What's your plans (or dreams?) in retirement?

[PrivatePilot]

Sounds like you just need to get into some more time-sink hobbies that turn your crank. Things I enjoy I can spend 12 hours on and it feels like 12 minutes.

If I retired tomorrow I'd be on Hobbyking.com ordering about 3 planes and a new heli and I'd be set of the next 3 months building and tinkering with them and next summer would be spoken for in it's entirety just poking around with them at the flying field.

Or maybe the wife and I would hop on the bikes and spend 3 or 4 months just going whereever the wind takes us next summer.

So many things to do, so freakin little time to do them. Even with 6 weeks of vacation a year for each of us.

 

[Riceburner]

Covid gave me a taste of retirement. Trying to decide if I should just do it now. SO is still working, so travel will just have to be small stretches....if/when Covid is done. Beyond that, the plan was to RV with a small bike in the back and stay in areas a week or so to ride them. Rent the house and keep the basement as an apt. for the home address. What actually happens will be interesting when we come out the other side of the pandemic.

 

[油井緋色]

sounds like we both need to keep busy, i just need that mental challenge; once i figure stuff out i get bored, go ADHD!

I am the same way. I remember, on my way out of university 8 years ago, the bleak realization that I wasn't bored anymore. I knew this wasn't a good thing because being bored was when my creativity flourished: song covers, motorcycling (riding theory, mechanical work, the community), game mods, modding systems, video game communities.....they were all gonna die because my creativity was gonna take a hit.

And they did! lol

Fingers crossed when retirement comes I'm not too old, frail, and stupid to do the things I used to. And that I don't get so obsessed with money that I forget why I'm working in the first place: so I can be financially free and live like nobody (literally.)

 

[PrivatePilot]

We could totally live on my wife's income alone right now. Comfortably, actually. Less "want vs need" money, sure, but we'd be fine.

I think my wife would have a different opinion on my decision to retire however if I was to do so tomorrow.

"Hey Dear, home early from work today. I retired. Planning to pack up the bike and head out to California with some riding buddies for a month or so, we leave in 2 days. Let me know how work is going. Cheerio, gotta get packing!".

Followed closely by the sound of a frying pan meeting skull.

 

[Riceburner]

My friends think I won't put up with being bored....I think I can.

 

[PrivatePilot]

My friends think I won't put up with being bored....I think I can.

Sometimes I can't sit still and just want to poke around at little projects and such that make me smile inside.

But my aforementioned 3 months off this year also showed me that I could do a pretty bang-up job of sitting out beside the pool under the gazebo with my laptop and a coffee (or beer, depending on the time of day) and going full on vegetable. And when I ran out of internet or just had enough, I'd put my brain back into gear and go putter with something again. And I was as happy as a pig in ****.

 

[Trials]

Fishing is a good retirement sport if you do boring,
at least you won't go hungry.

 

[Roadghost]

And now, for something completely off topic...Another thread put it in my head again, being a little less than 20 years out from retirement myself (hopefully 15 or maybe a little less if all goes right) assuming our kids are not both perpetually in university or living at home.... but that's another story.

Once that big day comes, what's your dream? Or do you already have a plan? All you already retired guys, piss off, no gloating.

My wife and I have chatted on and off over the years about buying a motorcoach, emptying out the house and liquidating things, renting it out (bonus free income), and living life on the road, going where-ever the wind (and weather) takes us. We towed our various trailers well in excess of 150,000KM in the 15 years we were seriously RV'ing we know the lifestyle fits us, and in 2008 when we spent 5 weeks with our 5th wheel travelling to the west coast and back and we LOVED it. Our little taste of the RV life going out to Gaspe again in our little rental trailer a few weeks ago reminded me how much I miss that nomad lifestyle. Being able to decide that you're bored with the local area and just starting the engine and ending up somewhere completely new and fresh to see and explore is amazing and liberating.

That next 15ish years is going to be like pulling teeth for me at my current employer however, but I'm about 3-5 years out from being one of the top 2 or 3 people on the seniority list (after 23 or so years there by that point) so I'm hoping I'll finally get to start slurping some of the gravy by then and life will be a little easier. I've tasted the gravy a few times over my 20 years there and liked it, but every time I get a mouthfull something happens (company merger with a seniority dovetail, massive layoff due to loss of work, change of the nature of the work, restructuring, etc etc etc) and I seem to get knocked off the ladder back into the gruel again.

Why does this sound like TST? I know a lot of friends there who got screwed so bad. Working for the Evil Empire you just know the devil's cooking something up with the next merger.

 

[GreyGhost]

Now do property damage, willing to bet its 100x higher than any riot
anywhere on the gulf coast aka 'hurricane alley' is going to be a shitshow, and its going to get worse each year.

