Milestone day- I'm retired.

[Tropo-Bob]

I finished work today am now looking forward to spending my golden years in retirement.

I have no immediate travel plans, but rather look forward to working on both my health and the livability of my home. I have good friends and relatives here in Cairns so will stay socially connected. Then of course, there is this forum!

Seriously though, it will be great to have my head free of the clutter of work thoughts and I look forward to reading more, and also in expanding my activities in observing.

Tomorrow, I look forward to having a swim at the beach, then catching up for lunch with some retired friends who I have known from High School Days. I love the fact that there are some great but almost empty venues during the week.

I would love to spend some time travelling in the Victorian countryside in February/March next year.

How have others found retirement? Anybody have any good hints for me?

[xelasnave]

Retirement is great in reflection I have no idea why I ever went to work.

Advice??

Don't worry and don't grumble about prices of stuff.

Don't find a little work you are retired.

Life starts once you have escaped the slavery that is the working life.

Alex

[leon]

Bob, retirement is great but it dose take some time to get used to.

You were wounding i expect until this time, now what.

You laid in bed and said to your self, bloody hell tomorrow i can do what i want.

And you can, enjoy you probably deserve it.:)

enjoy :thumbsup:

Leon :thumbsup:

[Kunama]

Congratulations on retirement though often it seems a busier time than working ever was. I gave away paid work over 5 years ago on turning 55 and haven't missed it once.
We now have a beautiful granddaughter helping keep us busy....

I think the secret is to keep busy with family, friends and hobbies... we recently bought a motorhome for Aussie travel, having travelled overseas quite a bit in the years gone by, I am happy to stay in Oz from now on.

Best of luck for a happy retirement

[Merlin66]

Sounds great!
I unfortunately have seen many retirees who had no other interest than work, go quickly downhill upon retirement...

Remember - You need a reason for getting up in the morning....

I've never been so busy - anyone who thinks that there will be plenty of time to do what they think they'll want to do may suddenly find there's not enough time to do it!!

I would strongly advocate if you want to travel, see the country, see the world do it before your health (and age) catches up with you.
Not too many important, worthwhile sites have walking frame/ wheelchair access. Do it while you still can.

[Tinderboxsky]

Congratulations Bob. I have been retired over 7 years since finishing up in my late fifties and have not regretted it one moment. Paid work seems like a dreadful idea now.
For me it is all about family and friends, health, continual learning and purpose.

Steve.

[el_draco]

I've tried to take time off at regular intervals during my life, including nearly 10 years "on the road" in my 20's, so that I didn't get to retirement age and wonder what happened to my life. It was a good strategy. :thumbsup:

Now, I work part time but understand that life is so much more than working "for the man". It may take more time to finish a project, but the journey is more enjoyable. :)

Don't know whether I'll ever just "stop"; to many things to do in life than sit on my bum. :lol: Be warned, retirement kills men who have "become the job". That's such a crap way to go.

Enjoy it!

[Huey]

Enjoy Bob,
I'm retired for a number of years and have never been busier. But I now have the freedom to do what I want to do when I want to do it. Catching up on all the little things that I've put off for a long time and learning new things that I didn't have time for before, wonderful and exciting. Plan your time and enjoy your new freedom. Retirement is the reward you've earned for all the work you've done over many years.
Enjoy the freedom and look after your physical and mental wellbeing. You still have many years ahead. Travel, observe, be with the family while you can. Congratulations for having it made so far and all the best for the future.

Huey

[Nebulous]

Congratulations on your retirement Bob. :thumbsup:

Great advice from Ken (Merlin66) above. You do need to make some major adjustments. It's a wonderful opportunity, but there are pitfalls. It's actually not all that easy to just sit on your arse and do nothing for an extended period, and still keep your spirits up (although I have finally mastered it after many years of dedicated practice... :) ). It takes time to build a new life when so much of what you were was tied up with your working life and identity. As Ken says, some people don't do it well and end up going downhill.

