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03-28-2009, 07:27 AM
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#1
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Confused about dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7
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Future Househusband
I am retiring at the end of 09 after 30 years with my company. My wife has 2-3 more years at her job so I will be home for the first time. I am getting myself mentally ready to watch her leave for work every day and for me to be at home. I am planning to keep going to the gym every day, improve my cooking skills,( i am pretty awesome with a smoker and grill), and am planning a cleaning routine for the house. I would appreciate any advice from the ladies and gentlemen who are part of this lifestyle. Money is not going to be an issue but the change in lifestyle will certainly be a big change.
Regards,
David
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03-28-2009, 08:41 AM
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#2
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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Welcome to the board .
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03-28-2009, 09:00 AM
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#3
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 17,767
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Congratulations--December will be here before you know it! Your plans look good. Also, remember to restrain yourself from doing gleeful cartwheels until she is out of sight in the morning.
__________________
“Would you like an adventure now, or would you like to have your tea first?” J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
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03-28-2009, 09:22 AM
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#4
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Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: North Oregon Coast
Posts: 16,483
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I wanna be a househusband. Maybe *someday*...
Oh, yeah -- welcome! 
__________________
"Hey, for every ten dollars, that's another hour that I have to be in the work place. That's an hour of my life. And my life is a very finite thing. I have only 'x' number of hours left before I'm dead. So how do I want to use these hours of my life? Do I want to use them just spending it on more crap and more stuff, or do I want to start getting a handle on it and using my life more intelligently?" -- Joe Dominguez (1938 - 1997)
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03-28-2009, 10:44 AM
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#5
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,764
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 Quote:
Originally Posted by davidr04
I am retiring at the end of 09 after 30 years with my company. My wife has 2-3 more years at her job so I will be home for the first time. I am getting myself mentally ready to watch her leave for work every day and for me to be at home. I am planning to keep going to the gym every day, improve my cooking skills,( i am pretty awesome with a smoker and grill), and am planning a cleaning routine for the house. I would appreciate any advice from the ladies and gentlemen who are part of this lifestyle. Money is not going to be an issue but the change in lifestyle will certainly be a big change.
Regards,
David
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Sounds like you got it down pat. I found the most interesting thing is how much more wash you will do. Exercising creates a lot more clothes to wash  But then again with all that free time. Not a problem. 
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03-28-2009, 11:55 AM
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#6
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Confused about dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7
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401 k
Hey I hear you Ziggy. My 401 k is now a 201k now. Fotunately I have a pension and wifes salary. I hope to lease 401 K alone until 70.
Cheers,
David
Quote:
Originally Posted by ziggy29
I wanna be a househusband. Maybe *someday*...
Oh, yeah -- welcome! |
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03-28-2009, 11:57 AM
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#7
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Confused about dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7
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The housework part will take a little getting used to. How long have you been retired?
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03-28-2009, 12:05 PM
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#8
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Confused about dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7
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Thanks! I am very excited and a little anxious too. After working hard for 30 yrs it will be different for sure.
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03-28-2009, 12:29 PM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
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Quote:
Originally Posted by davidr04
The housework part will take a little getting used to. How long have you been retired?
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Here's a story of a guy who had more than a little difficulty with housework.
Man Accused Of Giving Nursing Wife Meth Water - Seattle News Story - KIRO Seattle
Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
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03-28-2009, 12:46 PM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,764
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03-28-2009, 01:10 PM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: At The Cafe
Posts: 6,873
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Welcome, Davidr04. I can relate. I started doing my own cleaning in Dec. ‘08. The bathroom, hallway and kitchen seem to need weekly attention but living room and bedroom go out to two or three weeks. I plan to hide the dust bunnies in those rooms this week. I write the next most important task on the blackboard which I rarely look at. Seems to me a househusband could also hire and supervise cleaning help whenever necessary. I’ve done that on and off for many years. YMMV, let us know how it goes. Good luck.
Funny, I’ve had some surprises in retirement, one is that I have enough clothes to last at least six years, work clothes can be re-grouped into retirement attire, I love wearing gym tops under sweaters. Yesterday I realized that after six months of retirement, part of my job is to accept the fact that other people work and just go out and watch them, don’t shrink from the horror of it. So maybe I restrain myself from when I do those happy jigs. 
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03-28-2009, 03:51 PM
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#12
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 11,626
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David,
Have you searched on "househusband" on the forum? There are scads of posts. Every possible point of view is there.
