Margaret Wente on Retirement

[andrewf]

Marina, I hope your husband is also teaching your daughter to cook. I knew many people at university who came back every Sunday night with a load of tupperware containers, containing all their meals for the week. Some of them felt trepidation boiling water for pasta. It seemed like a failure of parenting to send your children out into the world unable to perform basic domestic chores (same children had mom pick up dirty clothes, drive 1+ hr home, washed, dried, folded and returned the next day).

[Bullseye]

Yes. I agree. They then go on to say they really like working(doubtful) and would be bored in retirement. It has been my experience that a well funded retirement is anything but boring.

Or even a not well funded one, if you have the lots of interests that don't require money.

[Daniel A.]

Life has a way of getting in the way of all the planning.
Most of the people out there don't have the luxury of picking and choosing there work hours, your either in or out.

I've seen many cases of older workers beginning to have medical issues and in most cases it starts after age 50 then the regret sets in if they could leave the work world they would but never considered having major medical issues.

This is more common than some think the C word has a way of changing ones outlook on which way they wish to spend there time.

I retired at 56 healthy, have many interests and no desire to live by the rules of work.

[marina628]

Andrew my daughter was 5 years old when I had my accident ,She has been doing things at home since she was about 12 .She does all the laundry and cooking at home on weekends to give her Dad a break

[sags]

Interesting that after decades of in-depth analysis of the concept of retirement, including Freedom 55, boomers invading the Sunshine States, and leaving a huge inheritance to their kids, it couldn't have been more wrong. Instead we have people having to work past 65, the Sunshine States in a housing and tourism shamble, and the kids are going to have to chip in for mom and dad.

So much for analytics.

[sags]

GIven the statistics of young people staying home until later years, anyone else think we may see a trend emerging towards generations living in the same home? All the family members, each paying for their own accomodation etc, may be a thing of the past.........dictated by financial considerations. Maybe there wont be as much downsizing in housing as some people predict.

[Square Root]

Interesting posts, Sags. We seem to understand some of the major factors but not necessarily the impact they will have. Multi- generational housing may very well become a trend. Longer retirements were supposed to be the norm. Maybe not?
As an aside I think maybe only boring people get bored in retirement?

[Bullseye]

As an aside I think maybe only boring people get
bored in retirement?

Agree. Regardless of income, if you have no substantial interests outside of work that will keep you busy, you'll not enjoy retirement much.

[andrewf]

I think multigenerational housing is only to be expected with higher housing costs.

[marina628]

Don't encourage your kids to live at home , I have nieces and nephews that lived at home until 30 and they are no further ahead than the ones that moved out at 19 IMO .