Why do people want to retire? (spouse, celebration, relative, years)

[Retired Law 08]

Originally Posted by Mrs. P

BECAUSE I'M TIRED. Really I want to enjoy some time to do the things I want to do instead of fighting traffic, weather, etc. Not everyone who is retiring goes to a senior center. Money just isn't everything to everyone...
maybe to you, but not to me. Walking down to the beach getting sea shells and making jewelry, gardening, swimming, volunteering, back to my favorite of painting, things like that, that I'm too tired to do after work, and don't have time to do on the weekends because of yard maintenance and house cleaning/laundry/grocery shopping on and on it goes...nope money can't replace having freedom to choose what I want to do. I suppose it depends on what kind of hobbies and talents one has that have nothing to do with getting a paycheck in the bank every week or so. I'd rather live a few notches down, drive a used car, and have free time.

I think this is a great post...I felt the same way..tired...the traffic..weather
stress...I retired at 49...have been working since 16..non-stop..even when
I was in HS and college...this is actually the first break I have had in working
not counting vacation or sick days...my advice to anyone considering retirement..have a plan..and a goal...and you will enjoy the rewards..

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by Mrs. P

BECAUSE I'M TIRED. Really I want to enjoy some time to do the things I want to do instead of fighting traffic, weather, etc. Not everyone who is retiring goes to a senior center. Money just isn't everything to everyone...
maybe to you, but not to me. Walking down to the beach getting sea shells and making jewelry, gardening, swimming, volunteering, back to my favorite of painting, things like that, that I'm too tired to do after work, and don't have time to do on the weekends because of yard maintenance and house cleaning/laundry/grocery shopping on and on it goes...nope money can't replace having freedom to choose what I want to do. I suppose it depends on what kind of hobbies and talents one has that have nothing to do with getting a paycheck in the bank every week or so. I'd rather live a few notches down, drive a used car, and have free time.

Very well said.. I'll be on a beach, too someday.. just a tad north of you (Eastport, Maine). Who needs more stuff when you have the water?

[Morwyn_7]

[quote=Happy in Wyoming;7498899]I'm asking this because I really don't understand why. I'm 65 years old, own my own business, and can't conceive of giving up the money unless I'm forced to do so for health reasons. I do have a variety of interests and could easily occupy my time if I didn't work. I certainly would have no reason to visit the senior center. But I'd be positively sick about knowing that I were making far less money than I could be.


If your basic philosophy in life is that you live to work then you will always have difficulty in understanding others who work so as to live.

Once the latter have decided they are ready to retire their mission has been accomplished. You, and others like you, on the other hand, understandably have no motivation to retire as money making gives you life. And so it goes ...

[Submariner]

It really depends a lot on your career path. If you are happy in your career, then stay.

My career involved a lot of travel, moving to a new area every 3 years, always in rotating shift-work, rarely working less than 80 hours a week. And a great deal of responsibility in each position, which requires a high level of accountability.

Fast paced and ever changing, continuous studying of manuals, gets to be very tiring.

And then after 20-years they force people out onto pension. You have no choice. 'High-year-tenure' is mandated, it is the law for those career fields.

The travel was nice, the things I did, the things I saw, were all exciting. But it was also very stressful. I have known a lot of close workmates who died along the way. I developed a bleeding ulcer just past my stomach in my intestines, controllable with drugs.

So I focused on the 'dream' of retiring onto a farm.

If your career does not have this level of stress, if you like your career, if there is no law requiring that you go on pension; then don't retire.

[Happy in Wyoming]

This is so sad. On an anonymous forum, an individual can speak the truth without fear of consequences, so I do believe that all of these posts are sincere. There is one thing that I really find interesting. People complain about jobs, that is, about working for someone else. I noticed a post by someone who said he is retired, but has three home businesses. He doesn't think of it as work. Maybe that's how I am.

