How does it feel to be retired?

[Gun Geezer]

The wife and I retired in 1999. We can't ever imagine having had the time to work. Today, she wasn't feeling well( a slight head cold from our recent cruise) and she said, "I can remember having to go to work feeling like this." Next week she will fly north to visit the grandkids and take them Christmas shopping. She says it's cheaper than shipping gifts. I will stay here and make sure the Grouper population doesn't get out of control and if I feel the need, drive 100 miles for some of the best Bass fishing on the planet. It's hard but somebody has to do it. As soon as it cools off enough I need to start replacing my HVAC system while I still remember how to do it and have the strength. It'll be a test for my new hip that just turned 1 year old.
Our biggest worry is having to go back to work if the economy tanks again. Not much call for HVAC men nearing 70. The good news is my wife is a retired nurse. She can either take care of me or go back to work, maybe neither.
A bad day of retirement is better than the best day working!

[RichR]

GREAT!!

[bizy]

I retired at 47 from the air force. Dabbled in a few business ventures and saved a little here and there. I do what I want (stay at home mostly) and buy what I want. However I don't excede my means. My wife is retired navy and we both enjoy our country home and don't want to go anywere. I hope my kids and grandkids are as fortunate as we are when they retire.

God Bless...

[keokeboy]

after reading all of the comments made about retirement, I will retire after the holidays. there is so much to do and see out here in arkansas thank you all

[dons2346]

Well, retirement isn't all it is cracked up to be.
1. You don't get any vacations.
2. You do not get any holidays.
3. You don't get your birthday off.
4. You don't get any sick days off.
5. You wake up in the morning with nothing to do, and by noon you find yourself only half finished.

Other that that, the biggest hurdle is the health insurance issue. If you feel comfortable with your health coverage, then go for it.

I retired at 53 1/2 back in 1999 and haven't looked back. We had jobs working in an amusement park one summer, then another summer we worked in Custer State Park just for something to do. Nothing strenuous, nothing brain wracking. Just an easy job that if we wanted to, we could walk away from. I have yet to miss my former job, there is to much fun stuff out there to do.

[bizy]

WOW! After I read more posts I realized just how lucky our retirements are.

[keokeboy]

Originally Posted by keokeboy

after reading all of the comments made about retirement, I will retire after the holidays. there is so much to do and see out here in arkansas thank you all

so much for retirement.today i am 66 and took the day off to relax.had to go back to work at my old job fixing things. seems like the people that really need a job to support their family have the attitude, WHY WORK when you can get welfare and food stamps for doing nothing. everyday I look at employment ads and I see lots of jobs out there,but how does anyone build their employment resume collecting welfare?

[BernMan]

I retired last October.I spent the winter painting and fixing everything I neglected for years.Then come the spring I moved over to my trailer at the lake and spent the rest of the time fishing,boating swimming and chilling,Now the trailer is closed up,the boat is in storage and I am ready to go back to work!!!! In my Grandsons words----(I'm Bored) lol.

[zb338]

I'm 76 years old and still working every day. I sure do
envy you young fellers that are retired.

Zeke

[jpmccr]

Not real sure. Retired from the USAF 14 years ago (38) and now I am starting my second stint in the federal government doing the same thing. I guess so far my retirement is ok. I will have another check to look forward to when I decide to do it AGAIN. As long as I like what I am doing I really don't mind working. Keeps me out of my wife's hair (and out of trouble). ;-)

[jack404]

I'd love to be full time employed but i'm retired

53 now and busier now than i was when i was first put out to dry

45 was way to old to play line grunt though ,

so now i play with the grandies and my rifles and practise at driving the islamics nuts ( like tonight .. driving 400 kilometers later today to deliver something to the elermore vale mosque site ) ..

and try to make a buck at a few different things

it aint half bad if you put some effort into it it but took me a good while to figure that part out

enjoy eh!

[BETH]

I think if possible people should retire while they still have their health, if you have your health u have everything i can't wait to retire

[cyclops]

i retired medically at the age of 55, thought that me and my better half would travel some and at least see the state we live in. we do travel alot from one doctor to the other. Now that said. You that are in good health, go ahead and do it. You don't know how long you will have good health. Be sure that you can afford to do it. Go ahead and start drawing your ss check. You may not live long enough to get that little extra at 67.My health limits what i can do, but i can still get around. got 100% from va from agent orange,plus ss and retirement.
Really, look things over and if you see where you can go ahead and do i, you will find things to do.

[fas111]

I love not working!!!! I was let go 12/31/07 I was 63. I would still be working if they did not cut me loose. The past three years have been great-go for it. We cut back a little but it realy did not make a difference. My wife and I have never been happier. Again ---go for it.

[199er]

I've been retired since January this year and it feels great after working all my life. Transitioning into a new routine took me some time but my wife of 36 years "graciously assisted me" with the transition though.

With my weekly 'projects' completed I find I have more time to hunt. The down side to this is my 3 hunt club partners, all of whom still work, view me as a hunt club work force of one...............I can live with that and life is good.

