Retire Feb 1st any advice?.... I did it.....

Everyone is different and what works for one won't work for someone else. Give yourself at least a year before you make any major changes to your life style. By that I mean don't worry that you haven't taken any action immediately to change your life style. It doesn't work like that at least it didn't for me. I've been retired 3 years now and I'm still trying different things. Some work and some don't. Eventually you will find the one's you truly enjoy and forget the rest.

I never went back to work for even a day after I retired but I certainly had the opportunity. It was tempting as people that I had worked with hounded me to go back to work as an administrator with my old employer, job was open, but I declined.

Just ease into it and you'll figure out what feels right in good time.

Congratulations, now enjoy it.
 
Our City has a great gym to work out at, lots of equipment and workers to help you. Also a pool in the lower section and an indoor track to walk in the winter. It's all for about 50.00 a year. The only reason to work maybe 16 hours a week is for some extra gun money. We were carefull as life went along and saved some money. I'll actually make more money retired. She has a couple small painting projects for me, (told her not to give me a list with a years worth of work) then I'll clean up my reloading-gun area. I'll build some cabinets to put things in. 16 days, Larry
 
Jebus,

First, congratulations on your retirement! I'm exactly one month ahead of you, having retired the first of January. Since I'm also just starting out on this adventure, I'm by no means an expert, but not being an expert has never stopped me from putting in my 2 cents before!

It doesn't matter what you did during your working life, I'm happy to say that you've now been promoted to Manager! You'll be managing your retirement, and it has to be managed properly just like any other successful endeavor.

You'll be managing your money, your time, your relationship with your wife, and all the projects that you've saved up to do during this phase of your life.

Money - Hopefully, you've been able to save up a bit, and have secured for yourself a pension, and maybe a long-term savings or investment plan such as a 401K or something similar. Additionally, if you haven't already done so, you may want to consider engaging a Financial Advisor. It doesn't take a bunch of money to benefit from good investment advice. The problem is, there are a LOT of folks that call themselves 'Financial Advisors' that are just shills for investment companies that will be calling you repeatedly with 'hot tips', all in an effort to get you to keep your money moving around in different stocks and what-not, and of course they are making a commission or fee each time they get you to make a money move. Ask around among the folks you trust and see what their experiences have been with their financial folks, and see if you can find one that will actually work for you instead of using you and your assets. I feel that I have selected a really good person to handle my finances, and I trust her to do the best for me to our mutual benefit. A good 'financial house' will manage your money for around 1% per year, maybe more or less depending on how much you have invested with them. At the first of the year, I started out with a big, fat 401K that has been on a steady diet for the last week, and it seems that the Markets were just waiting for me to retire to kick off their death spiral! Oh well!

Time - You earned this opportunity to be your own boss, so use it well! My stepfather, who retired from NASA at age 53, left his job, came home, got himself a beer out of the fridge, plopped down on the couch in front of the TV, and stayed there for 24 years - he did not mange his time properly. Previous to retirement he had been physically active, both running and riding his bike almost every day. When he retired from work, he retired from these activities as well, and assumed his new hobbies of sloth and slow-burn drunkenness. For him the end was not pretty.

Set yourself a schedule of sorts - nothing arduous, but at least a routine. Like a previous poster advised, do something every day. My first day of retirement, waaaayyy back last week, was very disconcerting for me. I had been making plans for 5 years for this date, and when it came, I was TOTALLY unprepared for it! My finances were taken care of, I had my health insurance all set up, I had my little list of things to do - and I'll be damned if I didn't feel just like I was playing hooky from school! I had a hard time being simply comfortable in my new situation. So, I invoked the 1st Rule of Retirement - I started doing something positive every day. I've also had two job offers poke up, one full time, and the other a part time consulting position. I've applied for the full-time job, just to see if a can get the interview and perhaps an offer. However, the fact is that I just retired from a full-time position, why in the hell would I want another one? Well, it is a very cool job, for one (I would be involved in the new Orion manned space program), and the money might not be bad either. Chances are I'll stick with the consulting job, and be able to better manage my time. I'll still get to involve my self with Orion, just a bit farther out on the periphery of the program. If you do choose to work, make sure that it is something that interests you, something that you want to do.

If working is not on your radar, you might want to consider some volunteer activity, and there are LOADS of them out there. You can increase your activities with your Church, or perhaps volunteer to work at the library or any number of places that could use your time & talent. I'm a Shriner, and they are more than happy to fill up as much time as I can spare helping in their efforts to support the many Children's Hospitals that they operate.

