Some surprises in the second month of retirement

[ER Eddie]

Social support has been the concern for me, since I moved to Vermont only two+ years ago to live with my sweetie. In my two months of retirement, I've had some great experiences. One, we met a woman when we bought a wood stove from her. She retired a year ago, early, and we are close in age. We had made a lowball offer on the stove and she accepted, but we couldn't live with ourselves, since it was worth 40% more and she was such a great person. I went back to her house and gave her 20% more, and we kept in touch. Now that I've retired, we've gotten together a couple of times. She has been in Vermont for years, but moved to this town to be close to her grandson, whom she cares for a couple days a week.


My other happy social experience was learning of a women's group in town that meets to organize for progress around some local issues. A current concern is the town center village, which is close to the river, and isn't served by either a water or sewer system. Grant-writing for water testing ensues. We also did a political postcard-writing campaign, and are helping behind the scenes to get Old Home Days revived in our tiny town (pop. 666). A group of women, many close to my age, with similar values, getting together for potlucks. Perfect!


I'm also going to get a mid-week pass to ski at Okemo, where most of my ski friends ski, in addition to the pass DH and I have to Killington.



So, a big surprise in the first two months for me was developing some new relationships isn't going to be that hard! I'm also working on reviving an old hobby, singing in groups that do shape-note singing (early American liturgical music). I was interrupted by the bad surprise, described below.



A non-surprise was that I would love working in the gardens (two huge flower gardens and three raised-bed vegetable gardens). The bad surprise was that, as idyllic as our place looks, if you let down your guard on tick precautions, you might end up in the hospital with sepsis from anaplasmosis, one of the less well-known tick-borne diseases. I'm still weak but doing better, thanks.


DH, who is younger and not quite in a position to retire yet, is jealous. But we seem to be working it out. All it took was for him to take a week off here and there to work on our house and barn, instead of someone else's. Now if I can get him to take a week off for an actual vacation . . .


ETA: Eddie, I wanted to say, it's been fun trailing along behind you on these threads. I appreciate your self-reflection and it prompts me to put my own into words.

Thanks.

I like that you're getting involved in your small town. Someone should have a baby, so we can get that population number of 666 shifted, though, lol.

I wanted to let you know I saw a study recently that showed that retirees who live in less populous areas (e.g., smaller cities and rural areas) are happier than those who live in larger cities. That's presumably because of the sense of community that can develop in smaller cities, the sense of ease and friendliness, relative lack of stress/traffic/crowds, and having some distance from the lunacy that infects larger cities.

I've found that to be true in my own life, and it's one reason I'm staying put in my own little city. I think it's a great idea, to find a small city you like and plant yourself there. Sounds like you've found one.

I have also found socializing a lot easier than I expected. I'm actually feeling pretty introverted right now because over the past week or so, I've been doing a lot of social stuff (a lot for me, that is). I need to hide and recharge for a while, heh...

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Count me in as all in favor of avoiding the lunacy (traffic, crime, crowding, and isolation) of cities. I went to college here and lived here for a few years afterward, and always wanted to return. The only downside of Vermont in my book is the high tax rate. I imagine winter weather will be an issue when we are much older.

I also joined the Aging in Place committee in town, and given the huge population of Baby Boomers here, there’s considerable organizing around these issues. In addition to the usual Meals on Wheels and similar, this group expands something that goes on here anyway: neighbors drop by and stack wood or remove snow for an elder.

I like living here.

 

[Out of Steam]

I haven't retired quite yet, but we've been in our retirement home a couple of months while I commute back to w*rk 3 hours away weekly.

We thought that because our new house and neighborhood were physically very much like our old one, the communities would be more alike. They aren't alike, but the surprises have been at least as positive as negative. We've also been very pleased with the convenience of our new neighborhood.

On being afraid to spend, we will have to be a little cautious until one of us takes Social Security.

 

[misshathaway]

1. I don't want to move; I want to stay put.

I came to the opposite conclusion. I wish I could say it happened within 2 months like OP, but it took a few years of sleep-walking through ER.

I originally figured I would age in place in the home I grew up in. But the neighborhood has changed so much since then. It used to be a nondescript solidly middle and working class Boston suburb. Now it's an expensive, ridiculously poltical clone of Cambridge.

The new residents organized and voted themselves into local control. The property taxes and extra expenses went up to the point that I had to ask myself what value I was getting for the money. I didn't have any ties to the community, hated the cold weather, and needed a car for everything.

I ended up in the Orlando area. Loving it so far, despite the Hurricane Dorian scare starting on my second day here.

