Coffee and Retirement

[W2R]

I always thought that when I retired, I'd drink fewer cups of coffee than I do today. I thought I was drinking the coffee to give me the energy to make it through yet another tough work day. But now that I am retired, I drink the same amount of coffee (1-2 cups in my case) even though I sleep late and spend the day relaxing and having fun.

How many cups/mugs of coffee do you drink each day? Are you retired?

I'll let you use your own definitions of "cups" and "retired". If you consider yourself to be retired, you are.

 

[Midpack]

Other than the occasional latte out (once a week or so), I drank 2 cups/day before retiring and still do, no more no less. Was I supposed to change my daily ration?

 

[W2R]

Other than the occasional latte out (once a week or so), I drank 2 cups/day before retiring and still do, no more no less. Was I supposed to change my daily ration?

The purpose of the poll is to find out how much coffee we (as a group, not as individuals) drink before and after ER, not tell you what you should do. As for what you are supposed to do, I guess soul searching, religion, or consulting your doctor would give you an answer but I sure don't have one for you.

 

[KingB]

I drink more cups now that I am retired than when I was working probably because I have more free time. When I tallied my coffee expense for last year, I found out that it is a considerable portion of our food/grocery expense. This year, I made a new expense category just for coffee and budgeted $40/month and may have to adjust it upwards because coffee prices has gone up and still going up. I use the K-cups.

 

[GregLee]

3-5 mugs, retired.

I continue to drink a fair amount of coffee (black, without sweetener), partly because I like it, and partly as a substitute for things I could be drinking that have more calories. I never did drink coffee for energy or to stay awake.

 

[Lakedog]

I drink 2-3 cups most mornings, but often drank twice that amount prior to ER.

 

[IBWino]

Still working, and I drink 3-4 mugs each morning. However, I do this even when I'm on vacation. I very much enjoy coffee while reading the morning newspaper, and I also occasionally enjoy a cup in the evening after a nice meal. I don't see this changing after retiring.

 

[Telly]

W2R, I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be critical, in fact I'm really quite hesitant to post this...

If your goal was to see the effects of retirement on coffee drinking, I don't think your poll will do it. You will end up with populations that are:

NOT retired, that drink coffee.
NOT retired that don't drink coffee.
Retired, that drink coffee.
Retired that don't drink coffee.

And none of them address the people who have transitioned from a working life to retirement, which I think is your population of interest.

Sorry

But it may be interesting to read the comments

 

[W2R]

But it may be interesting to read the comments

My purpose was not to design a scientific experiment to find out if individuals drink less after retirement than they did before. (I edited/clarified my post above since it was misunderstood.) The purpose of the poll is to find out how much coffee our retired members and non-retired members drink, in general.

Personally I think the poll and the comments are both interesting, but if you don't you are perfectly welcome to [-]piss on my thread[/-] not participate.

I am surprised that so far, only 3 non-retired members have voted although 13 retired members have done so.

 

[REWahoo]

... you are perfectly welcome to [-]piss on my thread[/-] not participate.

Hey, I think it's raining!

 

[W2R]

Hey, I think it's raining!

Where's my umbrella?

 

[KingB]

I am surprised that so far, only 3 non-retired members have voted although 13 retired members have done so.

Retirees have more free time. They are probably in front of the computer, sipping coffee and surfing the web and visiting forums.

Non-retirees are probably in front of the computer, may or not be sipping coffee and looking at the work related data or writing/editing codes. Some may be able to sneak and surf the web.

I am sure you will have more response from them when they get back from work.

 

[Janet H]

Shamefully, I must admit to being a 'taker' in the coffee department. If the coffee is made and hot, I'll drink a couple of mugs. If the coffee is not already made, I'll nuke a cup of water, add a tea bag and get on with my day.

I attribute this being fairly dysfunctional for the 15 minutes after rising. The idea of grinding beans, finding filters, filling water reservoirs and then navigating the menu on the coffee maker is more than I am willing to deal with.

