# What did you do with retirement?



## Miss Kay (Mar 31, 2012)

I will retire in May on my 57th birthday. I've planned for this my entire life. I will have a pension that goes up with inflation, health insurance, and we'll be debt free. I have a couple things that will be paid off just as I retire (son's out of college, working and gone now) so my cash flow should be pretty much the same as it was before retirement so I'm not concerned about retirement financially. 

I am very much looking forward to having time on the homestead/farm/ranch, whatever you want to call it. My husband has been disabled for years so I look forward to helping him out around here plus there are so many things I love to do (garden, make cheese, write, hatch poultry, raise Guernseys, and play with the horses). I have no intention of ever going back to work again but I have thought about doing the farmers market or learning some new skills like soap making, broom making, etc. Everyone I know that I used to work with got jobs after retiring and they all tell me I will be bored. I just don't see it but then again I've never been retired. So, just what did you do with yourself after you retired and if you got a job, was it because you wanted one or needed one?


----------



## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

I retired about 4 years ago. Never bored. There is always something to do. I know people who say it is boring but their life was their work. They didn't have any life away from work. No hobby, no interests, just set at home.
If I was going to get another job I would have kept the one I had before I retired.


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I know several people same way. just sat around and became couch pot. but like Pancho said . their work was all they knew. I know 3 off hand who died within 6 months. one just last week. I never worked for pay in my life so I can't speak to that but I'm never bored. too much on my plate for that. ~Georgia.


----------



## Taratunafish (Aug 6, 2007)

I agree with the other posters regarding how various people handle retirement. My husband is having trouble being retired, but as has already been stated, he doesn't really have any hobbies. He sure keeps the house toasty warm as he spends the day loading the woodstove. Hobbies and interests will keep you busy and happy. I intend on retiring early like you. I'm looking forward to getting involved with Habitat For Humanity and a therapeutic horse center (for disabled folks). I also have a number of hobbies which I will give more time to. I think you have the right idea by wanting to try out some new activities. Best of luck to you and enjoy!!
-Taratunafish


----------



## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Like the other posters noted, if work was your life, retirement is probably not for you. While I've worked some since retiring, it was not because life on the farm got boring, far from it. It's just hard for me to say no to people who helped get me to retirement in the first place. 

Based upon your list of desired activities when you are in retirement, I don't think you will have a problem at all. You will likely love your life, at least I hope so and believe so. Best wishes.


----------



## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

I do a lot more work since I retired than I did when I worked for a living. There are not enough hours in a day. I really enjoy retirement, should have done it many years ago. If work is your life you should not retire.


----------



## unregistered353870 (Jan 16, 2013)

I started ranching as a retirement hobby. I enjoyed it so much I accidentally made it into another career. The money has helped a lot. I could have survived without it, but not being on a fixed income made a big difference. And I don't know what I would have done with my time otherwise.

My twin brother retired about ten years ago. He's been busier than ever since he quit working. Hard to catch up with him on the phone because he's always on the move to one or another of his activities.


----------



## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

I guess years of being self employed you get use to keeping busy doing things . So since I closed the mill down I built me a shop to play in . Play as in restoring a car and welding for a few buddies . If I had the money I could keep a helper working full time and still never catch up .:bow: 

I have know a few that had factory jobs would of been better if they just kept on working as they had no other life except their work all on a set schedule . Me I got more ideas for things to do than time left :runforhills:


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I was a very early retiree at 35. I'm 43 now. I have no idea how I could fit a job into my day. I'm way too busy! I still work hard, but it is doing what I want to do. I just about have a full time job with my bees and beekeeping students. 

I take off in the winter when there is nothing going on around the farm and head to the beach in Mexico  After a couple of months I am full of energy and ready to tackle new projects at home.

One thing that I really enjoy and didn't anticipate is that now I am free to help folks. Seems like I am always helping friends. I travel to the Big Bend to help a friend of mine run her business during Spring Break every year. I am available to help someone after surgery or watch a kiddo for a few hours from time to time. When you work full time you just can't do that.

Hope you enjoy your retirement as much as I do!


----------



## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

My before job was not hard work, it was the stress. Admin changed and it was not a good place to work anymore. They were forcing me out, I caught them and took advantage of it in a buyout. Never thought I would come out so good. Had to take it, retired at 55. I took a 1/2 time job for 2 years with lots of time to get away for 2-3 weeks at a time. It worked perfect, more income and time to adjust to full retirement. I figured I would do it for a few more years but they went a different way. Worked out better for us. I stay busy, started and ran the recycle depot for a while, now help with a free food giveaway each week. Have enough to do here but I like to help out where needed. We are slowing down though, more time to enjoy life and each other. We need to take care of ourselves first. The good thing about retirement is you CAN do what you want to do, when you want to do it. I farmed for years so I got to do what I wanted then but there was a big stress level there at times. No stress now, and will "work" hard to make sure it stays that way....James


----------



## Jokarva (Jan 17, 2010)

Well, I don't think my work was my life and I have plenty of hobbies, but I miss the feeling of being productive and purposeful that work (RN for 25 years) gave me. Which I didn't expect cause we also planned and looked forward to retirement for most of our working lives. I've looked for a job for the past couple of years, but the perfect job - no holidays, on call, nights, etc is hard to find. Not that I'm picky, lol.

