[Freeda]

Originally Posted by batman911

Sadly, I am one that loves my job and am not looking forward to retirement as much as others. I also love having time off for golf and other outdoor activities. Money is no longer the deciding factor of when to retire. I'm sure others have been in the same situation. My only concern is that I retire and then miss the challenge of work and become bored with recreation every day. Sort of like eating ice cream for every meal. There is no going back to your old job once you retire. I will be 65 this year but my wife is 8 years behind. She is ready to retire now. Maybe I have become a stress junkie. Any words of wisdom from people who were in a similar position?

I used to think that what I did in my legal career was so great that I would be hobbling around in a courtroom with a cane and a little gray bun someday - that's what I remember saying; I just couldn't imagine a life without it; my career so defined me as a person that I couldn't separate myself from it. So I can really understand what you are feeling. What happened for me is that I stumbled onto another interest, wholly unexpectedly, that fascinated me, and because of that I gradually gave up my law practice, so the separation from it was a less 'drastic' step, which is something that I realize isn't as easy with a job. But what I found, and it became even much more evident once we moved to TV, is that there is alot to be said for free, uncommitted, unstructured time (something that was rare during my career); and time to consider and learn about other things. I started seeing myself as very narrow, because I had been so immersed in law and raising children, the only two things I had really focused on for most of my life, that I didn't even realize what else I was missing out on in life.

Maybe for someone who has a job, it might be helpful to just take off a few weeks or months, or as long as you can, rent a home in TV, and totally, deliberately absorb yourself in TV lifestyle. You may be surprised at all there is here - not just 'to do' to fill up your time (I hate the idea of just 'killing' time), but opportunities for learning and evolving as a person. There are so many interesting and talented people here that I feel like in the past 3 years of living here I have grown alot as a person. The clubs program here, for example, gives us the opportunity to learn from the collective knowledge and experience of educated, intelligent people from all over the world and from many different backgrounds. There are many purposeful, self-fulfilling things you can do outside of a job, including joining public service organizations, etc. Then, there is also travel!

Your analogy of 'eating ice cream for every meal' is a good way to describe how I now in retrospect feel that my life was during my career, because the requirements of my work kept life pretty much the same, and didn't allow me to experience alot of change and personal growth, or time to try new things.

[SALYBOW]

[QUOTE= If you don't have health insurance, it's very difficult. My sister took an early retirement from the phone company in New York at age 57 and moved to Florida. They gave her free health insurance for 18 months. But after the 18 months, she found she couldn't get affordable health insurance on an individual basis. She had to return to work just to pay for her health insurance and will probably continue working until she is eligible for Medicare.[/QUOTE]

I have to agree with this. I need the break on my health insurance payment which at $900 per month is nearly as much as a house payment. I am going back to work to pay for insurance. I cannot wait to be 65. Who'd a thunk it?

[Freeda]

Originally Posted by Francie

I too would like to retire. The financial piece I can handle, but it is the Health Insurance that is a challenge because I am only 58 and not eligible for medicare. What have the rest of you done to get health insurance coverage that retired early? I'm so anxious to move to TV, this is all that is holding me back.

Our health insurance is through my husband's Ford retirement. But before we were married I had an individual policy that I paid for myself.

One suggestion is that you might do some serious shopping around to find out what a suitable individually purchased health insurance policy would cost until you reach Medicare age, and then figure out what you could do to produce just that much additional income, if other than that you would be able to retire, financially speaking. In other words, if an individual health insurance policy would cost $800 per month, for example, you have to weigh whether you are really going to continue working fulltime, and give up years of retirement, just to keep that $800 per month benefit that is being provided by your employer; or look at, instead, other part-time options, such as a parttime job, or a homebased business, where you could create the income to just pay for that coverage, so that you can go ahead and retire.

[bandsdavis]

I turned 62 last Thursday, and retired last Friday. While I enjoyed my job (and signed a consulting agreement with the company so I can still contribute when needed) the prospect of freedom to do the things I really enjoy and experience some new things as well is just too exciting to pass up. My new mantra is "It's better to retire a year too early than a day too late." Now we just have to sell the house in VA and we are TV bound!

