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Strategies & Market Trends : Retirement - Now what? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: peter michaelson who wrote (207)	2/21/2008 11:01:26 AM
From: greg s	Respond to of 288

Hi Peter, I can only offer my own experience. I was fortunate to be able to "retire" at age 48 from a high tech career. I tried it for about 5 years and, honestly, it wasn't for me. I think I can track my dislike of retirement to the need for interaction with diverse people and how I (maybe all of us) are conditioned to derive much of our self-worth from the job/career we have. After 5 years I decided to reinvent myself. I am very active in real estate sales and really enjoy it. I don't think I'll ever "retire" again. For me, it isn't retirement. It's the opportunity to do something you enjoy. (And the ability to weather downturns like the current RE market.) ;-)

To: peter michaelson who wrote (207)	2/21/2008 11:03:15 AM
From: deeno	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 288

the secret to retirement is that you have to work at it.

To: peter michaelson who wrote (207)	2/21/2008 8:50:55 PM
From: Steve Felix	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 288

"Not as easy as it looks." That hit the nail on the head for me. Having retired once and only lasted fifteen months, I realize I "thought" I had it figured out. I like trading, but watching the market full time doesn't do it for me. Feeling I had to trade would defeat the purpose. I still know we would have had no money problems, but in actual retirement thoughts crept in. Felt like some form of guilt??? I love to garden, so warm weather was not a problem. Nothing better for me than digging in the dirt with my dogs running around. But I don't like cold and being cooped up inside in winter really got to me. I'm sure everyones situation will be different, but I think the old adage "fail to plan, plan to fail" pertains to retirement too. One major problem for me was that at the time of my retirement my wife had five years to work until she qualified for a pension. It wasn't like we could just take off and go somewhere anytime we wanted. I would have never thought I would feel guilty seeing the wife leave for work while I did whatever I wanted. I actually have a plan now. I will work for a little over two more years and we will retire in the same year. I have built a new 24' x 32' building which I still need to install heat in, where I will have room to do projects in the winter. Buying the tools I want now when I am working just makes it better. I have expanded my garden and included raspberries, as well as expanding the strawberry patch and doubling up on the blueberry bushes. One of my first projects will be to build a small fruit stand to have at the end of the driveway. It won't be about the money. I just always wanted to do it and never took the time. Hopefully it works on the honor system. On the money end, we are taking care of things that would have come up in the next few years. New car, new roof, new garage doors, etc. We have a few things to go, but plenty of time. Going back to work has also allowed me to put 20k a year into a 401k. That initial feeling, of a cross between the first day of vacation and the completion of a job well done, only got me to the second winter the first time. I will be better prepared the next time. Maybe I will make it to the third winter. lol!!