90 days until retirement

Barbara and I retired from the 'Force in the summer of 2000 (52 years between us). We lived full time in a 5th-wheel for 18 months and entered the 5-year plan to get our BA degrees (on the GI Bill) while we refurbished a very cool 1960s A-frame home in Laramie.

We bought a country inn (B&B) ten years ago, and retired from that last summer. The fully refurbished inn is on the market, and we have our next home, about a quarter mile from the inn.

There's one problem with retirement, Barbara says, "There are no days off."

"Am I going to be euphoric the rest of my life," Narrowback asked.

YOU decide. Are you?

Cheers,

Bob
 
My wife and I both pulled the plug in 2007. My advise is to concentrate on doing the things you two have talked about doing as soon as you can. Life is uncertain, and you don't want the regret of having something left undone because you just never got around to it. My wife and I planned to travel after we retired, and that's what we did. I lost her last year, but we had been doing what we planned and waited so long to do, and it made the loss a tiny bit easier. So if you have a bucket list, start working on it early! :)

BTW: When people as if I'm working, I tell them I'm terminally unemployed.
 
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Enjoy reading these retirement threads. I "retired" from education in the spring of 15. Some local families wanted help starting a new christian school and wanted me to run it. I said yes I would help but I will just help get it started. So it was going very well and I said I want to get started on that retirement plan and said June 30, 16 was going to be my last day. Then a local non-profit was having probems and I get a call to do some organizational/personnel consulting that was supposed to be for a few weeks, maybe a couple of months. After I prayed about it (this is a Christian organizarion that does amazing life saving/changing work) I said sure I can help for a while. Then the head person resigned in the middle of a major expansion and I was named the Director and heading up the search for a new leader. Wife loves what she does with kids and plans to work 4 more years so God had other plans for me for now. It isnt always what I want but what others need and I can help with. Eventually I will get back to more "me" time. Good luck on your change in life.
 
I retired April 29th, and so far I am loving it. I am financially secure so I don't have money worries. No debt. Narrowback, I congratulate you, best of luck to you.

When I retired, I posted this on my Facebook page:
Today is that day. Today is the end. Today is the beginning. Today is relief, and anxiety. Today is my last day of employment with the City of Texarkana, Texas. My present is now my past, my future is now my present. Bring it on!
 
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On the first of this month I celebrated two years of retirement. It was surprising how quickly I got accustomed to not working for a living. :D
 
My situation is much like Jimmy. I was the victim of a motor vehicle accident that left me disabled in May 2007. I walked back into school in September 2007, put in 2 more years, then retired ... the pain was too much, and I began being afraid of getting hurt by mindless students. My first day of retirement from teaching was 1 July '09, my last day as a part time truck driver was 20 May '07 (day before the accident), and the first day of retirement from that job (after 29 years) was 1 May '08.

I actually miss working, because I was not yet mentally ready to retire. Had my retirement been my choice, not the result of injuries, I probably would be more comfortable with retirement. Raising two younger kids is keeping me occupied (I started my family later in life), so it does keep me occupied.
 
cowart said:
If you are fairly well off financially, there might be a tax advantage to not drawing any retirement income until January vs. starting in November. Its a pretty complicated subject.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll check into that further.
 
Tom S. said:
My wife and I both pulled the plug in 2007. My advise is to concentrate on doing the things you two have talked about doing as soon as you can. Life is uncertain, and you don't want the regret of having something left undone because you just never got around to it. My wife and I planned to travel after we retired, and that's what we did. I lost her last year, but we had been doing what we planned and waited so long to do, and it made the loss a tiny bit easier. So if you have a bucket list, start working on it early! :)

BTW: When people as if I'm working, I tell them I'm terminally unemployed.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry for your loss. That's good advice.
 
I have got tons to do. I want to do renovations to my house. I need some new windows and the roof needs to be redone. Kitchen renovations, too. The garage roof is leaking so that'll be first. In recent years we cut down about 3 acres of pines around the house which left about 85 stumps, so I'm going to rent a stump.grinder and see how that goes. My neighbor said I can use his backhoe, but I don't want to have to haul them away . I'll probably hire some things but will do most myself.

I can't wait to get started.
 
retirement = welcome to the club..

make sure your finances and budget are updated often..........
 
I'm 66 but we are holding off until I am 70 to maximize Social Security (wife will be a young chicken at 62). That way I'll have 20+ years as a Fed (pension increases). Also, my 401k will be compounding interest (I'm maxed plus $200 a month "catch up"). Cars paid off, house will be. Liquidating my gun "accumulation" to pay off credit card debts. Drawing Medicare now and will keep my Blue Cross into retirement.

When I retire, wife wants me to pursue my PhD in Biology (as many of you know, I have an MS in Animal Behavior and my BS is in Marine Biology). Whether I do or not, I will likely teach and/or do volunteer or part-time work with a non-profit. Also, I plan on becoming more active as a Brother in my Lodge.

All together, we are HOPING to be getting about $90-$100K in retirement. Only 3.5 years to go!
 
Congratulations! My retirement will be the ride down the conveyor belt into the cremation oven, by which time, my wife will have already spent my considerable life savings and will be trying to hunt down with rabid glee and fangs bared the "hidden accounts" that are reserved for the children.
 
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Narrowback, now here's the bad part. After you grind those stumps, in a few years, you will have 3 acres of holes to fill, after the pine roots rot away. Retired people are too old to step in holes well over a foot deep. I know.
 
Congratulations on starting the new phase of your life. I've been retired for over seven years now and have not been without something to do every day.
The secret is to keep busy, do the things/hobbies you enjoy. Visit old friends, go places, exercise daily and eat right.
I do volunteer work for our Church and a local children's charity along with food drives. Hunt, fish, flip guns for extra cash, play with my model trains, gardening with the wife, read books, etc.
There is an adjustment period, so don't make any rash decisions. It took me over a year to settle down completely.
Do what makes you happy, even if it's getting a different job. Good luck.
 
moosedog said:
Congratulations on starting the new phase of your life. I've been retired for over seven years now and have not been without something to do every day.
The secret is to keep busy, do the things/hobbies you enjoy. Visit old friends, go places, exercise daily and eat right.
I do volunteer work for our Church and a local children's charity along with food drives. Hunt, fish, flip guns for extra cash, play with my model trains, gardening with the wife, read books, etc.
There is an adjustment period, so don't make any rash decisions. It took me over a year to settle down completely.
Do what makes you happy, even if it's getting a different job. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's more good advice. I do plan to volunteer at the veteran's home, but right now my wife and I are taking care of my father-in-law who is a 91 yr old WWII vet; he's a hoot. We just came in from playing horseshoes and I've never heard so much trash talk. :)
 
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