Retirement treat for yourself?

[HBD2019]

Wow! I would love to see some pictures of that VW! I love those things!

 

[chicamuxen]

Nice! Is that a Kabota? I have one like this, minus the front loader, at my country home that needs a massive tune up. Can't wait to be not working so I can play with it, clear my woodland path wider, and longer, expand the garden beds, composting, lots of uses for a tractor in the country.

Yes, it is a Kubota L3301. Yes, a lot of uses. Now i won't have to depend on someone to plow my driveway or remove dead deer that get hit out at the end of my driveway,lol. Among many of other uses.

 

[Music Lover]

My plan was to buy a new (used) car when I retired 2 years ago but it took me until last month to find one that checked all the boxes:

 

[silvia]

One month East Africa vacation- Back a couple of weeks ago. Private trek to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro. ( I made it to the summit but I would't suggest anyone pay such a high price to trek), Safari including a gorilla trek and relaxing in Zanzibar.

Mini treats such as sashimi and sushi.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

In the realm of something realistic, I'd like to buy a nice lens for the SLR. But I can't come to grips at this point in pre-retirement to spending likely close to $1000 on one. I try to take out the SLR on trips and events around town but I'm hoping I'll have more time in retirement to focus on taking more pictures and improvement my photography skills to justify the purchase.

One potential vacation goal/treat for retirement is doing a back to back to back cruise: last sailing in Europe, Transatlantic, first sailing in the Caribbean. We can't justify a transatlantic cruise, let alone a back to back cruise with our limited vacation time during our worklife.

In the realm of impractical, I'd like to buy a Porsche even though it's kind of cliche and some season tix to one of the local sports teams.

 

[Ronstar]

Some woodworking tools, some camera stuff, an IMac and a MacBook.

 

[jjquantz]

I ordered a new baroque flute two years ago. Contacted the maker and he says that he "might" get to a batch this spring or summer. So, I guess whether or not I've bought myself a retirement treat is still in the Heisenberg zone, undetermined.

 

[poppydog]

(UK poster....) I have a company supplied car just now which will go back after I retire at the end of April, so I'll have to buy my own.. I'm trying to be economical.... honest.....

 

[brett]

Four years after retiring I bought the convertable summer car that I had always admired.

Could not do it any earlier until we moved and had an attached double garage.

Other than that it has been travel, travel, travel.

 

[poppydog]

(UK poster....) I have a company supplied car just now which will go back after I retire at the end of April, so I'll have to buy my own.. I'm trying to be economical.... honest.....

I should add that me and DW (both retiring on the same day) have a retirement trip to New York booked. We've been to the USA before (Florida, West Coast, LV) but this will be our first trip to the big apple. We've got Broadway tickets for Hamilton and Beautiful. Excited or what!

 

[trapperjohn]

When I retired 2 years ago, I bought myself a really nice set of golf clubs.

 

[Midpack]

I plan on buying a sailboat, then sailing on it.. still a few years before I can try to implement that plan. May buy it early though, get it ready ahead of time...

We bought a brand new 29 foot sail/race boat 3 years after I retired. The best boat we ever owned IMO. We just sold it in Jan and got 80% of our $ back, so we’re happy, got our money’s worth for 4 years. But I knew from experience which sailboats (unlike powerboats), well maintained, can bring a big chunk back in resale - or I wouldn’t have sunk the money in to begin with. After 5 boats, I think we’re done with that very expensive pastime. I can sail on OPB all I want now.

I got back into golf again, way, way less expensive...

 

[Souschef]

We bought a brand new 29 foot sail/race boat 3 years after I retired. The best boat we ever owned IMO. We just sold it in Jan and got 80% of our $ back, so we’re happy, got our money’s worth for 4 years. But I knew from experience which sailboats (unlike powerboats), well maintained, can bring a big chunk back in resale - or I wouldn’t have sunk the money in to begin with. After 5 boats, I think we’re done with that very expensive pastime. I can sail on OPB all I want now.

I got back into golf again, way, way less expensive...

