Describe your first year of ER... Planned or Past

[chinaco]

DW and I intend to travel. Approaching ER, we will down-size/sell our house and likely purchase a condo. We are considering a condo because we think it will accomodate extended absenses better.

The first year, we will take two 3 month excursions. We are still thinking it through... but probably a 3 month trip to Hawaii and on to Australia and on. Then a 3 mo. trip to Western Europe in the spring or fall. Probably begin in England and on to the mainland.

The rest of the year will be spent at home pusuing hobbies and other interests.

I play the guitar (30 years now). I will work on my music. Plus probably dust off a few other hobbies that have been gathering dust. I will explore other interests.

DW makes jewelry. She likes to read.

 

[Meadbh]

2013:
January: Relax, unwind, plan the rest of the year
February: Get house ready for spring sale
March: Put house on market
April: Sell house, move to condo (as yet to be purchased in desired ER area)
May-August: Enjoy multitude of summer pursuits in new abode
September: Consider doing some lucrative consulting work, limited to 10 hours per week max; get involved in volunteering
October: plan winter vacation
November: take winter vacation
December: review financial status, plan for 2014

Yeah, I'm a long term planner!

 

[W2R]

March: Put house on market
April: Sell house, move to condo (as yet to be purchased in desired ER area)

Oh, you are so lucky to be able to expect your house to sell in a month. Here, I'm afraid it might take a lot longer even at a lower price. Probably I will have to start trying to sell it several months before I can actually retire.

 

[Gumby]

2014

June - celebrate the completion of young wife's 25th year of teaching and, hence, retirement
July - August - putz around the house, get things ready for September. Fix all the nagging little problems around the house. Catch up on sleep.
September - November - take "Gumby and the Young Wife's Great Big Road Trip" to see all the cool things in this country.
November - December - holidays with the families.

2015

January - take stock financially and plan the trip abroad for 2015 Maybe Egypt.

 

[Moemg]

Planned retirement
Organize all closets and install organizers
Remodel bathroom
re landscape back yard
take interesting courses
learn pottery
spend time with grandchildren

actual retirement
sleep late
go to beach
read
go to dollar movies and out to lunch

Maybe after a few more months I'll start living my real retirement

 

[OKLibrarian]

2027:

Retire (Dh will probably have semi/really retired a few years back)
Go out for a NICE sushi dinner--perhaps in Tokyo 8)
Relax for a few months, knock out any nagging maintenance issues, ramp up hobbies, sell off accumulated "stuff", generally get used to new cash flow.
Maybe downsize house to condo
Buy summer place in rural Scotland (possibly near the east coast b/t Dundee and Aberdeen but exact location TBD--UK REs feel free to give me ideas)
Never have to live in a place where it's over 80 degrees ever again.

 

[REWahoo]

Planned retirement ...

actual retirement ...

Maybe after a few more months I'll start living my real retirement

Yep.

I just pulled out my old "What I'm Gonna Do When I Retire" list. This was a list of projects and interests I thought I would knock out or delve into within a few months of hanging it up.

- a year after retiring I'd done only 25% of them
- two years after retiring I've done just over a third of them (one project I actually completed today!), realized another third I no longer had any interest in doing, and the jury is still out on the last third.

What I did do the first year was go on a cruise and... well, not much else other than basically enjoy life. My goals and interests are changing: less boating since I just sold it, thinking about buying an RV. The nice thing is I'm the one setting my agenda, not the guy in the corner office who's trying to meet the company profit goals for the year.

 

[Nords]

I just pulled out my old "What I'm Gonna Do When I Retire" list. This was a list of projects and interests I thought I would knock out or delve into within a few months of hanging it up.
- a year after retiring I'd done only 25% of them
- two years after retiring I've done just over a third of them (one project I actually completed today!), realized another third I no longer had any interest in doing, and the jury is still out on the last third.
What I did do the first year was go on a cruise and... well, not much else other than basically enjoy life. My goals and interests are changing:

Same here.

1 June 2002: learned to surf.

Next six months:
- Shopped for used & new longboards.
- Practiced surfing at least twice/week.
- Vacationed on Maui (with in-laws) during some of the stock market's worst drops.
- Bought more Berkshire Hathaway.
- Remodeled master bathroom.
- Reorganized garage.
- Yardwork. Lots of it.

Final six months:
- Fixed used longboards many times, bought a new one.
- Took a one-week interisland cruise during the opening of the Iraq war.
- Started moving more money out of tech and into small-cap value.
- Reviewed my "Goals" list. Decided to change "weekly" to "monthly" and "monthly" to "annual". Later changed them to "short term", "medium term", and "long term" in units of years to decades.