B.

[Jhooman]

Dear Freeda,

Your post was was lovely and heartfelt.

Thank you,

J

[Cathy H]

Originally Posted by batman911

Sadly, I am one that loves my job and am not looking forward to retirement as much as others. I also love having time off for golf and other outdoor activities. Money is no longer the deciding factor of when to retire. I'm sure others have been in the same situation. My only concern is that I retire and then miss the challenge of work and become bored with recreation every day. Sort of like eating ice cream for every meal. There is no going back to your old job once you retire. I will be 65 this year but my wife is 8 years behind. She is ready to retire now. Maybe I have become a stress junkie. Any words of wisdom from people who were in a similar position?

To batman 911:
You will have an adjustment in life; try to slow down work by getting a deal where you work only 4 or 3 days a week, allowing time for more recreation. After a few years you may be ready to only work on a on-call basis, then stop completely.

[Francie]

Thank you Freeda. Great insight.

[Houndhouse]

We too are trying to decide what to do. Currently have house on market in NJ and just waiting to sell and come down. But since I am not 65 yet, the health insurance is a concern for us too. Will I need to work (don't want to full time) just to have the insurance? Would love to know how it works in Florida.

[Tbugs]

I retired at age 59 (4 years longer than minimum age) and wife retired at 52 from Federal government jobs on the same day. We moved to The Villages about a year ago.

Federal government retirement is great. We paid into our Civil Service Retirement System every month just like folks on Social Security. We do not get Social Security but the Civil Service retirement. We paid health insurance premiums all the years we worked and in retirement we still get health insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefit plan - and we do pay a monthly premium still.

I am very glad that I took a Federal government job when I got out of the Army and college. The pay was not the greatest but very nice benefits.

Retirement is great. It took me all of 1 day to adjust.

[Irish Red]

I retired at 62 after 40 years in education. My Dad, who was to retire at that age, died when he was 61. Althought I loved what I did, I was determined to retire at 62. My wife did the same. Next week we will close on a house in The Villages and look forward to many years of enjoyment with each other. Retire when your ready and don't look back!

[whartonjelly]

[QUOTE=batman911;334702]Sadly, I am one that loves my job and am not looking forward to retirement as much as others. I also love having time off for golf and other outdoor activities. Money is no longer the deciding factor of when to retire. I'm sure others have been in the same situation. My only concern is that I retire and then miss the challenge of work and become bored with recreation every day. Sort of like eating ice cream for every meal. There is no going back to your old job once you retire. I will be 65 this year but my wife is 8 years behind. She is ready to retire now. Maybe I have become a stress junkie. Any words of wisdom from people who were in a similar position?[/QUO

One fourth of my grade school class is dead. I am 57, love my OB Nursing job. I look around me and look at the Nurses who have no chance of retiring,.

They have knee replacement and hip replacements and shoulder and back problems. They all work in pain. I want to retire as quick as I can. It is 60 for me. !

[batman911]

Lots of good advice here. Thanks to all who took the time to post. Anyone out there who wishes they had worked a few more years?

[Freeda]

Nope. Should have retired even earlier; or at the very least, should have moved to TV earlier.

[brostholder]

Originally Posted by 2BNTV

I was on Yahoo Finance this morning and they were discussing the virtue of working until one is 70 as opposed to retiring at 62. These articles are generic and everyone must decide for themselves when is their best time to retire.

At the end of the article they gave three items to consider:
1. Work as long as you can.
2. Save like you will be on your own tomorrow.
3. Live each day like it could be your last.

1 & 3 are mutually exclusive!

[jgbama]

Originally Posted by Jhooman

Dear Freeda,

Your post was was lovely and heartfelt.

Thank you,

J

Couldn't agree more. It quickly reminded me that "investing" in myself was well worth the effort!! We are working now "dejunking" our house so we can get ready to put it on the market and make the "can't wait to make it happen" move to TV.