# Is Retirement The Way You Thought It Would Be For You?



## SeaBreeze (Jun 26, 2016)

I'm glad I saved during my working years and was able to retire a little early.  Retirement is great after working for so many years and just what I thought it would be.  No schedules, easy going simple pleasures and time to relax and spend with my husband and furkids.

We do what we feel like, daily walks in the park with the dog, occasional camping trips or relaxing around the house and yard on lazy days.  It's what I hoped it would be, only thing that would put a damper on things is poor health or running out of money before our days are up.

Is retirement for you the way you imagined when you were younger?


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## Guitarist (Jun 26, 2016)

Nope. 

I'm poorer than I expected to be, but at the same time maybe more secure, financially, because I live in HUD housing and the rent is only a small percentage of my Social Security, so I don't have to worry about rent increases, or the place being converted to condos and tenants having to buy or move.  

I don't have a car, so can't get out and about, let alone go on trips, but on the other hand I don't have car insurance and repairs to deal with, or traffic accidents.  

I did want to be living at least part time in England, though, not where I live now.


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## Capt Lightning (Jun 27, 2016)

There is no way I could have predicted the way it would turn out.  We took early retirement in out mid 50s, moved to the other end of the country, made new friends and adopted a totally different lifestyle.   Life is very good indeed.


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## HazyDavey (Jun 27, 2016)

I love the simplicity and the slow pace, no more go go go. I tinker around and do the day to day stuff, plus fun things also. I can a just my time to fit my wife's working schedule so we can have some fun together. We didn't have a lot of that back in the day. So life is good, I'm in a good place now.

I did think that with retirement and the slower pace, time would slow a bit also. I missed that, the days just seem to go by even faster now.


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## Victor (Jun 29, 2016)

I spend much more time on the computer and in forums like this.

I have more money and security than before and more free time

but I am no happier, sadly. I am still alone.


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## Ina (Jun 29, 2016)

Well I'm better off financially, but I wasn't expecting to be alone.  So retirement is nothing like I thought it would. I wouldn't say it's an adventure, but it is a new learning experience.


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## Son_of_Perdition (Jun 29, 2016)

Pretty much


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## Lethe200 (Jun 29, 2016)

It's actually worked out even better. DH and I have a great time together, both at home and when traveling.

The only surprise was a good one. We ended up with more income in retirement than when we were working.

The sadness is, as we get older so do our friends. One of my best friends for over four decades is slowly dying of heart and liver failure. He's got a great attitude and is always upbeat about enjoying life, but we and his family know that the end is coming.


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## IKE (Jun 29, 2016)

Thanks to a couple of very unexpected monthly incomes materializing when I retired I'm much better off financially now than I thought I'd be which equates to peace of mind from a money standpoint.

I make it a point to get a lot more exercise now (brisk walking) than when I was working and I have no major life threatening health problems so far that I'm aware of.

I will admit that after all my chores, piddling and running errands are done for the day I do get a little bored occasionally.

I'm pretty much content at being retired.


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## Butterfly (Jun 30, 2016)

Ina said:


> Well I'm better off financially, but I wasn't expecting to be alone.  So retirement is nothing like I thought it would. I wouldn't say it's an adventure, but it is a new learning experience.



Ina are you still volunteering at the VA?  Do you enjoy it still?


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## Butterfly (Jun 30, 2016)

Guitarist said:


> Nope.
> 
> I'm poorer than I expected to be, but at the same time maybe more secure, financially, because I live in HUD housing and the rent is only a small percentage of my Social Security, so I don't have to worry about rent increases, or the place being converted to condos and tenants having to buy or move.
> 
> ...



Guitarist, could you maybe find an inexpensive used  car so you could get out and about a bit?


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## ronaldj (Jun 30, 2016)

its everything I had hoped for plus......


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## jujube (Jun 30, 2016)

Not quite what I expected, but worse in some ways (I had always expected to share retirement with my husband, but fate did not decree that was going to happen) and better in others (I was able to retire earlier than I had expected with more income and I did meet another great guy to spend the rest of my life with).   Life has a way of balancing things out as much as it can.


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## Bobw235 (Jun 30, 2016)

Too soon to say, as I'm only 4 months into retirement.  That said, I'm enjoying the freedom to do what I want when I want, having time for reading, working on my photography, doing things around the yard, etc.  On the other hand, I'm finding that I'm becoming bored already.  Just sent in an application to volunteer at a local hospice.