I remember one Christmas weekend when I could barely get off the phone. I didn't have Christmas dinner until the 26th. But I had a chunk of money that I didn't expect. That's the best kind.

Several people have stated that money isn't the most important thing. But what is there that doesn't cost money? It doesn't cost anything to play with my dogs and cats, but it cost plenty for that meadow and hill that the dogs like to romp around with me. I've seen elk, deer, rabbits, bear, both black and grizzly, pack rats, coyotes, and a plethora of birds on my place. Nobody in a subdivision or some scummy apartment can see that. I'm sure that I could spend several million dollars per year buying the beautiful and pleasing things that enrich life.

It seems that the ideal life is a business that a person can integrate into a pleasant lifestyle. If someone hates a job so much, why not quit and start a business? It sure beats doing what one hates. An it's so easy to do. Sure, most businesses fail; I've had several like that. But if an individual is persistent, he'll find a good one. There's nothing quite so pleasing as seeing a nice deposit in my checking account.

They say that money can't buy happiness. But it can sure get rid of a lot of unhappiness.

[Wayland Woman]

Working for yourself makes all the difference. If you spent your entire work life following orders, you'd probably feel differently. Lots of people also work in environments that aren't good for their physical and/or mental health and getting out as early as they can means quality of life goes up. Being money motivated is good when you've got a family to raise. But when you get older and no longer have kids at home, making money as a goal can get real old and many people want to free up time for something more meaningful---volunteerism or a passion project.

[Fat Freddy]

Why do people want to work?

There are many things to do that are more interesting and rewarding than exerting energy and effort for the accumulation of money.

[Happy in Wyoming]

Originally Posted by Wayland Woman

Working for yourself makes all the difference. If you spent your entire work life following orders, you'd probably feel differently. Lots of people also work in environments that aren't good for their physical and/or mental health and getting out as early as they can means quality of life goes up. Being money motivated is good when you've got a family to raise. But when you get older and no longer have kids at home, making money as a goal can get real old and many people want to free up time for something more meaningful---volunteerism or a passion project.

I certainly agree about working for myself. I can't abide working for unpleasant people who make life miserable. That's why I quit.

I've never had kids, at home or otherwise, but I hold the the view that my life is worthwhile without them. As long as an individual respects money and other objects of value, either intrinsic or extrinsic, acquisition becomes an end in itself.

[rferd]

Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming

I'm asking this because I really don't understand why. I'm 65 years old, own my own business, and can't conceive of giving up the money unless I'm forced to do so for health reasons. I do have a variety of interests and could easily occupy my time if I didn't work. I certainly would have no reason to visit the senior center. But I'd be positively sick about knowing that I were making far less money than I could be.

I can understand people who are in poor health and can't perform well retiring. I can certainly understand people who truly hate their jobs retiring. But for the others it seems to be almost an admission of defeat. I'm not trying to start a fight. I'd just like to get some thoughts from people who are retired or plan to retire soon.

There are many reasons why people want to retire; several have been stated in previous messages. Most common reason is stress in the job and I am sure you have it even if you own your business; perhaps you have more stress than most. Spending time with the family and getting pay (SS, Retirement Plan and Savings) without having to work is "fantastic".

If you are happy working 'till you drop dead and leaving your possesions to your family, good. I prefer to take it easy for the few years that I might have left and enjoy the fruit of my savings.

[kygman]

I retired to keep from losing money. I worked 26 years for the state of Kentucky. The state's retirement system changed 12-31-08. I checked with retirement board. If I stayed past that date, I would have to work another 6-8 years just to get back to what I can draw now. There was a "mass exodus" of retirements as the end of the year drew closer. You have to have 27 years to draw full retirement. I bought one year of time with my 401k to get my full time.
My wife could have had full retirement after 28 yrs, working for the federal government on an army base. She retired after 21 1/2 years because of stress. She has an illness which could be very dangerous if stress got to her. She took a big hit on what she could draw, but I'll take her health over her money any day 24/7.