Retirement and next chapter

[K-man]

The first thing in retirement is something to get you out of bed every morning. A hobby, part-time volunteer work, etc. You must stay active and mentally challenged. I will be semi-retiring in the next couple of years, probably fully retire in five. I already have a plan to stay occupied and active. My lovely bride will make sure I am out of the house almost every day.

 

[JamieM]

Semi-retired earlier this year at 55 to look after the family farm and other business interests.

My father passed away in 2022 and I have since tried to manage the family businesses as well as a frantic very successful high pressure sales roll which I have being doing for the last 25 years or so.

In April, I reached the end of the backhanded comments from the office support staff and director, and came to the decision that there was more to life and resigned.

It has taken most of the summer to adjust to the quieter way of life and the realisation that not everything needs to be done immediately.

 

[Safari Dave]

I was able to retire for the first time in 2016 (after working for a local municipality for 25 years).

I will be eligible for retirement again on January 2, 2027.

I'm now working for a state game & fish agency, which I have liked, but the situation has changed recently, and I don't really love the role that I'm currently in.

I'm only 61, so having two government pensions would probably be really nice.


On one hand, I think I could probably make well as a consultant.
On the other hand, I'm not as stress tolerant as I used to be.

None of my friends are retired, and my son is too busy to entertain his "old man," so I'm in a bit of a dilemma.

My lovely wife is mainly interested in yard work, and I have very little intertest in doing that until I'm pushing up daisies.

 

[sgt_zim]

The missus and I were just talking about this. We should both be permanently semi-retired in the next 18 months - she'll be 60 and I'll be 59. I'll farm out most of the management of my rental properties to a 3rd party. Look for new properties to acquire. It ain't difficult.

A safari or 2 a year, a cruise a year.

Other than perhaps a double in 450/400 3", I have all the stuff I want. I'll get my 2013 F150 a workover, I'm just not interested in a new truck. Church is 3 miles away, the grocery is 2 or 3 miles away, liquor store a little farther than that, barber 9 or 10 miles away. The occasional drive to LA to see my sisters across the hell scape I-10 between Houston and Baton Rouge has become.

Make the garden bigger, add more rabbits to the rabbitry, another 5 or 6 more fig trees. Visit my kids and grandkids more often.

 

[meigsbucks]

Hang in there.

Thanks. You’ve had a hell of a time but it sounds like you’re on the right track now.

 

[DillonG]

I’m too far from retirement to chime in on any plans. I will say that listening to all of the stories has me motivated to be more physically active in my 30s. I have been behind a desk for about 10 years now. My weight is fine and I still help on the family farm. Sitting at a desk and behind the wheel commuting has me in poorer shape than I would prefer.

Until retirement, I am raising a family with my wife and we will be celebrating 10 years of marriage in a couple of weeks.

 

[arniet]

Everything went right and I retired @53 in 2011. We moved back to my wife's home state of NJ and lived on a tidal creek. We did this for about a year, riding the tides and exploring the tidal marsh. One day on a whim she suggested going to an RV show (I had been trying to buy an RV for years, but had given up just before retirement). She fell in love with a rear kitchen 5er. Good thing I had earned a CDL in my working days.

We ran the wheels off that thing over the next 15 years and loved every minute of it. We helped her parents at the end of their days, and took my mother into our home for the end of hers. Made it to 49 of the 50 states, and only missed two provinces in Canada connected to the road system. Sold that 5er about 2 months ago, maybe we will buy a truck camper to visit the boonies next. About half way through we moved to WV.

Always stuff to do, just back from a fishing trip and cruise in Alaska. Helped my son put a deck on his home in CT this summer. Double cape buffalo last October. Hauled corn for deer season on Thursday. We take turns through church serving 65 homeless meals (Wednesday next week), on the church finance council, current Grand Knight in my KOC council (real proud of our Coats for Kids work). Just as busy as before retirement, but my wife, family and self set the schedule now.