 

[kimcdougc]

This is the problem we are having now....where do we move and where to. We are retired 4 years now. Sold the big house. Renting an 800 square house from our daughter. We have been looking for 1 year now but haven't agreed on anything. It doesn't help that we live in the Seattle metro area. We don't want to spend all our money on a house. It is very expensive here.

So, we look towards the South where we lived till 22 years ago. Do we go back South (away from our kids) but to where we have lots of family or do we keep looking in the Pacific Northwest. You just get so exhausted looking at houses. I could just stay put and keep renting the little house we are in. The town is small, the neighbors are nice and you can walk to town.

DH wants a garage though and a place to park the rv (he doesn't like paying for a spot every month to keep the rv. Here we are still looking at houses etc. We just don't know at this point what we are going to do. Until then....we move forward living the good life.

 

[Backdraft57]

I've been retired for two months now. I had some surprises in the first month, which I mentioned in a different thread. Here are some surprises I've had in the second month:


1. I don't want to move; I want to stay put. Before I retired, I figured I would probably end up moving. East TN was my main/best option. I took a trip to east TN recently, and I came away with the clear, firm conclusion that I did not want to move. That is no slight against east TN -- it is pretty and has a lot to offer. My reasons would transfer to other places as well, so it's not about east TN. I won't go into my reasons or feelings, because that isn't really relevant, but I'll say there was 100% head and heart alignment and no uncertainty about the decision.

I felt a big sense of relief, when I realized that I didn't want to move. Moving is a lot of work and hassle, and now I don't have to worry about it. Also, when I was planning to move, life sort of felt like it was on hold. Now I can invest my energies locally; I can "grow where I'm planted."

I also came away feeling a lot of gratitude and appreciation for my humble little abode and small city. Even the little things like my backyard, the quiet streets, and the friendly neighbors made me smile. I've been here 22 years, have some roots here, and it feels like home, at least more than any other place has. I'm not saying I'll never move -- maybe I'll come across some place in my travels that I just must live -- but for now and the foreseeable future, I'm staying put. I'm happy where I am.


2. Before I retired, I expected that after I retired, I'd become budget-conscious and concerned about spending too much money. After all, there would be no more paychecks. Uh oh!

But actually, what has happened is that I've become concerned that I am not spending enough money. When I look at my financial situation, I am absurdly well-covered. I've also seen several videos lately making a pretty good case that retirees are overly worried about spending their money, which is really self-defeating, in that it inhibits them from actually enjoying their retirement. It reminds me of my hospital experience, where I believe I had a message from the other side that said I should loosen up and spend my money, not be so concerned about it, enjoy it.

I'm not a materialistic person, and it doesn't take much stuff to make me happy. But I do think my simplicity/frugality gets the better of me sometimes. I worry unnecessarily about preserving my savings, when there is really very little to worry about. The math is very clear.

I can probably spend more on myself here and there, but as I said, I don't need a lot of stuff to make me happy. When I think of things to spend money on for myself, there isn't a lot that comes to mind -- maybe go on a cruise or go to an interesting conference? I don't know. I'm not self-depriving and I'm fine with spending more money on myself, if I come across something I really want. I'll keep my eyes open.

What I'm thinking more about, though, is charity. I am giving a lot of money to charity when I die, but I heard something that struck me: "It's better to give with a warm hand than a cold one." In other words, it's better to give while you're alive, rather than via a will. Makes sense. That way, you can enjoy the process of giving. If I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that sometimes I decline to contribute to a charity today because I know that, when I croak, I'll be giving them a boatload of money. But that's backwards.

So, I'm going to make an effort to spend more and worry less about frugality. I want to enjoy my retirement and not view it as some kind of triumph if I die with a big bank balance (yay?). And I've set a goal of quadrupling my charitable contributions, which is still not all that much compared to what I could do, but it's a start.


3. Bike riding. I haven't ridden a bike for 30 years, but I bought one a couple weeks ago, and I love it. I get out there every morning and pedal around town for 30-60 minutes. I'm up early enough so there isn't much traffic, and even in the summer it's cool that time of day. There are five or six different directions to explore and access to a 42-mile paved bike trail just a few streets down.

Within a few days, I knew I'd miss it if I couldn't take my morning bike ride. It really makes me feel good, getting that early exercise. I don't really intend it as exercise -- just a leisurely ride -- but it turns out to be exercise anyhow. I used to take walks in the morning, but I like the bike ride better. My body feels more relaxed afterwards. I also noticed about a 10-point drop in my blood pressure, right after I started the bike riding, which is great.


