Welcome, Timeisprecious, looks like you have income > expenses and you’re good to go.
Some questions I have for retirees: 1) How long did it take you to settle into retirement and how is retirement going for you?
You’re joking, right?
Before everyone retires, they worry about what they’ll do all day. Six months after retiring, they can’t remember how they found the time to go to work.
You’ll have a few things that you have to do, and then you'll find things that you want to do, and then you’ll find more things you want to explore, and life will throw a few curveballs your way, but boredom is highly unlikely.
It took me about 10 minutes to settle in, although I napped heavily for the first three months to recover from the chronic fatigue. 16+ years later (nearly 6000 days), I still have more things I want to do than I have hours in which to do them.
If you’re seeking inspiration then you could try Ernie Zelinski’s Get-A-Life Tree.
Retirement Planning Wisdom That You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor: The Get-a-Life Tree: A Great Retirement Planning Tool!
I’ve had a copy laying on my desk for well over a decade but I haven’t made the time to do anything about it... yet.
2) How has your place of residence (e.g., house, condo, retirement village) worked out for you in retirement?
We moved into this home about 19 months before I retired from active duty. It’s been a great place to raise our daughter, and now she’s launched and achieved orbit.
Today we have far more room than we need, and perhaps more yardwork than we really want, but the location and the views are worth it. My spouse and I spend our days with her in the livingroom, me in the familyroom, meeting in the kitchen for lunch & dinner, and happily being alone together.
We’re landlording a backup “age-in-place friendly” rental property a few miles away, and I used to think that I’d move down there when I was too creaky to handle staircases. These days I’m ready to get rid of the rental and spend the rest of my life up here enjoying the horizons.
The “forever home” is a myth, particularly among military retirees. Don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself to find the perfect place as soon as you retire, and don’t feel that you have to stay there the rest of your life. You may decide to travel the world on Space A, so maybe you want to rent for a year. Or two. Or a decade.
3) What are 3-5 of the best things you like about retirement?
The most enjoyable part of financial independence is being able to exert more control over your time for your priorities.
I also like surfing, writing, reading, surfing, slow travel, surfing, and home improvement projects.
When I’m not doing that stuff then I enjoy surfing too.