The Wife - If you're not married, please disregard! If you are, and she's still working, like mine, chances are THEY have some plans for your retirement even if you don't. Mine happily announced that she had five pages of honey-dos prepped for me. I slew THAT dragon right off the bat! Five pages of honey-dos my ***! However, I do at least make sure that there are no dishes in the sink or clothes to fold when she gets home, and I have been trying to take care of at least one 'house' project every day, although they have been small ones. So far its kept her at bay. If your wife will be home with you, I truly have no clue on what to say, so I'll just shut up!

Projects and Hobbies - This is what retirement SHOULD be all about! So far, I have spent ZERO time on this. I stopped by my LGS/Range yesterday, and the owner, a good friend of mine, asked me two questions - how was my retirement going, and why haven't I been to the range since I left work? Maybe I'll go today or tomorrow, but I have some important paperwork to do concerning the transfer of my 401K into my new savings/investment plan, and I'm trying to keep my discipline in getting that done in a timely fashion before I start 'screwing off'. I spent last week getting my resume polished up & submitted, and setting up my new consulting scheme. Once I have my finances lined up, I'm off to the range! I think another poster suggested that if you don't reload, you should start, and this is GREAT advice. Whatever other hobbies you have, don't neglect them. Remember, this is YOUR time, don't get so caught up in other things that you don't take time for yourself. You have done the right things all of your life - you've been a contributing member of society, you've taken care of a family, and done all of the things that folks of our generation were expected to do. Don't overburden yourself now meeting the expectations of others. Make your own plans and goals, and execute them in accordance with YOUR timeline - you've earned it, and you deserve it!

Jebus, I wish you all the best in your future. Please keep us posted both as you get to the end of the month and as you enjoy the first days of your new FREEDOM!

Tom
 
Been working since I was 14 yrs old, really hard to imagine not returning to work after a week off. Keep telling myself it's real, finally here. Again, a lot of different ideas here. Titan Tom, a lot said in your post, thanks. My hands and arms will finally heal from all the cuts and bruises. Got my final big job, a Chevy pick up. Putting a bed side on it and fixing the floor and rear sill under the tail gate. Not sure how much work I'll get the last week I work, I'll need to clean my area for the new guy. Not sure if they are looking for anyone yet. Larry
 
Be in Dayton for just the day, granddaughter' s birthday party. Down to 2 weeks, seems harder to get and stay motivated at work. Being on flat rate, I have to work to make money. We get paid by the job basically. Hope this week is slow. Have a good weekend, Larry
 
No matter how much you have saved for retirement it is never enough, don't be surprised by the burn rate.
 
Titan Tom said:
Jebus,

First, congratulations on your retirement! I'm exactly one month ahead of you, having retired the first of January. Since I'm also just starting out on this adventure, I'm by no means an expert, but not being an expert has never stopped me from putting in my 2 cents before!

It doesn't matter what you did during your working life, I'm happy to say that you've now been promoted to Manager! You'll be managing your retirement, and it has to be managed properly just like any other successful endeavor.

You'll be managing your money, your time, your relationship with your wife, and all the projects that you've saved up to do during this phase of your life.

Money - Hopefully, you've been able to save up a bit, and have secured for yourself a pension, and maybe a long-term savings or investment plan such as a 401K or something similar. Additionally, if you haven't already done so, you may want to consider engaging a Financial Advisor. It doesn't take a bunch of money to benefit from good investment advice. The problem is, there are a LOT of folks that call themselves 'Financial Advisors' that are just shills for investment companies that will be calling you repeatedly with 'hot tips', all in an effort to get you to keep your money moving around in different stocks and what-not, and of course they are making a commission or fee each time they get you to make a money move. Ask around among the folks you trust and see what their experiences have been with their financial folks, and see if you can find one that will actually work for you instead of using you and your assets. I feel that I have selected a really good person to handle my finances, and I trust her to do the best for me to our mutual benefit. A good 'financial house' will manage your money for around 1% per year, maybe more or less depending on how much you have invested with them. At the first of the year, I started out with a big, fat 401K that has been on a steady diet for the last week, and it seems that the Markets were just waiting for me to retire to kick off their death spiral! Oh well!

Time - You earned this opportunity to be your own boss, so use it well! My stepfather, who retired from NASA at age 53, left his job, came home, got himself a beer out of the fridge, plopped down on the couch in front of the TV, and stayed there for 24 years - he did not mange his time properly. Previous to retirement he had been physically active, both running and riding his bike almost every day. When he retired from work, he retired from these activities as well, and assumed his new hobbies of sloth and slow-burn drunkenness. For him the end was not pretty.

