# What will you do in your retirement?



## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

I recently had a chat with our local librarian who is due to retire later this year. She has been getting all the usual, 'so what are you going to do with yourself? Won't you get bored?' comments.

It seems a lot of people see retirement as an ending as I have said before on other threads here, but it also seems that some people think they can PLAN it. They have all these 'plans' and often for example plan a big 'once in a lifetime' trip for the beginning of their retirement. Or start polishing their golf clubs in anticipation of playing 3 or 4 days a week once they retire. Then there are those who start looking at RV brochures intending to spend a lot of time on the road. There are plenty of 'plans' people come up with obviously.

But here's my question. Why?

Throughout our lives up until we retire, we are conditioned to live our lives by the clock and according to a 'plan'. We have to get to school on time as kids and come home on a Friday night by X hour as teenagers. We get a job and must start on time each weekday, etc. We take vacations which we must book time off for with employers, ahead of time. Everything is scheduled. We are not FREE to do what we want, when we want. Should we carry that same behaviour into our retirement? I suggest we should not.

I have been retired longer than the total age of some people in this forum I would guess. As an early (very) retiree, I was still of an age to have no thoughts of it as being an 'ending' of anything, it was a new 'beginning'. I think it should be that way regardless of what age you start at. But just as when you got your first job, you could not foresee what the next 20 or 30 years would bring, it seems foolish to me to think that when you retire you can foresee the years to come anymore than you could when you started working. The only difference is you are starting 'not working.'

Retirement to me has been FREEDOM. The freedom to get up each morning and say, 'so what do I want to do today' and then doing that. I like many people started out my retirement with a wish to travel. I sold or got rid of everything that tied me down and off I went. Here's an interesting side note. I put a lot of stuff into one of those storage facilities that exist all over N. America. I paid a year's rent in advance before leaving. At the end of a year, it was time to pay again obviously. I asked myself what I had missed having that was in that storage facility and the answer was 'nothing'. So I asked my family to go and empty the locker out. Keep what they wanted, sell what they wished and donate the rest to the Sally Ann. I've yet to miss anything that was in that locker, 30 years on.

Possessions are a funny thing. I sometimes wonder if people possess their possessions or if their possessions possess them. Try saying that fast 5 times. It is amazing how liberating it can be to get rid of 'possessions'. Often, some possessions can get in the way of saying, 'so what do I want to do today?' I'm not suggesting everyone should get rid of everything when they retire and become homeless (as in a sense I did) but I do think it is worth thinking about just what something costs you in terms of freedom. The ideal is to find a balance that works for you. You may want to own a house for example (nesting instinct) but do you really want to still have a mortgage? 

So what will you do in retirement as my thread title asks? Well, I can tell you that what I have done in retirement includes a lot of things that I would never in a million years have come up with if I were trying to plan it. There is a saying I like which is, 'you can't see there from here.' It is a perfect description of your retirement and where you start out. 

Think of it like this: "Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!"

Just leave out the 'five-year' part. That sounds a bit short and pessimistic in terms of how long you will have. And please, don't go and play golf 4 days a week and consider that enough.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

I think some planning is required unless you've got near unlimited funds to play with!

Sitting on the edge of retirement myself so this is in my mind fairly often. Initially I plan to do more of the activities I enjoy which have normally been reserved for weekends only. I realize that some activities are age dependent, like racing dirt bikes (yes at my age  ), so those will get priority over other ones that don't demand so much from my body. On the plus side, retirement will give me more time to keep my body in shape!

Other than that, I have gained interest in a number of hobbies over the years which I'll revisit as time, funds and interest permit. Of course new things, events and friends can change my plans so I'll adapt as time goes on. In my mind possessions don't hold me back but allow me to do things I enjoy, otherwise I would get rid of them. If I did get the travel bug (RV, relocate residence, etc) I would likely dispose of everything to commit to it but I did most of my travelling in the last 20 years so probably not. Of course this doesn't exclude trips for a month or two at favorite locations. So other than that, it's an open book .....


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## diharv (Apr 19, 2011)

I plan to hang em up in the current career end of June 2021, I'll be 56 . Outside of my wife and a couple close colleagues, I'm pretty much keeping mum about it as almost 100% of the time talk about FIRE invites bemoaning about ohhh what will you do, why don't you want to keep working etc. My thinking is what is going to change with respect to the answers to these questions at age 60,65,70,75,etc? At age 65 , the societal acceptable norm age for retirement , is there an epiphany about what you will finally do ? Maybe the people bemoaning other people's FIRE are those that can't or won't achieve it and don't want to see others succeed in it . I don't know . All I know is when I finally transition, and that's what it is, a change to something new, not a withdrawl from something, my answer to the enevitible question will be : "Whatever I want, where I want, whenever I want, for as long as I want with who I want." Great post LTA.


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

What surprised me the most is how quickly time seems to pass. I thought that retirement meant being bored most of the time, and days passing slowly; it has not seemed that way for me. A friend sent me a long article agout a theory why, physiologically, time appears to pass more quickly with age. I'm not sure I fully understood it, but have my own theory. I believe that our internal perception of time will naturally drift away from clock time; maybe it does speed up as we get older, but not necessarily just because of age. Younger people who are still working have so many "synchronization events" in their daily lives to which they adjust their internal clocks. There's the Monday to Friday / Weekend synchronization, the 9:00 to 5:00 work day, picking up the kids, etc. After retirement, those synchronizing events are less frequent, so the internal clock can drift further away from the clock time between synchronizing events. 

