41 & Mostly retired. What to do now?

[jetpack]

I was a computer programmer and made out great with dotcoms. Still running a few websites, but mostly on autopilot now. Now trying to figure out
what to do with my life post retirement. I'm single w/ no kids. I have traveled a bit, but don't really enjoy being a tourist, and it's not that fun travelling alone.

What do you all do for fun?

 

[FUEGO]

First let me say you may have the best problem in the world. Financially enough to get by just fine.

For fun? I have a wife and 3 young kids and a full time job, so free time is relatively limited compared to your lifestyle. If I have a few hours to blow, you might find me sitting on the back deck with a coffee reading a book or watching the wildlife. Or inside playing a computer game or catching up on a tv show I enjoy. In the evenings when it cools down, I might be out walking, headed to the park to play some tennis, or catching up on some yard work or landscaping.

In the middle of the day, I might be cooking something delicious and expecting company to arrive any minute for a lunch or dinner party.

We love to travel but it is a little more cumbersome (and expensive!) with 3 young kids, so I haven't been doing much of that lately.

 

[dvalley]

Here's a 3 step plan for you:

Get married and have kids
Get a job
Save for early retirement


Seriously, congrats and what a nice problem to have!

I'm sure people like Buffet, Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Ryan Crest etc don't need to work for money anymore but they do it because it's their passion and quest in life. I guess it depends on what you're passionate about, what you want to do in life and how you see yourself in the next 5,10 and 20 years?

For me I would work part-time in a completely different sector (I'm in IT too but not as fortunate lol) and helping others especially the future generation by teaching/mentoring what I know.

 

[GrayHare]

Via a blog or site share your knowledge or research of a hobby or interest.

 

[scrabbler1]

I was a computer programmer and made out great with dotcoms. Still running a few websites, but mostly on autopilot now. Now trying to figure out
what to do with my life post retirement. I'm single w/ no kids. I have traveled a bit, but don't really enjoy being a tourist, and it's not that fun travelling alone.

What do you all do for fun?

Like you, I am single with no kids. I semi-retired at 38, fully retired at 45, now 50. Before I semi-retired (switched to working part-time), I had lined up two activities I could begin doing when I knew I would have the time. One was some volunteer work, the other a resurrected hobby. Do you have any hobbies you ahd to stop doing when your work became too tiring? Volunteer work is hit-or-miss but can usually be local.

 

[Arifriekinel]

I'm not quite retired yet, but I also haven't been working very long either I mostly enjoy video games, books, television shows, and movies. Pretty broad, but I can, and often do, spend days on end watching movies or picking some show on Netflix to go through. I've never been an elitist about what medium I get stories through, video or text, I just love them

Not sure what kind of programming you're into, but making flash games is a really fun hobby. You get the joys of writing, or drawing, and of programming all in one, and I find it really relaxing and fun.

 

[jetpack]

Well, I certainly thought I'd be married by this point, but that just hasn't worked out.

I have tried volunteering.... Taking on another job.. and various hobbies (like photography) None of them I've had a passion for. I had a passion for computers
and tech (that's what got me to this point) .. but I'm sorta getting over that now.

Well, another problem is that most of my friends all still work, so it's hard to find
stuff to do with people during the day.

 

[FIREd]

What do you all do for fun?

I have a number of hobbies that keep me busy. I walk a lot. I love photography and take pictures daily. I also maintain a photojournal, i.e. a record of my life in pictures. I love cooking as well. I like preparing and drinking tea in a meditative way. I like to play video games and watch movies. I like to spend some quiet time with my cats. I like to go to the beach or even just sit in the sun and watch the world go by.

 

[Tom52]

Find a SO or at least a traveling partner. I agree, traveling/sightseeing alone is no fun. You have to share the experience with someone. I picked up the guitar about 10 years ago and I play it everyday, not half bad at it either. Exercise everyday. DW and I like to bicycle when the weather is nice.

I am not yet retired but plan to resurrect my car hobby when I have more time to tinker.

 

[Major Tom]

What do you all do for fun?

Whatever we darned well want to!

That's the great thing about being FI - you can do whatever you want (with the usual caveats, of course).

The subject of "what do you do all day" is a recurring one here and it is all dependent on your own preferences and personality. Some people are content with very little in the way of scheduled, "observable" activities, while others pack their retirement with as many different pursuits as possible. Some don't completely settle into post-work life and go back to work.

