SFR Two years out....Retirement

Sorta fishing-related
Northern said:
A slightly different take:
I was fortunate enough to be able to retire at 51, which roughly coincided with my daughters going off to college, so my amount of free time went from 0 to 70 pretty fast.

I assumed that I needed to do many of the things others here have mentioned - keeping busy, forming a routine, volunteering, joining groups to stay socialized. I did those for the first couple years - until Covid hit and a lot of the social/volunteer things were curtailed - and I realized how much happier I was not doing those things.
With the exception of The Mayfly Project (a handful of half day outings per year, mostly interacting with kids, which is a joy!) I realized that every meeting I had filled me with dread, not satisfaction. I have since switched my support of various causes from giving my time to financial support, and am much happier.
My advice is to be honest with yourself about yourself. If you are not now a people person, retirement will not change that. If you hate travel, love problem-solving, hate weeding the garden, love or hate being alone, or love working toward goals alongside your fellows...that's not likely to change. Most folks retire so they can do what they like, so be honest about what that is, and don't let societal expectations define it for you!

No matter how much or how little time you decide to spend with other people, if that's time you look forward to, it shows, and makes their lives better. If you're only doing it because you feel you should, your presence may not be the positive thing you intend. You can't spread joy you don't have.

Spend some time now really thinking about what gives you peace and what gives you anxiety, and don't worry about whether the world sees you as "useful." If both you and your spouse thrive on time apart and that makes your shared time more enjoyable, don't force yourselves to have a more "conventional" relationship. Let yourselves be you, and be happy.

I sincerely believe that in the divided, anger-filled political environment in which we are currently living, each and every person who is not actively radiating stress is helping to keep our society from melting down. It's as good a retirement goal as any!
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Yes…I tried to write something similar but my version made me sound like a dick. You nailed it! In my experience, people are not nearly as honest with themselves as they should be.
 
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Jerry Daschofsky said:
Funny this thread popped up.

I retire this Friday, July 28th, from UPS after 35 years of service. I'm only 53 and ready to actually get some stuff done around our hobby farm. Plus I can other projects done around house and focus on my volunteering again.
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It's horrible when a promising career is tragically cut short like that. 😃

A great deal of my first year of retirement was consumed by doing all the stuff I'd put off for years. Still..... the worst day of retirement is better than the best day at work.
 
krusty said:
A great deal of my first year of retirement was consumed by doing all the stuff I'd put off for years. Still..... the worst day of retirement is better than the best day at work.
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I made a list of projects that I completed the first month (except for one thing) and then went fishing for the rest of the summer. Two years later, I finished the last thing on that list. Of course, the list has kept growing and I wonder how I got anything done when I was working. Haven’t missed work at all since I retired two and a half years ago. I’m not too much into volunteering. Did that when my son was in Scouts. Kept involved with his Boy Scout troop long after he got his Eagle and was in college. These days we are focused on our granddaughters. The youngest is 9 months and her sister is 3 years old. They are tons of fun!
 
Can we revive this thread in say, 3 years when I will be just under 2 years out, won't retire until I'm 70, just leaves too mush money on the table SS-wise if I go earlier, the difference between not needing to worry and having to watch every penny out the door.

Cheers
 
Canuck from Kansas said:
Can we revive this thread in say, 3 years when I will be just under 2 years out, won't retire until I'm 70, just leaves too mush money on the table SS-wise if I go earlier, the difference between not needing to worry and having to watch every penny out the door.

Cheers
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I'll be 72 in about 20 years. I hope all the Boomers retiring puts an end to talk of gutting Social Security.
 
dirty dog said:
I retired at 62 and I was told I would be bored.
Well, what I found was that I wonder how I ever found time to work.
I lived in the Wenatchee area for over 20 yrs then another 8 after retirement.
I never liked living in Wenatchee and when my wife said her friend was moving to the Roseburg, OR area, I said let's check it out.
Best thing I ever did was moving here.
We made a bundle of $ selling our home there and buying here.
Great neighbors, black tail deer, wild turkey, hawks, eagles, skunks, and other fun wildlife.
I don't talk politics, or religion with my human neighbors.
One of the things I have learned is "that no matter where ya go, you will be there"
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Thread Drift - We spent Friday night in Roseburg (loved the drive up I-5 in northern California to about Salem); Roseburg is in a beautiful setting. Shanti's Indian Cuisine - YUM!

@NukeLDO - no particular words of wisdom for you other than you've earned it, stay active and enjoy retirement. My wife and I love having our own schedules not dictated by our former employers.
 
I’m a little over two years from pulling the plug I think. I’ll be 61. I like my job but the financial trade-off of working longer doesn’t make sense for me. My wife and I used to talk of moving when we retire but not as much any more. For me, as long as there are fishing opportunities near by, it’s hard to beat the Darrington area. I cruise over the pass a lot in the spring and summer for trout fishing. I love the Methow Valley. My wife does too. But I don’t want to live there.
 
