Ten years into retirement and still have no idea how to be retired!

by Eileen
(Canada)

The fact of retirement is there is no set rules for retirement...which on one hand is nice, then again frustraing. One has many talents at the retirement, well earned, by the way. But...what to do with all this talent when one retires!

Not to be pessimistic, but it is difficult to involved when one is also dealing with widow/widower status. At one moment you are arguing with your spouse as to what one would do when retired and then "whoosh" your mate is taken away and all your programming talks are echoes in a silent room.

Yes, there are your family and children. It is a question as to what you want to share with them ...because they can become too worried about what you have vocalized as concerns. Loved ones and friends what to "help" and "fix" your voiced concerns. Yikes!

I have the experience of trying to figure out first of all the financial picture of maybe surviving twenty of more years! Then what if I don't! Lol

Do I spend or do I become a hermit and save those dimes?

I think honesty is the best bandage for this journey, but sometimes it is painful and I do have a few blisters of making bad decisions

This is it! My version of "letting it all out" . Hope I did not scare you :)

Comments for Ten years into retirement and still have no idea how to be retired!

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The day the toilet seat broke
by: Kaylee

I have been considering the same question. Then , the toilet seat broke and I had no idea how to fix it, one of the faucets came off in my hand and I realized that I did not like my bathroom for many reasons. I decided to renovate.

The workmen have just finished and I love the end result. It cost quite a bit of money but I decided to do this instead of just fixing the broken pieces. I enjoyed researching and selecting everything I realized that spending the money gave me more than a new bathroom.

I have learned that my fear of running out of money should not be what controls my retirement.

I thought I would feel bad about spending so much but I really don't. It is actually empowering.

by: Wendy

I love this question:
Do I spend or do I become a hermit and save those dimes?

I've asked this so often!!

Do I continue to save-save-save and, in the end, my extended family gets my hard-earned monies and quickly spends it?

OR

Do I finally spend, and then, later on in life, in my 80s, money is gone... and what if I need it?

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