GREAT to be onboard!

[azauthor]

I've been reading this site for several months and finally decided to take the plunge. I'm 58 and been planning for early retirement for quite some time. Not ready to pull the trigger, especially since so many of my friends are retired and hating it. They're all financially well off and bored to tears. This has caused me to rethink my plans. Has anyone else had this happen to them?

thx

 

[73ss454]

Welcome azauthor, yes it happened to me. I retired last year at 57, no way am I bored.

Just not having the stress of work every day is wonderful. I also was nervous about retirement but after trying it I don't know how I worked for so many years.

Work is something you do to get enough money so you don't have to.

Your a long time dead so enjoy yourself.

 

[Rustic23]

I retired at 62. Not sure that qualifies as ER. Bored, yes sometimes, but I was bored at work also. If I am bored it is my fault. I had planned on reading, doing some wood working, boating, maybe take up golf. Lots of other things. Just have not gotten around to it. So IMHO if you get bored it is ones own fault. There are lots of things to do and I would not trade my most boring day for a day at w&*k.

p.s. 73ss454 if you keep using those four letter words that end in K in you post the moderators are going to find you!:

 

[donheff]

Retired at 56 2 1/2 years ago. Happy as a pig in s***.

 

[TeeRuh]

I'm 56 and deep into "planning for early retirement". A lot of what I've read on this forum convinces me that I won't be bored and that any retirement is better than a job that is no longer fulfilling or rewarding. (Think "toxic".) Rather than listen to friends who are not very good at retirement do some studying/research at your library or book store. Two books that I've found very enlightening are Zelinsky's and ESRBobs.

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free ... - Google Book Search

Work Less, Live More: The New Way to ... - Google Book Search

t.r.

 

[FinallyRetired]

Welcome, Tee. I'm 62 and have been ramping down work for about five years now. I think that's a good way to do it, because it allows you to try various hobbies and interests to keep from getting bored before quitting all the way. I have days when I feel bored but then realize it's more laziness than being bored. When I think about it, there's a zillion things I should be doing.

 

[tightasadrum]

Welcome azauthor,

Not retired yet at 61, but I'm at 4-day w&?k-weeks. 3-days would be better. It takes me that one day to catch up on things I can't get done the rest of the time like balancing checkbooks, holding tenants hands and cutting what's left of my grass. My plan is to hang it up early 2008 totally (from w**king for someone). If it doesn't happen soon, I'll be so far behind on the "honey do" projects, I'll have to hire someone to get them all done. I've got two European trips already scheduled next year, one in the spring and one in the fall, a basement remodelling to do (my place for fun), a new vegetable garden to plant and tend and get the garage organized so I can find things. Somehow I need to find time to catch that uber bass in my lake and add a lake pump irrigation system to help recover from this drought. And I won't even start with the list my wife is making for me. (Mine come first! Hope she doesn't read this. )

So you see, being bored hasn't been scheduled yet. I figure I'll have plenty of time to get bored when I'm too feeble to get out of the house. Hell azauthor, use your imagination.

 

[Dawg52]

They're all financially well off and bored to tears. This has caused me to rethink my plans. Has anyone else had this happen to them?

thx

Not me. People that are bored have no hobbies or interest outside of work. Sad, but true.

 

[Moemg]

A lot of my co-workers told me I'd be bored but they were wrong .It's nice to have the freedom to do what I want .

 

[bssc]

Hi and welcome

Most of the people I know who have retired complain about being busy. When I visited my parents, I found out that they only had one day free for us to take them out to lunch. Everything else was booked up.

 

[lightspeed]

I'm not retired, but do work a 4 day week with 13 weeks of vacation. My kids are still in school, so most of my time off I am at home. I have no problems whatsoever filling up my time, and I keep discovering more and more things I wish to take on and do. I have pre-existing hobbies-- running all year round, skiing in the winter. Now I've started cycling and learning a new language, which I'm enjoying so much right now. I'm also trying to build a ski press to make my own skis. I've been helping a friend with a start-up small business. I became a board member of a non-profit org. I volunteer at my children's school. I spend a lot more time with my wife. I take my kids after school to karate, ballet, religion classes. I need to get FIRE'd soon so I can continue to do all of this and continue to expand my interests. Although there is nothing wrong with sitting around doing nothing, there is so many exciting things to do for anyone who is retired. Retirement (or time off, in my case) is a great opportunity to be productive in society, or be a better spouse/father while doing things you truly enjoy, in contrast to doing something you can't stand only to fill the pockets of MegaCorp.

 

[mickeyd]

especially since so many of my friends are retired and hating it.

Hey thx,

Welcome here.

You're not them. They probably will also invest their retirement funds (if they have any) in a different manner than you do, that does not make them correct.

Make your own decisions based on your needs and desires, not others.