Does everyday feel like Saturday?

[scrabbler1]

I remember how my daily and weekly schedules changed when I switched from working full-time to part-time back in 2001. I was able to do my Saturday errands during the week, a huge improvement because the stores were far less busy on a Wednesday at 10L30 AM than on a Saturday at 10:30 AM. I had to be careful to avoid driving around beyond my local area during weekday rush hours, especially the afternoon one.

After I had some health issues 5 years ago, I had to make more appointments with doctors and other medical service providers than before. Some of them have limited or zero weekend hours. That would have been a big deal had I still been working full-time. But now fully retired since late 2008, it is no big deal to schedule these things on weekdays, making sure I avoid rush hours for anyplace I have to drive to which is further away.

Once I stopped working full-time, I could resume doing things on weeknights I had not been doing before because I was too worn out. This made weeknights seem like Saturday nights.

Simply being able to spread out my activities beyond the weekends had such a great effect on my everyday life, from errands to appointments to hobbies.

[RobbieB]

Everyday feels the same. Just gotta remember to take out the trash on Sunday.

[Austin704]

I find that Saturday still feels like Saturday but weekdays are even better!

After I retired I developed a routine that has me at the gym at least three days a week, usually M-W-F. I consider this my “work week” and I take it seriously. I find value in staying in some sort of rhythm with the working world. Also, the WSJ weekend edition comes on Saturday morning and that is its own sort of signal that the weekend has arrived. Some people like not knowing what day it is in retirement, I’m not one of them.

That being said, what is very different is knowing that I’m in control of my days and I can do things I want to do, when I want to do them. Weekdays are generally better than weekends, as most have agreed—because there are fewer people clogging the hiking trails, roads and stores.

There have been many days when I find myself caught up in some little project or obsession that I allow to run its course with no concern at all for my schedule or the time. That is what makes retirement great—you get to do what you want!

[DayDreaming]

I've almost lost the concept of 'day or the week'. I don't have anything that I do regularly, so there's no need to think about it. About the only thing I need to know the day of the week is so that I avoid going grocery shopping on Saturday or Sunday.

[Markola]

At six months in, I have mild disappointment on the weekends that my favorite daily podcasts and public media shows aren’t produced, the stores are crowded and there’s more traffic throughout the day during my walks. Like others, my favorite days are now, distinctly, M-F. I did not see that coming!

[ER Eddie]

Not really, no. Because when you're working, Saturday is a release from the pressures and stresses of the work week. It's like, "Ah, at last, a day of freedom!" But when you're retired, you aren't being released like that, and so there's no sense of relief from the stresses.

So technically it's the same, because every day is a day off, but psychologically, it doesn't feel the same, because Saturday has a different meaning when you're working.

[Badger]

Everyday except Saturday. Sunday is really nice since morning traffic is much less in the neighborhood where I ride for exercise each day. It is also relaxing to know that the next day brings 5 more days with less people than on the weekends to deal with if I want to avoid the inevitable crowds of people.


Cheers1

[O2Bfree]

I'm about a year and a half into retirement and still get that Saturday feeling where I don't feel like I'm missing anything or need to be doing something in particular. That feeling was a surprise to me. I thought I'd feel some anxiety or guilt about not working.

There are still some delimiters for the weekend though. Weekends are still best for biking the local roads any time of day and kayaking in the lakes around Seattle because of lighter traffic and better parking opportunities. Another delimiter is that the stock market is closed, so I don't think about looking to see what gyrations are happening there.

[doneat54]

I often piss off DW (who is still working for 1.5 more years) when she talks about stuff we have going on during the week and I fake a confused look and ask "and what day is today??".

<smack>


I agree with others, errands are best run early/mid week. Before Covid I was playing racquetball regularly Tues and Thurs evenings so I at least had some day-frame, but now not so much.

Another retired friend once described retirement as "There are no more 'Sunday Nights'"...

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyp No. Saturday’s always had the implicit knowledge that Monday was coming. Retirement is not like Saturday. It it is not not vacation. It is completely different. It is better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB Everyday feels the same. Just gotta remember to take out the trash on Sunday.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie Not really, no. Because when you're working, Saturday is a release from the pressures and stresses of the work week. It's like, "Ah, at last, a day of freedom!" But when you're retired, you aren't being released like that, and so there's no sense of relief from the stresses. So technically it's the same, because every day is a day off, but psychologically, it doesn't feel the same, because Saturday has a different meaning when you're working.

This reflects my sense of saturday. When I was a working man Saturday brought a different type of pressure. There was so much to do, especially with 3 young children, and so little time available.

For me at least retirement is not more free time, it’s less stress all the time.

[pacergal]

Every day is a day where I decide what I get to do!
Less stress, less pressure. If I don't get something done, I can do it another day.
Life is wonderful and so enjoyable

[Rustic23]

Nope.......Sometimes it feels like Sunday!

[CardsFan]

I remember the day of the week every morning. It's right there on the top of my pill box .

But the most important day to remember is trash day.

[Time2]

I have this reoccurring meeting with the calendar in my computer to find out what day of the week it is. Sometimes I can deduce the day by a situation comedy or NCIS that I may have watched the day before.

[Koolau]

I find we still plan our week around the week end - to avoid going out on Saturday, when everyone who still w*rks goes out. This is especially true here in the Islands. You can tell which Friday it is, because most folks get paid every other Friday. Don't know why, but it's traditional, I guess. SO, if I look out on Kalaneanaole Hwy about 3:00PM Friday and it's even busier than usual for a week day, I know it's payday-aloha-Friday. We DEFINITELY avoid Saturday trips that week end. Most week days, we do our in-town stuff between 9:30AM and 2:00PM to avoid either of the rush hours. Saturdays (after payday Friday - fuggiddaboudit!) YMMV