I fill my time with volunteer work and hobby projects, taking classes, walking...I stay busy. Just don't find the 'busy' as fulfilling as I'd hoped it would be.


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I think when you retire you need to have something to look forward to, something that takes more than a couple hours a week. DH announced he was retiring two years ago and I&#8217;m glad he hasn&#8217;t yet. He doesn&#8217;t have enough to do to replace the hours he puts in at work. Yes, he&#8217;ll have his music and snow shoveling, but he needs to make better plans. He will probably take his retirement but continue working in another county one day a week. The rest of the time he will be underfoot.

In times past, men would &#8216;retire&#8217;, and die within three years. Women didn&#8217;t because they never really retired; they still had a house to run.


----------



## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

What did I do with retirement? Hmmmm had to think about that one! I guess one might say retirement was "forced" on me in that I could no longer follow a career I loved. Still, without retiring from my profession, I could not have kept my precious mother out of a nursing home. 

I'm not sure I've actually retired, though, in that I'm still doing pretty much what I've always done, i.e. looking outward to help others where I can. Only difference now is that I have no time-table to adhere to and I can work "my own needs" into the equation more easily.

I've always been a workaholic and that has only diminished somewhat due to old age creepers like gracefulness and agility being not what I would show off anymore. So *retirement *for me has more to do with *what self can actually get done now*. (My identical twin has told me I was "killing yourself" simply because she saw me on top of the chicken house putting down a wire ceiling for the pen. It became obvious retirement to her was nothing like I would define it.) 

So, what did I do with retirement? I've actually learned to relax, strengthened my faith and let the weather dictate when I do what I do, often walking around with a song in my heart.*...If that isn't a joyful retirement, I don't know what is!*


----------



## danielsumner (Jul 18, 2009)

I retired in 2012 at 56 years old. We (DW didn't work outside of the home)(no children) we are financially secure, when we get SS it will be icing on the cake. We have taken a lot of cruises, I have traveled solo a bit (maybe more than a bit). Last year I've started working on our little farm. Bought a new tractor with a backhoe, FEL ect. and set to work. Much of the place has grown up with trees and brush and it has been an experience working on the land instead of behind a desk. I was so excited when I bush hogged my first pasture. I have a wonderful helper that comes once a week, we are working now on cleaning up around all the old pecan orchard, hard work. I think we have cut down Sherwood Forest down a thousand times. I keep a large burn pile going, don't even have to relight it, still hot when I pile more on. Filed schedule F this year for the first time, a little scary. I haven't looked back either.


----------



## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

Miss Kay said:


> I will retire in May on my 57th birthday.


 Congrats on your decision.



> I've planned for this my entire life. I will have a pension that goes up with inflation, health insurance, and we'll be debt free. I have a couple things that will be paid off just as I retire (son's out of college, working and gone now) so my cash flow should be pretty much the same as it was before retirement so I'm not concerned about retirement financially.


 Sounds as though you have the major financial bases covered.



> So, just what did you do with yourself after you retired


As some have already posted:
I do what I want, when I want, and how I want; only to be held back by lack of funds, lack of time, or maybe it being a moral issue. :facepalm:

Really though, I got done working (for a pay check) in 2007, haven't looked back nor had any regrets of doing so. May add that - no - I have not nor plan on "working" for a pay check or getting a job ever again.

I will express that I did have a plan of what I wanted out of this new phase of my life and the grand plan wasn't to play golf, fish, hunt, travel, or whatever major idea most people have of doing in retirement - no offense to those that do.
Like you the list of things to do on the homestead were top of the list with added hobbies tossed in the mix.. And yes, I do fish, hunt, travel, etc but all in moderation.

Although, the big promise I made to myself was and still is "That I will average doing 2 hours worth of physical work every day". 
Rough guess is that I'm good till 2025. :thumb:


----------



## Miss Kay (Mar 31, 2012)

Well thank you. This certainly sounds like good news for the most part. I may even be successful enough in some of my ventures to make a little spending money. I'll let you know how it goes.


----------



## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

The main thing I did with my retirement was to really start enjoying life regardless of what I choose to do or not do. Some days I work all day on gardening or worm bins, some days I tinker at my old trade skill , some days I study , some days I horse trade and some days I just sleep all day.


----------



## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

I've only been retired since last April and to tell you...I don't know HOW I found time to work!!! LOL!!! I do miss teaching the kids at times but now I have more time to spend with my grandchildren which they certainly do like!!! It helps my kids out too because if a little one is sick and can't go to school, they can stay with Grandma OR Grandma can go to THEM (depending on how sick). The older ones are the age of volley ball tournaments, 4-H meetings etc. and the little ones can come to play at Grandma's while the parents drive around the older ones.  I can now do what I want WHEN I want and at the PACE I want. If it's bad weather - I don't HAVE to go anywhere! In November and December when we had weeks long of deep snow, ice, wind....I was SOOOO glad to be by the fire instead of battling the ice on the roads to get the 25 miles to work. I have plenty of time now to visit friends, play with my hobbies, and take a nap if I want. I feel SO much better with less stress also!!! Retirement is GOOD!!!!!


----------