For me, it's... "OMG it's Friday already? I have to put the garbage out. Seems like it was just yesterday that I last did that". Maybe more socially active retired seniors do not experience the time drift because they have frequent synchronization events. 

What do you think?


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

I'm not exactly retired, but I plan to have several pauses from work. Our culture doesn't have a good term for this, so you might call it "retirement".

In my next retirement, I have a long list of things I want to do. Exercise is a top priority. I'd like to spend more time walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, and surfing. These are activities that can be done well into the 60s or 70s if one is lucky. My grandmother was still swimming in her 80s. When I go to swim laps in the pool, I usually see someone well into their 60s.

Here are some other items from my list, which I keep in a little blue book:

- spend time relaxing and meditating
- look at volunteer work opportunities
- get involved in a humanitarian agency
- join a theatre troupe
- possibly go study and get another degree
- get a useful certification or two
- take a serious French course to become fluent
- join a choir
- do more writing, e.g. web sites, poetry, etc
- find a way to do some teaching

There's no way I will get all this done during my next retirement, but I'll look forward to the _next_ retirement to continue.


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## l1quidfinance (Mar 17, 2017)

Longtimeago said:


> As an early (very) retiree, I was still of an age to have no thoughts of it as being an 'ending' of anything, it was a new 'beginning'. I think it should be that way regardless of what age you start at. But just as when you got your first job, you could not foresee what the next 20 or 30 years would bring, it seems foolish to me to think that when you retire you can foresee the years to come anymore than you could when you started working. The only difference is you are starting 'not working.'
> 
> Retirement to me has been FREEDOM.


The 2 key take aways from the original post for me. 1) A new beginning 2) Freedom. I do not want to be ruled by the clock & the commute. 

At 38 I still have some way to go and really only very seriously started of thinking about retirement goals in the last year. 
Amongst many things I kick myself now at how much money I have wated on vehicles over the years and the affect this could now have on when I retire. With a young boy and a new house (probably shouldnt have purchased it) I feel it will take some time and the freedom 55 is probable a dream. 

Fortunatley overtime is in abudance at the minute and as we are ruled by the clock and with little vacation time I figure that I may as well spend my time at work. 5% RRSP match. Then i'm taking a diciplined approach to the use of overtime funds with a portion towards aggressive payment of the mortgage. 

Sorry to seem to ramble from the topic but I guess the key point is to attain the freedom to do what I want when I went. It's a sunny day lets pull the motorcycle out. Lets do some carpentry projects. Go for a walk or kick back and relax. The plan is not to have a plan.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Longtimeago said:


> Retirement to me has been FREEDOM. The freedom to get up each morning and say, 'so what do I want to do today' and then doing that.


I totally agree about the freedom. The #1 reason I save up money and take investing so seriously is to gain the freedom.

For me, it's not about stopping working. I plan to keep working as long as I have the mental capability to do so... but I want to work on my terms, when I choose, for as much or as little as I want.


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## Earl (Apr 5, 2016)

I'm not sure what I'll do all day, but I do know I will move out of this area. Not sure where yet, maybe nova scotia, maybe BC. I'm only here because this is where the jobs in my field are (the GTA and the greater golden horseshoe area). Retirement to me means being able to live where I want, rather than where the jobs are. Of course eventually once you get really old and dilapidated you may need to move to where there is accessible health care (which usually means the larger cities), but I expect to have at least a few good decades of retirement before I have to worry about that.

One thing I never get to do enough of due to work is take motorcycle trips. I like to load up my bike with luggage and take a multi-day ride somewhere far, but due to limited vacation time I don't get to do that nearly as much as I'd like. I think that's one thing I'd do a lot more of when I retire. Of course that requires that I stay reasonably healthy into retirement age. I exercise a lot and eat healthy (mostly) but even still you can't predict your health.


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## robfordlives (Sep 18, 2014)

First off, I"m going to sleep in. Never been a morning person and the 7:30 starts at work require me to get up at around 6:30....so I would sleep in to 8:30 or 9. I plan to be more physically active - x country ski in winter, swimming/hiking/biking in summer - 5 days a week. I do that now but getting home at 6PM from work and it's -30 outside and cold makes it tough to get out there with the skis. Tonnes of reading and pursuing my hobbies while cultivating new ones (poker, golf, tennis, fishing). At least 2 months of slow travel per year.


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## l1quidfinance (Mar 17, 2017)

Earl said:


> One thing I never get to do enough of due to work is take motorcycle trips. I like to load up my bike with luggage and take a multi-day ride somewhere far, but due to limited vacation time I don't get to do that nearly as much as I'd like. I think that's one thing I'd do a lot more of when I retire. Of course that requires that I stay reasonably healthy into retirement age. I exercise a lot and eat healthy (mostly) but even still you can't predict your health.


I feel that problem only too well. Packing the wife and son off on a flight to the inlaws in Newfoundland in July. I will be following solo on the bike a few days later enjoying the country and taking in detor via the Cabot trail :smile-new: :cool2:


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Earl said:


> One thing I never get to do enough of due to work is take motorcycle trips.


Definitely on my list as well. Probably load up the trailer with bikes and ride each coast for some time, maybe try the completed dempster hwy.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

We do lots of spontaneous travel. Twice a year, 6-9 weeks at a time. Usually SE Asia/OZ in the winter, Europe in Sept/October. Plus some smaller trips in between. We will continue to do this as long as we are healthy.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

Wife & I both enjoy travel and meeting interesting people...it was always about the journey not the destination. 