The 2 happiest days are when you buy the boat, and when you sell the boat

 

[Midpack]

The 2 happiest days are when you buy the boat, and when you sell the boat

Yep. Plus the corollaries

• The only thing better than owning a boat is having a friend who owns a boat,
• B.O.A.T. = Break Out Another Thousand, and
• Racing a sail boat is like standing in a cold shower and tearing up $100 dollar bills.

 

[brett]

We have received two pieces of advice from long time owners of sail boats.

The first was share a boat with a friend but each of you should be prepared to do 70 percent of the maintenance.

The second was...save yourself some trouble. Just take a suitcase full of money down to the dock and throw it in the water.

 

[JDARNELL]

New fishing boat for the Tennessee River and a new to me Harley RoadKing.

Now that is living! Working on a two week motorcycle trip from Colorado thru the Ozarks into TN to catch the summer June Bug Boogie up the Blueridge Parkway through Shenandoah down into Cass WV before turning back west through Lexington Ky.

 

[jmp470]

I just retired on the 28th of February and this topic is very interesting to me. So far, we have looked at: planes, boats, or RVs. We were close on pulling the trigger, but, decided not to, due to the increased costs we would have to endure.

 

[Walt34]

Now that is living! Working on a two week motorcycle trip from Colorado thru the Ozarks into TN to catch the summer June Bug Boogie up the Blueridge Parkway through Shenandoah down into Cass WV before turning back west through Lexington Ky.

If you have the time and like steam locomotives take the train ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad. We did that with some family and DW's grandnieces last summer. Well worth the trip if you're going to be there anyway. The houses in the park (former logger's family housing) do NOT have A/C but they do have WiFi.

A bit of trivia: The children's story of "The Little Engine That Could" originated with one of those locomotives when it pulled a load far exceeding what anyone thought it could do. Well, according to the guide anyway.

 

[albireo13]

For some reason I've never seen the attraction or reason in owning a boat.
My loss I guess.

 

[wkoukios]

The two of us have enjoyed Motorhome travel very much. We just upgraded to a luxury coach and plan to travel even more! Not what I planned but we fell into it!

 

[JDARNELL]

If you have the time and like steam locomotives take the train ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad. We did that with some family and DW's grandnieces last summer. Well worth the trip if you're going to be there anyway. The houses in the park (former logger's family housing) do NOT have A/C but they do have WiFi.

A bit of trivia: The children's story of "The Little Engine That Could" originated with one of those locomotives when it pulled a load far exceeding what anyone thought it could do. Well, according to the guide anyway.

Yes I want to see the state park and ride the train. I suspect it is l a place that time forgot!

 

[HadEnuff]

So far, I have treated myself to being able to fly a B-25, a MiG-15, and an SNJ. For my 80th birthday in May, I am going to treat myself to flying a P-51

You, Sir, are The Man!

 

[Walt34]

Yes I want to see the state park and ride the train. I suspect it is l a place that time forgot!

Pretty much so, and that makes it kind of neat to see. From the web site:

History

The town of Cass remains relatively unchanged since its founding in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. Cass was built as a company town for the loggers who worked in the nearby mountains. Construction of the railroad started in 1901. It was used to haul lumber to the mill at Cass. The railroad track was eventually extended to the top of Bald Knob, the third highest mountain peak in West Virginia. In June 1942, the Cass operation was sold to Mower Lumber Company, which operated the town until July 1960, when the mill and railroad were shut down due to rapid decline of the timber industry in the region. In 1961, Cass was brought into the state parks system. In 1977, the company town also was made part of the parks system. Over the years, the railroad was turned into a tourist line and the town was repaired and restored. Today, the railroad is still in full operation, but is managed by the Durbin and Greenbrier Railroad.

 

[H2ODude]

Spent career running water and sewer utilities where preaching water conservation was part of the deal. Month I left I spent $5k for an irrigation system. In all seriousness it's a very efficient one I use judiciously.

 

[Huston55]

I’m Behind!

Reading this thread I realized that, other than some nice (but normal) travel & a new driver (golf), I haven’t “treated” myself worth a darn! I need to get with it!

Currently, the only thing on my list that fits into the “treat” category is a golf trip to Scotland. I’ve been researching this for a bit, and you all have convinced me I need to turn thought into action.