# Pre-retirement and Reality



## Micheal

During your working years most people plan their retirement as fishing, golfing, traveling, or ____ for weeks on end and forever happy. 
Then once they retire "reality" kicks in and they find that fishing, golfing, etc for weeks on end just don't cut it. And retirement isn't anywhere near of what was thought.

So, did your "retirement" measure up to what you expected?

With me, yes, retirement more then exceeded my working expectations of retirement. True over the years and getting older my health has declined and I can no longer zip though projects, but over all I know of many people in worse shape physically and financially that retired bout the same time I did. Even the wife with all her health issues consider herself satisfied with where she is; although she does wish she could travel more - like we did early in retirement.......


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## CKelly78z

I'm 54, and haven't retired yet (hopefully 5 more years), but plan on setting up a nice heated greenhouse on our 10 acre farm, and also doing more traveling/camping. We also like to hike/bike, so staying active. I have thought of buying a small 9.9 HP fishing boat to troll around the lakes/reservoirs near me, but will also spend alot of time in my metal/wood shop at home.


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## ET1 SS

After I retired from the US Navy at 42, we bought 150 acres of woodlot with a quarter-mile of river frontage in rural Maine. I built a farmhouse and re-invented myself as an organic farmer. I am 60 this year, cancer treatments are slowing me down now.


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## [email protected]

people should retire until they are 35 - 40 years old, then go to work for the rest of their lives..


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## Wolf mom

Did a lot of my living while I was younger. Knew there'd be a time when the body slowed down and I wouldn't be able to travel and do the outdoor activities I love. During that time, I also did different crafts and art work. As I get older, I'll be picking that up more. 76 years young still.
I can still do everything I used to do, but now it takes twice as long.


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## AmericanStand

I retire over three decades ago but I will probably work until I drop.


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## Oxankle

Retired in Jan '91 at sixty---it was quit or die, so I quit. Bought a small place and did some traveling, raised cattle, gardened, did whatever the wife wished as well. When the wife died I remarried and wound up in Arkansas, still gardening but sure slowing down. As the old saying goes, two beers and a night of romance would kill me now. I've lost almost three inches in height, lost some weight on purpose, have to use the tractor now to lift what once I did with one hand.
As MOM said I can still do most of the things I want to do (no, not all) but it takes much, much longer. Most of that "longer" is spent figuring out HOW I'm going to get it done.


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## frogmammy

Wolf mom said:


> ....
> I can still do everything I used to do, but now it takes twice as long.


The guy who mows the back yard does it in 10-15 minutes. It takes me 4 HOURS!!!

You are FAST!!!!

Mon


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## Farmerjack41

Has mandatory retirement at agar 60. Was ready, patience being around the public was getting thinner. Public is so much different these days. Retirement was 18 years ago, but have kept my 80 acre hay farm. Am alone now, but still travel in my motor home. Retirement for the most part is as I planned it to be. No big surprises at this point.


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## Miss Kay

I retired at 57 (nearly 5 years ago) and yes I love it. It's like life begins at retirement. I'm hyper so I always have things going and simply don't let myself get bored. It did take about 6 months to adjust but once I did, there's no stopping me now. I still dream about working sometimes and wake up a little panicked until I realize I don't ever have to worry about that again. I'm still in good health so I'm sure that makes it better. If I had to sit in a chair all day I probably wouldn't be happy. My only problem now is knowing when to stop dreaming up things I want to do because I may not live long enough to see them completed. I'd like to start a Christmas tree farm or an apple orchard. But, right now we are building our retirement home so we stay busy with that. We also have plans for a barn/shop too so we gotta live a long time!


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## JeepHammer

ET1 SS said:


> After I retired from the US Navy at 42, we bought 150 acres of woodlot with a quarter-mile of river frontage in rural Maine. I built a farmhouse and re-invented myself as an organic farmer. I am 60 this year, cancer treatments are slowing me down now.


