u/MidAmericaMom

I've heard that as you age and retire the stages are:

Go Go!

Go Slow...

No Go

Since on this board everyone retired at 59+, did you travel and do a ton early on...GO GO?

When did you start to slow down a bit and why?

Are you at the No Go stage now and if so by necessity or choice?

I'm not big into traveling, but realizing the energy it takes more and more (carrying things, doing excursions, driving long distances, navigating huge airports, etc). Working hard now on getting more fit. But wondering if we should get to GOing now, rather than waiting until my spouse is retired.

Not asking about finances. I'm curious about the ordinary side of it — routine, regular faces, being expected somewhere, having something to solve.

What did an average weekday look like in the first few months after you stopped, and what does it look like now? Did you rebuild structure deliberately, or did you enjoy leaving the calendar open?

And was there anything you didn't expect to miss, big or small? Curious what people found waiting on the other side of it.

As in, health, financial, security, or anything. What routine/habit/action you wished you had followed more strictly? Why do you regret not having followed it? What would you tell your younger self if you could?

Recently went through a car buying experience. (I don't recommend it, at least not with traditional dealers!) But the whole thing made me reflect on how my attitude toward automobiles has enabled me to retire when I wanted to and with enough to be comfortable. I made a list:

Age 16: Chevrolet Nova. Free (from grandmother). Horrible car, always broken. But free.

Age 18: Honda Accord, $5700, purchased new. My only new car until recently.

Age 27-33: No car. Lived abroad where public transportation is more than enough.

Age 34: Toyotal Corolla. Used. 400 miles on the odometer. $12,000, I think.

Age 52: Toyota Camry. Bought from family after mother died. $12,000. 55k on the odometer. 21 year old car when I let it go.

Age 67: Toyota Camry, new. Cash purchase. My first "splurge" since age 18 when I bought the Accord, cash, from money I made playing music.

I ran the numbers recently. By buying (mostly) used and keeping cars until they died, I've probably saved a couple hundred thousand dollars in up-front costs, financing, insurance, taxes, etc., and by investing it the money instead, I was able to call the shots on my retirement.

I seem to be a unicorn, though, among car buyers these days. Am I alone? What's your story?

I'm helping someone preplan a funeral and was shocked by how expensive a traditional funeral is. A single plot with a standard headstone, average casket, one day visitation with same day burial is almost $40,000 (in Ontario Canada).

Yikes! I think I will go with a much simpler and cheaper alternative like cremation without any visitation or service.

We’ve waited long enough. 51. Married.

Started Coasting when the kids were nearing high school. Never made crazy money. Went from $120k household income to $40-60k household while the nest-egg grew. No contributions during that time, but also no soccer games or school plays missed. No summers with kids at home and us at work. They worked with us or we took time off. Kids both graduated college in May and have jobs. We’re proud of them.

Our retirement spend is projected to still be $40-50k/yr as we Schengen Shuffle. We’re already on the road, somewhere cheap where we can plan our next steps.

Stick to the plan, team. It works.

Been reading around the net on this subject, and I've been alarmed at the number of retirees with a large percentage of their net worth in equities. Concerned because a prolonged bear market could really sting and reduce these retirees' quality of life. Haven't seen many threads on this topic here, so I thought I'd poll the group. What percentage of your portfolio is in stocks and which percentage in safe assets?

I retired in December. I had an office job and wore business casual. After I retired I kept wearing the same thing. It just comfortable while I adjusted. But without the stress I have lost about 20 pounds. Nothing fits so it’s time to buy new clothes. Every day is Saturday so I’m thinking jeans and shorts wth a t-shirt. I’m just curious what you all wear in retirement.

I'm getting close to retirement and would love to hear some real-world experiences. How old were you when you retired, and roughly how much did you have saved (401k, IRA, pension, investments, etc.)? Looking back, do you feel you retired at the right time? Has your money lasted as expected, and do you feel you had enough saved? If you could do it over again, would you retire earlier, later, or change anything about your plan? Real-life stories are much more helpful than retirement calculators. Thanks for sharing!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! You all have been so helpful with my last question I thought I’d ask another. Now this one isn’t quite as serious.
What do you wear when you’re at home doing nothing? Women are we doing our hair and makeup? Men are we shaving and whatever else men do? If your plan is to sit and read, watch tv or piddle paddle around what are we wearing?
TIA!!!

Sharing / Crossposting per request of an active r/retirement community member here ( u/ga2500ev ), from our sister community of those that retired Before age 59.

Thanks!

I love being introduced like that. My cousin invites me out to a lot of outings. His wife and twin girls, super athletes...so proud of them.

"You remember, my cousin. He's retired now. Do you even know what today is, cuz?"

No. No, I don't know and don't care. I volunteer and other wise enjoy life with my wife. Just waiting for my grandkids...when God blesses. Going on a "glamping" trip in a few weeks and then I wait for CFB and follow my other cousin that coaches in MAC.

Love retirement.

I'm hanging out with my four-year-old grandson, he's on my lap talking away, but my mind was elsewhere. I was thinking about the future. I wasn't focused on him at all, but rather an important conversation I needed to have with another person the next day; an email I had to write; a phone call.

He asked me, "Grandpa, can I spend the night?"

"Sorry, little buddy. Cannot do it. I have plans tomorrow."

This was three years ago.

Three years into retirement this week. I decided to take Social Security early because peace of mind has a value an online calculator cannot price. I was afraid, like many pre-retirees, that I wouldn't have enough. Three years in, spending has smoothed out and it's less than I thought. The life I was saving for turned out to be quieter than the one I had planned. We travel, we stay busy, but it's a funny thing about travel. No matter where I am, I can't wait to get back home.

Cut to this year. My grandson is visiting; we're hanging out together downstairs in the man cave. He falls asleep next to me. At that moment, a light switch turned on. After 45 years of being somewhere else, I'm finally here; I'm being present with my grandson. I don't have anywhere else to go. I'm not thinking about work tomorrow, the stressful presentation I have to give; no emails and phone calls. I'm with my grandson and that's all that matters in the world.

He wakes up. "Grandpa, can I spend the night?"

"Absolutely, little buddy! I will even make you breakfast and take you to school."

And so, the lesson I've learned in retirement so far? Going from a fragmented non-present corporate man to a man having realized what is important in life. That is, having the time to be present. For myself. For my family. For my grandson.

The next morning at breakfast, we're eating our cereal together. I watch him eat. Milk spilling over his chin. I realize: this is what I worked for my entire life; I just didn't know it.