By all means keep going to the gym, and keep up your appearance, etc....You don't want her going for some hottie at the office, while you're home keeping the hearth fires burning...   
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03-28-2009, 03:56 PM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 49,321
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Amethyst
David,
Have you searched on "househusband" on the forum?
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See also: "kept man" 
__________________
Numbers is hard
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03-28-2009, 04:17 PM
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#14
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,482
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I was a housewife/homemaker for over 20 years, until my kids were grown. I work part time now.
I loved being at home, even when the kids were in school. I ran errands, did stuff around the house. I always kept busy, when I wanted to be. There were times when I did nothing, other times I was very busy.
I'm not the type to get bored, I relished my free time. DH liked having me home because I could get all kinds of stuff done so that he could have free time on the weekend.
I truly got to be a home economist, running the household and managing the finances.
One thing I learned is to not care what other people think about what I did. I had lots of people make comments about how I should go back to work, wasn't I bored, what did I DO all day! It was a very freeing revelation that I didn't have to care what they thought about what I was doing.
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03-28-2009, 05:27 PM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 11,626
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It was a very freeing revelation that I didn't have to care what they thought about what I was doing.
 What I say. I'm convinced that it's when we stop worrying about what others will think -- when it's about something that does others no harm -- that we truly can say we've arrived.
David, all teasing aside, it's wonderful that you have plans for the house, for cooking, and for fitness. I predict you'll never be at loose ends,and your wife will feel lucky among working wives. Have fun with your new freedom.
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03-28-2009, 05:45 PM
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#16
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,764
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Might as well look up whadddayadoalldaylong. I find being creative when you tell people what you do can be fun. 
The other day while picking out eggs.
Me : Hey whats up
Random egg clerk guy: Hey got the day off?
Me: No I dont work
Random egg clerk guy: pause
Me: Have a nice day
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03-28-2009, 06:14 PM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Leeward Oahu
Posts: 12,319
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David, welcome.
DW retired a couple of years before I did. I must say, the house didn't stay any cleaner and the meals weren't waiting when I got home most of the time either. Still, we've never been into domestic stuff much, even though we raised 3 kids. We got good at one-dish meals. Kids don't seem to have suffered much (at least not from the meals or the occasional dust bunny).
She did find it easy to adapt to retired life - gym, crafts, volunteering, etc. It took me a bit longer to adapt. So I guess what I'm saying is that the two of you need to figure out what works for you. If she has high expectations (I never did) about the housework, etc., you best get good at it. In our case, we just sort of adapted on our own schedules and have enjoyed the process. Of course, YMMV
Best of luck and check back often. We love to hear people's stories and offer (free) advice!
__________________
Ko'olau's Law -
Anything which can be used can be misused. Anything which can be misused will be.
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03-29-2009, 07:08 AM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 10,876
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I've been in your situation for four years. DW has cut way back and will (probably) retire at the end of the year. I always cooked so that hasn't changed. I add chauffeuring to the tasks after ER but we are only a few miles from her office so that is not a big deal. It has worked out well. DD is home completing her last 4 hours at NYU by doing an internship at the Smithsonian. She has come to expect a ride too although she only gets it when DW is heading to the office at the same time
__________________
Every man is, or hopes to be, an Idler. -- Samuel Johnson
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03-29-2009, 08:12 AM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,252
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Housework? Money is not going to be an issue? We have maids come and do the bathrooms, kitchen, dusting, and vacuuming. Even with maids, there's enough housework just putting the dishes in the dishwasher and unloading the dishwasher. I get the kids to take out the garbage and mow the yard.
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03-29-2009, 05:50 PM
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#20
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Dryer sheet wannabe
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 22
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I too retired last month, early after 32 years and wife will teach 3 more years. I lost a lot of sleep about this because I am a bit hyperactive and made an extensive list of acitivities to keep myself busy. I must say, the worry was wasted as I have thoroughly enjoyed role as house husband and house maintenance engr. I make wife a nutritious breakfast and see her off, then exercise most days and then tackle jobs I have planned. I do try to have a plan for the week and day by day (comes from years of Franklin Planners and job as engr). I have taken up cooking, and make a "gourmet meal" one day per week and having fun doing it. Wife is not nearly as stressed since she's not so concerned about trying to take care of me and worrying about me traveling for my job.
Long story short, this is so great and you will love it, I hope. Today is Sunday and I am enjoying knowing I am not going in to work tomorrow!
BTW we still have a housekeeper once every two weeks to keep things nice. Good luck and best wishes!
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