Set yourself a schedule of sorts - nothing arduous, but at least a routine. Like a previous poster advised, do something every day. My first day of retirement, waaaayyy back last week, was very disconcerting for me. I had been making plans for 5 years for this date, and when it came, I was TOTALLY unprepared for it! My finances were taken care of, I had my health insurance all set up, I had my little list of things to do - and I'll be damned if I didn't feel just like I was playing hooky from school! I had a hard time being simply comfortable in my new situation. So, I invoked the 1st Rule of Retirement - I started doing something positive every day. I've also had two job offers poke up, one full time, and the other a part time consulting position. I've applied for the full-time job, just to see if a can get the interview and perhaps an offer. However, the fact is that I just retired from a full-time position, why in the hell would I want another one? Well, it is a very cool job, for one (I would be involved in the new Orion manned space program), and the money might not be bad either. Chances are I'll stick with the consulting job, and be able to better manage my time. I'll still get to involve my self with Orion, just a bit farther out on the periphery of the program. If you do choose to work, make sure that it is something that interests you, something that you want to do.

If working is not on your radar, you might want to consider some volunteer activity, and there are LOADS of them out there. You can increase your activities with your Church, or perhaps volunteer to work at the library or any number of places that could use your time & talent. I'm a Shriner, and they are more than happy to fill up as much time as I can spare helping in their efforts to support the many Children's Hospitals that they operate.

The Wife - If you're not married, please disregard! If you are, and she's still working, like mine, chances are THEY have some plans for your retirement even if you don't. Mine happily announced that she had five pages of honey-dos prepped for me. I slew THAT dragon right off the bat! Five pages of honey-dos my ***! However, I do at least make sure that there are no dishes in the sink or clothes to fold when she gets home, and I have been trying to take care of at least one 'house' project every day, although they have been small ones. So far its kept her at bay. If your wife will be home with you, I truly have no clue on what to say, so I'll just shut up!

Projects and Hobbies - This is what retirement SHOULD be all about! So far, I have spent ZERO time on this. I stopped by my LGS/Range yesterday, and the owner, a good friend of mine, asked me two questions - how was my retirement going, and why haven't I been to the range since I left work? Maybe I'll go today or tomorrow, but I have some important paperwork to do concerning the transfer of my 401K into my new savings/investment plan, and I'm trying to keep my discipline in getting that done in a timely fashion before I start 'screwing off'. I spent last week getting my resume polished up & submitted, and setting up my new consulting scheme. Once I have my finances lined up, I'm off to the range! I think another poster suggested that if you don't reload, you should start, and this is GREAT advice. Whatever other hobbies you have, don't neglect them. Remember, this is YOUR time, don't get so caught up in other things that you don't take time for yourself. You have done the right things all of your life - you've been a contributing member of society, you've taken care of a family, and done all of the things that folks of our generation were expected to do. Don't overburden yourself now meeting the expectations of others. Make your own plans and goals, and execute them in accordance with YOUR timeline - you've earned it, and you deserve it!

Jebus, I wish you all the best in your future. Please keep us posted both as you get to the end of the month and as you enjoy the first days of your new FREEDOM!

Tom
Click to expand...

Wish I could like this twice!
 
Got to give you guys credit. I have to say that the thought of retiring into the winter months scares the stuffing out of me. I'm thinking April or May for my retirement.
 
Welcome to the club.
I retired at 55 over 20 years ago.
Always RUN FROM a job and RUN TO retirement(meaning open your arms to your 'grown up' part of life).
You're going to miss many 'work' friends, but in their place make a bunch of 'quality' retirement friends-for-life.
I got to really meet my wife and found out she's a really nice person.
Jump into anything that really interests you (you'll really find kindred spirits and really enjoy yourself).
I think you can see from the comments that you're joining a VERY exclusive club.
Good health, stay active and enjoy life while adding to the world.

p.s.- You own the week - the weekends are for those poor working stiffs.
 
Retiring from body work and winter can be a very stressful. Retiring in the winter is a good thing. Last 2 days went fairly fast, tomorrow is hump day. Getting down to the last week, it's exciting. Taking cars apart now, they are covered with salt and they drip on you. It's hard to get all the snow and ice off. Larry
 
Gotta love it, the bigger jobs are history in my life. Got a few towed in and the other body men are getting them. Will be interesting next week, my final week. I'll actually enjoy it cause every day that passes will be closer to the end. It's the week before the ultimate vacation, Larry
 
Congrats, Larry!! Only five days left punching the clock. You have put in your time and paid your dues, time to reap the rewards of a long and hard working life. I know first hand as my father was an auto mechanic. He started doing oil changes at 15, retired at 65. He always said the same thing about working on cars in the winter. The salt and snow dripping was the worst!! You have earned it, you deserve it, enjoy it!!

All the best, Bob
 
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