10 years ago I retired & bought a large bus to travel...2 years later I sold our house as it was unused and bought a nice sailboat with the proceeds. We are blessed to be able to live our dreams...we go somewhere new every week, have seen much of the less traveled areas of the planet and have plans to see the rest before we croak.


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## Gruff403 (Jan 30, 2019)

I semi-retired last June from a 28 year teaching career. My time is spent as I wish most days by reading financial blogs, walking dog, working on house, visiting aging parents, skiing, singing with choir, visiting some friends, volunteering, lunches with my Queen, skating, local travel. As a teacher I was ruled by the bell. I don't wear a watch anymore. Working a couple days a month teaching first aid to teachers. I love the relaxed pace and the freedom of choice. Best decision to leave the grind behind.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Simply reading (and being able to post on) CMF at leisure everyday.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

cainvest said:


> I think some planning is required unless you've got near unlimited funds to play with!
> 
> Sitting on the edge of retirement myself so this is in my mind fairly often. Initially I plan to do more of the activities I enjoy which have normally been reserved for weekends only. I realize that some activities are age dependent, like racing dirt bikes (yes at my age  ), so those will get priority over other ones that don't demand so much from my body. On the plus side, retirement will give me more time to keep my body in shape!
> 
> Other than that, I have gained interest in a number of hobbies over the years which I'll revisit as time, funds and interest permit. Of course new things, events and friends can change my plans so I'll adapt as time goes on. In my mind possessions don't hold me back but allow me to do things I enjoy, otherwise I would get rid of them. If I did get the travel bug (RV, relocate residence, etc) I would likely dispose of everything to commit to it but I did most of my travelling in the last 20 years so probably not. Of course this doesn't exclude trips for a month or two at favorite locations. So other than that, it's an open book .....


Well, yes, you do need to have planned how you will fund your retirement at least cainvest. Most people will also know what they want to do initially as well although there will always be some who are 'forced' to retire and have no clue about what to do with themselves from day one. Those I can only pity as they seem to have no life not connected to what they 'do' for a living.

My focus is more on suggesting that those who think they can 'plan' their retirement entirely are likely to be in for a surprise. What you list as being your initial focus may indeed occupy your time in year 1 and 2 but perhaps something you haven't even thought of is what you will find yourself doing in year 7 or 8. So yes, it's an open book......

It's important I believe to understand that going in to retirement as some decisions people can and do make when they retire have long term impacts that they may not be able to change some years down the road. For example, quite a few people put money into a second property in some lower cost country and 'snowbird'. We all know about that, but what many may not know is that if those people decide they have had enough of that one day, they may not be able to get their capital out as easily as they put it in. I have seen that first hand in several different countries. The locals know when a foreign retiree wants 'out' and will not pay what the retiree thinks their property is worth. That leaves the retiree who wants out having to find a new retiree who is still wearing their 'rose coloured glasses' and will pay their price, or having to sell at a loss.

One thing I have seen first hand is that when that day comes and someone wants out, they want out NOW and so do not want to wait till they can find the right buyer. In one location where I lived for 7 years, I saw a lot of people come to their 'retirement paradise' only to leave after a few years. Not ONCE did I see anyone leave with more money than they arrived with and most left with considerably less. Psychologically, once that point of wanting to leave is reached, every day that you cannot yet leave is no longer a day you are enjoying. It's like your life is on hold.

So my point here is unless you have 'near unlimited funds' as you say, making major capital expenditures thinking they are sure to last long term is not something I would suggest doing. My advice if someone wants to try living in another country for all or part of a year 'every year', is to go ahead and do that but RENT, not buy. When I left an island 'paradise' after 7 years, it took me 2 weeks from deciding to go to being gone. The only thing I had to sell before leaving was a used Vespa scooter.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Userkare said:


> What surprised me the most is how quickly time seems to pass. I thought that retirement meant being bored most of the time, and days passing slowly; it has not seemed that way for me. A friend sent me a long article agout a theory why, physiologically, time appears to pass more quickly with age. I'm not sure I fully understood it, but have my own theory. I believe that our internal perception of time will naturally drift away from clock time; maybe it does speed up as we get older, but not necessarily just because of age. Younger people who are still working have so many "synchronization events" in their daily lives to which they adjust their internal clocks. There's the Monday to Friday / Weekend synchronization, the 9:00 to 5:00 work day, picking up the kids, etc. After retirement, those synchronizing events are less frequent, so the internal clock can drift further away from the clock time between synchronizing events.
> 
> For me, it's... "OMG it's Friday already? I have to put the garbage out. Seems like it was just yesterday that I last did that". Maybe more socially active retired seniors do not experience the time drift because they have frequent synchronization events.
> 
> What do you think?


Are you familiar with the saying, 'work expands to fill time available' Userkare? That to me covers a lot of what happens to time after you retire. You take more time to do the things you choose to do, because you CAN take more time doing them. 

Regarding scheduled events, we all have those in varying degrees in retirement. Some people more so than others. But in fact, even if you have no 'organized' activities you participate in at all, you do tend to get up around the same time each morning, you do make a coffee before doing anything else perhaps, etc. We follow routines regardless. So I don't see what you refer to as 'time drift' as having anything to do with having scheduled events but more about how much time we spend doing whatever we do. 