Here are a few things that not only kept me busy and happy but have added richness to the 'retired' life:


More time to spend with family and friends is of course very high on the list, although not everybody has nearby mates with unlimited time to spend.

New hobbies. I added astronomy and whisky (not to become a drunk, but simply to explore the history and variety of the stuff).

Renew old hobbies - I got back to learning to play musical instrument(s), writing, reading, photography, fixing the property up, motor bike riding, etc.

Volunteer. There's a great volunteering tradition in Oz. I had five great years in the local Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, and also did a little volunteer driving for a local Community Support Group. Interesting and very rewarding too.

Research. Instead of "I wonder?...." now you have the time to find out the answers to all those questions about " what, where, when, how, who, and why.".. It's like going back to College, only it's enjoyable this time...

Walk, run, dance, sing, travel, - get your energy flowing! There will probably be times when you have doubts, and wonder if you're relevant any more, but there are so many things to get involved with. Get a piece of some of them!

All the best with it. :)

[Saturnine]

I can heartily recommend retirement, I pulled the pin on my working life 9 months ago and every morning since, I wake up with the 1st thought being , I'm glad I don't have to go to work. Spending more time under the stars means that I tend to sleep in a bit and I have plenty of projects to more than fill up my day as well as go for a surf if it's any good or play a game of golf, not to mention all the jobs around the house. My days have never been busier but at my own pace.
Enjoy your retirement, you'll have plenty of time ( and never enough ) to do what you like whenever you like or not do anything at all if you don't feel like it.

[Atmos]

At the ripe old age of 28 :lol: I just wanted to reiterate the common theme of keeping busy; if you don't use it you loose it! As has been mentioned, we all need a reason to get out of bed in the morning. For me now, that's begrudgingly for work!
Congratulations on retirement, keep going and don't stop!

[bojan]

I am still not retired... but I am looking forward to it.

As for work.... I always wanted to do only what I wanted to do... not what others wanted me to do.
Interestingly, it is actually the same thing -electronics design, mechanical design... and this hobby (astronomy) which I intend to be involved in as much as time (and funds) permits.....

[alan meehan]

Go for it Bob I retired when I was 55 now 62 so much more time to do what you like doing don't know how I ever had time to work,keep well travel and enjoy iam sure you will
ALAN

[glend]

Retirement is great. At 68 and retired for 8 years, i can echo the advice of the other posters here. Importantly, stay active and get busy doing all the thing you want to accomplish, before the inevitable health issues start to curtail you. Whether your joining the Grey Nomads and doing the Big Lap, or joining the Sea or Tree Change folks, do it sooner rather than later. Sadly i found that many of the younger folks that i mentored for years in business, were no longer interested in a chat and a coffee when you have no career value to them, such is life on the corporate ladder. But you will make many new connections with common interests. IIS is a great community and a good way to make connections for Star Parties and improve your knowledge. Some folks find adapting hard, and after the initial euphoria wears off, can get depressed. If you do jump on here and we'll help you out. Have fun.:thumbsup:

[Allan_L]

Congratulations Bob! :thumbsup:

I remember my retirement day fondly.
It was on my 56th birthday. (5 years ago now).
It was a day of great celebration, great expectations, and great memories.

My main plan was to travel this great country, (with my lovely missus) while we are still able to fully experience it. There is still so much to see.

One thing that takes some time to get used to, you don't have to finish your DIY jobs etc. on the weekend!
The weekend never ends (so to speak).
You can take your time, and take a break.
No need to feel guilty about taking a day off to relax, go to the beach, or just do nothing.
Do what you want, not what you think others expect.

It takes some time to perfect, but Live for the moment.
Enjoy the moment.
;)

[Tropo-Bob]

Thanks all for your kind words and great advice.

[speach]

Welcome to the great unwashed. The only piece of advice just do it then think about paying for it.

[Camelopardalis]

Congrats Bob :thumbsup: all you've got to figure out is what to do on nights when it's not clear :lol:

[Tandum]

I did the happy dance when Cambell Newman sacked the misses a few years back.