4. Travel has become less annoying and more appealing.. I guess I had a bit of a prejudice against travel before I retired, mostly due to my distaste for being in a car for more than about an hour or two. I'm talking about local travel here, not flying long distances. The driving put me off. It would make me antsy. But I noticed on my trip to east TN, I drove long distances (15 hrs one day), and it didn't bother me. I mean, it made my back crink up, but I didn't get impatient like I normally do.

I think maybe it's because, before I retired, my long drives were often sandwiched in between work weeks, so there was a sense of time being short or wasted on the road (e.g., "I've got five days off and I'm spending two of them on the road, grr."). But now I've got plenty of time, so who cares.

Whatever the reason, I feel more comfortable with long drives. The good thing about this is that it makes it easier for me to explore several moderate-sized cities within a couple hours, which somewhat compensates for me living in a small town. Also, I can take more trips to forests and parks, to other states, and so forth.


So those are this month's surprises. Thanks for reading along.

Congrats Mr Ed getting in shape is good!

 

[morriss003]

I've been retired for two months now. I had some surprises in the first month, which I mentioned in a different thread. Here are some surprises I've had in the second month:


1. I don't want to move; I want to stay put. Before I retired, I figured I would probably end up moving. East TN was my main/best option. I took a trip to east TN recently, and I came away with the clear, firm conclusion that I did not want to move. That is no slight against east TN -- it is pretty and has a lot to offer. My reasons would transfer to other places as well, so it's not about east TN. I won't go into my reasons or feelings, because that isn't really relevant, but I'll say there was 100% head and heart alignment and no uncertainty about the decision.

I felt a big sense of relief, when I realized that I didn't want to move. Moving is a lot of work and hassle, and now I don't have to worry about it. Also, when I was planning to move, life sort of felt like it was on hold. Now I can invest my energies locally; I can "grow where I'm planted."

I also came away feeling a lot of gratitude and appreciation for my humble little abode and small city. Even the little things like my backyard, the quiet streets, and the friendly neighbors made me smile. I've been here 22 years, have some roots here, and it feels like home, at least more than any other place has. I'm not saying I'll never move -- maybe I'll come across some place in my travels that I just must live -- but for now and the foreseeable future, I'm staying put. I'm happy where I am.


2. Before I retired, I expected that after I retired, I'd become budget-conscious and concerned about spending too much money. After all, there would be no more paychecks. Uh oh!

But actually, what has happened is that I've become concerned that I am not spending enough money. When I look at my financial situation, I am absurdly well-covered. I've also seen several videos lately making a pretty good case that retirees are overly worried about spending their money, which is really self-defeating, in that it inhibits them from actually enjoying their retirement. It reminds me of my hospital experience, where I believe I had a message from the other side that said I should loosen up and spend my money, not be so concerned about it, enjoy it.

I'm not a materialistic person, and it doesn't take much stuff to make me happy. But I do think my simplicity/frugality gets the better of me sometimes. I worry unnecessarily about preserving my savings, when there is really very little to worry about. The math is very clear.

I can probably spend more on myself here and there, but as I said, I don't need a lot of stuff to make me happy. When I think of things to spend money on for myself, there isn't a lot that comes to mind -- maybe go on a cruise or go to an interesting conference? I don't know. I'm not self-depriving and I'm fine with spending more money on myself, if I come across something I really want. I'll keep my eyes open.

What I'm thinking more about, though, is charity. I am giving a lot of money to charity when I die, but I heard something that struck me: "It's better to give with a warm hand than a cold one." In other words, it's better to give while you're alive, rather than via a will. Makes sense. That way, you can enjoy the process of giving. If I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that sometimes I decline to contribute to a charity today because I know that, when I croak, I'll be giving them a boatload of money. But that's backwards.

So, I'm going to make an effort to spend more and worry less about frugality. I want to enjoy my retirement and not view it as some kind of triumph if I die with a big bank balance (yay?). And I've set a goal of quadrupling my charitable contributions, which is still not all that much compared to what I could do, but it's a start.


3. Bike riding. I haven't ridden a bike for 30 years, but I bought one a couple weeks ago, and I love it. I get out there every morning and pedal around town for 30-60 minutes. I'm up early enough so there isn't much traffic, and even in the summer it's cool that time of day. There are five or six different directions to explore and access to a 42-mile paved bike trail just a few streets down.