For example, as it happens I need to put out the garbage today. If I were working, I would pull the bin to the curb and that would be it. But since I have time, I will check to see if there are any bits I should include in the bin that aren't in there yet. So, maybe the bathroom bin will get emptied as well as the kitchen bin. I always seem to have some bits of packaging or garden waste sitting in a black garbage bag in the garage and I will tie that bag shut and put it in the wheelie bin before taking it out. In other words, putting the bin out goes from being a 1 minute job before driving off to work, to a 10 minute job done in no rush before driving off to the library. Then it's, 'OMG, is it Friday afternoon already? Where did my day go?'


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

james4beach said:


> I'm not exactly retired, but I plan to have several pauses from work. Our culture doesn't have a good term for this, so you might call it "retirement".
> 
> In my next retirement, I have a long list of things I want to do. Exercise is a top priority. I'd like to spend more time walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, and surfing. These are activities that can be done well into the 60s or 70s if one is lucky. My grandmother was still swimming in her 80s. When I go to swim laps in the pool, I usually see someone well into their 60s.
> 
> ...


I think the term most would use in a situation such as you refer to james4beach, might be sabbatical. Although it generally is used to refer to a year or two off work and then returning to the same job, in a more general sense it is just a break between periods of work.

Personally, I prefer periods of work between retirement and that is not the same thing. I sometimes joke I have retired 4 times already. But in fact, what I have really done is just fallen in to some things that could be considered 'work', during my retirement. Each time, I have fallen into them rather than gone looking for them and each time I have continued with them right up until I no longer found them enjoyable. 

Being retired does not mean someone cannot choose to supplement their retirement income and do something they get enjoyment from while also being paid to do so. That's actually the best of both worlds isn't it. It is however different from HAVING to work to eat. Some FIRE forums refer to having FU money. That means you can do something that pays but as soon as you no longer want to do it, you have the means to be able to say, 'FU, I'm done with this.'

So I would say the difference is the answer to the question of whether you HAVE to go back to work to eat or not. If you don't have to, you are retired and simply choosing to do something. You can always fall back on your FU money. If you have to go back, you're just taking a sabbatical, not 'a next retirement'.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

l1quidfinance said:


> The 2 key take aways from the original post for me. 1) A new beginning 2) Freedom. I do not want to be ruled by the clock & the commute.
> 
> At 38 I still have some way to go and really only very seriously started of thinking about retirement goals in the last year.
> Amongst many things I kick myself now at how much money I have wated on vehicles over the years and the affect this could now have on when I retire. With a young boy and a new house (probably shouldnt have purchased it) I feel it will take some time and the freedom 55 is probable a dream.
> ...


I decided at age 35 that I wanted to retire l1quidfinance. Up until then, I was like many people in that I more or less spent a bit more than I earned, enjoyed the 'good life' and was coasting through life reasonably happily. But once I decided to retire, I changed quite a few things and as a result reached my financial goals by age 43 and retired. My goal had been a 10 year plan to retirement and in fact I achieved it in 7 years.

I believe in 'self-fulfilling prophecies'. I see you have made one in your comments. "the freedom 55 is probable a dream." I agree, it is if you think it is. But why not try a different prophecy instead? Mine was, 'I will retire in 10 years'. Everything I did from that point on was FILTERED through that goal and had to move towards reaching my financial goal to achieve that. Your prophecy will lead you to do what to get you to early retirement? Nothing.

There is no point in saying you want to achieve financial freedom and then just leave it at that while at the same time saying 'but I guess freedom 55 is out of the question'. You've lost before you even started if you do that.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Longtimeago said:


> So my point here is unless you have 'near unlimited funds' as you say, making major capital expenditures thinking they are sure to last long term is not something I would suggest doing. My advice if someone wants to try living in another country for all or part of a year 'every year', is to go ahead and do that but RENT, not buy. When I left an island 'paradise' after 7 years, it took me 2 weeks from deciding to go to being gone. The only thing I had to sell before leaving was a used Vespa scooter.


That's some sound advise right there!

I'm definitely aware of changing wants/needs over time, what I was thinking of retirement just 5 years ago (was thinking of relocating) has already changed and I haven't even begun retirement yet! Renting is definitely the best option IMO, especially if you haven't stayed (vacationed) at a new location for a long period of time.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Earl said:


> I'm not sure what I'll do all day, but I do know I will move out of this area. Not sure where yet, maybe nova scotia, maybe BC. I'm only here because this is where the jobs in my field are (the GTA and the greater golden horseshoe area). Retirement to me means being able to live where I want, rather than where the jobs are. Of course eventually once you get really old and dilapidated you may need to move to where there is accessible health care (which usually means the larger cities), but I expect to have at least a few good decades of retirement before I have to worry about that.
> 
> One thing I never get to do enough of due to work is take motorcycle trips. I like to load up my bike with luggage and take a multi-day ride somewhere far, but due to limited vacation time I don't get to do that nearly as much as I'd like. I think that's one thing I'd do a lot more of when I retire. Of course that requires that I stay reasonably healthy into retirement age. I exercise a lot and eat healthy (mostly) but even still you can't predict your health.


I like to say that the city is where people live because they have to. The country is where you live because you can. Of course there are some people who prefer big city living to small town living and that's fine as long as it is a conscious decision to do so. I think a lot of people live where they live just because they already live there and have never thought of living anywhere else. 

