Retired - Now What?

odonata said:

I decided to build a small wooden boat.

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You remind me of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, of NCIS TV show!
Nice looking boat there, taking a shape! Congrats!

Retirement, being 38, is still a long ways off for me. Likely retirement age for me will be around 68. It is good to read these personal observations and insights. My main goal is getting as much capital together as possible, that I’ll be able to hunt most of the time, when I’m in retirement.

May have been mentioned before but one of the most difficult things about retirement is saying the word NO. In many instances there's an assumption that since one is retired, they have nothing better to do than spend their time on someone else's errands, chores, research, checking the web reviews for that tool they were thinking about buying, and a hundred other things they could do themselves.

Took me some time but I got the hang of it. After a while, they got the picture.

Hogpatrol said:

May have been mentioned before but one of the most difficult things about retirement is saying the word NO. In many instances there's an assumption that since one is retired, they have nothing better to do than spend their time on someone else's errands, chores, research, checking the web reviews for that tool they were thinking about buying, and a hundred other things they could do themselves.

Took me some time but I got the hang of it. After a while, they got the picture.

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You just nailed it!!! When my brother retired his wife said to him, 'oh great, now you can be home and we can have lunch together', to which my brother said, 'just because I'm retiring doesn't mean I'm coming home to eat bologna sandwiches for lunch together!!' lol

lol my wife the beautiful Mrs Rare Breed told me she married me for life not to have lunch with me every day lol!!!

Rare Breed said:

lol my wife the beautiful Mrs Rare Breed told me she married me for life not to have lunch with me every day lol!!!

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In other words, just bring home the bacon for lunch.

NIGHTHAWK said:

After 35 plus years as a Union Steamfitter, I retired the day I was eligible (end of Nov 2025). Talking to my financial planner, he asked “Now what are you going to do?”. My reply was; collect my pension and stay on as a construction manager. “Why he asked?” “Because you can afford to not work”…. I didn’t have a good answer!

I’ve worked since I was 12 years old and most of that was laboring of some sort. I don’t know how not to work. I’m up everyday at 4:30am and enjoy routine. My longtime girlfriend is younger and will likely continue to work for the next 15 years.

I’ve got plenty of things I like to do and have flexibility in my work schedule to include vacations when I want to take them.

I know I want to have a small ranch type property 50 - 200 acres, where I can spend time hunting or fishing from, relaxing, working on it, and have a nice trophy room.

There are several of you on AH that I respect and admire for a lot of reasons. You appear to have nice life balance and I’m certain that is what I’ve striving for. To include: finding or building my dream property and house, traveling to hunt and fish, maintaining my health, spending quality time with friends and family, pursuing old interests and new hobbies, and having “that” balance.

What was/is your retirement experience like? What would you do differently?

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I remember asking my dad how he was coping after he retired. He said, "I'm so busy now, I don't know how I managed to find time to work!" He was.kidding of course, but now that I've retired I know what he.meant. since I retired six years ago I've managed another safari in Zim, and a moose hunt in BC. I also had to work in a heart attack a couple of years ago. I don't recommend that one! I'm doing well now. My wife has just informed me that we are going to Molokai in September, and Belize in February. We love fly fishing in Belize, but have never been to Molokai. Does anyone know if there is any hunting on Molokai?

I hope your retirement is going well. Are you busy?

Doug

Doug Hamilton said:

I remember asking my dad how he was coping after he retired. He said, "I'm so busy now, I don't know how I managed to find time to work!" He was.kidding of course, but now that I've retired I know what he.meant. since I retired six years ago I've managed another safari in Zim, and a moose hunt in BC. I also had to work in a heart attack a couple of years ago. I don't recommend that one! I'm doing well now. My wife has just informed me that we are going to Molokai in September, and Belize in February. We love fly fishing in Belize, but have never been to Molokai. Does anyone know if there is any hunting on Molokai?

I hope your retirement is going well. Are you busy?

Doug

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I’m officially retired from my union but continuing on with my construction manager role. Going through all the financial motions and ongoing planning for the next 5 years.

Booking more international hunting and fishing trips this year along with more stateside activities…

Feels good to have options and be busy with a transition plan or the option to hang it up entirely.

This post, with experiences and all the replies have helped a lot!

Doug Hamilton said:

I remember asking my dad how he was coping after he retired. He said, "I'm so busy now, I don't know how I managed to find time to work!" He was.kidding of course, but now that I've retired I know what he.meant. since I retired six years ago I've managed another safari in Zim, and a moose hunt in BC. I also had to work in a heart attack a couple of years ago. I don't recommend that one! I'm doing well now. My wife has just informed me that we are going to Molokai in September, and Belize in February. We love fly fishing in Belize, but have never been to Molokai. Does anyone know if there is any hunting on Molokai?