 

[citrine]

November 2019---Semi Retire

Living in North Carolina....in a house already paid off.
Grow my own veggies, flowers, and herbs
Refinishing furniture
Painting (oils/acrylic
Reading
Meditating
Teaching Yoga
Volunteering.....(literacy program, soup kitchen, etc.)

Drinking coffee on the porch....watching the neighbors drive off to work.....and just smiling

I can hardly wait!!!!

 

[Meadbh]

Oh, you are so lucky to be able to expect your house to sell in a month. Here, I'm afraid it might take a lot longer even at a lower price. Probably I will have to start trying to sell it several months before I can actually retire.

Around here houses are selling within days. But of course all could change between now and then!

 

[steinj]

We plan to:

1. sell the house
2. get rid of stuff and put the rest in storage
3. take off for many months around the world - free and mobile
4. do 3 for as long as it takes to get the 20+ years of Megacorp out of the system and satisfy our gypsy/nomad lust
5. settle somewhere near the kids in a low cost place so we can take off again easily as desired

JoJo

 

[chinaco]

Oh, you are so lucky to be able to expect your house to sell in a month. Here, I'm afraid it might take a lot longer even at a lower price. Probably I will have to start trying to sell it several months before I can actually retire.

I will make you jealous. We sold our previous house back in 2000. We hired an agent, stuck a sign in the yard and sold it the next day. We checked comparables in the area ourselves (using information from the county auditor) and cross-checked comparables by interviewing several real-estate agents before we chose an agent. So we did not list it low.
Location, location, location... Our location was OK from my point of view, but not fantastic. However, the retired couple that paid cash wanted to be near their son. It was luck. Plus, timing is everything!!!

 

[Dreamer]

I retired 6/2/06. I have done a lot of traveling. I have been to VA 3 times, DC, Amish country in OH, Chicago IL, San Diego CA and Hawaii. I have been to a Women's Retreat in Charleston WV and I am going to Lancaster PA next month to see the play In The Beginning among other things. There are so many places to go and so little time!

I have done a ton of reading, which I love. I joined a women's club, which I don't love, and was elected treasurer. As soon as my year is up, I am out of there. I have been able to spend a great deal of time with my sister, whom I love dearly. I take my daughter to school and pick her up everyday. She is a senior and I can't wait until 5/11, her last day of public school. Yeah! She will have to go back for graduation rehearsal, etc, but she should be able to drive to that herself. She doesn't like to drive to school, because she would have to leave earlier in order to find a parking place. Yeah, she is spoiled. Anyway, it is such a feeling of relief, not to have a child in public school next year. My son is turning 29 years old in a couple of weeks, so you know how long I have had children in public school.

I have not completed any big projects at home. I do not have a goals list either. I guess that I should have one. There are certainly a ton of things that need done. I have found that I do not like housework one bit more now that I have retired than I did when working! I do cook more and we are eating healthier.

I have recently applied for 2 jobs that would be part-time (gasp)! Actually, I always planned on working part-time after I retired to finish getting my needed social security credits. After WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) my social security check will be tiny, but if it is high enough to cover my Medicare premium at 65, then that will be good. My DH thinks that I am crazy for trying to get a job and is against it. If he were retired, then I would not be doing this. I have already decided that if I don't get hired for either job, I am not going to apply for any more until the fall.

 

[USK Coastie]

Plan to hang it up July 1, 2007. July/August travel in Idaho and revisit some of the hot springs etc we last saw in 1999. Also laze around on the river in front of the house.
Jan/March go south to AZ maybe TX to see that part of the country in winter. May 15 or so 2008 leave for AK via the Alcan with scheduled return of Sept 15 2008.

Then again maybe I'll just sleep, read, and relax for a few years. I won't be "required" to do any of this in ER.

95 days and counting to ER

 

[Lsbcal]

Dreamer, you can get 50% of your spouse's SS if that is higher then what you would get on your own. Perhaps you don't have to work after all?

Les

 

[martyb]

2013

January - Retire from Civil Service and Air Force Reserves. If I request, I am entitled to a parade upon retirement. Since it will be cold in January, I WILL!
February - sell the house, buy retirement home on the lake. Go fishing
March - fish
April - fish & travel
May - month at Myrtle Beach
June - travel to hometown to see family/friends...stay maybe a month
July - stay indoors, it's hot in Louisiana in July, and I'm tired of travel for now!
August - still too hot, think I'll travel up north a little (suggestions?)
September - fish are biting again, I'll be out there!
October - yep...........
November - same activity, different species....
December - spend most of the month visiting different relatives & friends around the country. If my mom's still around, I'd like to spend the holidays with her (with DW of course).