Then she got a part time job. 6 month temp job renewed every 6 months. 4 years on, I'm turning 60, come on sack her you *******s, you know you want too.

Meanwhile she stuffs every cent into super to keep me in a ... yeah right.

The day I turn that phone off will be the first day .....

Congrats Bob.

[erick]

About a year to go :thumbsup:

[DavidU]

With a recent improvement in income I will be able to retire at 123, down from 128. LOL

[glend]

Now while this may have been meant as humour, it is an interesting comment, and one i hear alot from people below retirement age. The facts are that many folks have no choice as to when, and under what conditions, they retire. Changes to the nature of jobs may mean your role disappears, or your once valuable skills no longer have value to any employer, or your health may dictate your retirement. It is not always a decision based on lifestyle choice.

[ZeroID]

Next March for me @ 69. After 3 recessions, 1 divorce and a Redundancy it's taken a bit longer than I expected and I am not retiring with the nest egg I thought I might be. But job stress and pressure to go faster, do more and no added $$ to compensate and I will walk away.
All the best for your new lifestyle, I'll be back asking the same questions myself soon enough.
Take care.

[DavidU]

I'm now 60, working 3 jobs and no idea how to retire or when. So ,yes I was serious.

[Merlin66]

It really comes down the expectation of lifestyle after retirement and before death...
The amount of savings/ super will be a decision maker.

After you've sold the home, downsized and gone to one car....there needs to be enough funds (I'm not taking into account the minimal Gov pension - which you don't get if you HAVE any serious funds) to live on.
The current capital market may, on a good day get you 2.5% interest but that is chicken feed compared to the average cost of living.

If you still have three younger kids at home and a heavy mortgage and accumulated debts, you need to reconsider your life. How/when will the situation change???????

[doppler]

Just turned 60 , no big super payout to look forward to so for me it's 67 and the aged pension. But I am cruising along working 3 days a week doing a job that keeps me physically 40, in a couple of years the house will be paid for and the solar panels have already paid for themselves, plus living in a country town with a lower cost of living does help. Would love to be retired but semi retired will have to do for now.

[leon]

Just chuck the phone in the creek and play dumb.;) :shrug:

Leon :thumbsup:

[ZeroID]

As some of you have noticed I've already started a small hobby business with the rapidly growing EBike business. It is growing fast enough that it could supplement my basics by next year but otherwise I will be looking for some part time work, as much as for the social connection as the money, I don't really want to stop doing meaningful and useful things but my current role is just not working anymore and hasn't done so for a number of years. For my own health and wellbeing I need to get out.

I guess I am lucky in that my health is still pretty good, I am still quite active and certainly still very curious and wanting to learn. I have become a little less tolerant of idiots wasting my time but as I have less of it to waste then I don't see that as a problem. ....well not for me anyway. :P

And I still have a bloody fast car to drive ... Yeeha !! :D

[Visionary]

Bob, my circumstances are different to yours as degenerative Neurology drove me from work before 55, my advice, however, is consistent with your circumstances.
Bob, you are truly blessed in having Astronomy as a passion. I guarantee you that never a dull moment will conspire against with Astronomy as your companion. Further.... your Astro plans/designs are about to get more complex and more engaging than you ever thought possible.

Nb: If you don't have the following, then purchase them quickly.... A metal lathe, a mill, an excellent collection of vices & clamps, and if you haven't already purchased an Arduino starter kit + stepper motors and encoders!
Fair sailing & clear skies

[raymo]

I've been retired that long that I can't remember what it was like to retire,
[but then I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, and my wife tells me that I have the same thing every day].
My working life seems to have been in some other past universe.
raymo

[sil]

Congrats, hope you get to relax and follow your dreams and interests. I need to look into how to retire, At 45 with disability from stroke I'm hanging on as it is and dont think i can afford to retire or anything any time soon. happy to die if could quick and painless