And yes, more crazy, infamously so

Maybe its the sun, or the cocaine, maybe both ?‍

If I was going to live in a hurricane path, I would build something to make my life easy and secure. All concrete, on stilts if low-lying, hurricane shutters, one room up high for things I treasure. After hurricane blows through, open the shutters and if the water got too high, throw out the furniture and pressure wash the house.

 

[Riceburner]

Fishing is a good retirement sport if you do boring,
at least you won't go hungry.

not the way I fish.....I wash my lures. lol

 

[PrivatePilot]

If I was going to live in a hurricane path, I would build something to make my life easy and secure. All concrete, on stilts if low-lying, hurricane shutters, one room up high for things I treasure. After hurricane blows through, open the shutters and if the water got too high, throw out the furniture and pressure wash the house.

Someone did that.

The neighbourhood isn't quite the same afterwards however unless all your neighbours are like minded, which in the USA where 2 people can't agree the earth is round, means that you may still have a house to live in afterwards, but can't get to/from it for potentially months afterwards, have now water, sewer, or electricity, etc.

And when everyone does rebuild and things get "back to normal", it might happen all over again some year soon.

No thanks.

 

[GreyGhost]

Someone did that.

The neighbourhood isn't quite the same afterwards however unless all your neighbours are like minded, which in the USA where 2 people can't agree the earth is round, means that you may still have a house to live in afterwards, but can't get to/from it for potentially months afterwards, have now water, sewer, or electricity, etc.

And when everyone does rebuild and things get "back to normal", it might happen all over again some year soon.

No thanks.

I wouldnt buy a place that close to disaster. You do make a good point about infrastructure. Add a bit of land with a well and septic and something to generate power to my list. If my neighbourhood is the woods around me not much will change. A standing forest is a tough sob for mother nature to try to destroy.

 

[PrivatePilot]

A standing forest is a tough sob for mother nature to try to destroy.

Not so fast.

Florida’s timber industry literally rotting away after Hurricane Michael wipes out 3M acres of trees

Eight months after Hurricane Michael, Panhandle communities still wait for federal relief—and time is running out.

www.foxnews.com

There is no perfect place to hide in the face of a natural disaster. Mother nature is a cruel ***** and just when you think you're all snug as a bug in rug and invincible when she's headed your way with something big she goes all Shining on your ass.

This is why I shush people who complain about our weather. It might be boring, sure...but that's a *good* thing. Meanwhile the west coast is on fire, Florida is being blown away, the south is underwater, and the southwest is melting in the heat.

 

[crankcall]

I can do FLA, when i sold the last AZ house, it was because driving there for a week or two was impossible, so $1500 in flights, $300 rental car, Im 2K into a holiday and I'm just getting to the house. FLA flights can be dirt cheap or you can drive in 24hrs.
Florida man, and all the crazies are pretty concentrated in certain areas, stay out of those areas and your mostly fine.

I like having something to do, and if it yields a few bucks that's even better. I wont say you'll never find me in the paint dept at home depot, but that's not a job for me. Orange apron and singing the morning focus song?? F that. I'll stick with consulting, getting paid to answer questions suits me LOL

 

[Scuba Steve]

Interesting thread I actually assumed you were older PP. I am about the same age as you maybe slightly younger and have been thinking about this for me I think I want retirement to look a lot like now but without the job. I also think what would I do if I wasn't working I usually enjoy my job. Maybe in a few years I will re evaluate my plans. Wife has never worked so I need to have enough for both of us until the end when I pull the plug. Maybe when I hit the big 50 I will have had enough and decide I am done.

Sent from my moto g(8) plus using Tapatalk

 

[Mad Mike]

I hear the "I'd be bored" thing so often, but I don't know, I don't think I'd ever fall prey to that. ....

There's just so much tumbling around in my head that I could fill 20 years with it all in a heartbeat.

I said that too. If you're a loner I can see it working, I like people -- the only ones I could find with free time were my Mom and Dad's friends and some Southern Cruisers. I have a ton of hobbies - I thought I'd never run out of interest but after 3 years I was bored silly -- I'd have to spend my way out, which would create a separate problem.

Well, as others have mentioned, the crazy people and the fact your house and many of your belongings might get flooded or blown away every year or three from a hurricane...and that's only getting worse at the years go on.

And one only need Google "Florida Man" to see how batshit crazy some people are there.

I've had a place in SW FL for a long time, never robbed, never blown over by a hurricane, never accosted by a crazy. Tons of restaurants, beach, marina, golf, mens hockey, shopping, airport... all within 10 minutes, NFL, NBA, MLB, college sports all within 90 minute drive. 2.5 hours and about $120 bucks for a planned flight. Takes are 1/4 of what they are here, real estate costs about 1/5th. Motorcycle roads are about as boring as it gets. Worst thing that ever happened was a fence around the community got breached by some wild hogs - they uprooted every garden they could find.