Of course this is all a pretty loose plan, it's still 5 years away ya know! :

 

[yakers]

I have a tenative retirement date of Nov 03, 2007, thought I would be gone by now but the buyout fell through, so the current plan is:

Nov; start cleaning out the garage
Dec; always wanted to learn Spanish, now is the time
Jan; time to take up sailing,
Feb; travel to South Pacific…Rarotonga
Mar: Fiji
Apr: New Zealand
May: Australia
Jun; build kayak for wife to match the one I built for myself
Jul; visit older son & grandchildren
Aug; drive up to Artic via NW Territories of Canada or Alaska, kayak a lot
Sept; spend more time with grandchildren
Oct; visit UK and maybe parts of Europe
Nov; still working on garage, maybe get it finished

 

[Dreamer]

Dreamer, you can get 50% of your spouse's SS if that is higher then what you would get on your own. Perhaps you don't have to work after all?

Les

I was a government worker and the government pension offset provision applies to me also, so I do not qualify for any social security from my spouse's social security. Thanks for trying to help though!

 

[Calgary_Girl]

Around here houses are selling within days. But of course all could change between now and then!

Hi Meadbh. I know that you're Canadian but I can't remember what part of the country you're living in. A house a few doors down sold yesterday...the same day it was listed. I saw the agent put up the For Sale sign at 1:00 pm and by 4:00 pm the sign was already gone! The market is still very strong here.

 

[JustCurious]

January, 2028....Retire and relax.

February, 2028...start back to work part time because DW is driving me crazy 24/7.

 

[Nords]

February, 2028...start back to work part time because DW is driving me crazy 24/7.

You never know... faced with the thought of spending all day with her spouse, DW might have her own plans to start working in Jan '28.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Okay, I don't know anyone who qualifies for a parade when they retire, MartyB!
That is the coolest thing ever! Do they throw beads or it is more formal?

So we have a two step ER, DH will retire in 2012 and I will retire in 2017. He will have saved his last year of salary for a trawler purchase, and will spend some time fixing it up and taking some short trips. When I retire, we will take it on longer trips, back to the Bahamas probably. We also want to go stay with friends in Belize and New Zealand for long trips. Can't wait!

Sarah

 

[txdakini]

Five months to go!!!!

Decompress after 21+ years in Corproate America( an acquaintance noted that my company had the spiritual energy of styrofoam)

Drop enough weight to begin to get in shape again; 20 years ago-state class athlete; now- middle aged fat guy

reboot my meditation practice

Spend more time with family and friends

Become trained as guardian of therapy dog

Mentor at risk school kids

Work on grant writing for a Buddhist retreat Center

Break out my harmonicas

Listen to mass quantities of music

Work on my Barbequing technique

Set up plan for next 5 years.

 

[Meadbh]

Hi Meadbh. I know that you're Canadian but I can't remember what part of the country you're living in. A house a few doors down sold yesterday...the same day it was listed. I saw the agent put up the For Sale sign at 1:00 pm and by 4:00 pm the sign was already gone! The market is still very strong here.

Hi Calgary_Girl.....

I live on the Prairies, but not in your town. Year over year increase around here is approximately 16%. In Calgary (where the real estate market is INSANE), house prices rose by 27% and condos by 40% in the past year. All the indications are that this will continue for the foreseeable future, or at least as long as oil revenues stay strong. If you own your home, your NW has risen really fast. On the other hand, you have to live somewhere......I understand that nobody should even think about moving to Calgary now without finding a home first. Recently, while travelling, I met a real estate broker who said that he had a maximum of one month to find a client's next home, before the prices rose out of their price range.

I'm thinking of investing in managed rental properties across Canada and would like to include some in Alberta.

 

[Calgary_Girl]

Hi Calgary_Girl.....

I live on the Prairies, but not in your town. Year over year increase around here is approximately 16%. In Calgary (where the real estate market is INSANE), house prices rose by 27% and condos by 40% in the past year. All the indications are that this will continue for the foreseeable future, or at least as long as oil revenues stay strong. If you own your home, your NW has risen really fast. On the other hand, you have to live somewhere......I understand that nobody should even think about moving to Calgary now without finding a home first. Recently, while travelling, I met a real estate broker who said that he had a maximum of one month to find a client's next home, before the prices rose out of their price range.

I'm thinking of investing in managed rental properties across Canada and would like to include some in Alberta.

Very true. Our house's market value rose approx. 50% compared to last year, which is great (like you said) for our net worth. Although DH and I have no plans to sell in the short term, our very long term plan is to downsize to a smaller home or condo and become snowbirds (20 years or more from now). Hopefully, the real estate market will hold steady here and not go bust (like the early '80's).

Although Calgary is the land of opportunity (at least for now ), you can't just arrive here without knowing where you'll be living. There are stories of Easterners arriving on the Greyhound, finding a job on their first day and having to sleep at a homeless shelter because they didn't realize they couldn't find a place to rent or that homes are so expensive now.