As for your comments on travel, I do remember taking a trip on my own once. I couldn't get used to doing it on my own and came back after a couple of days. Nowadays, I think I'd be a lot better at traveling on my own. I've heard some say that they love traveling solo, as they are more open to meeting others and experiencing new things. Others prefer to share their travels with someone they know well. All I'm saying is not to write off solo travel too fast - it may be something you could get used to. Alternatively, perhaps you'll meet someone you can travel with.

I went back to an old hobby after stopping work and achieved some new things with it, starting a blog and getting mentions in a few magazines and a book. It was quite gratifying to receive the acknowledgment, though the best bit was proving to myself that I could do the things I set out to do. My other main pursuit - a very time consuming one - has been committing my entire CD collection (originally numbering about 10,000) to hard drive. For most people this is a simple task, but not for me as I require accurate rips, and scans of every single page in the CD booklet, as well as the jewel case insert, and the CD itself, before I can bring myself to get rid of the CD. Then my cassettes need to be digitized, then the 1/4" reels, and then the broadcast carts. My goal is reduce my collection to the point where it will be easier to move/travel/live in an RV. I figure it will take me a few more years.

When I'm not doing the above, I'm playing with, and doting on my cats. For the most part they like it but I think they are sometimes secretly relieved when I go out so they can get some uninterrupted napping time in!

 

[Midpack]

I have about 70 items complete on my bucket list, and 50 to go though I am sure I will add more. But that doesn't help you.

Go check out How to Retire Happy Wild & Free (or The Joy of Not Working) by Ernie Zelinski and read it. The writing is average, but the content is excellent. Or just do the Get-A-Life Tree exercise in either book. You should find there are plenty of activities that you would enjoy...

 

[obgyn65]

A lot of volunteering, here and abroad.

What do you all do for fun?

 

[ERhoosier]

I was a computer programmer and made out great with dotcoms... Now trying to figure out
what to do with my life post retirement. I'm single w/ no kids.

Start training for ironman triathlons. That will burn 15-18+hrs/wk training, plus a similar amount of extra sleeping for recovery

Seriously- Just keep trying new stuff until you find what holds your interest. In many areas local adult ed courses can be a help. Also- Lots of different areas to try volunteering, inc. tutoring in or out of your field of study.

And +1 for Midpack's suggestion to read Zelinski's book!

 

[NW-Bound]

If one has no other hobbies, does not care to travel, but enjoys his work, I do not see why he has to stop.

Enjoyable work can be like a hobby, except that you get paid. What's wrong with that?

 

[MooreBonds]

meetup.com

You can find interest groups on anything and everything. Join a bunch. Meet some people. Do a ton of various activities. Or even start your own group or two....

 

[Larro Darro]

Welcome to the forum JP. My problem is what to do with my free time at work. The morning and early afternoon while I'm at home fly by. But when I get to work at 1500 everyday, I go stir crazy looking for something to do. I used to read a lot. I had gone through all the spy, action, mystery and crime books in the local library, so I started reading westerns. I went from A to Z.

What I realized was there were a lot of crappy books in print. I said to myself that I could do as good as these guys. So for the last four years I have been writing novels. The first seven came out as fast as I could type them. It was hard for me learning about research, and I spent quiet a lot of time rewriting when I would find out later my facts were wrong. {I don't even want to talk about editing. Not fun.} But if you want something that takes lots of concentration and attention to detail, try novel writing. Who knows, you might even sell a few. And unlike me, you can afford to hire an editor.

 

[ShortInSeattle]

I was a computer programmer and made out great with dotcoms. Still running a few websites, but mostly on autopilot now. Now trying to figure out
what to do with my life post retirement. I'm single w/ no kids. I have traveled a bit, but don't really enjoy being a tourist, and it's not that fun travelling alone.

What do you all do for fun?

I'm not retired yet, but if I were in your shoes I might pick 6-12 things you "might" enjoy and go do some experimental runs. Give each one a month or two. Consider them experiments into what could be.

Also, you could adopt a shelter dog who I bet would love being your hang-out buddy. Teaching others what you've learned can be very rewarding.

If you can identify the aspects of your life that have made you the happiest so far, you may be able to draw some ideas from that.

Congrats.

SIS

 

[Sea Kayaker]

I'm 41 also, and on the verge of ER (just need to grow a pair and tell my overlords I am DONE).

The list of stuff I want to get accomplished with my new found freedom is so massive I can't even begin to cover it. I am always blown away by posts by new early retirees who basically don't what to do with their new way of life - this boggles my mind.

 

[Ready]

I'm 41 also, and on the verge of ER (just need to grow a pair and tell my overlords I am DONE).

The list of stuff I want to get accomplished with my new found freedom is so massive I can't even begin to cover it. I am always blown away by posts by new early retirees who basically don't what to do with their new way of life - this boggles my mind.