Regarding later concerns about healthcare Earl. There is no actual truth in the common belief that you have to live in a city to have good 'accessible healthcare' or access to the best available treatments, equipment and doctors. Don't let that thinking influence your choice of where to live much Earl. 

Take a look at the top rated hospitals on the following list and click on some to read more about them individually. The top hospital in Canada is in London, Ontario, not Toronto or Vancouver or any other major city. Where some of the larger city hospitals are on the list may surprise you. 
https://www.cbc.ca/news2/health/features/ratemyhospital/hospitalratings.html
As an Ontario resident, would you have thought of Smith Falls as having one of the best hospitals in Canada?

More important in my opinion is not how close you are to a big city hospital but how close you are and how easily you can get a good family doctor. That is the first line of defense against health problems as you age. If you have a family doctor and a good one, that is what will get you to the hospital you need to get to when you need it. In the small town of around 3000 where we currently live in Southwestern Ontario, we have a very good health centre with 5 family doctors located in it. No one in this little town has any reason to not have a family doctor. I lived in Toronto for many years and never had a regular family doctor.


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## milhouse (Nov 16, 2016)

Longtimeago said:


> My focus is more on suggesting that those who think they can 'plan' their retirement entirely are likely to be in for a surprise. What you list as being your initial focus may indeed occupy your time in year 1 and 2 but perhaps something you haven't even thought of is what you will find yourself doing in year 7 or 8. So yes, it's an open book......
> 
> It's important I believe to understand that going in to retirement as some decisions people can and do make when they retire have long term impacts that they may not be able to change some years down the road. For example, quite a few people put money into a second property in some lower cost country and 'snowbird'. We all know about that, but what many may not know is that if those people decide they have had enough of that one day, they may not be able to get their capital out as easily as they put it in. I have seen that first hand in several different countries. The locals know when a foreign retiree wants 'out' and will not pay what the retiree thinks their property is worth. That leaves the retiree who wants out having to find a new retiree who is still wearing their 'rose coloured glasses' and will pay their price, or having to sell at a loss.


Isn't that life in general though regardless of being retired or not? Retirement may free up 40 hours a week and certain commitments but life can still throw curve balls at you in terms of death, divorce, health issues, etc and doesn't necessarily give you a free pass on mistakes and bad decisions. 
Personally, I like goal setting and having a roadmap but I'm also not blind to the fact that there's going to be a lot course corrections along the way.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Gruff403 said:


> I semi-retired last June from a 28 year teaching career. My time is spent as I wish most days by reading financial blogs, walking dog, working on house, visiting aging parents, skiing, singing with choir, visiting some friends, volunteering, lunches with my Queen, skating, local travel. As a teacher I was ruled by the bell. I don't wear a watch anymore. Working a couple days a month teaching first aid to teachers. I love the relaxed pace and the freedom of choice. Best decision to leave the grind behind.


For some people the idea of not wearing a watch (or being able to look at the time on their cellphone as many do now instead of using a watch) is a thing of nightmares Gruff403. I go back to the phrase I used in the OP, 'you can't see there from here'. When your life revolves around schedules, appointments, etc. then knowing what time it is, is essential. But when you are free to do as you wish, you can eat when you feel hungry and sleep when you feel tired.

I spent quite a few years living on a Greek island. During that time, I got used to taking a 'siesta'. The siesta has to be one of the least known about (in N. America at least) joys in life. Even now, many years since I lived in that location, I still take a siesta most days. There is no set time or duration. It just seems to fit in at some point in most afternoons. Sometimes it's 20 minutes sometimes it's an hour and 20 minutes. 

I also happen to like a lot of PBS programs that always seem to be broadcast later at night. My regular bed time is 1am and sometimes it's 2am because there is a good UK crime drama series on late that I want to watch. But I still sleep 8 hours every night so figure out when I usually get up in the morning, it sure as heck isn't 6 or 7 am. Shudder. My day and night 'routine' fits what I want to do, not some schedule imposed on me by anything.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

milhouse said:


> Isn't that life in general though regardless of being retired or not? Retirement may free up 40 hours a week and certain commitments but life can still throw curve balls at you in terms of death, divorce, health issues, etc and doesn't necessarily give you a free pass on mistakes and bad decisions.
> Personally, I like goal setting and having a roadmap but I'm also not blind to the fact that there's going to be a lot course corrections along the way.


Absolutely milhouse. The issue is when people think as quite a few do seem to do, that retirement is NOT just another phase in life that follows the same laws as any other phase in life. It seems a lot of people see retirement as an 'end game', in that they think you can plan it when in fact as the saying goes, 'man plans, the gods laugh.'

Someone says, 'I plan to play golf 3 times a week and snowbird in Florida every year.' They often say it as if they believe that is what they will do every year till the day they die. They have a 'plan' for their entire retirement years. You can more or less plan the first year of retirement, after that all bets are off.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Longtimeago said:


> Someone says, 'I plan to play golf 3 times a week and snowbird in Florida every year.' They often say it as if they believe that is what they will do every year till the day they die. They have a 'plan' for their entire retirement years. You can more or less plan the first year of retirement, after that all bets are off.


Retirement is a very individual thing.

I know some that play golf and hit the southern states (RV or time share) each year and likely will continue until they die, some have been doing it already for many years now.

There are good friends I know that live in a van since their 40's, travel the world and go back to work for a few years when they run out of money. They have been on the road for over 12 years now.

One retired guy in my area, watches TV, walks his dog 2-8 hours a day and that's his retirement. BTW, he's on his second dog already so he's been doing it for a while now.

