we need the money or because we suffer from insatiable hunger for yet more money, but because workplace-life is all that we know.



May we all plan wisely.

Parents are dead. No children. Single. Siblings live far away. Never socialized with people I worked with. I have a very full life and many friends. Work was never all I knew.

I have mentioned on several of these types of threads that people that identify with their job do not seem to enjoy retirement like the rest of us do. They can't seem to shut it off. The other day I met a man that said he USED to be a doctor. He is living his new life not a past one. He wouldn't have said that much except one rude woman kept asking him questions, a woman that still says she is a teacher though she hasn't taught in years.

Every day gets better. New people and more things to do.

Now time for breakfast with 9 of my closest friends, and I only know what a few of them did for a living. That was then and this is now. Too bad most people can't seem to understand that.

[Retriever]

I took early retirement, mostly because the working conditions in my school district had become dangerous, and also because monetary inducements were being offered to the old timers, in order to bring in younger people who could be paid less. However, I took this as an opportunity to go back to school, in order to earn my third college degree, and to enter a totally different field of endeavor.

So, I was kept quite busy for 2 years + while earning that new degree, was busy for several months with my job search, and then began working again full-time in my new job--albeit as a contract employee with no benefits. I didn't really need new medical insurance, as I retained coverage from my former job, but receiving sick days would have been nice, because after 2+ years in that position, I severely fractured my left foot, and this made it impossible to go to work for a couple of months. As a result, I had to resign from my contract position.

Subsequently, after my recovery, I worked part-time as a taste-tester but that position wasn't really interesting or fulfilling, so I resigned from that job after a couple of years. At this point all of my available time is taken up with home and yard projects, cooking for friends who are still employed, and taking power-walks and nature hikes, and I have to say that I am quite happy to be able to spend my time in this manner.

I really feel sorry for the people who say things like, "I just don't know what I would do to stay busy if I retired". My response to those folks is, "If you haven't read every book that you ever wanted to read, if you haven't visited every destination that you have always wanted to see, if you haven't planted every vegetable and flower that you ever wanted to grow, if you haven't seen every movie or stage show that you ever wanted to see, and if you haven't taken up every hobby that you ever wished that you had time for, then there is no reason to fear retirement".

IMHO, while work is necessary for us to live our life, work shouldn't constitute our entire life. If work does constitute your entire life--or at least the majority of it--then I think that you need to re-think your priorities.

I don't think that anybody on his/her death bed ever says, "You know, I wish that I had worked longer".

[yellowsnow]

I worked to pay for my life. Work was never my life! Bored? Not often. Too many things I want to do out there. Yes, I have worked since I retired but it's a totally different thing for me. Just a part time throwaway retail job that gives me a great discount!

[Escort Rider]

Originally Posted by jrkliny

.....................................


There is another issue that seems to be involved to one extent or another. We can easily become stuck in a rut. I think the worse (or best) example is the housewife of a generation ago. My mother was an smart person who became trapped into wasted lifestyle. She cooked, and cleaned and spent her time in "raising" a family. When we grew up and left, she was without a purpose and did not live long.

.................

The three words I bolded seem to be the key for lots of people. I know I need a sense of purpose, although some profess not to. It seems to me that after a period of de-stressing and decompression, whether that period lasts two weeks, two months, or two years, a lot of us (most of us?) are going to feel the need for something beyond total aimlessness and total self-indulgence. Literally throwing away the alarm clock, luxuriating with that third cup of coffee, smelling the flowers, and watching the sunset - those things are great for recovery from excessive stress and tension, but can they satisfy us for the long term? I submit not.

[AlaskaErik]

Originally Posted by cyberous

I’ve been planning for early retirement for a long time, currently 45. My goal since I was in my 20’s has been to retire at 50, but now it looks like 55 is a better option. As I get older I’ve seen some of my friends retire early but this typically last a year or so then they go back to work. Some of them were very successful in their careers and have substantial wealth, others where in law enforcement (early retirement age.) When I ask “why did you go back to work” it’s always the same response, I got bored.

My question, do you plan to retire early (50-55), if so what will you do with your time? Or did you retire early and end up going back to work?

If you're bored in retirement you're doing it all wrong. I had more free time when I was working.