 

[Mad Mike]

If I was going to live in a hurricane path, I would build something to make my life easy and secure. All concrete, on stilts if low-lying, hurricane shutters, one room up high for things I treasure. After hurricane blows through, open the shutters and if the water got too high, throw out the furniture and pressure wash the house.

I'm 10' above sea level and 1 mile inland -- never gonna see a storm surge. House is block, windows, doors and roof designed for 150KMH (cat 5). Worst was Andrew, lost a couple of shingles. Most places build in the last 30 years are hardened to Hurricanes. They don't sneak up on you, there is lots of time to evacuate. Most snowbirds never see one as the season ends before they fly south.

 

[Zoodles95]

Interesting thread...

As someone who just turned 50 this had obviously crossed my mind. My current thoughts? Somewhere between 60 and 67. Why the range? At 60 we could make it work if we go to one 4 wheeler. Part of the reason we made the move to Waterdown last year was for my wife's commute. The other was to have more of our wealth in our home. With the way things are going I do not regret the decision at all. The pool was wonderful during this darn pandemic and what we would have spent on a vacation went to the new pool heater and the costs of the pool for the season. Same for the Softub and all the trees we planted, hottub pad etc. For less than we would have spent on a trip south we have a hottub in the back yard and other upgrades we made to the property.

At 60 I could leave my job, snag some of my government pension, my workplace pension, and the RRSPs and make a plan. 63 sounds better because then I would be 20 years at my job and part of me likes the sound of that. I know... Weird thought process.

Why possibly 67? Depends on my wife's health. When she is on M.S. meds they are $2000 a month but are covered through my work. She is 2 years younger than me so if I work to 67 then she will have her meds covered by my work and then will be on the government's prescription plan at 65. Of course this could all change in the coming years; especially with having to pay off all of these Covid 19 debts in the years ahead. Will be interesting to see if a future Federal or Provincial government implements austerity measures.

What do I forsee my wife and I doing? Some part time RVing in a moderate sized Class A or Class C. Something in the 34' to 36' length stem to stern. Then ideally at least one trip a year to somewhere interesting. Need to balance working longer and having more funds versus what our health will be. Both of my inlaws passed away relatively young and the health in my wife's family is not that great frankly. Both of her cousins on her Dad's side died quite young and on her Mother's side one of her cousins almost left us in her late 30s. Lots of auto immune stuff on her Mother's side and my wife's neurologist was not surprised that she had Multiple Sclerosis once he knew her familial history.

So, if things start to go sideways I may say the hell with it and retire early to travel with my wife while she still can. Our days of bouncing around Costa Rica and Italy with a map and indeterminate destinations are likely behind us. However, our cruises have been wonderful and there are other ways to travel and enjoy new adventures.

Frankly, I could happily live in our current home until my final days. I just love it here and see all sorts of things we could do to upgrade the place and enhance our life here. My wife ponders a condo in the future. We will see. Regardless so long as we are both alive there is nowhere else I want to be unless it is by this lovely lady's side.

 

[crankcall]

Thats a big part of it, health. Wife's mom was gone at 67. While she doesn't dwell on it, I can sense part of her wanting out of the work force by 60 at the latest. She could quit tomorrow but we don't want life to change much from what we have (had) now. Its great to have a house in Panama but when your health insurance provider says ' that will be $3500 for 3 months' , that will put a big dent in the budget. Worse would be your not clear to travel outside Canada.
Nothing else matters much if your not healthy.

 

[Malks]

I know you asked those who have already retired not to gloat so I'll just give you my experience since my retirement on December 16, 2011. It should be mentioned that I was not considering retirement at that time since I was just 56 and my wife had just received a lay-off notice from her job. My employer needed to downsize and offered an incentive for those who could choose to retire in order to allow another qualified employee in a redundant job to move into your position. We did some quick math and decided to go for it.

The first winter after retirement I skied over 30 days in the season. The following spring saw a completion of odd jobs around the house and then I got a part-time job (two days a week) at Hockley Valley golf course. This was partly to give me something to do, but mostly for the free golf. The next winter season I just moved into the ski department at Hockley for a couple of days a week and now enjoy free skiing.

The one thing I can say is that I'm never bored. Between walking the dog, working a couple of days a week, going for weekday rides, golfing and skiing I've often wondered how I was able to get anything done while working full time. It is truly amazing how a day fills up. After 9 years of retirement I can say that I should have done this earlier.

My wife and I both took our CPP at 60 and we both turned 65 in 2020, so now are also receiving OAS. I was fortunate that the company I started working for back in 1974 had a pension plan, which is something of a rarity these days. The house is paid off, we have been able to help our adult children and we have a new grandson to spoil.

Don't wait too long to retire. If you can afford it, do it sooner rather than later!