It's actually quite common with people who have put almost all of their free time into building their careers and have not involved themselves with social and community activities.

 

[eytonxav]

If you can't answer that yet, you have lots of opportunity to try many new and different things to see what floats your boat. Family, hobbies, volunteering, social groups, learning new skills, and on and on. Now go and dip your foot in the water.

 

[jetpack]

Well, I have been free from a regular job for almost 10 years now. I worked a lot more at first, but have taken a lot of breaks along the way and scaled back work. I still have plenty of stuff to do, just less and less of things I want to do.

I do like most of you're guys ideas.. I have tried most of them. Included the
triathlons (painful), volunteering, various groups, etc.

Finding a SO is certainly a top priority, but, it's hard to find women that get along with and even hard to find ones that can travel, etc.

I guess another question I have is how you explain to people you're retired (which of course gets into how much money you have). Or,
do you use your whatever activity you're currently doing (I'm a triathlete)

 

[xyz]

Jetpack,

I retired 8 months ago and the key thing I have done is to make sure I have structure to my day. I am a triathlete and training for a full ironman in May of next year. I also play guitar as a hobby. I have no desire to go back to a job or turn my hobbies into a job (I owned a health club in the 80's and it was not fun). Most weeks I have trouble squeezing all the activities I want to do in.. Swim / Bike / Run / Kayak / Fish / Play guitar / Cook / RV / Socialize... It is very important to have a social outlet, it does not have to be an SO but most of us (at least I) need to have social contact. This can be family / friends or others... Join a club that you think might interest you .. If you like it, keep going, if not go somewhere else eventually you will meet people you like being with.

As far as your question related to telling people you are retired I am a bit older than you but people still look shocked when I say I retired. I let them think what they want. I usually say I was very lucky to have had a good job and the company I worked for was very good. That pretty much ends the discussion of where I am they can pretty much figure things out.

Get out there and have some fun you earned it !

 

[rodi]

It's not too late to find the SO... may not be easy... but it's possible. I was 37 when I met DH - and he was 47. Neither of us had been married nor had kids. But within 2 weeks of meeting I knew he was the one. And less than a year after meeting we were hitched and taking work sabbaticals to travel.

I've done the solo travel thing - and agree it's more enjoyable to travel with someone. But I wouldn't completely dismiss solo travel as a way of meeting like minded potential mates... I met some of the most interesting folks on my travels. I had to push myself out of my INTJ comfort zone to strike up conversations... but it was well worth it. My husband has similar stories of people he met when he solo traveled before we got married. He's still in touch with a few friends he met on trips to Kyoto and to Instanbul.

And if you're serious about meeting folks - don't discount blind dates. (Yes - they *can* suck.) My husband was the brother of a coworker... the coworker finally realized that his brother and I both were jetting off on solo travels... and we should meet.

 

[Mulligan]

I think you first have to decide if you need people. If you do, you will have to search out like MooreBonds suggested. Your working friends will always be working. Mine are too for some time to come including long time GF. I went the other way and have embraced solitude activities throughout the day and thoroughly enjoy them. In fact I will turn down offers with friends as much as I accept. I do just enough to keep getting invited. Find yourself a comfortable routine to get into. Mine is newspaper reading, walking, working out, and daily 9 holes walking golf in heat of the day where no one is bothering me!
As far as vacations go...About 7 years ago, I went solo when no one could go to Vegas, and felt like a loser the first day. After getting over that, now it's my preference to go alone. About half the time I still have to go with a friend, but I prefer gong solo now. Kinda interesting to strike up conversations with normal looking strangers at pubs and sports books when I feel like yapping.

 

[CoolChange]

I think you first have to decide if you need people. If you do, you will have to search out like MooreBonds suggested. Your working friends will always be working. Mine are too for some time to come including long time GF. I went the other way and have embraced solitude activities throughout the day and thoroughly enjoy them. In fact I will turn down offers with friends as much as I accept. I do just enough to keep getting invited. Find yourself a comfortable routine to get into. Mine is newspaper reading, walking, working out, and daily 9 holes walking golf in heat of the day where no one is bothering me!
As far as vacations go...About 7 years ago, I went solo when no one could go to Vegas, and felt like a loser the first day. After getting over that, now it's my preference to go alone. About half the time I still have to go with a friend, but I prefer gong solo now. Kinda interesting to strike up conversations with normal looking strangers at pubs and sports books when I feel like yapping.

This describes my life pretty well sans the golf and ER. And, I am hoping to fix half of that discrepancy in the next few months with no real desire to take up golf.