Everyone will have a different retirement, some grounded to their location others not, some happy with the status quo of daily life and others that want new experiences around every corner. Since I live in a area with a high level of retired people, you can tell by their lawns , I get to see a pretty good sampling of life after work, and yes, some have moved away to warmer places. Quite a number of them are just happy to volunteer locally, take occasional vacations, enjoy hobbies and spend time with their family it seems.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Watching my parents, in laws, older siblings, and other people I know really well, there seems to be multiple beginnings and phases in retirement which will really depend on the individuals situation. 

We planned our retirement dates based on when the kids should be out of school and starting their careers. The worst case scenario, I will be around 30, unless my youngest also decide she wants to specialize in medicine or something longer. Best case scenario, I will my be able to retire around 55. In my case, my parents much older, and I am dealing with taking care of them now, when it comes time to retire for me, my parents will most likely not be around. My spouse's parents will be at the stage that my parents are now. Needing a lot more help and time for us. 

For us, retirement is around friends and family. I don't see us moving any where, as are roots a deep in our city. The first couple of years, will be getting in to a more standard routine of what are new 'daily stuff' is. It will be mixed with lots of shorter travel depending on where are kids are, and how my in laws parents are. Then we see if our kids decide to have kids, we will want to be around the grandkids more (hopefully they will want to be around the grandparents) Again, more travel, taking care of elderly parents, and maybe young grand children. 

I see that I will just be spending more time doing things that I enjoy now. I don't know if there is one specific activity that I would always do like golf, or snowbirding, but I know what things currently bring me joy and happiness. Family, friends, volunteering, travelling, and more me time than I have now (which is none). I have never had problems finding things to do that I enjoy, but depending on my health and age, they may change.


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## Gruff403 (Jan 30, 2019)

I as well, have discovered the joy of the siesta. Not every day but at least a couple times a week.


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## Mechanic (Oct 29, 2013)

I love being retired. It took a couple of years to get sorted, relocated etc and into the swing of things, after giving up working at 55. I play lots of golf, bought a boat and go fishing whenever I want. Some days I work around my yard and house. Other days I tinker with my project car. Other days I spend time on my trading platform and buy/sell make/lose a few dollars. Other days I do nothing, lol. Retirement to me was always about freedom to do whatever I want to do.


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## birdman (Feb 12, 2013)

Great to see so many physically active retirees which I believe is paramount to longevity and a healthy life. I am very active and participate in sporting activities usually 6-7 days a week. These include skiing (have condo on the mtn), competitive badminton, walking/hiking, fishing, hunting, gardening and maintaining our .7 acres, home repairs, camping, and more. There has been reference that you can do this to maybe age 65, 70, or later. Well, I'm in the latter group and have no intentions of slowing down. My skiing buddies are around the same age and we are very aggressive and we ski black runs top to bottom non stop. One is English and is an ex Olympian (water polo) and is 83! He is unbelievable and still swims, runs, and bikes 7 days a week when at home. Even does triathalons. He is also very sharp mentally (ex lawyer) and is a joy to be with. I plan to follow in his footsteps. No smoking, limited or no alcohol, weight control, proper diet, and exercise are in my opinion key to longevity. Great to see posts where people are racing motorbikes (my buddy still races cars), biking, fishing, golfing, camping, walking, hiking, etc and good for you. I truly believe if you stay active you can do this indefinitely. Don't stop and enjoy your retirement! On a scale of 1-10 how do you rate your retirement? I rate mine as a 10.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

frase said:


> Great to see so many physically active retirees which I believe is paramount to longevity and a healthy life. I am very active and participate in sporting activities usually 6-7 days a week. These include skiing (have condo on the mtn), competitive badminton, walking/hiking, fishing, hunting, gardening and maintaining our .7 acres, home repairs, camping, and more. There has been reference that you can do this to maybe age 65, 70, or later. Well, I'm in the latter group and have no intentions of slowing down. My skiing buddies are around the same age and we are very aggressive and we ski black runs top to bottom non stop. One is English and is an ex Olympian (water polo) and is 83! He is unbelievable and still swims, runs, and bikes 7 days a week when at home. Even does triathalons. He is also very sharp mentally (ex lawyer) and is a joy to be with. I plan to follow in his footsteps. No smoking, limited or no alcohol, weight control, proper diet, and exercise are in my opinion key to longevity. Great to see posts where people are racing motorbikes (my buddy still races cars), biking, fishing, golfing, camping, walking, hiking, etc and good for you. I truly believe if you stay active you can do this indefinitely. Don't stop and enjoy your retirement! On a scale of 1-10 how do you rate your retirement? I rate mine as a 10.


Oh if only it were that simple frase. No matter how many anecdotal stories can be told about someone 83 still doing black runs etc. there is a corresponding anecdotal story I can tell of a man I knew who was into fitness, diet, etc. fanatically and died of cancer at age 67. So while being active and eating healthily etc. are good things to do, they do not guarantee anything in terms of longevity. I would take exception therefore to your use of the word 'paramount'. 

I could easily argue that it is more a case of getting lucky with your genes. Why is it that one person can eat like a horse, couch potato all day and still live to 93, while a fitness fanatic drops dead of a heart attack at age 52? 

