How will you spend your time in retirement?

[hacik.istanbul@yahoo.ca]

You know, retirement means so many things to to alot of people. Most of all, you would want to do the things you never had a chance during your working career. My experience has been that many people have not put in the necessary time and effort to really focus on what makes them happy. Most are afraid to dive into any new venture or commit to a plan of action. Retirement for most people is a depressing reality.

[Fern]

I think it was interesting that several people said that what they envision doing in retirement is pretty much what they're doing now, except that they'll have more time to do it in retirement.

That's how I feel. I have various hobbies and social activities that i enjoy now, but often feel now i don't have as much time to devote to them as i'd like.

monkey mama's right, medical expenses are the biggest obstacle i see to an early retirement.

My biggest short-term goal, which is still a retirement goal, is paying off my mortgage BEFORE i retire. Ideally, it'd be nice to continue working for a few years after the mortgage is paid off, so that all the money that previously went toward the mortgage could be socked away for retirement.

My biggest beef with work has always been kind of a resentment that i have to be someplace at a certain time and remain there for ALL DAY. I'm acutally a very punctual person, but i'm just too independent, i think, to kowtow to a manager. I do it, of course, but that's always been my biggest problem. Doing it someone else's way instead of my way.

The most wonderful thing about retirement to me is complete freedom to do only what i want to do, on my own schedule. Autonomy. Control.

[Fern]

You know, retirement means so many things to to alot of people. Most of all, you would want to do the things you never had a chance during your working career. My experience has been that many people have not put in the necessary time and effort to really focus on what makes them happy. Most are afraid to dive into any new venture or commit to a plan of action. Retirement for most people is a depressing reality.

I really disagree with this. That may have been true for some people years ago, but these days, people approaching retirement treat it as an opportunity to enjoy what could be the best part of their life. That's becus we're all living longer and enjoying better health, so 'retirement' doesn't mean parking yourself in front of the tv all day.

Retirement is a chance to recreate yourself.

[hacik.istanbul@yahoo.ca]

As a Financial Planner, I do agree that this what retirement should be. However, the realiy is that many do not have the financial resources to support their retirment years in comfort. I do agree that there is a huge potential here for personal change and development and to reward yourself for the many accomplishments in life. The main factor is really to plan your retirment successfully and gain personal fulfillment.

[Like2Plan]

I am about 3 years from retirement (I hope to punch out at the earliest possible time. ) There are only a couple of things that would stand in the way. One is rapid inflation (especially with the way the oil prices could go up and we are an oil based economy). The other is getting our DS launched. He is in his 2nd year of college.

DH on the other hand plans to work for another 13 years unless it gets in the way of travel.

I enjoy just hanging out with DH and that is what I hope to do in retirement. We take a walk for an hour each day. We go shopping and watch movies. (Yes, I also spend time on the internet ) I would like to be able to travel during non-peak times.

We are also thinking of relocating. DH and I have been looking around for some time, but our present location already meets most of the things we are looking for in a place to retire (except for that durn snow in the winter and we would also like to move into a ranch style home. )

[Scanner]

Well, I know one thing -

I am NOT moving to Florida. I never understood that whole Jerry Seinfeld parents NY/NJ to Florida thing.

I'll divide it into 3categories

Occupation
I'd like to work part time (about 10-15 hours/week). This would either be in group practice or teaching in an x-ray technology program as an adjunct.

Leisure
I'd like to be there for our kids who need grandchildren assistance. Make a "playroom" and spare bedroom for all, with of course, the wife's blessing.

I'd like to take a nap everyday around 2 p.m. after my workout in my endless pool.

Charity/Community
I'd like to spend some time working with this charity:

Ships of Mercy

per year along with any community-based charity to get involved with. I'll admit I haven't had time or money for much charity so I feel I have put much of it off until retirement.

I'd like to see 3 places actually before I retire:

1. Hawaii (2 weeks)
2. Iceland
3. Scotland

After that, as far as I am concerned, the travel bug will be out of me. I wouldn't mind seeing some of the US though I guess throughout my retirement (Vegas. . .Arizona, Montana, New England) but really, I think the "travel-lust" will be through me after I see the above, having met that goal.

[MoneyMonster]

wow you have nice ideas.
i want to play lots of video games to be honest.

[Duchesse]

I will probably be awakened by my bantam rooster who has a few hen friends to provide me with fresh eggs for breakfast and meat for lunch or dinner.

