Do You Plan to Work in Retirement (graphic)

[Midpack]

If you follow Ally (on Twitter), you may have seen this...

 

[powerplay]

I'm part of the 19% that does not plan to work in retirement!

The graphic doesn't surprise me at all and I would even expect the group planning to continue working would be higher.

 

[sengsational]

I'm surprised it's only 7% hanging in there for the health benefits. It seems like everyone I talk to about RE says "what about health benefits?"

 

[NanoSour]

When I was growing up, retired by definition meant you were not working. Now I'm confused.

 

[REWahoo]

When I was growing up, retired by definition meant you were not working. Now I'm confused.

Let me see if I can clear up the confusion: "retired and still working" is a lot like being a "meat-eating vegetarian".

Hope that helped.

 

[Midpack]

When I was growing up, retired by definition meant you were not working. Now I'm confused.

I don't disagree, I guess the definition has been changed by the same people that advocate 'toning down youth sports by not keeping score,' everybody wins...

And I formerly worked with a few full time employees who might as well have been retired by the old definition.

 

[Koolau]

I did a couple of very brief part-time gigs (for ridiculously low pay) just for the halibut. But if I ever really "w*rk" again, it will be because the FI part of FIRE didn't work out for me. I'm praying that never happens, 'cause not only my skills are old, but so am I. YMMV

 

[Alan]

When I was growing up, retired by definition meant you were not working. Now I'm confused.

This is America, where it is our right to change the definition of anything, particularly if it means increased sales, or readership etc.

 

[ER Eddie]

I'm surprised the majority are working for the income or benefits. I had heard that about half of the people who continue working do so because it's intellectually stimulating, keeps them involved in the community, they get a chance to do something they really enjoy (because they don't have to do it for the money), and so forth. That would be my reason. I sure plan to keep working at something, post-retirement, but it's for the intellectual stimulation/challenge, not because I need the dough. I thought there were more people in that boat. On that poll it's only about a third.

And yeah, I was confused by the stat that 43% will work full-time during "retirement." Maybe they mean "past the traditional age of retirement (65)."

 

[Mulligan]

Let me see if I can clear up the confusion: "retired and still working" is a lot like being a "meat-eating vegetarian".

Hope that helped.

I don't know if it helped me, but it certainly made me laugh. Good line.

 

[foxfirev5]

I view this forum as one of the last bastions of real retirement. The definitions are changing as the masses accept their present situation. It's all about independence and doing what you desire. However, I feel most will not experience what we have found.

 

[Katsmeow]

For some people, I think what they may be thinking about is retiring from a particular career but then getting a job that is sort of a low stress job that could be quit at a moment's notice.

I call myself semi-retired because I do still work (10-15 hours a week), however, emotionally I feel retired because I see my work as entirely optional. The money is nice and the work itself is fine. However, I have low tolerance for any annoyance with the work and would be prepared to quit at any point that I felt it wasn't worth it.

 

[rbmrtn]

I'm surprised it's only 7% hanging in there for the health benefits. It seems like everyone I talk to about RE says "what about health benefits?"

I think from the wording, their definition of retirement is reaching age 65, not that you no longer work. But if you reach 65 you should have medicare so I don't see why anyone would be working for "health benefits" at that point.

 

[pb4uski]

IMO if you are working then you are not retired.

 

[mystang52]

I'm now in my third week of what I call my retirement. Admittedly it's a tad different than my original plan. I wanted to work 2 days per month for my employer to do some monthly reports, and in turn they asked me to continue two days per week, working from home. Like I said, it's only 3 weeks but so far it's been great.
Easy work, stress free, and a heckuva lot more "mad money" than I anticipated. As long as it continues to be easy and stress free I'll stay at it....and still think of myself as retired. By the way, these last 3 weeks have been a blast!

 

[ERhoosier]

IMO if you are working then you are not retired.

Anyone remember the commercial from few yrs ago where one guy sells his vintage car repair/restoration business to another OLDER fellow with both claiming they were doing so (selling vs buying) to follow their dream. One man's w#rk can be another's recreation.

 

[pb4uski]

Anyone remember the commercial from few yrs ago where one guy sells his vintage car repair/restoration business to another OLDER fellow with both claiming they were doing so (selling vs buying) to follow their dream. One man's w#rk can be another's recreation.

True, but is still is not being retired.

 

[aja8888]

Working past normal retirement age...

It's really all about how you want to spend some of your time.....I am 69 and love what I do (in a long career), and can roll it up anytime, but I get a charge out of being to the top of my game, so to say.