Within a few days, I knew I'd miss it if I couldn't take my morning bike ride. It really makes me feel good, getting that early exercise. I don't really intend it as exercise -- just a leisurely ride -- but it turns out to be exercise anyhow. I used to take walks in the morning, but I like the bike ride better. My body feels more relaxed afterwards. I also noticed about a 10-point drop in my blood pressure, right after I started the bike riding, which is great.


4. Travel has become less annoying and more appealing.. I guess I had a bit of a prejudice against travel before I retired, mostly due to my distaste for being in a car for more than about an hour or two. I'm talking about local travel here, not flying long distances. The driving put me off. It would make me antsy. But I noticed on my trip to east TN, I drove long distances (15 hrs one day), and it didn't bother me. I mean, it made my back crink up, but I didn't get impatient like I normally do.

I think maybe it's because, before I retired, my long drives were often sandwiched in between work weeks, so there was a sense of time being short or wasted on the road (e.g., "I've got five days off and I'm spending two of them on the road, grr."). But now I've got plenty of time, so who cares.

Whatever the reason, I feel more comfortable with long drives. The good thing about this is that it makes it easier for me to explore several moderate-sized cities within a couple hours, which somewhat compensates for me living in a small town. Also, I can take more trips to forests and parks, to other states, and so forth.


So those are this month's surprises. Thanks for reading along.

A beautiful post. Thanks.

 

[RobLJ]

We feel that way too. We were SURE that we wanted to get away from here and put some miles between us and our former workplaces and co-workers (not to mention the Katrina devastation). We spent almost all of our vacations checking out potential destinations, and selected Springfield, Missouri.

We moved from Houston to Reno, and it took 6 months and a lot of stress (we also had to sell the cabin above Canon City, CO). It's not something to misunderestimate (DW did most of the work).


I was in grade school in West Plains (60 miles from Springfield); it is a very beautiful part of the country. I often feel I might have as well have been raised in the 1880s or 90's; on the other hand, Springfield is more "urban" and I'm sure West Plains has changed as well. I heard the tornado almost completely destroyed Springfield some years back, but I'm sure it's rebuilt. I'm sure the people in Springfield are also more urban; in West Plains there was a farrier (I used to hang out and watch him shoe horses); good people, very religious, and would give their shirts off their backs, clannish as well (my father was a minister, so everyone knew me and my twin. Everyone.) My mother still gets postcards 50 years later asking about me. For those not from that kind of environment; it would could be a bit of a change. Springfield is a "big city" though, at least for those parts.

On the other topic, the hiking here in Reno is awesome; it's the gateway to the Sierras (in response to the OP's post about biking). A lot of people bike as well. These kind of activities really lets some of us know how tension has ruled our life.

 

[RobLJ]

So, a big surprise in the first two months for me was developing some new relationships isn't going to be that hard! I'm also working on reviving an old hobby, singing in groups that do shape-note singing (early American liturgical music). I was interrupted by the bad surprise, described below.

One of the (not-so weird) aspects of this blog is the serendipity of posts. I already commented on the post on Springfield.
I encourage you do this, if you have a hankering; I would, since I grew up in Congregational singing (one month Sunday before evening service was Congregational singing, including shape-note, which is addictive), and I'm about as secular now as you can get, but I do miss the singing.


A weird aspect is the youtube coverage of Irish shapenote singing, which became a thing about 10 years ago. Many of them are very good. Back in the hollers, when I accompanied my father to the small hill congregations, the singing was not so good.

(I stumbled on this and thought I had entered the Hottub Time Machine 45 years back to my childhood.)

 

[MoPops]

In my second month of retirement also. I did not retire early, but have found a lot of good info lurking on this website. Just turned 65 last month.
We aren’t consimoving, so I cannot relate to that, but the money (spending) and the biking I can really relate to. I think in 6 weeks of riding a pedal bike, and a few motorcycles, I’m in better shape than I’ve been in in years.. Feels good. A bit more energy than I’m used to.
I do know one thing. I sure don’t miss work! Ha!
I’ve been a lot busier than I thought I would be too, but that’s just how I’ve always been. I have never been very good at sitting around. Not much on tv that I care for.
Enjoying your retirement posts!

 

[Elizrogers]

I think I now believe in the old saying "the best laid plans...yada, yada. I have changed my retirement plans many times, as life has brought unexpected changes. So, I am learning to be more spontaneous and do what I have to do, rather than trying to force my plans to fruition.