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## Ken N Tx (Jul 1, 2016)

We have been retired for 8 years...The first 6 had been great, traveling,getting out and doing what we wanted...etc...

The past 2 years we have my wife's 95 year old mother living with us..It was a must as she lived alone on her own 1,000 miles from us!! My wife is the only child and no other relatives left in her home state.

MIL has limited mobility and we promised her that she could stay with us as long as we could care for her.

We have essentially been grounded in our own home the past 2 years!!!


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## Bobw235 (Jul 3, 2016)

I spent all day working in the yard today.  I had Spotify on a long playlist I'd created with some really good tunes, a mix of rock & roll and some new stuff.  I spent the entire day weeding, trimming trees and shrubs, pruning flowers, making the planting beds look good, etc.  It felt good to do it as I've been feeling like I'm on the verge of depression.  I don't know why I'm feeling this way, but I told my wife about it yesterday.  On Friday I went to visit my former colleagues in Boston.  I think part of what I'm feeling is a sense of not doing anything meaningful.  We can't travel until we get my wife's physical problems under control.  I think once I get into a volunteering role I'll feel better.  I told her that today it was good to work outside as it kept my mind off of other stuff.  And....the yard looks better. Of course I'm paying the price with soreness and a stiff lower back.  A glass of Shiraz and a dip in the spa will do the trick.


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## Ray (Jul 5, 2016)

It has been great. Back in the mid-'60s I visited an Aunt an Uncle who left NY and went to a "55 plus" community in NJ. From that time on, my future was predetermined. One additional feature, I wanted a community where my second car was a golf cart - I got it. Finally, I wanted a big community on the theory that whatever I wanted to do, there would be others of like mind would be there - they are.

Life is good.


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## Buckeye (Jul 5, 2016)

Things were great when my wife was healthy, but now that she's gone I'm a rudderless vessel.  No hobbies/interest that I want to pursue. Played golf for a number of years but I suck at it and no longer want to deal with that frustration. I am not particularly sociable, so joining a church, etc, to meet other folks my age would be a chore. I need to do something different just not sure what that might be.  I'm not even in interested in riding the Harley most days.


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## Butterfly (Jul 5, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> I spent all day working in the yard today.  I had Spotify on a long playlist I'd created with some really good tunes, a mix of rock & roll and some new stuff.  I spent the entire day weeding, trimming trees and shrubs, pruning flowers, making the planting beds look good, etc.  It felt good to do it as I've been feeling like I'm on the verge of depression.  I don't know why I'm feeling this way, but I told my wife about it yesterday.  On Friday I went to visit my former colleagues in Boston.  I think part of what I'm feeling is a sense of not doing anything meaningful.  We can't travel until we get my wife's physical problems under control.  I think once I get into a volunteering role I'll feel better.  I told her that today it was good to work outside as it kept my mind off of other stuff.  And....the yard looks better. Of course I'm paying the price with soreness and a stiff lower back.  A glass of Shiraz and a dip in the spa will do the trick.



I agree with you about the feeling of not doing anything meaningful and sometimes feeling like I might be creeping toward depression.  Though I disliked my boss intensely, I really enjoyed the work, and felt I was contributing something.  I enjoyed my co-workers and people I dealt with outside our office on a day to day basis.   I enjoyed being the "go-to gal" in a couple of areas and having folks in other offices calling me to ask me  how to accomplish things.   I do not, however, miss the godawful hours and the quite hostile work environment., and I don't miss getting up in the morning before the chickens.

In the first months after retiring I was busy getting my hips fixed, and after that was done, it was kind of like an extended vacation.  But that does get a bit old, though I'd never have believed that while I was working so hard.

Do you think you'll find volunteering in a hospice too depressing?  I thought it was something I would like to do, but after the reality of my niece's last days in the hospice, I'm no longer sure it is something I would like to do, and I'm no longer sure it would be good for my mental health.  However, I am still considering it.


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## Carla (Jul 28, 2016)

I was fortunate to be able to retire early, six months after my husband. We enjoyed four laid back years together then the we turned into me, quite suddenly. I am grateful we had at least those years but this wasn't exactly the plans we had in mind. Still, I am enjoying not having to go to work and deal with the related stress. It is freedom to to whatever I chose, I can be and usually am, busy, but when I want to do something or just take it easy, I have the option. Retirement suits me just fine.


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## Ray (Jul 29, 2016)

I learned from my father's mistakes. To him, retirement was "not going to work". He and Mom stayed in the same environment, nothing changed for Mom but Dad's day was spent "not going to work".

