Quote:
Originally Posted by codydog
Give it a bit more thought, I have been retired 3 years and unless you have lots and lots of money, to do whatever you want, it can get mundane. We have enough money to be very comfortable, but are not super rich. Good luck with the plans and I hope you make the right decision for you.
|
Not calling anyone out, but I still have a hard time with the idea that you need money to avoid boredom. Libraries are still free. Books, movie rentals, internet access, etc. Volunteering is free. Hiking is still free, fishing can be done cheaply. Camping is cheap. Gardening can be done for almost nothing. Chatting with friends, playing with your grandkids, spending time with your spouse, all free.
Photography is a cheap hobby and writing is all but free. Riding a bike or walking on the beach...free. Painting can be done very cheaply, and after an initial modest investment, learning to play an instrument is free. Geocaching takes you on adventures for the price of gas and a $99 GPS. Enjoying the world around you, free! Lots of places give inexpensive or even free classes. Teaching can actually earn you money as can many hobbies. I could go on.
And who says retirement has to be the lack of working for money? I know lots of people that do something they enjoy to make money for parts for the 66 Corvette they are restoring or to take that dream trip to Europe. They don't have a big nest egg or pension, but still manage to live comfortably and do a little work to afford the big stuff. A CEO type might define retirement as volunteering full time to help a non-profit charity maximize the good work they do. A person with a high pressure career migh define it as a working in a low pressure environment.
Retirement is not an event, but a process. You don't pick a place to live, a lifestyle to enjoy and then do it until you die. That's called a career! Retirement isn't defined by the dictionary, or your friends, coworkers or forum posters, but by you! Some folks need to work to have purpose and meaning. Many don't. Do what makes you happy and if you can do it at 46 on a shoestring, more power to ya!!! If you want to work longer to build a bigger nest egg ,and you understand the tradeoffs, so you can drive a Cadillac and live in a mansion on a golf course, go for it.
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.