Maybe when I get older, or feel older, will I decide to visit some of my retired friends every morning at the local Burger King before they go hang out in Home Depot looking at tools they can't use anymore.

When I decide to pull the plug, I will probably be in the 11% group.

 

[jollystomper]

My goal is to be able to *choose* to work - and would only choose "work" if it is essentially someone wanting to pay me for what I consider a hobby. Since Information Technology is not just my work but also a hobby, as I started to talk with people I'm surprised at the potential opportunities that exist.

I have 2 friends who retired and did not plan to work, but were made offers they could not resist. One was paid $125K a year to fly to Asia 3-4 times a year for 1-2 weeks at time, and brief a couple of large financial institutions on several specific technologies he was skilled in and enjoyed staying up to date. He managed to get plenty of vacation time in on those trips. Another was asked to work several technical conferences a year to support the companies exhibition booth. They agreed to pay travel and lodging for both him and his wife and paid him around $100/hr for what amounted to 3 hours a day demonstrating software. He still had plenty of time to see the sights with his wife.

Neither of these folks were executives or even managers, but just enjoyed certain skill areas and someone wanted their assistance after their retirement and was willing to pay. If I was ever offered something along those lines, I would consider it, even if the financial need was not there.

 

[Dreamer]

I consider myself retired because I no longer work at my career job and I receive a pension. They would not be paying me my pension, if I had not retired. I did not do any work for which I was paid for 4 years, but then I chose to work a part-time, low stress job for the last 3 years. This job was not in the same field of work as my career job. I have grown tired of having a work schedule and I am training someone to replace me (actually my daughter). Tomorrow is the last day of training her and then I will only work if the office manager is out of the office or my daughter needs to be off. The office manager is on vacation next week, so I will work Mon through Thurs and Good Friday is a holiday for us. I have no idea when I will work after next week. DH and I are taking off for FL early April and we are not sure when we are coming back. It will be nice to not have a schedule again.

 

[DeborahB]

When you look at that chart it seems most of them would work because they don't have enough money otherwise. I have no intention of ever getting a straight job again. I do plan to do art work for my own pleasure (although if anyone wants to buy it, we can talk ) - but NEVER be at the mercy of the corporate world on any level.

Luckily I denied myself enough when I worked (LBYM) that I now can do that.

 

[gardenfun]

I hear ya, Dreamer, about not wanting a schedule again. I am just winding down (up?) two classes that I've been teaching. After years of teaching an online course I thought it would be fun to be in the classroom. It was fun to a certain extent, but the whole time I was longing to have my unstructured days back. I've been away from my corporate job for 3 years now, and have worked parttime in a bookstore as well as the teaching, but I really really prefer not to have a schedule except my own--when shall I take a nap? Have I eaten breakfast yet? Should I take a walk and then water the garden, or vice versa? That to me is the bliss of "total" retirement.

 

[oldtrig]

It's really all about how you want to spend some of your time.....I am 69 and love what I do (in a long career), and can roll it up anytime, but I get a charge out of being to the top of my game, so to say.

Maybe when I get older, or feel older, will I decide to visit some of my retired friends every morning at the local Burger King before they go hang out in Home Depot looking at tools they can't use anymore.

When I decide to pull the plug, I will probably be in the 11% group.

The Burger King and Home Depot thing you mentioned made me almost fall out of my chair. EXACTLY the same thing here. I choose not to join these boring people who talk about everyone not knowing about anything. Every time I go to Walmart I see several retiree's whom I know are bored to death. They make their rounds starting early at BK and end up at Wally World or Home Depot. What a life that must be. They never buy anything. I actually have seen some bring their own food into BK . They pick up everything knowing they are not going to buy it. I call them space takers. oldtrig

 

[Koolau]

The Burger King and Home Depot thing you mentioned made me almost fall out of my chair. EXACTLY the same thing here. I choose not to join these boring people who talk about everyone not knowing about anything. Every time I go to Walmart I see several retiree's whom I know are bored to death. They make their rounds starting early at BK and end up at Wally World or Home Depot. What a life that must be. They never buy anything. I actually have seen some bring their own food into BK . They pick up everything knowing they are not going to buy it. I call them space takers. oldtrig

That is truly sad. There have been a few times when I wished I had a bit more structure in my life. When that feeling comes on, I go to the beach or the mountains and the feeling soon passes. My poor dad was looking for a j*b until he went into a care home. He didn't have the old buddies to hang out with at BK, so I guess his was the saddest story of all in retirement. I made up my mind that I would not follow in those particular footsteps. And, I have not. YMMV

 

[Tyro]

We're sure hoping not to ever have to again...