For me Marines, medically disabled (in a big way) at 35.
I went the sustainable homestead route just as fast as I sobered up,
(The shock of being disabled got soaked in alcohol)

I'm 60 now, as far off grid as I can practically get.
I had to start businesses to get here, and I operated those as far off grid and sustainable as I could get.
Talk about WORK!

The only thing I really want is a geothermal/earth sheltered green house, which I started the file on this week since I mostly retire in January.

I have never had enough time to build and test rifles & ammunition, go fishing, learn to grow citrus year around in Indiana, but these things are now within my schedule.

So is finding out exactly how many licks it takes to get to the center of a 'Tootsie-Pop Pop',
See exactly how many times it takes throwing the ball to wear a Jack Russell Terrorist out,
And build a stainless or aluminum no-rust body for an old Jeep...

I'll always have big gardens, canning & jarring, and a 250 page 'Honey-Do' list that never shortens,
And I want to mess with some efficiency ideas on my renewable energy system.
I'm pretty sure I can entertain myself, even if it's not seriously productive...


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## Oxankle

Sounds like you done good, Jeep.

Miss Kay; You are just getting into the swing of things. Don't put off what you want to do: In my sixties I was grafting pecan and walnut trees. They were bearing when I sold the place. Now I am preparing to order fruit trees and English walnut trees for the place we have now, and I know that I may never see them bear. If I don't plant them I KNOW I'll never see them bear.


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## JeepHammer

Oxankle said:


> Sounds like you done good, Jeep.


I pulled the trigger, and Tuesday I'm 'Officially' retired.

I've been off grid for over 20 years, and for the third time in my life I have NEW solar panels coming in, and it's not just 2 or 3 either!
Some 4.5kWh LiFePo4 (LFP) batteries on the way as soon as I can arrange shipping also.
For the first time I'll be able to run EVERYTHING, including the shop, on solar for 3-4 days without sun, HUGE reserve time.

Charging the shop/business exactly what the grid costs, I'm actually going to MAKE money in 2 years, this is just an expansion, not entire infrastructure from scratch...

I drove stakes today for my earth sheltered green house, although it's going to be late spring before I get everything finalized and components rounded up.

I got a wicked upper respiratory infection which had had me down for a couple weeks, and my wife is already trying to get me out of the house!
I'm getting a little 'fridge, coffee maker and microwave for my garage, so she may never see me again! 
Good place for me to hide the junk food her & the doctor throw a fit about!

She got her custom kitchen cabinet she's wanted (for half a decade) for Christmas, so I'm off the hook on "Honey-Do's" for at least 4 months...

I kept the work/camper trailer and it's much more camper than work now, coming along nicely.
We plan to travel more as a couple, just plain goofing off/vacation time.
We haven't had but one no-work vacation in the past 18 years together, so that will be enjoyable.

I'm actually kind of digging this not having to make ends meet thing!
Between the lease land, garden produce, and the 3 'Hobby Businesses' (excuse for paid travel) we will be in a much better financial position, everything is paid for, so that's one load off the shoulders...
Work when I want to, vacation when we can, reasonable cash in the bank, and the hobby businesses cover living expenses, so I can FINALLY relax on that.

I'm looking forward to it now where it scared the crap out of me before...
I think it's going to work!


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## lmrose

This is our third winter with no farm animals except six hens and a cat. My work never changes, cooking, cleaning catching up writing and correspondence, planning etc, However my husband who has farmed all his life is a lost soul. He has always had barn chores and harness to mend and hooves to trim, mucking out the barn and a multitude of other things to do as well as going into the woods with our horse.. Now these past three winter he spends studying and writing things he has researched. That is fine on cold winter days. But come a sunny day he gets restless. Last Saturday he asked me if I would like to go for a drive or visit some friends! That floored me because in 42 years of marriage he has never asked me that! He said he was "bored" staying in the house on a sunny day! I have known him 47 years and never heard the word "bored" out of his mouth before! Some things need to change here so next winter he has work to do!


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## Alice In TX/MO

Traveling is a great idea! Find day trips.