[carver]

Originally Posted by carver

I spent almost 2 years in the A.F. back in the early 70's. I was discharged with a medical due to bad legs, before the pullout of VN in 75. I eventually went to work for the U.S. Postal service, and was forced to take a medical retirement, back in 97. For the first four years we traveled the U.S. on the saddle of a motorcycle, with a trailer behind us. We wore out one, and started on another. Sold it in 06 due to the wife's 4th back surgury, witch rendered her unable to ride any more. Went on full disability in 07 myself, the wife was already drawing full disability. Since then I have spent my time trying to turn the little old 7 acres that we own into a park, and shooting range, of my liking, hunting, fishing, reloading, and buying guns, and ammo. Not to say that I didn't have enough already, if that is possible, just needed some toys to play with. I agree with trying to find some sort of physical excersize program to be involved with. Will be 61 on my birthday in Dec., and am getting good health reports from the doctor at each check up. If God is willing our next venture will be to purchase a Van, and customize it for camping. We looked at motor homes, and we really don't want the headaces that come with them, trailers, and such are out of the question, as the wife needs a place to lay down when she needs to. Maybe see a little more of the U.S. Looking into getting back into diving down along the Fl. coast. Hooking up with my brother, and getting in a little more salt water fishing. At the present we are heavely involved in the local Tea Party movement, and were fourtunate enough to make the march on D.C. back in Sept. Look forward to every event, and meeting with like minded people.

It's been over a year since I made my post to this thread, and one thing has changed. The Van is out, due to the rising cost of fuel. I instead, bought a small fuel efficient car that will save me around $65 for a day of driving (based on 500mi day), as compared to a Van. That's enough saved to get a motel room for the night, if I want one. Get a cabin at the local KOA, and we still have the option to camp. I hope to see some of you folks out there on the road!

[fleetwood1976]

35 and retired, I love it. can't see the point of working 40 hrs a week.

[Marlin]

I have been retired since the early nineties and feel Ampaterry hit the nail on the head in his first post above [#2 in this thread].

I suffer from that delightful problem of, in many ways, not having as much free time as I did when I was working !!!!! If one has a varied number of interests and follows those as passionately as when working, time just seems to be a scarce commodity.

I was in job that I loved and eagerly arose each day to go to the office. I was totally unaware of any stress since I did love what I was doing. However, our Daktari called me to come see him one day and when I arrived at his office he was to the point, and quite blunt, when he asked, "Do you want to live to be a hundred or would you wish to die, maybe even tomorrow????" That kinda caught my attention. He went on to explain that the tension of the job was doing negative things to my system and if I didn't get out, it would kill me. It took me all of ten seconds to make up my mind.....

My life since has been wonderful and I would do it again in a snap of the finger were it offered in the same manner. I had already had a couple small MIs and obviously had CAD and restrictive lung disease, although I hadn't had any surgery for the problem yet. That came toward the end of the nineties.

[BullShoot]

Been retired since 2005. Income is comprised solely of social security, VA disability and whatever else I find to do - buying and selling, part-time jobs, writing, etc.. BUT, I am busier than a cat in a sandpile. I am building my own house and probably will finish it this year. Am active in disaster relief and travel around the country doing it. Teach adults to read - no pay, purely voluntary. Have enough things going on that I rarely think I have the leisure to shoot or reload (but find time to do it anyway). Life is good. Wish I had been able to do some of these things before but you have to live the life you get. Retirement is fun, retirement is busy.

BullShoot

[BDevlin2]

I retired from the U.S. Navy, the Defense Department, and entertainment rigging sequentially in that order. Why am I busier now than during any of my previous three careers? Don't get me wrong, I love 'retirement'.

[jim brady]

I retired March of this year. Medical reasons - four fused discs in my neck, very little hand grip and a bum heart. I have never been busier than I am today. Not enough time to get things done. Just started the 'hoop jumping' with Social Security. I am 59 and understand that they deny almost everyone who files for a year or so. I can still get out to the range, just can't shoot any of the heavy recoling rifles.

[JohnHenry]

If I had known that retirement was gonna' be this much fun I would have done it when I was 30 instead of working until I was 65 !!!

[tuckerd1]

I wouldn't know. Been eligible to do it for 5 years and I have not decided to do it yet. They keep hangin carrots in front of me!

[pulltabbob]

When I retired from the Navy in 1989 I thought I was on top of the world. Nothing to do, no time clock to punch, no job requiring my time. Then reality set in and the wife put the pressure on to get a job. Checked out a few jobs in the computer field. I had let my hair grow and had a real long pony tail.

Went on a job interview and the owner wanted to know where I got my degree from. Told him I learned by the seat of my pants. No schooling. He said no degree, no job. So went back to school, started my own computer consulting service and my first customer was the gentlemen who would not hire me because I did not have a degree. I charged him $120 and hour. The first year of my schooling, he paid me more than I wanted for a salary. He would ask me everytime I came in to fix a problem when I would be ready to go to work for him. Told him never. I finished school, got my degree, and kept working my business. Built it up to 310 clients.

I also worked for the local American Legion Post for 16 years, 15 years as thier gambling manager. Finally my disabilities became more than I could handle and had to stay retired at the age of 52. Gave my son my day to day clients and kept only 18. They had been with me since the early 80's.

Filed for Social Security Disability in 2003 and after fighting them for 7 years, I won my case. Used the back pay to purchase a 26 foot 5th wheel, a new 2010 F150 and spent the winter in Texas. The wife had been unemployeed for two years so she went with me. I only wish that I had stayed retired when I got out of the service. We will be leaving for Port Aransas Texas on the Monday after Thanksgiving and will be back home on Good Friday! Looking forward to those fruity drinks with those little umbrellas in them.

[dons2346]

I retired in '99 at 53 1/2 from 30 years of govt service. The wife and I travel in our motorhome as much as we want, we use the boat to go crabbing, she quilts, I "supervise".

The only thing I have found bad about retirement is that there is no vacations or holidays.

I am pretty busy, sometimes I wake up in the morning with nothing to do and find that by 4 in the afternoon, I'm not even half way finished.