Serious Thread for once...

[geezer56]

The biggest thing I have found is not what you do, but what you don't do. Don't do anything that you don't want to. DO, however, find something that you want to do. My mental salvation has been volunteering at the local thrift store that supports our 2 homeless shelters. Just remain useful. One of my buddies came up with the quote when you stop, you drop.

[CTR0022]

Another good one. My thoughts on this are start on your bucket list way before retirement. Lots of that stuff is not nearly as fun as you age.

Exactly, work hard and play hard while you are working you don't have to retire to enjoy your life.

[Pedernal]

The biggest thing I have found is not what you do, but what you don't do. Don't do anything that you don't want to. DO, however, find something that you want to do. My mental salvation has been volunteering at the local thrift store that supports our 2 homeless shelters. Just remain useful. One of my buddies came up with the quote when you stop, you drop.

Lots of great advice already given including this post ^^^.

Find a place to volunteer. Helping others is the best medicine for sanity in this crazy world. Personally, I have been injured so could not do too much but now I am healing up and looking at Texas Search and Rescue (TEXSAR). Would love to volunteer with DPS to help out on the border as well. Not quite sure how to go about this last one.

If your financials are in order, I would not hesitate to pull the plug. Time flies and only the Good Lord knows how much time we have left on His great creation we call earth.

Finally, cross off stuff on your bucket list. Do what you like and not what you have to do. My biggest enjoyment is not being on the clock. Sometimes I cook and eat breakfast at 0500 and sometimes breakfast isn’t served up until 1100. Make time for old friendships you might have neglected due to work. Basically, take time to see and smell the flowers.

[CTR0022]

The biggest thing I have found is not what you do, but what you don't do. Don't do anything that you don't want to. DO, however, find something that you want to do. My mental salvation has been volunteering at the local thrift store that supports our 2 homeless shelters. Just remain useful. One of my buddies came up with the quote when you stop, you drop.

Just my opinion, but if you have a hard time setting boundaries with work, you will probably have a hard time setting boundaries when retired.

[Killer]

My plan

Start on your bucket list things as soon as you retire. Don't put them off and think you will have time later on to get to them. Time flies when you get older and then you are too old or health keeps you from it.

I like the way you think! This will be my plan. I will retire in two years at 58 if Joe don't muck it up with the economy.

It gets to the point you are trading years of your life and health to make $300 a month more in retirement by working one more year! I hear people I work with all the time say "I am staying one more year"! Several of them died within one year of retiring or before!

I want to be able to live in retirement! You can always go back to work doing something you always wanted to do if finances get in the way at some point.

Definitely need none or very small debt to do it and a great wife!

[Killer]

Retired last Jan. Been the best 15 months of my life.
Like others above my biggest regret is I wasnt able to retire 10 years earlier. Getting married for the first time at 36 and then raising kids put me behind

We bought some “raw” acreage for cattle/hunting and it has kept me too busy. Not enough time for my hobbies of fishing, hunting or golf. But this year should be better.

Biggest concern is rising costs. Fixed income and rising costs. No debt, but gas, food, feed, etc keep rising. Health insurance is the number one cost.

Second concern is falling behind on technology and important trends. Coworkers kept me up to date on Those.

Health is not a concern yet, but would be if I waited any longer to retire. Luckily I can still enjoy ranch chores that require muscle.

Time flies. If you have a few acres, big garden/yard, shop, etc there are always projects.
Sometimes I want rain for a vacation from my list of to-do items.

I don’t require lots of social interaction. even “in the country” like us there is plenty of activities to fill that void of work friends for those that need to talk. Church, volunteering, fundraisers, dinner group, neighbors, etc.

My wife is younger and didn’t want to retire. Not sure how either of us would like it if we were together 24/7. I heard some wives hate that. That sounds sad to me.

Retiring isn’t for everyone, but for this born and raised country boy who retired back to the country, it has made me a nicer, happier and healthier person.

Good luck

Great post. Sound knowledge here!

[HogHunter34]

I would retire early if it wasn’t for healthcare insurance needs. I’d personally like to retire in about 8 but the private healthcare market is limited on coverage & affordability.

[Geezy Rider]

“For those of you who have retired. What are the top 3 things you wish you knew 8-10yrs prior? “

I can’t really think of anything. I was fully prepared for my retirement. I got out of debt 15 year prior. I had my investments in order. I have a small farm and a sideline business that keep me busier than I care to be sometimes. I’ve got ten grandkids so it wonderful have the time to spend with them. Speaking of time, I think that’s the greatest pleasure. Being able to do what I want, when I want with very little time constraints.
The only real shock that I wasn’t fully prepared for was medical insurance. Wow! I had really good Cadillac insurance when I was working and didn’t realize it. Im on Medicare now but had to put my wife on regular insurance and it is horrible. The Medicare isn’t near as bad as hers but it’s far from good. Then on top of that, we are both having a hard time staying heathy so medical bills are really putting a dent in my disposal income.
My income is no where near what it used to be but totally livable but we do have to budget.
As others have said, the peace of mind is definitely worth it.

[czechgrubworm]

A friend offered to be sure and downsize what you can, vehicles, excess items..

[Mudslinger]

Wife and I both retired in 2020 at age 67 and moved back to where we both grew up in Central TX. We have no problem staying busy when we want because instead of downsizing, we upsized big time.

Bought a bigger house on 6.46 acres so mowing and maintaining the property and keeping it mowed can be 5 to 6 hours easy. Also have 9 raised planters for our garden. We work when we want and rest when we don't. Wife has 2 areas she mows like a regular yard and I mow the rest with a Zero Turn and tractor/shredder plus my 4 wheeler and a Swisher Trail mower for around the pond and the front part of our property where it meets the road we live on. Way to steep for the Zero Turn and i do not want to turn my tractor over with me on it!

BUT, life is good!

[PondPopper]

Not retired yet but real close but I will always work in some capacity just not "for the man".. I know many who are retired though.
The ones enjoying retirement and who are doing well are the ones who are staying busy..
The ones who are not doing well, mentally and physically, are the ones setting around doing little to nothing..

[sailor]

I wish, I had know my ex- was a lying, cheating slut.

[elgato]

I retired 24 years ago at 45 yrs old when I sold my company to a fortune 50 company out of San Francisco . Certainly on most levels it was a joyous experience but it also left an incredible void in my life I can only imagine is like losing a child. I cried for days.

Upon reflection I strongly encourage having many passions to explore with a curious mind open to a broad palette of ideas and flexibility to new learnings. Golf, fishing and hunting will wear thin far too quickly to keep the mind enthused .

Health cannot be overstated! Incorporate a robust well rounded healthy lifestyle as a daily discipline just as meetings may have been scheduled in a professional career. It is statistically shocking to understand how many die within a couple years of retirement. People sacrifice their health to gain their wealth then spend all their wealth trying to regain health. Bad strategy.

Contribution! How can you serve? What can you give? This is the stage of life with the most time available for touching the lives of others. Make magic memories for as many as possible.

[Dmck]

I wish I would have gone when my wife said five years ago to get out. I left the petro chemical business after working shift work for 21 years and I'm starting to get adjusted after being gone 10 months.
My landowner and I have a 5000 acre solar project in the works that keeps me busy so I have not been to idle yet.
One thing I do know is for me I have to have a schedule and stick with it or I will get nothing done.

[doghouse]

My advice along with others is to retire as early as possible. Retire before your body is worn out.