"You'll Be Bored!!!"

[ExFlyBoy5]

Yes I'll have to remember this too. W*rk could certainly be said to be sometimes 'exciting' but not the kind of excitement that is conducive to a long and healthy life in the opinion of many.

And in the world of w*rk, I have one of the best gigs out there...but I won't do it for free, so it's not THAT great and won't miss about 95% of it. Time is finite and intend to enjoy all that I can!

 

[Midpack]

Most here haven't found retirement boring (a few just won't admit it), but it certainly happens to some people - the fortunate few who actually enjoy their careers for example. I suspect retirement boredom often afflicts people who were largely bored outside their careers to begin with.

Top 10 reasons people get bored with retirement | Moneywise News

Top reasons retirees get disillusioned
1. I missed the camaraderie I had at work
2. The novelty of not working wore off
3. I was bored
4. My mind wasn't being pushed
5. I didn't have as much disposable income as I thought
6. The glow just wears off because you get used to it
7. When everyday ended being the same as the day before
8. I didn't have many friends who had retired
9. The nice weather ended and I had t spend more time indoors
10. I was lonely

 

[Lisa99]

For the older folks that give us a hard time it may be a generational issue.

My brother lost his job when he was 41 and has never worked again by his choice (he probably has the first dime he was given as a kid). For about five years our dad constantly bugged him about when he was going to find a job. The answer "I'm not" wasn't accepted.

Caused major bad blood to the point that my brother no longer comes to family events. Very sad.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

For the older folks that give us a hard time it may be a generational issue.

My brother lost his job when he was 41 and has never worked again by his choice (he probably has the first dime he was given as a kid). For about five years our dad constantly bugged him about when he was going to find a job. The answer "I'm not" wasn't accepted.

Caused major bad blood to the point that my brother no longer comes to family events. Very sad.

Wow...that's horrible. If your brother wasn't going around begging for money or other financial help, then what would be the big deal? People can be very strange sometimes.

 

[JoeWras]

I can't wait to be bored.

As I shared last year, I can always vacuum the house. (That' didn't go over too well.)

 

[Lisa99]

Wow...that's horrible. If your brother wasn't going around begging for money or other financial help, then what would be the big deal? People can be very strange sometimes.

I never have figured out why dad gave him such a hard time... And yes, dad can be strange.


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[pb4uski]

I was told the same thing by some people - including some people who knew me well.

Boredom has not been an issue - occasionally, yes - but overall, no.

When I'n not golfing I have been pleasantly surprised how content I can be just puttering around.

One nice thing is it had freed up a lot of time for me to help friends and family with different little projects that keep me busy doing interesting things and helps them out. I was guardian for an old great aunt who didn't have anyone to help her and took a load off my aunt who would have otherwise had to do it long distance. I helped BIL's mom get away from an annuity and into Vanguard. Etc.

 

[nash031]

I have heard that they are making the new guys (in the AF anyway) go through a basic finance class once they get to their first duty station. I am not sure what this involves though...I have to assume that with some of the sweet rides the youngins are cruising around in, it's nothing more than "Pay your bills to stay out of trouble!".

I'm an O5(sel) and I am starting to see some of this same pushback from friends when/if we discuss my plans after my 20. Most of them smirk when I say I don't plan to work, and a few have even said "You can't afford to live in Southern California on your pension and your wife's salary."

I usually just kind of smile and say, "OK!" Though I did tell one of them, "You're right: I plan on my wife not working as well!" I am kind of surprised that even the officers I talk to don't seem to think it's in the realm of possibility.

Then again, one of my closest friends dresses his three-year-old in designer clothes, enjoys particularly expensive habits, and, to my knowledge, had no savings of his own until he married a few years ago always counting on the pension being enough. He's very excited about his sales job with "unlimited earnings potential" that he starts shortly after his military retirement... but that's not for me...

 

[friar1610]

Presumably they would've saved 10%+ of their income for at least 15 years prior to retirement. A single person or someone with a working spouse shouldn't have to work anymore once they start their pension. If they are married with dependent children and their spouse doesn't work then I could see them needing additional income. An E-6 retiring today with barely 20 years would have their pension start at just over $22K/yr. Any officer who puts in 20 years should be able to retire on their pension kids or no kids.

I'm not sure if your comments are based on first-hand experience in the military or not.

In the lower enlisted grades, saving 10% of income is a mighty big challenge. Not that it can't be done, but I'd venture to say that very few are able to do it.

I agree with you that a single person might be able to complete a military career, retire as an E-6/7 and live without working again. When you talk about working spouses, it might not be as simple as it looks (my original point). With transfers every 3-5 years, military spouses often find getting a job to be very difficult. (Employers know they will be gone in a few years and may be looking for longer-term employees.) When they are able to find work, it can often be at the lower end of the pay scale and if day-care is an issue, well....

As for officers, if there is college tuition looming for kids, it's not that easy to get by on just the pension. O-5's and above should have an easier time. But a lot of officers who work their way up through the ranks retire as O-3's/4's - certainly decent pensions but not huge.

Finally, housing can chew up a lot of a soldier's/sailor's/airman's/marine's/coastie's income in areas where there is not base housing available. These folks don't get a choice of whether or not they get stationed in a high-cost area (think Washington, DC) and a 3 year tour with high housing costs plus an incredibly long commute can not only make it impossible to save, it can cause people to dig into previous savings.

My comments are not meant to imply that a cola'd pension is not a very nice thing - it is- but there is a lot more to it than meets the eye.

 

[nash031]

Presumably they would've saved 10%+ of their income for at least 15 years prior to retirement. A single person or someone with a working spouse shouldn't have to work anymore once they start their pension. If they are married with dependent children and their spouse doesn't work then I could see them needing additional income. An E-6 retiring today with barely 20 years would have their pension start at just over $22K/yr. Any officer who puts in 20 years should be able to retire on their pension kids or no kids.