I initially did not plan to retire until at least 70, but most likely closer to 75. I loved my job and the people I worked with so didn't want to leave and I was planning to put all my social security into my retirement fund for 10+ years to increase that. But then my company had a major lay-off in preparation for a merger. In 45 years I had never taken more than a couple weeks to find a new job. I have excellent skills and references as an Executive Assistant, and age had never been a concern, as everyone always says I look younger than I am. However, I now believe that has changed. For nine months I went on excellent interviews that generated next level interviews and I would be in the final 3 or 4 "equally qualified" candidates. But then would not get the job. I was asked repeatedly, "how long do you expect to work for the company?" That's a strange question. Who's going say, "oh a year or two." Obviously, they were looking at my age and thinking I'd want to retire soon, or start to have health issues or maybe die. Many of the interviewers were young enough to be my grandchildren and I'm sure they saw their grandparent, once they noticed my age. That was last year and I was 67. I gave myself until the first of 2019 (9 months) to find a job and then I was going to give up and just retire.

My plan for years had been to buy a lot and build a much smaller house, the design of which I had worked on for years and still have in my computer. I also, planned to move back to the Pacific NW (specifically in the Portland, OR area) from Dallas, so I'd be able to make day trips to the ocean, the mountains, the Columbian gorge, waterfalls, and many other great hiking and scenic places. Also, many of my high school classmates are there and get together regularly still.

So, I retired before I expected and my plans changed. I was not where I wanted to be financially to retire, but my advisor said if I took just enough for major things like the mortgage (I had planned to sell my current house to build the smaller one), a new car payment, taxes, insurance, and lived on the social security for everything else, my retirement funds would last about 20 years. I also, thought that I might eventually get some part time or contract work to supplement my income, since I couldn't imagine what I'd do at home all day. I had needed a knee replacement for awhile, so decided while I was off anyway and still had my employer insurance, I'd go ahead and have it done. I went in for a pre-surgery physical and decided to include my annual mammogram at the same time. They found a small cancer and I had to have surgery to remove it. That kept me down for a little while, but a month later I did have the knee replacement, so breast cancer surgery one month, knee replacement the next month. I did not recover as well or as quickly as I had from a previous knee replacement years before, but had a phone interview 4 days later, and did go to a face to face interview just 10 days after, and no one seem to notice. But, rehab 4 days a week curtailed any thoughts of looking for even a part time job this year. Another change in plans.

I was given the news of my job ending while I was on vacation in Portland in 2017, planning my 50th HS reunion. While there I investigated properties in both Oregon and Washington where I might build my dream home. I quickly learned that it would be impossible to move back as the economy there was ridiculously high. Had we had any idea how they would skyrocket, I'm sure my parents would never have sold our home there and moved to Texas with me. But now, my plan changed to finding a lot within 50 miles of my home here in Carrollton, TX to build that home, and maybe buying an RV to travel to visit friends and spend time in the Pacific NW.

I have since found that land in this area is also becoming ridiculously expensive and the raw land alone would cost as much as I intended to spend on the whole house build. So, like many of you, I now see no option but to stay in my current home. I designed and had it built 29 years ago to accommodate my parents moving down here with me and it is really too big for me alone now, but the mortgage is less than half what rent would be, even for a small one-bedroom apt, and I could not buy or build anything smaller for less money than this would sell for. Other concerns for me have been that I live on a greenbelt and have fed the birds, ducks, squirrels and bunnies in my front yard for over 15 years. My cousin says I am supporting the fourth generation of welfare birds. But all the animals are used to it. When I have been gone for a couple days I notice they still come and dig around looking for the seeds they are used to. If I am gone for several days, I have a neighbor come and fill the dishes every day. So, if I move, who would take care of them? So, another reason to remain.

You see how my plans change constantly. I have always had a cat and it was no problem to board him/her when I traveled, but recently I adopted two more kittens, so now have three. They do not like to be taken out of the house and when I was in Portland for a few days this year, it cost more to board them than my trip did. So, I will not be able to afford to take trips and have to board them. I have had petsitters in the past with bad experiences, so will not have strangers in my house again or trust to care for my babies.

Bottom line, You must remain flexible and be open to revising lifestyle. I have now changed my retirement plans yet again, to try to live on social security as much as possible for daily needs, and only taking enough out of savings for the major annual expenses. No new car at this time. No RV or previously planned travel. And surprisingly I have little time to be bored, as I find being available has brought many volunteer requests from my church and community, so I am busy at least 4-5 days a week. When I'm not committed to go somewhere I try to fit in housework, laundry, etc. in between naps that seem to come over me if I sit for any length of time during the day. So, my plans have evolved a lot from what my retirement plan had been for years before I got here.