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## mzgarden

Retirement has worked out for us. We saved all our lives and planned our retirement for at least 5 before. DH retired 5 years before I did and went to work rehabbing the newly purchased property, farm house and land. We had a 5 year plan to get the infrastructure done while I brought home a paycheck - he got it done in 3. I was going to work the remaining until they asked me to tell my team that while they were doing a great job and were valued employees, their work was going to India and oh, BTW, would they train their replacements. Gave my retirement notice right after I said, nope. Stayed long enough to help folks find new roles and left, never looked back.


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## lmrose

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Traveling is a great idea! Find day trips.


We know a lot of folks who travel but that is not for us. My husband has always fallen asleep driving so we go no further than 9 miles to town and even that is bad sometimes. We went 17 years without a vehicle because he wasn't safe driving. Then the past five years he wanted to try it again as he was feeling better. 

Spring to fall we are busy growing our food so there is plenty to do. It is winter that he starts feeling closed in on sunny days. I think if we get another small pony and maybe a goat that will help keep him busy year around. Thanks for the suggestion though. Have a nice day.


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## Shrek

My plan was to retire at 53 but thanks to a sweet buyout that gave me the equivalent of a 30 year pension to go with my investments I was able to retire a decade earlier than I planned to.

So far I have enjoyed it for 19 years and as long as cost of living for my basic needs doesn't exceed 12% per year, I should be good until I am at room temperature.


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## Woopsadaisy

Wolf mom said:


> Did a lot of my living while I was younger. Knew there'd be a time when the body slowed down and I wouldn't be able to travel and do the outdoor activities I love. During that time, I also did different crafts and art work. As I get older, I'll be picking that up more. 76 years young still.
> I can still do everything I used to do, but now it takes twice as long.


I know a cardiologist who says “It takes me all night just to do what used to take me all night”


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## Nevada

I get asked about preparation for retirement from time to time. I think the most important thing to do is make sure you don't have any government debt. If you try to retire without clearing that up you will almost certainly find that your Social security income is lower than you expect, because that's where the government will ultimately collect it. When I say government debt I'm not talking just about a debt owed to the government, such as IRS tax debt, but also debt that the government takes interest in. That includes things like student loans, back child support, and delinquent alimony. Thank goodness that's not among my problems, but I know people who are in that boat.

On the bright side, I've been told that some IRS debt can be discharged in bankruptcy, provided that the conditions are right. It was my understanding that IRS debt was never dischargeable, but evidently I was mistaken, I'm not an expert on the topic, but you can learn more by Googling for something like "IRS debt 3-year rule."



IRS debt 3-year rule - Google Search



There's talk that congress may give some kind of relief for student loan debt, but nothing has materialized yet.


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## HomeCreek

Retired relatively young. If you call this retired lol 

I had about 5yrs of doing whatever I wanted. Sleeping late. Fishing. Motorcycle trips etc

Then went back to work at the board of education. This was going to just be sub driving a bus whenever I felt like it. Turned into a full time job driving a bus. Which where I live is like 2hrs morning 2hrs evening. With state benefits. I get paid the whole year although I only work 182 days of the year. 

Then I came across a situation where a friend was complaining he was wasting half his day driving paperwork from one plant to another. Next thing you know I am a contract labor guy working 4 to 8pm Monday to Fridays for 750 a week just picking up paperwork at an office in Franklin County and taking it to 5 different mobile home plants in Franklin Marion Winston counties. And then I have the farm. So....retirement ....Im not sure I am retired after all. I could drop the bus driving job or the contract labor job or both and still be just fine. But Ive always been a workaholic and I figure Ill work as long as I am breathing


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## Miss Kay

It's funny I should see this post again today on this cold horrible winter day. I finally got bored once we got the house finished and we no longer have animals so I decided to go back to work at a local office. I missed being around other women. I love the hubby but he's all I ever see these days. It was fun at first and then the stress started adding up and my blood pressure began to rise so I turned in my resignation after just 3 months. I'm not trying that again but I do need something to do. Spring just cannot get here fast enough so I can get out of this house. I hate travel so that's not an option. Dreaming while looking through seed books I guess is what I'll do for now.


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