In my 30 years of retirement, I have seen examples of all kinds and all I have learned is that you cannot predict longevity based on anything. What I have also learned though is that you should try to enjoy every day of your retirement since you never know when it will be your last day of being around to do so. Just how any individual chooses to enjoy their retirement is up to them and one person may enjoy watching tv just as much as you enjoy an outdoor activity. Your way is not the only way and it most definitely is not the 'right' way.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

cainvest said:


> Retirement is a very individual thing.
> 
> I know some that play golf and hit the southern states (RV or time share) each year and likely will continue until they die, some have been doing it already for many years now.
> 
> ...


To each his own in retirement is fine by me cainvest. If I gave a different impression, that was my communication mistake perhaps. My point is that no one can predict what will satisfy them beyond the first year or so and therefore you cannot PLAN your entire retirement as some seem to think they can. Or at least we can say that you may 'plan' it but it is wise to be able to change if circumstances change.

Someone may indeed remain happy throughout their retirement, playing golf or walking the dog. But what if they don't? That is my point, that you do not want to 'lock' yourself in to a specific situation if you can avoid it. That's why I wrote about people making major financial decisions that lock them in and then living to regret those decisions when their situation, interests, etc. changed down the road.

With the advantage of 30 years now of retirement, telling me about how someone has done the same thing for 'many years' doesn't mean anything to me. They could become restless tomorrow. I have lived 'on the road' for long periods as well. Telling me a couple in their 40s have done so for 12 years, again means nothing to me. Been there, done that and changed my entire life over a 2 week period at the end.

To give you a real life example cainvest, I travelled Europe for several years after first retiring in my early 40s. Eventually, I arrived on an island in the Med with the vague thought of spending about a week (7 days) seeing the island before moving on. I was there for 7 years. I never decided to stay, I simply never decided to leave. THAT is the real freedom of retirement to me. Then I had to go to another country for a funeral. While there I met the woman who is now my wife. I flew back to the island and packed up, did what needed doing, etc. and was gone in 2 weeks. You could say my retirement which was 100% happy on that island, changed over the course of a few hours after I met her. 

The point of course is that you cannot PLAN for things like that. But you can plan to be flexible enough to be able to change when it suits you to do so. To do that, you really do have to think about what FREEDOM in retirement means. Being 'grounded to their location' and 'happy with the status quo' is fine as long as they are still able to change that if they decide they 'want new experiences around every corner.' Being STUCK unable to make that change is not FREEDOM and in my experience, quite a few people end up 'stuck' in their retirement because they thought they could plan it all out. 'You can't see there from here'.


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## Prairie Guy (Oct 30, 2018)

I've been retired 3 years now...my last day of work was 2 months before I turned 54. For the first 2 years I did was I expected...worked out more, ate healthier, golfed a little more, and had more time to devote to music. I also caught up on a few reno projects that I had saved for when I was retired. I wasn't particularly interested in travel as I'm not a big fan of travel and I was also single.

Then a year ago I met my current girlfriend who is also retired (but may look for some part time work). She doesn't like travel either but we both want to escape the worst months of winter so we spent all of February in a condo in Florida and have already made plans to go away somewhere warm for 2 months next winter....no globe trotting for us, we'll just find a warm place and hang out for a while.

I'm also busy helping fix up her family cottage which will be sold, keeping care of my parent's house as they age, and of course maintaining my own home and property. So, I'm currently fairly busy but fully enjoying the retired life


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Longtimeago said:


> Someone may indeed remain happy throughout their retirement, playing golf or walking the dog. But what if they don't? That is my point, that you do not want to 'lock' yourself in to a specific situation if you can avoid it. That's why I wrote about people making major financial decisions that lock them in and then living to regret those decisions when their situation, interests, etc. changed down the road.
> 
> With the advantage of 30 years now of retirement, telling me about how someone has done the same thing for 'many years' doesn't mean anything to me. They could become restless tomorrow. I have lived 'on the road' for long periods as well. Telling me a couple in their 40s have done so for 12 years, again means nothing to me. Been there, done that and changed my entire life over a 2 week period at the end.
> 
> To give you a real life example cainvest, I travelled Europe for several years after first retiring in my early 40s. Eventually, I arrived on an island in the Med with the vague thought of spending about a week (7 days) seeing the island before moving on. I was there for 7 years. I never decided to stay, I simply never decided to leave. THAT is the real freedom of retirement to me. Then I had to go to another country for a funeral. While there I met the woman who is now my wife. I flew back to the island and packed up, did what needed doing, etc. and was gone in 2 weeks. You could say my retirement which was 100% happy on that island, changed over the course of a few hours after I met her.


My real life examples were just to show the different paths many take in retirement, nothing else. Many people (not all) are creatures of habit, difficult to change their personalities so going from being happy 'grounded to their location' to 'new experiences around every corner' is not likely to happen .. well, easily. I have seen it happen though, some through boredom, others from death of their spouse or maybe they've decided to finally go after their bucket list .... so yes, things can change.

For me, I know I can easily plan more than the first year of my retirement aside from external influences like death, serious illness, no income, etc. I also understand your point that things might change over time, I do get that and agree, things *might* change.


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## *PetePerfectMan* (Jan 24, 2019)

Retirement is having your freedom. I already planned my retirement and I will do so many travels and adventures. During my 30's to 50's I was busy working to finance the study of my son and his needs, I also save money for my retirement so he will not suffer on my needs. Traveling is a way to enjoy the edge of my life. I want to explore different places, country, and people. I want to live as I want to.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

frase said:


> I truly believe if you stay active you can do this indefinitely. Don't stop and enjoy your retirement! On a scale of 1-10 how do you rate your retirement? I rate mine as a 10.