Thanks for all the input so far. Keep the thoughts coming.
Yeah, it is going to be a big change living together for the first time in 10 years. Fortunately, we're both pretty independent. She escapes to Tucson each winter for 3 months or so, and I escape to fish and camp for a week or two here and there. She's also a member of Trusted Housesitters and travels all over the place pet sitting and exploring new places for a week to a month at a time. Sometimes I tag along, other times not. Next month we're headed to Taos for one of those gigs, and this week she's in Ocean Park enjoying the beach and salt air.
I simply cannot stand the heat, smoke, chaff that is eastern WA in summer. Having nearly been overcome by heatstroke once, I'm more susceptible to recurrent problems with the heat. So, cooler, greener, wetter, and yes, even grey in the winter suits me just fine. Plus, I'm looking forward to figuring out the saltwater SRC game as part of my excursions.
 
Just turned 65 in June. Wife is 15 years younger. Had looked hard at retiring at 64 so I could devote time to this project I'm on..

Looking at Medicare at age 64 with a 10 yro dependant,
thats NOT gonna work out. So, probably gonna work another year and a half to satisfy some of those requirements, then that's it. For sure it will be time then.

Meanwhile, I gotta start working harder on getting more physically fit and slimmed down. Otherwise I don't think I would make it past 75.
 
NukeLDO said:
I know we had a thread in the old place concerning retirement, but thought I'd resurrect it here if you're willing to contribute your thoughts and experience.

The wife and I are two years out from departing the workforce,
Me at 60, her at 55.
Looking to relocate from the hellscape of eastern WA to the green and cool of the Whidbey/Anacortes/Bellingham area.
We've been geographically separated for 10 years due to work circumstances, and it's worked fine for us as we're both independent and enjoy our time in our own environments. We get to see each other every week in current conditions, but maybe only for a day or two.
We each own our own homes, as we met well into our careers, and both unwilling to give up the compensation and stimulation our work provides each of us.
And now we're at the point where we are looking at selling both houses, relocating, moving in together, and finding our way in retirement.
We both enjoy hiking, camping, being on or near the water, mountain views, sunsets, an active artist community, good food, and liberal minded folks.
(and no, not looking for a political discussion.....just a live and let live environment)
Looking for your experience and advice about:

1) transitioning from work to retirement
2) our chosen location
3) anything else you can think of.
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Avoid Bellingham. Whidbey would work for me. My ancestors landed there in the 1870s and family still has vacation property there 10 minutes from Fort Casey.
 
Wanative said:
Avoid Bellingham. Whidbey would work for me. My ancestors landed there in the 1870s and family still has vacation property there 10 minutes from Fort Casey.
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Research the Growler noise and stay anyway from properties with an aircraft noise disclosure, though!
 
All you guys talking about retirement make me jealous.

I'm 21 and just entered the workforce last month. The monotony of working 9-5 day in and day out has gotten to me, and most of my time fishing is constrained to weekends.

I guess the important part is trying to find a balance between work and life. And also contributing to 401k right away.
 
johnnyboy said:
All you guys talking about retirement make me jealous.

I'm 21 and just entered the workforce last month. The monotony of working 9-5 day in and day out has gotten to me, and most of my time fishing is constrained to weekends.

I guess the important part is trying to find a balance between work and life. And also contributing to 401k right away.
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It will come much faster than you think. Comfort yourself with the fact that us retired old farts are envious of your youth, energy, and an open horizon of opportunity in deciding how your life unfolds. Plenty of adventures ahead!
 
johnnyboy said:
All you guys talking about retirement make me jealous.

I'm 21 and just entered the workforce last month. The monotony of working 9-5 day in and day out has gotten to me, and most of my time fishing is constrained to weekends.

I guess the important part is trying to find a balance between work and life. And also contributing to 401k right away.
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Contribute as much as you can to that 401k (or other retirement savings vehicle) and retirement may come much sooner than you think. That was my problem, I was a single parent for 18 years, had student loans to repay and was essentially in debt until well into my 50's. As a result I could not contribute to a 401K to any great level until relatively recently, part of the reason I will have to wait to 70 to retire and max both my SS and 401k. Thankfully, now we are debt free and will remain so.

When I was in my early 20's I worked in a pulp mill. Buddy of mine already had 15 years service, he could retire at 50 with a fully indexed pension, not bad.

cheers
 
johnnyboy said:
All you guys talking about retirement make me jealous.

I'm 21 and just entered the workforce last month. The monotony of working 9-5 day in and day out has gotten to me, and most of my time fishing is constrained to weekends.

I guess the important part is trying to find a balance between work and life. And also contributing to 401k right away.
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Cannot stress enough, save save save. Sacrifice now for big gains later down the road. I was in the military/school until around 27 and then started my career. 15 years later, after diligent saving, smart investments, and still finding time for fun stuff, I plan to retire at 55 (subject to my wife's approval).

Save lots, 401K, IRA, Roth IRA, etc. If you're company does a match for 401K, maximize that since it's free money.
 
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