Retirement Date Set!

**creditcardfree** · 08-31-2011, 07:41 AM

Congratulations!!

**disneysteve** · 08-31-2011, 07:44 AM

Congratulations! That's exciting. It must feel great to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Me, I'm still toiling in the dark.

**Like2Plan** · 08-31-2011, 08:10 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

Congratulations! That's exciting. It must feel great to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Me, I'm still toiling in the dark.

thanks. Yes, I am starting to really get excited about it because it is starting to feel real.

**Godwynn** · 08-31-2011, 08:10 AM

Originally posted by Like2Plan View Post

I mailed my retirement package in to my employer with an effective date of Nov 3, 2011.

I suppose I will be second guessing myself for a while.

I was eligible to retire since Feb, but I delayed my decision. I have been considering pros and cons for several months now. The overall deciding factor was that my place of work moved further from my home and my commute time has increased substantially. Why continue to make the drive when I don't have to? That, coupled with the thought of driving in the wintertime when there is snow and ice on the roads really freaks me out--so I set my date before there was any possibilty of snow (and ice).

I am so tickled that I won't have to work on any of the upcoming holidays!

That's exciting! Congratulations!

What are you going to do with all of your free time?

**bjl584** · 08-31-2011, 08:28 AM

Congrats! Do you have any plans for your retirement? My Mom will be retiring at the end of September, and she already has a full schedule of things that she wants to do.

**Eric80** · 08-31-2011, 09:58 AM

Retirement Date Set!

If you don�t have to work then that is the biggest positive, I am thinking a big negative will be what to do with all that free time after a while? But congratulations it is a massive decision.

**disneysteve** · 08-31-2011, 10:32 AM

[QUOTE=Godwynn;303761What are you going to do with all of your free time?[/QUOTE]

Originally posted by bjl584 View Post

Do you have any plans for your retirement?

Originally posted by Eric80 View Post

I am thinking a big negative will be what to do with all that free time

This raises a very good point that everyone needs to consider as they plan their retirement. Most focus on what they are retiring from. It is equally important, if not more so, to consider what you are retiring to. If you retire at 65, you may spend 20-30 years doing whatever it is you'll be doing. Obviously the answer will be different for everyone.

I'm currently watching the process in someone very close to me. My cousin, who is like a brother, retired May 2010 at age 55. He spent the first year cleaning and fixing up his house to sell it. He also spent time packing up his belongings to move. He did sell his house and bought a brand new house in Florida (moved from Philadelphia). He moved in in June. So far, he has obviously spent a lot of his time furnishing and setting up his new home. He is pretty well settled in now and his retirement is really getting underway. He moved to a 55+ community that has every imaginable club and activity and he has been getting involved in much of that - men's club, computer club, movie nights, various speaker programs, etc. He also owns two antique cars that he shows at cruise nights and car shows so that takes up a lot of his time. I'm curious to see how things progress once he has been retired for 2 or 3 or 5 years but I don't see him getting bored.

**tripods68** · 08-31-2011, 03:02 PM

Congratulations!

We all want what you will experience come retirement time. Do whatever you please....

**Frugal** · 08-31-2011, 03:04 PM

Congratulations! It must be a good feeling!

**krantcents** · 08-31-2011, 03:12 PM

Congratulations! I am 6 years away from retirement (again). I am trying out differen things now to see if I wsnt to continue it into retirement.

**GREENBACK** · 08-31-2011, 03:15 PM

Congrats! I'm about 6-8 yrs away and am looking forward to it but, as others stated, am also looking at what will occupy my time. I've worked so many holidays over the years that eliminating that will be worth retiring for.

**mrpaseo** · 08-31-2011, 07:34 PM

OP: Congratulations on your retirement. I understand your frustrations with missing so many holidays, I too have sacrificed many a holidays though the years to the point that most mean nothing to me.

I have decided to retire Active Duty Army with 20 years 5 months service on 30 SEP 12. Starting tomorrow 1 SEP 11 (12 months out from retirement), my wife and I will start living on my retirement pay and her income (Basically what we will live on when I do actually retire). This will give us plenty of time to ensure we can live on the lowered income. I have a few ideas as to what I will be doing in retirement but I have basically decided to take a year off before I find another job (That is if I feel I need another job).

My wife and I will both be 40 in OCT 2012.

Ray

**photo** · 08-31-2011, 07:53 PM

Only a few more weeks left - congratulations! You may have to indulge by sleeping in 'till noon every day during your first week.

**Like2Plan** · 09-01-2011, 08:09 AM

Originally posted by Godwynn View Post

That's exciting! Congratulations!

What are you going to do with all of your free time?

Godwynn,
That is probably the number one question folks ask me.

At this point I don't imagine having any free time. DH and I already do a lot of traveling and I do all the travel planning--so, that is going to be my most important job--getting the best value for our money and stretching the dollars out to be able to see all we can.

Then, much as I hate to admit it--my second priority is our house which needs a lot of attention. Right now, I have trouble finding time to even be at the house to have someone to do a termite inspection or heating/air conditioning check (or all day to install Verizon Fios) let alone get an estimate for the new roof we need. Then, there are the photo albums and scrapbooks that have gone by the way side and some video editing that I wanted to do. There are so many things I have put off. During the workweek I feel as though my life is on hold and work is all I do. I leave for work before 5am and I am return home after 5pm. I have time to take a walk with my DH for an hour, eat dinner and maybe an hour to relax and get ready for the next day before it is time to go to sleep so I can do it all over again! Whew! As much as I like my job, I won't miss the long days...

Retirement Date Set!