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Old 04-02-2008, 03:22 AM
 
16,433 posts, read 22,106,051 times
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We can have some hope that if the Dems get into the White House they will actually do something about healthcare. That is the usual hang up in people's retirement plans.
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Old 04-02-2008, 09:50 AM
 
Location: Londonderry, NH
41,478 posts, read 59,530,043 times
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In one of my retirement scenarios I use the subsidy to fund an alternate energy combined heat and power business long enough to be successful. In another I learn to write decent salable fiction. In another I actually do some environmental and geologic research (fancy name for gold prospecting). In the really disturbing one I loose my lady and drink myself to death.

Lots of futures and lots of choices but none of them involve going to an office 50 miles away. None!
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Old 04-02-2008, 10:15 AM
 
Location: Central Fl
2,903 posts, read 12,491,367 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bideshi View Post
We can have some hope that if the Dems get into the White House they will actually do something about healthcare. That is the usual hang up in people's retirement plans.
Let's keep on topic.....we have a lively political forum here to debate that.

It is true that healthcare is many times the "wild card" in a person's retirement planning.

Frank D.
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Old 04-03-2008, 09:32 PM
 
Location: Massachusetts
9,484 posts, read 16,375,019 times
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I enjoy being retired, but Im not of SS age yet, so I still work part-time. I don't miss my full time job with the government one bit, but Im glad I earned this pension, and the medical and life insurances. I now can take a trip if I want and I don't have to worry about time off like I did all those years with the government. The time to take a trip now and then is coming in handy since I plan on relocating for my retirement years.
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Old 04-04-2008, 08:05 PM
 
Location: Cookeville, Tn
259 posts, read 516,771 times
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Thanks Laura for starting this very interesting thread. You hit a home run as usual , I am planning on putting this house up for sale the first of July and when it sells will put in my papers. We are moving to east Tenn and can't wait. I had the gift of having a couple of years off from work when I was in my 50's. What a great experience that was. Now with retirement approaching I feel that I know what to expect with not punching a time clock and better I have a good idea what I want to do. Instead of scaring us, this transition is being treated as a great adventure.
I agree with your observations about caring more about local events. When you are busy with the work rat-race you just have time for the nightly news and that only covers the headlines.
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Old 04-07-2008, 11:59 AM
 
Location: NJ
152 posts, read 615,217 times
Reputation: 110
loonyrich,

I agree with you that Laura's thread was a very interesting one. My wife and I will be putting our house for sale in June and, like you, will put my papers as soon as we have a contract. We will be moving from NJ to SC and plan to meet day-to-day expenses with pensions and SS since we will have no debts at retirement. SC is much cheaper than NJ and it should allow us to do that. What I get from investments will be use to enjoy ourselves, travel etc. We have been planing this for several years now and, although a little bit scare, we are looking to more free time to enjoy whatever time we have left.
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Old 04-07-2008, 12:18 PM
 
Location: Sacramento
14,044 posts, read 27,106,052 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LauraC View Post
This weekend I will be retired 1 year. I also moved 6 weeks after I retired but I've been reflecting on my retirement and these are the things I've learned.

1. I don't miss work.

2. Your friends from work are just that.

3. Retirees I come in contact with regularly span the ages of 55 - 85 (I'm currently 56) and after the first week or two, I stopped noticing the age difference probably because they all are currently active, intelligent and/or skilled people and many of the older ones, especially, have lead extraordinary interesting lives.

4. I'm more observant and things in my surroundings interest me more now that I'm retired.

5. My TV watching hours and reading habits didn't change when I stopped working. I still buy and read as many books as I used to. I still don't turn on the TV until dinner time. I still prefer to shop online. I still like new software. I still like reading and posting to assorted forums. I still hate housework. I still procrastinate. I still hate walking for the sake of walking (as opposed to walking TO something).

6. I read the local newspaper for local news, city planning and event info. I really didn't care about what was happening in the town I was living in when I was working. I didn't watch local news (except when bad weather might impact the next day's commute) or read the local newspaper. I know more about this town (population pretty close to former town population) I retired to, than the last town I lived in for 12 years while I was working. I recognize people I don't know personally at town activities, now. If had I retired and not moved, would I have developed an interest in my former town? I don't know.

7. I'm never in a hurry/feel I have to rush since being retired. I still have to keep track of what weekly, monthly/annual events are scheduled but I don't look at the clock, just the calendar. I think I set my alarm clock about 3x since I have been retired.