We retired, sold the condo and headed south. We moved into a community with mainly retirees and started to learn to live the retirement lifestyle and it has been great. We've moved a few times, tried a variety of environments (we were "sunbirds" for several years). We always enjoyed what we were doing but remained open to new ideas - and that is the key.


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## Ed Mashburn (Aug 1, 2016)

Good evening to all- Well, since I never spent any time at all thinking about retirement before I did it, I guess i can say that retirement is different from what I expected. I was a teacher for nearly 40 years, and it was a big part of my life- it was who I was.  After retirement, I find that teaching never crosses my mind- it's part of the past, and the past is something that I don't worry about.
But I do like being retired. I fish a lot more, I garden more, and I have a lot more time for writing. My wife and I go lots of places for fishing, and it's fun not having to worry about keeping to a schedule.
So, yes, i like retirement a whole lot.
good evening to all- Ed


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## Bobw235 (Aug 1, 2016)

Interviewing tomorrow morning for a volunteer opportunity with a local hospice. Also looking at some temporary, part-time work with my former employer this fall. Will give me some extra spending money.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Aug 1, 2016)

The hubby and I are enjoying it. We do road trips and have gone across country three times now. I'm really not the traveler he is but I enjoy it now and then.  Financially we have to watch it a bit. I worry about about health insurance etc. Me more than him. I love puttering around the house and sleeping late if I want to. One thing I wish was different. During my working years family and friends would always gather at our house for the holidays. I really loved that but working and getting ready really tired me out. Now when I could really enjoy it,cookie making, new recipes, decorating the house etc. many aren't with us anymore. Every year it seems there is another empty spot at the table and so many different diet restrictions I don't know where to start. I guess that's life and I have to let my daughter and family take over some of the festivities, sit back and enjoy the grand kids.


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## tnthomas (Aug 1, 2016)

I retired in 2012(age 59), took care of serious health issue(HepC), spent a couple years rebuilding my body & health.   Battled anxiety and depression-probably from neurological damage from Interferon treatments.  I just didn't feel "myself" anymore, and medications did help some but were _horrible.

_I secured full time employment with a different employer in the same profession I retired from.   The money is good to have coming in, I get paid vacation and holidays, and am working toward building a bit more, on a 2nd retirement account.

Being back to "doing what I do" is therapeutic, I feel in control of my life, and don't really experience the depression anymore, but anxiety level is _elevated_.   

I plan to work until I'm 70, God willing.


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## Bobw235 (Aug 2, 2016)

I met with the hospice volunteer coordinator this morning for about an hour. It was a good interview which will now proceed to them checking references. Not sure if I'll end up doing administrative work (helping her with process improvement and data management) or working with patients. I mentioned how I'd put together a slideshow after my father-in-law passed in December and she thought it would be great to offer that to families and patients in hospice. It's something I'm happy to do and have a real interest in. It was nice to feel needed and wanted. I suspect this will be something that I get some satisfaction from once I begin, possibly as early as this month.


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## GregM (Aug 3, 2016)

*Is retirement for you the way you imagined when you were younger?*



> Is retirement for you the way you imagined when you were younger?



I certainly had expectations of what retirement would be like but unfortunately it hasn't worked out that way. I hope to still travel around Australia because there are so many places I want to see. I did go on a camping trip along the Birdsville Track with 2 friends which was fun but it went too quick and I wanted to stop on the way back at the country towns and do some sightseeing but one of the others was in a hurry to get back.

We have a few family issues which takes priority over everything else so I'm hoping things work out and then I/We can get away.

Reading some of the other stories it seems that my experience isn't unique.

cheers
Greg


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## OneEyedDiva (Aug 4, 2016)

Not having to get up and go to work was a dream of mine for a long time. I had worked since I was 16. Even so I didn't start seriously planning and "running the numbers" on how I would manage until I was about 48. I retired one month before my 51st birthday. I've been a saver since I was in my 20's and an investor since my late 30's. Retirement was busy the first few years. I had an aging, ailing mother. I took her to her appointments, ran errands for her, etc. I babysat my youngest grandchildren. After my mother passed, things slowed down a bit but I was still busy for another couple of years. I finally started slowing down and enjoying "smelling the roses" about 2009, 11 years after my retirement. Due to a pension, then finally...Social Security, I live a comfortable retirement and travel frequently. It took awhile but retirement is probably better than I imagined it would be.


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