I hope your retirement is going well. Are you busy?

Doug

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Axis deer on Molokai for sure

Mekaniks said:

Axis deer on Molokai for sure

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I have never hunted axis deer and that's one that interests me. I just looked up a couple of outfitters there. Thanks!

I can't wait to retire. I'm super jealous.

Anyone think about doing stock checkering as a part time gig in retirement? The industry is really desperate for my craftsmen and woodworking can be almost zen like. ‍

HunterX said:

Anyone think about doing stock checkering as a part time gig in retirement? The industry is really desperate for my craftsmen and woodworking can be almost zen like. ‍

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The big problem that I see, is how does someone learn to do it?

There are a number of good books about checkering, you tube videos and I am sure gunsmiths that have old stocks to practice on. One would have to get a mentor. It seems like it is really hard for young people to afford to do it becuase they need to make a minimum amount to feed their family. Having older gentlemen who have extra time and patience, might be a solution to the industry losing this craft which is causing the 1-2 year waiting for custom guns or the switch to laser engraving. Same with hand engraving…slow and steady wins the race. For hand engraving, people could learn to “chase the lines”, start with a laser engraving and add depth to them, it would Mean you don’t have to have 10 years of proficiency and people could also have affordable engraving with less hours of work. Again, just a thought.

Too bad there isn’t a free checkering courses for retirees with free time. I love the idea of being a part of someone’s heirloom rifle. One that’s makes it to Africa, that brings decades of joy to the user and probably outlasts my short existence. What a thing to do in retirement. (See “Checkering” by S.L. Mays on Amazon.).

Personal experience.....

Ok......I honestly never read the previous 5 pages of responses to your dilemma....

You are definitely going to regret retiring if your married!....LMFAO ....to those that are currently married.

That "HONEY DO LIST" has now been put on your "Primary To Due" list by your wife. Because now you have NO- Zero, Zip, Nile, etc, etc, excuses not to complete the "Honey Do List", ....poor ______ well.....fill in the blank.

Now....IF....I Say IF.....you can......FAT CHANCE!!....
Your wife allows you.....she may allow you two days to adjust to retirement....not likely!..... honestly she will only allow you one morning to sleep in till 8am; shower, dressed and starting your "Honey Do Lists" by 9am.

SO Much for retirement!

Your vacation...well it's on hold per your wife...you want a vacation, aka your dream Africa hunt...Best include her or an equivalent vacation for her and that is after you complete 50%+ of your "Honey Do List".

Yeah.....retirement is just a word.....
No such thing as "Your now on permanent vacation". Retirement is just another word (if your married its worse) you will be working harder for zero to no pay and for a new full time boss....yourself, or wife. Hobbies will become your new full time job because you are board with working solely for your wife.

For those of us that are single, divorced, widowed, etc, hobbies become full time work at our own hours, being our own boss, because we are wanting to remain active.

Simply put after a week of retirement we find retirement is boaring and that's a good thing.

I did 25 years in the army and then 16 years in the corporate world. Retired in 2023 at 58 with no regrets! We have a 30 acre place to take care of and trying to keep in shape to be able to keep getting up the mountain as long as the body holds up. It's fun to see the same crowd of retired folks at the gym in our town every day. The comment about you can make more money, but you can't make more time is very true! Enjoy your time and do the things you want to do while you are still physically able to do it. All the best to you in your retirement!

On the philosophical side,

. Time Is Your Most Valuable Asset​

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” — Marcus Aurelius.


Most men live as if they have unlimited time. They postpone important conversations, delay meaningful work, and waste years on trivial pursuits. This illusion of immortality creates a passive approach to life where urgency never materializes.

Marcus Aurelius recognized that mortality should sharpen priorities, not paralyze them. When you internalize that death could arrive today, every decision becomes clearer. You stop tolerating toxic relationships, mediocre work, and empty distractions. The awareness of finite time transforms how you allocate your most precious resource.

Too bad there isn’t a free checkering courses for retirees with free time. I love the idea of being a part of someone’s heirloom rifle. One that’s makes it to Africa, that brings decades of joy to the user and probably outlasts my short existence. What a thing to do in retirement. (See “Checkering” by

HunterX said:

Too bad there isn’t a free checkering courses for retirees with free time. I love the idea of being a part of someone’s heirloom rifle. One that’s makes it to Africa, that brings decades of joy to the user and probably outlasts my short existence. What a thing to do in retirement. (See “Checkering” by

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????
There are courses in checkering.

And playing checkers. LOL.

Seriously,.....

Yes, you can learn how to and become proficient at checking gun stocks and hand grips. IMPO.....Checkering is the easiest of gunsmithing work.

Checkering isn’t that hard......providing you have the right tools. And practice using them.