Will You Retire?

[cglaura]

I've been working since I was 12. I helped my parents pay the bills when I was in HS. I'm tired of working. I can't wait to retire.

I am extremely grateful that I have employment now,considering the economic atmosphere of the country.

I really would like to have time to travel, that is what I plan to do in my retirement years. I'm not going to just stop moving.

 

[ols386]

I can't imagine actually retiring. I had a couple of months about 5 years ago where I was out of work, and I didn't like it at all. If I had hobbies, I probably wouldn't get bored, but I don't really have any things that I would call hobbies, unless you count Disney World as a hobby.

I'd like to work during the warmer months of the year, and go someplace warm during the winter, but I doubt that will happen.

 

[snapppyd]

I posted earlier, but after reading the other posts, I had to add this.

Some posters are concerned about retiring early enough to have time to enjoy it. I'm concerned about just the opposite. Saving enough money for what could be a whole lot of golden years. My family lives a long freakin time, the women anyway. Going by family history, I could easily live to be 100 and I don't see how I could possibly retire in my 50s and fund 40 years worth of comfortable retirement.
So, my plan is to work as long as I feel up to it, at least into my 70s.

That's wonderful! Unfortunately, longevity does not exist on either side of our families. Also, not having children and knowing we wanted to retire early, we planned well and saved a lot for this time in our lives.

 

[scubamouse]

Some posters are concerned about retiring early enough to have time to enjoy it. I'm concerned about just the opposite. Saving enough money for what could be a whole lot of golden years. My family lives a long freakin time, the women anyway. Going by family history, I could easily live to be 100 and I don't see how I could possibly retire in my 50s and fund 40 years worth of comfortable retirement.
So, my plan is to work as long as I feel up to it, at least into my 70s.

I'm in a similar boat in that my grandmothers lived into their 90s and were traveling into their 80s.

I'm a saver that comes from a long line of savers so based on the retirement calculators we're doing ok in terms of retirement. Plus I have two small pensions. The big issue I worry about is a forced 'retirement' in my early 50s and an inability to find comparable work. It seems to happen a lot

Like someone else mentioned, we'd move out of metro NYC and head south. Austin, TX is appealing because it's a liberal enclave but central FL has appeal too. I imagine we'd work PT regardless of where we lived to stay busy and earn traveling money. Working PT as WDW is appealing

 

[lakelandgal70]

Well I guess technically I retired last September. Quit my horrible job and haven't looked back since. Health issues are the main reason I probably will not go back to work. Besides I have tons of stuff to keep me busy when I am able to get out of bed. I don't really look forward to DH retiring as I do like my alone time

 

[LuvOrlando]

Doubtful, I am bored to death being a SAHM and am only doing it for my kids' sakes but once they are gone I hope to never be stuck in the house again.

 

[Pakey]

I'd become a couch potato if I retired. However, I definitely can tell I'm not as sharp as I used to be. I think it's a combination of getting older and all of the chemo I've done. So at some point I do plan on stepping down from my current postion and taking a lesser role. With my health issues, I don't expect to live long enough to need to fully retire.

 

[allison443]

All the retires I know love retirement. The key is two always live within your means and enjoy life. None defined themselves by their job

I totally agree! I don't know anyone who is sorry they retired. They all keep busy, with volunteer work, social acitivites, church activities, hobbies, golf, friends, etc. which I think is important.

 

[MrsPete]

I like my job, but I will definitely retire at age 56. We've saved aggressively and have made other plans towards that goal.

At 56 I'll have in my years for my pension, and although I'm not burned-out right now, I can see that I will be by that point. I will probably do something else -- likely something part-time, something very flexible -- for a while, but we have plenty of other things that we want to do:

We want to travel.
We want to do more work within our church.
We plan to build a small house on our land in the country, and we will plant a small orchard on that.
Hopefully our daughters will stay in this area, and we want to be very involved with their children.

WHY will we want to retire? Several reasons:

As I said, I like my job, but I like better being master of my own time. I'd like not to have to follow someone else's schedule. I'll enjoy NOT having to be at work at 7:00 a.m., NOT grading papers for hours upon end, etc.

After I put in my years towards my pension, working won't be as "valuable" as it is now -- sure, I'd still get a paycheck, but I'd have earned my pension and health care benefits. Right now, while I'm still working towards those goals, it's worth my time to go to work; once those things "are mine", I wouldn't be working for as much. I don't think I worded that very well.

I don't define myself by my job. I won't feel like I'm less of a person without a job.

I have lots of other interests, which I don't have time to pursue (at least not to my heart's desire) right now.

 

[MrsPete]

I totally agree! I don't know anyone who is sorry they retired. They all keep busy, with volunteer work, social acitivites, church activities, hobbies, golf, friends, etc. which I think is important.

I don't know anyone who's disappointed or bored with retirement. I do know people who wish they had more money in retirement, but that's a different story.

 

[Kitty 34]

I posted earlier, but after reading the other posts, I had to add this.

Some posters are concerned about retiring early enough to have time to enjoy it. I'm concerned about just the opposite. Saving enough money for what could be a whole lot of golden years. My family lives a long freakin time, the women anyway. Going by family history, I could easily live to be 100 and I don't see how I could possibly retire in my 50s and fund 40 years worth of comfortable retirement.
So, my plan is to work as long as I feel up to it, at least into my 70s.

That's kind of how I feel. My Mom is 80, her mom lived until 94 and her mom lived to 107!!!

I could draw retirement (from subbing) at 60 which I might and invest that while I still continue subbing. of course I won't be able to sub as much; once on retirement I can only make one third of what I was making. Not much anyway being a sub!!

DH plans on retiring at 65. If he's around all day long I definitely will still teach!!


Btw...Mom has been retired for 26 years and loves every minute of it. Heck, she's still in 4 different bridge groups! Dad has been retired for 18 years and keeps busy traveling and "working" so to speak for the audubon society here in Michigan.

 

[ICF]

I sure hope so.....

As to why....I have little doubt I can find things that are a lot more fun than working in an office in my later years.