I'm wondering if other retirees 1) feel the same way about not missing their work; 2) didn't stay close to their work friends in retirement but remained in communication with non-work friends from decades ago; 3) now think differently about people who are older than they are; 4) are now more appreciative/observant of their surroundings; 5) kept their same good/bad personal habits; 6) are now more interested in their town/area; 7) slowed down (not physically, but no longer rush anywhere) --- Anyone?
Very interesting posting Laura, good insights for those considering retiring and are looking for some perspective.

Like you, I ended a long-term federal career last year and moved far away. I find my observations generally in line with yours.

Generally, I don't miss work, though I still get some e-mails and phone calls asking me questions about past objectives and goals. I don't mind helping out, those folks want to do well by the public they serve.

My friends from work were generally limited to work, though I have a few I have kept as post-work friends. Our communication is generally via e-mail, such is life when you move far away.

I haven't segregated into dealing primarily with retirees. I find that many of my new relationships are with folks still employed. My physical activities (going to a gym three times per week) and volunteer work with Sacramento county keep me engaged with folks in a wide variety of ages.

I observe more of what is around me, and take in more in my daily living. It is a real experience to live more in the present. I hope more folks get a chance to do it, it is wonderful.

My relationship with my wife has evolved somewhat since retiring, we do more together and my patience is much better (disengaging from the work pace).

I take in more when reading. I can now delve deeper into issues of interest to me, my concentration has actually improved as I have moved away from the need to multi-task.
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Old 04-07-2008, 02:19 PM
 
Location: Northern California
23 posts, read 63,001 times
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I will retire from 30 years in law enforcement in 18 months (September '09) at age 56 and move from the SF Bay Area, probably to northern California, though looking at other locations. I will work part-time in the same field for awhile between other pursuits and traveling in the 40' RV diesel pusher.

Looking forward to experiencing many of the same good feelings and enjoyment that many of you have after leaving full-time work. I get a hint of that whenever I take a 3 or 4 week vacation and actually "get away" from it all.

Dennis
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Old 04-07-2008, 11:48 PM
 
Location: Tennessee
37,734 posts, read 40,776,995 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by loonyrich View Post
Thanks Laura for starting this very interesting thread. You hit a home run as usual , I am planning on putting this house up for sale the first of July and when it sells will put in my papers. We are moving to east Tenn and can't wait. I had the gift of having a couple of years off from work when I was in my 50's. What a great experience that was. Now with retirement approaching I feel that I know what to expect with not punching a time clock and better I have a good idea what I want to do. Instead of scaring us, this transition is being treated as a great adventure.
I agree with your observations about caring more about local events. When you are busy with the work rat-race you just have time for the nightly news and that only covers the headlines.
It seems strange though. I feel like maybe I just parked in my former town for 12 years. My former town suffered from living in the shadows of DC. Everyone got up in the morning and went someplace else to work. We got two sets of TV stations, DC and Baltimore which contributed to identity confusion. Professional teams that played in Maryland called themselves DC teams. You'd go to a concert clearly in Maryland and it was called a DC concert. The town celebrated zero holidays because, in my opinion, 1) the town couldn't compete with the really big doings in DC; 2) most of the town was headquarter feds meaning they were typically at the end of their career and had a lot of leave accumulated. They didn't hang around on the holidays. I feel like the whole purpose of my former town was to provide a safe place to sleep and a not awful commute.

Where I live now, many of the people live and work in town. We have a big national laboratory and security complex and many work for that lab and security complex or they work for contractors in town, associated with the lab/security complex. As a result, I've observed, they're home a lot earlier and because they live and work in the same town, they are more vested in it than I ever was in my former town. Also, the average age in my current town is 7.5 years older than the average age in my former town and my current town has a much lower cost of living than where I used to live so I think many people in the workforce don't move away when they retire.

I agree that retirement is a great adventure. There are new things to see, learn and do and if you pick a good spot for retirement, a lot of those things are free or cheap.
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Old 04-08-2008, 12:00 AM
 
Location: Franklin Massachusetts
7 posts, read 20,027 times
Reputation: 22
I just retired at 45 back in November, and my new wife and I just had a baby so I am staying home to play Daddy Day Care (LOL) it is taking sometime to get use to but I will adapt.
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