Thinking about retirement?

[ahofer]

I’m 61, and it’s on my mind. This was a depressing read.

https://medium.com/spend-your-retirement-money/the-big-retirement-problem-no-one-wants-to-admit-having-why-cant-we-spend-our-damn-money-cf7e40cee36c

I hope to spend more time playing an instrument (I hear it’s good for brain function) and maybe learning a language. But there are only so many hours you can do those things. Apparently I’ll just be fighting for the remote and going to the doctor.

 

[Vuki]

Thinking about it since the high school.

 

[Oddball]

I don't know what's worse - retiring or not. Both are not that exciting options.

I guess I am one of the people that really don't age well.

 

[mhardy6647]

I retired (mostly) at age 56.
I love to putter.
No regrets.

 

[Count Arthur]

Thinking about it since the high school.

Yes, I think I started thinking about it, around 2 hours into my first Saturday job.

 

[RayDunzl]

My last corporate paycheck was in 2002.

As for Brain Health, this, three days a week.

Didn't read the original attachment since I'd have to sign up for something. What does it recommend?

 

[respice finem]

I had to retire myself at 55 (3 years ago) after almost dying from COVID pneumonia (post COVID as a bonus). Luckily I can treat myself now and sign my own prescriptions, but retirement is a challenge at onset, yes. Sold my office and my house in Germany and repatriated to Poland. My plan was to work half-time, but in the peculiar health and tax system here, it just doesn't make sense, because I would essentially work for free, if I can't work 70+ hours a week. So, apart from treating my relatives and sometimes consulting others pro bono, I'm (successfully so far) "letting my savings work", until I get my German pension (in 2034, provided the pension age will not rise again). The Polish pension begins 2 years earlier (for now), but "too much to die, too little to live", since I've been working in Germany for 20 years.

The positive side is having time, for some recreational sports, listening to music, learning new things etc. Definitely better than karoshi.
My main worry is the rising risk of conflict.

 

[Anton S]

I retired just over a year ago. Finally, school's out forever! I'm able to set my own daily agenda as it suits and am enjoying the hell out of life. I've had to adjust my discretionary spending down a bit, despite living what I consider a fairly modest life. But that was painless, and I'm able to live on my retirement income without having to dip into my savings or investments as of yet.

 

[respice finem]

Same here. I could spend more, but why should I?
For travel, maybe, but I've been almost everywhere already (at least where I wanted to be), and in most places it was nicer and safer decades ago...
In contrast to Poland, which is much nicer now than decades ago.

 

[Salt]

I had to retire myself at 55 (3 years ago) after almost dying from COVID pneumonia (post COVID as a bonus). Luckily I can treat myself now and sign my own prescriptions, but retirement is a challenge at onset, yes. Sold my office and my house in Germany and repatriated to Poland. My plan was to work half-time, but in the peculiar health and tax system here, it just doesn't make sense, because I would essentially work for free, if I can't work 70+ hours a week. So, apart from treating my relatives and sometimes consulting others pro bono, I'm (successfully so far) "letting my savings work", until I get my German pension (in 2034, provided the pension age will not rise again). The Polish pension begins 2 years earlier (for now), but "too much to die, too little to live", since I've been working in Germany for 20 years.

The positive side is having time, for some recreational sports, listening to music, learning new things etc. Definitely better than karoshi.
My main worry is the rising risk of conflict.

Questioned myself how one could name themself like this?
Thanks for the clarification.
A colleague named PiWo also repratiated, due to family affairs, and seems to have some struggles, too.

 

[MCH]

On the subject of OP linked article, I live in a country with very generous pensions and I see people just retired, in good health, doing not much more than walking the dogs. I think about it often and what worries me is that this is one of these things you know you are mot different and will be difficult to scape.... + to make it worse, my partner is 10 years younger than me....

 

[respice finem]

Questioned myself how one could name themself like this?
Thanks for the clarification.
A colleague named PiWo also repratiated, due to family affairs, and seems to have some struggles, too.

He Sir is me Sir (nick from T2med forum). Family affairs were also a factor, but I won't write about it in forums.

 

[RayDunzl]

Here is the article - https://archive.is/mEvSV

 

[Salt]

Studies about "living longer healthy" say:
- move your bones
- be socially involved

That's reduced , but individually different approaches should keep this in mind.

 

[DVinylfan]

If work ever had a purpose besides remunerating others, retirement would be it.
I effectively retired four years ago, at the grand old age of 50, during the first panic of the Covid years.
No longer being a wage slave means I get to live my life authentically: gardening, loving, meditating, and listening to my music. I recommend.

 

[Ken1951]

I retired at the end of the school year in 2017 and turned 66 that summer. I have very good health except for an annoying neurological deal that is annoying and not threatening. Walk, read, mow & garden, cook, learning French right now for our very rapidly approaching trip, travel to Grand Cayman most times in March to snorkel. We're happy and not broke and generally busy.

 

[respice finem]

On the subject of OP linked article, I live in a country with very generous pensions and I see people just retired, in good health, doing not much more than walking the dogs. I think about it often and what worries me is that this is one of these things you know you are mot different and will be difficult to scape.... + to make it worse, my partner is 10 years younger than me....

Take it as a challenge for creativity.

 

[Timcognito]

Like mhardy, no regrets, When the the Lottery goes to $500 mill I buy a ticket knowing that I can't buy more time with it if I won. I have trouble spending money as the article suggests but not on things that I like, but mostly that's going to different restaurants, my woodworking stuff, lots of charity. Parents and grand parents had a rough time in the great depression so those thrifty habits were inculcated in my blue collar upbringing. Made enough to buy a vacation home, did that, and found I just wanted to work on it which drove my wife crazy. Plus our relatives used it as much or more than we did and when we realized that schedule conflicts were too much we sold it, banking more money. COVID killed some travel plans, our president has made us the the uglier Americans and coming from San Francisco that makes us a public enemy in many other states. My wife and I will have to start drawing down our IRAs soon and somehow I dread that, but why, we saved for that day. I guess it is symbol that a lot more sand is in the bottom of the hourglass and I just don't like it. Plenty of things to keep me active and money has not been a issue, so far. Not bragging, just lucky (and thrifty) I guess.

 

[respice finem]

Here is the article - https://archive.is/mEvSV

“This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.”

Exactly.

How one copes with retirement, is hard to predict. My mother's retirement 25 years ago was (so i thought) a theoretical "worst case", she was leading a biggish company and known as workaholic. Now she is 88 and "never better". Your time is what you make of it.

 

[Sokel]

I understood very early that my hands are hollow, can't save a cent by myself so I assigned it to others.
Combine that with my taste for nice things and I could easily end-up homeless and hungry

Same with my retirement (it has short of started, it's complicated) .
I'm now 55 and all I say to my people is not letting me with money in my pockets, the last time they loose their guard I ended up at the opposite size of the planet

I have absolutely no intention to save, life is so tricky that despite anyone's good health can end up the next day.
The article is right about it.