 

[W2R]

Shamefully, I must admit to being a 'taker' in the coffee department. If the coffee is made and hot, I'll drink a couple of mugs. If the coffee is not already made, I'll nuke a cup of water, add a tea bag and get on with my day.

I attribute this being fairly dysfunctional for the 15 minutes after rising. The idea of grinding beans, finding filters, filling water reservoirs and then navigating the menu on the coffee maker is more than I am willing to deal with.

I just use those Maxwell House coffee bags. Not the finest coffee in the world, but fast and with a little fresh creamer it's not bad either. In my case, there's only one of me in my house so that's pretty easy.

 

[W2R]

Retirees have more free time. They are probably in front of the computer, sipping coffee and surfing the web and visiting forums.

Non-retirees are probably in front of the computer, may or not be sipping coffee and looking at the work related data or writing/editing codes. Some may be able to sneak and surf the web.

I am sure you will have more response from them when they get back from work.

Good point. Hopefully more will vote as the day progresses.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I love coffee. I almost always have one plus cups in the morning with my paper (I love newspapers too). I do find if I drink any beverage with caffeine much after noon that I cannot sleep at night, though it's hard for me to remember and I find myself smacking myself after an iced tea or diet coke with dinner.

Thanks a latte for the poll, W2R!

 

[FIREd]

I have never enjoyed the taste of straight black coffee (plus it gives me heartburn) so I never drank coffee while I was working.

But a few months ago, I found a can of Cafe du Monde's "Coffee and Chicory" at my grocery store and I am rediscovering the pleasures of cafe au lait. The taste brings back all kinds of good memories. I probably wouldn't take the time to prepare it if I was still working though.

 

[REWahoo]

I attribute this being fairly dysfunctional for the 15 minutes after rising. The idea of grinding beans, finding filters, filling water reservoirs and then navigating the menu on the coffee maker is more than I am willing to deal with.

I'm surprised (shocked, actually) you haven't head about someone coming up with the neat little idea of an automatic coffee maker, complete with a timer! No more dysfunctional fumbling around in the morning - at least not when it comes to making coffee.

Of course it does involve dysfunctional fumbling around before you go to bed...

 

[RunningBum]

I've tried coffee once, maybe twice, in my life.

 

[Major Tom]

I lie between two of the options, being a 2-3 cup a day drinker - and semi-retired.

 

[braumeister]

The problem here, as I see it, is the definition of a cup.
I use a fairly good sized mug for my coffee, and I'm never sure how to equate that quantity with undefined "cups."

95% of the time when discussing liquids, we think of a cup as 8 ounces.
But coffeemakers are always calibrated in "coffee cups" which, as far as I can tell, is approximately 5 ounces.

OK, all that said, I've consumed the same amount of coffee for the last 20 years, so there was no change when I retired. It's three of my mugs, which is about 40 ounces.

 

[lemming]

All the answers would be wrong for me..especially since you asked in July and at94degrees and muggy.
At work I drank coffee all.day.long. I was next to the kitchen and would get up from my desk and pour another cup 10 times a hour/I mean day. Now I make a pot of coffee maybe once a week. But I drink the whole pot. And in the summer I don't even do that.

 

[REWahoo]

If your goal was to see the effects of retirement on coffee drinking, I don't think your poll will do it. You will end up with populations that are:

NOT retired, that drink coffee.
NOT retired that don't drink coffee.
Retired, that drink coffee.
Retired that don't drink coffee.

And none of them address the people who have transitioned from a working life to retirement, which I think is your population of interest.

The problem here, as I see it, is the definition of a cup.

If anyone fails to understand why we can't get agreement on how to define net worth, paying off the mortgage early or which way is up, please see above.

PS: That rain shower has turned into a downpour!

 

[donheff]

I drink about two cups every morning - same as when I was working. I rarely drink it at night. I used to like a cup after dinner but that cup was always with a cigarette. I quit the evening coffee 30 years ago when I quit smoking.

 

[Janet H]

I'm surprised (shocked, actually) you haven't head about someone coming up with the neat little idea of an automatic coffee maker, complete with a timer!

Ack! A timer implies a regular schedule.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG0ochx16Dg&feature=related