I was a member here long before I retired, though, so had been reading about all you all's plans and experiences and was sure I needed a million dollars before I could safely retire. That is not necessarily true I am finding now that I'm here and living it. I am doing what I have to, cutting out where I need to, but I'm comfortable and not deprived. The only real concern now is that at 68 I may live more than 20 years and will then run out of money. I guess if I am still this healthy in 10 years, I will have to start eating junk food again and get into some extreme sports. That could be fun.

 

[a60dan]

Thanks for sharing the experience.

Yesterday I reached the milestone of 59 - 1/2 years, joking that Apple was honoring the occasion of my being able to tap my retirement accounts without penalty

I worry about spending money, having grown up "poor", working and saving since my paper route days so many years ago.

I also worry about the way I feel if I spend vacation days at home, and my wife threatening to send me back to work.....

Medical insurance from 62-65 is my biggest concern.

In another 2.5 years, my plan is to request a phase-out like 4 days/wekk, then 3 days/week, etc. as I develop a plan to fill my days when we're not travelling.

I'm hoping we can do a lot of travelling while we still can.

It's great hearing how others are dealing with retirement. Looking forward to month 3.

 

[VanWinkle]

Thanks for sharing the experience.

Yesterday I reached the milestone of 59 - 1/2 years, joking that Apple was honoring the occasion of my being able to tap my retirement accounts without penalty

I worry about spending money, having grown up "poor", working and saving since my paper route days so many years ago.

I also worry about the way I feel if I spend vacation days at home, and my wife threatening to send me back to work.....

Medical insurance from 62-65 is my biggest concern.

In another 2.5 years, my plan is to request a phase-out like 4 days/wekk, then 3 days/week, etc. as I develop a plan to fill my days when we're not travelling.

I'm hoping we can do a lot of travelling while we still can.

It's great hearing how others are dealing with retirement. Looking forward to month 3.

You have plenty of time to become educated in the Affordable Care Act and
income control for maximum subsidies. Roth accounts and Taxable accounts have the best shot of achieving the goal, so think ahead with savings in the last 2-3 years. It will pay off with reduced costs for health insurance. I did exactly that, and it worked wonderfully. I am going on Medicare on Nov 1st 2019 after retirement at 61 in 2016.

Best of luck to you, and think ahead for the best results.

VW

 

[Dtail]

You have plenty of time to become educated in the Affordable Care Act and
income control for maximum subsidies. Roth accounts and Taxable accounts have the best shot of achieving the goal, so think ahead with savings in the last 2-3 years. It will pay off with reduced costs for health insurance. I did exactly that, and it worked wonderfully. I am going on Medicare on Nov 1st 2019 after retirement at 61 in 2016.

Best of luck to you, and think ahead for the best results.

VW

+1
I save 11k yearly currently due to managing MAGI. Look at this aspect closely.

 

[SpinDoctorTX]

First off, congratulations, ER Eddy! ! I'm just short of 3 years in (ER @ 56), and I have just this year to really spend my budgeted dollars 6/2018 thru to now. Partly, this is b/c of my DW's cancer diagnosis, so we are working the bucket list. The hardest thing for us is trying to let go (at least some) of the frugal living ways that enabled us to be retired.

As for moving, I truly hope that the house we are in will be the last one, so no moving for us. We moved twice for my last position- what a hassle! We both spent a lot of time chasing paychecks around the US, so we have no green grass envy.

Give yourself some time to figure out what will work for you, as I was pretty much a rudderless boat at the start. DH had retired years earlier, so it took a bit for us to get in the new groove.

I did look for work after I gave my old company the heave hoe. Age discrimination is alive and well. After 6 months of low ball offers (I know what analysts make!), I gave the job search the same treatment and just said the heck with it all! Hands down, it's the best decision I made--- ever. I wish you all the best on your journey. There is nothing more satisfying than rewarding yourself for all the years of toil!

 

[ER Eddie]

...After 6 months of low ball offers (I know what analysts make!), I gave the job search the same treatment and just said the heck with it all! Hands down, it's the best decision I made--- ever. I wish you all the best on your journey. There is nothing more satisfying than rewarding yourself for all the years of toil!

Thank you, sir. That's a good way to look at it.

I have difficulty letting go of the frugality, too, but I'm working on it. After decades of practice, it's a well-worn groove. It takes self-awareness to pick up the needle and place it down on a different spot on the record. Oh dear, my analogies are analog ... but the times, they are a'digital...

Best wishes to you and your wife.