I want to get about three or four miniature goats to provide me with great pets, milk, cheese and meat.

I will raise an organic garden of tomatoes, green peppers, hot peppers, thyme, sage(for burning), scallions, garlic, collard greens, cabbage, and mesclun salad (spring mix).

I'd like to plant a few fruit and nut trees. Kiwi, berries of all kinds, grapes, pecans, walnuts, apples and I've been looking at those dwarf citrus trees. I love fresh lemonade on a hot day.

I want the land that I purchase to have a pond that I can stock with fish.


When I'm not tending my small flock of bantam chickens, my small herd of pygmy goats, fishing or tending my garden I'll be traveling two to three times a year.

Texas(line dancing and barbecue brisket),

St. Louis (Blues),

New Orleans (Mardi Gras),

Florida (Sun, Fun, Disney),

Memphis (Graceland and Rock and Roll )

Jamaica (Sun, fun , jerk chicken, ackee ,saltfish and breadfruit. mm good.

Paris( Parcque je parle la francais un peu et je voudrais parler la langue fluement) and last but not least

Amsterdam (Red Light District ).

About once a month I want to go to dinner, a movie, the theater, comedy club, or dancing (while I still can )

I want to keep

[nanamom]

I don't think we will be able to retire. First of all when we are at the "typical retirement age" we will have teenagers. (We knew that going into the having kids late thing and decided to do it anyway) Financially we had a major problem a few years ago that we may never completely recover from. Our retirement fund is only a few years old while we are quite a few years old. We hope to be able to enjoy our grandkids (first we have to find a job for DH near them). We had always thought we would be doing missionary work by then but it may not be possible.

[InDebtInDC]

I already posted about it. I'd like to teach college and do legal consulting to keep myself entertained.

[tabbycat31]

I'm still in my 20s. No clue how I will spend retirement

[TBH]

Well, I want the life lgslgs is describing.

I'd like to have some land where I can garden and have chickens, but I doubt I'll be able to get my spouse to leave the city. Still, eventually I'd like a big garden, which may be possible even without leaving the city.

I think I'd work part time, something fun and social like working in a bookstore. And I'd try to keep up my freelance writing work in a small way. Perhaps I'd do some other, bigger writing projects. Heck, maybe I'll write a personal finance book or something.

I'd probably do community service in the form of being on the board of a couple good organizations--maybe a childcare center or a historical society or a cooperative grocery store or something like that that I believed was important to the community.

I'd certainly want to travel if I could afford it. Luckily I have many many friends and relatives who don't live near me. If I don't have much money to travel, I can always do what I do now--go visit people so I only have to pay for airfare and maybe a couple restaurant meals for myself and my hosts.

I only have one kid, and I have no idea where he'll be or whether he'll have kids, but of course I want to be able to spend time with him. If I have the money, I'd like to take him and his possible future family on vacation once a year. I think that's a better way to spend money than almost anything.

Like many other people have said, my life is not too far from this right now. I work part time (with benefits), I freelance, I have two volunteer jobs. The difference is that my spouse works a lot, and I'm looking forward to him having the same freedom I have. And my son is young so I spend a lot of time caring for him. My spouse's work schedule and my son's school schedule keep me tied to home a lot more than I'd like. I'm looking forward to having the freedom to travel more, even if it's just driving a few hours to spend the weekend with my sister more often, or going to New York to stay with friends, or going camping more often in the summer. I love travelling, but it doesn't all have to be glamorous.

[thekid]

I'd probably just sit on my porch and laugh at people as they go out to work every day. I'd laugh harder if they seemed late and stressed.

Seriously, at 30, I haven't given it much tought (activity wise). I'm a very passionate person, there would be a million things I can put myself to. Ideally, I would like to part-time teach and travel quite often.

[lgslgs]

I'd probably just sit on my porch and laugh at people as they go out to work every day. I'd laugh harder if they seemed late and stressed.

That is really fun to do. We do that every once in a while.

We also like to watch the Weather Channel and laugh when they give us the weather for our morning or evening commute.

Lynda

[Duchesse]

I'm still in my 20s. No clue how I will spend retirement

It's not unusual at age 20 and 30 to be clueless.

What's is that I've asked people in their 40's and 50's and they don't have a clue Even more sad is that they don't have any money saved either.

I don't have the heart to tell them that they'll be spending some of their retirement at the food stamp office .