Yeah, that's just not true. Just like anyone else, it comes down to income vs. expenses. An O5 retiring in 2020 (my case) will start with a pension of about $55K/yr. I've saved more than (and most of the time MUCH more than) 10% of my gross since I was an O-1, and it'll be tight in five years as to whether I meet my "number." DW and I are not extravagant spenders, but we also don't want to HAVE to move away from our current high cost of living locale, which really drives what we need to retire. We may CHOOSE to move...

It's all about choices.

So, it's not just "O5 pension should be enough". It should be "O5 pension should be enough *IF*..."

 

[Corporateburnout]

It's been two months since I retired and I have not been bored at all. It's been all that I expected and then some. I know it's only been two months and it's summer but so far it's been GREAT.

 

[Walt34]

Your best revenge will be to simply smile, nod, ignore them, and go about enjoying your retirement for years while they remain slaves to the credit industry.

 

[FIREd]

There was one person in our family, one of DW's uncles, who seemed to get quite cross with me when I stopped working. He thought that I was taking advantage of his niece. But when he inquired about it, DW replied that we had sufficient means for me not to work anymore. Now he stopped talking to both of us, which is strange because by all accounts he is far wealthier than we are. MIL thinks that he is jealous because his own kids are struggling. Who knows. People are strange. And trying to figure them out bores me way more then retirement.

 

[Rustward]

. . .Why would you work when you don't need to?

Because one likes it? I absolutely loved all but one of my j*bs across my 32 year career. I had two years buried in the middle that I was not fond of but the rest of it was a pretty good run. At different times I was on call 24x7, worked lots of Sundays, had to travel full time (like leave on Sunday night and return on Friday 48 weeks a year -- did that almost four years), had customers literally scream in my face giving me a good view of their dental work, etc. so there was plenty to complain about, but in general I liked it. Probably a minority here.

 

[travelover]

To me, one of the best benefits of being FI is that I don't have to please anyone (DW excepted). I'd jumped to that tune since I was an ankle biter and it felt good to just flip the switch.

 

[martyb]

Retired one month ago. No boredom yet!

 

[truenorth418]

I've been retired for 3 years. Do I get bored sometimes? Sure! But never as bored as I was in staff meetings, conference calls, annual reviews, etc.

The antidote for being bored in retirement is to start a running list of fun things you always dreamed of doing, then get up off your butt and start doing them.


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[Calico]

It's kinda funny...my Grandad (really, he's my father since he raised me and my actual father is MIA) owned his own business and was successful with it. He closed up shop when he was 62 and he has told me repeatedly that the only regret he has in life was that he didn't retire much earlier. In relative terms, he did (and continues to have) a good retirement, but I think he would have liked to do more with his DW that wasn't in very good health for several years before her passing a couple of years ago. I suspect that he could have retired 15 years earlier...but his generation was a glass-empty in regards to money. He's absolutely ecstatic at me being FIRE, so we get along pretty well.

In that case I would just hang out with your Grandad and ignore the other relative.

 

[rodi]

I have a brother in law who keeps sending me leads on jobs. I'm close to him - we worked together 20 years ago and he's the one who fixed me up with my husband. I've explained that I *retired* - that I'm not looking for work. He doesn't get it.

I finally had to explain that if I got another job I would have a hard time fitting it in my schedule- I'm waitlisted for an Italian 101 class at the local jr. college. I'm coaching my son's robotics team. And I am enjoying going on long walks with my dog in an effort to get back into shape. Work doesn't fit into that....

I've only been retired 5 1/2 weeks. Last week during the "whee" market I had 2 coworkers reach out to ask if I was coming back now that the market was going down. I laughed and said I'd be fine.

Some folks just don't get it.

 

[urn2bfree]

I never understand the "you'll be bored" comment.
So if retirement equals boredom, no one should ever retire?
All should work until dead or disabled?
Or is there some magical age at which you don't get bored?
What is it about being old that prevents this boredom of which they speak?


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[aaronc879]

I never understand the "you'll be bored" comment.
So if retirement equals boredom, no one should ever retire?
All should work until dead or disabled?
Or is there some magical age at which you don't get bored?
What is it about being old that prevents this boredom of which they speak?


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That's a really good point!

 

[robnplunder]

My RE schedule is thus. Trading & internet surfing in the morning, exercise, gardening, golf practice and/or round in the afternoon, and reading and other hobbies in the rest of the night. I will have to wind down and just relax on weekend. When & how can I squeeze in traveling? Busy, busy, busy ...

 

[Mulligan]

I never have figured out why dad gave him such a hard time... And yes, dad can be strange.


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Mine hasn't given me a hard time but he doesn't "get it". In fact he is pushing 80 and after taking him for a surgery a few days ago within 10 minutes of being out of recovery room he was already saying he hopes the surgery got rid of the pain enough to go back to work. It just cracks me up. He says maybe he can now get a few more good years of work in before he dies. And no he doesn't need any money.


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[jetpack]

Alright, there are boring times. I've been scaling back my work for a decade now. I've
mistakenly taken on more responsibility ( stressful volunteer work managing an organization and also some land-lording stuff ) I wish I just fully retired.. That way I could travel more
or take more extended trips.

Plan stuff and don't stay at home.

 

[Focus]

I've been retired for 3 years. Do I get bored sometimes? Sure! But never as bored as I was in staff meetings, conference calls, annual reviews, etc.

Ain't that the truth. It's funny how you get to the point where you lose patience with all this corporate stuff, even if you took it in stride for decades. It's a sure sign that it's time to go.