I have a good friend who is a championship runner. Two things caused him to stop. He could no longer win, and his doctor said his back has paid the price for all the pounding.

So by all means keep up your regime. Just be prepared for reality to set in when you least expect it.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

kcowan said:


> I have a good friend who is a championship runner. Two things caused him to stop. He could no longer win, and his doctor said his back has paid the price for all the pounding.
> 
> So by all means keep up your regime. Just be prepared for reality to set in when you least expect it.


Oh yeah, there can be a price paid for activities. 

I loved downhill skiing, did it every winter and whenever I could I'd hit the mountains. The problem was I still tried to ski at the same level as when I was younger and about 10 years ago (following some kids) I did a jump and the landing blew out my ACL .... lesson learned.

From that point on I always remember the saying "Act your age" as a reminder that my body can't take the same level of stress anymore.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

frase said:


> Great to see so many physically active retirees which I believe is paramount to longevity and a healthy life. I am very active and participate in sporting activities usually 6-7 days a week. These include skiing (have condo on the mtn), competitive badminton, walking/hiking, fishing, hunting, gardening and maintaining our .7 acres, home repairs, camping, and more. There has been reference that you can do this to maybe age 65, 70, or later. Well, I'm in the latter group and have no intentions of slowing down. My skiing buddies are around the same age and we are very aggressive and we ski black runs top to bottom non stop. One is English and is an ex Olympian (water polo) and is 83! He is unbelievable and still swims, runs, and bikes 7 days a week when at home. Even does triathalons. He is also very sharp mentally (ex lawyer) and is a joy to be with. I plan to follow in his footsteps. No smoking, limited or no alcohol, weight control, proper diet, and exercise are in my opinion key to longevity. Great to see posts where people are racing motorbikes (my buddy still races cars), biking, fishing, golfing, camping, walking, hiking, etc and good for you. I truly believe if you stay active you can do this indefinitely. Don't stop and enjoy your retirement! On a scale of 1-10 how do you rate your retirement? I rate mine as a 10.


I am so impressed with older seniors that are so active, and more fit than me. At the ski hill, this regular was up there at the ticket booth, and they obviously knew him and told him, he's free, and could just get a season pass card to by pass the line. He replied, 'Nope, I want the SUPER senior ticket, to remind me and everyone how many times I have gone up this year' We saw him on the runs, and he was awesome. Super senior is 75+.

Also, one of my co leaders for girl guides, her mother ran a meeting for our girls. She taught them how to make bread, and hand knead it, you should have seen how big the dough was, and my young girls were tired, but she did all the work. As we made bread, she told us of her week where she did a 30Km cross country skiing that week only twice, because of the extreme cold, and how she was looking forward to her biking tour in Europe where they do 60-100km a day. I asked if she was getting the electric assisted bike, she looked at me with horror. I was shamed by an 86 year old women.


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## newfoundlander61 (Feb 6, 2011)

Will continue my photography hobby and do some more travelling. My fav canadian location for photography is NFLD, see below sample.

Atlantic Puffin, Spillars Cove NFLD


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

cainvest said:


> My real life examples were just to show the different paths many take in retirement, nothing else. Many people (not all) are creatures of habit, difficult to change their personalities so going from being happy 'grounded to their location' to 'new experiences around every corner' is not likely to happen .. well, easily. I have seen it happen though, some through boredom, others from death of their spouse or maybe they've decided to finally go after their bucket list .... so yes, things can change.
> 
> For me, I know I can easily plan more than the first year of my retirement aside from external influences like death, serious illness, no income, etc. I also understand your point that things might change over time, I do get that and agree, things *might* change.


Cainvest, reconcile your comment that "I know I can easily plan more than the first year of my retirment aside from external influences like dath, serious illness, no income, etc." with Prairie Guy's story of having retired 3 years ago and then 1 year ago meeting someone. His life has entirely changed after 2 years of retirement. Should we ask him if he expected that to happen? 

We can agree I think that things *might* change. However, I actually believe that they not only might, they *probably* will change. I think very few people go through retirement in the way they initially thought it would happen. To be honest, the thought that retirement will be that predictable is the stuff of nightmares to me.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Longtimeago said:


> Cainvest, reconcile your comment that "I know I can easily plan more than the first year of my retirment aside from external influences like dath, serious illness, no income, etc." with Prairie Guy's story of having retired 3 years ago and then 1 year ago meeting someone. His life has entirely changed after 2 years of retirement. Should we ask him if he expected that to happen?
> 
> We can agree I think that things *might* change. However, I actually believe that they not only might, they *probably* will change. I think very few people go through retirement in the way they initially thought it would happen. *To be honest, the thought that retirement will be that predictable is the stuff of nightmares to me.*


I think our major disconnect in our retirement thoughts are summed up in your last sentence. For me a predictable retirement would be great and not cause me nightmares. If in the first 5 years of retirement I could spend most of my time with 3 of my main hobbies I would be a real happy camper! I enjoy the challenge of expanding my skill set in hobbies, likely always will, whatever they are. When (and if) I get bored of them or physically unable to do them, I'll move on to other ones to replace them. Can you see my viewpoint on being able to plan ahead now?

Like I previously mentioned, I accept things might change and I agree ... I can't plan for that. Hobbies will come and go, people will come and go, my health will change but my personality won't waver all that much.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

One retirement activity that hasn't been mentioned is looking after the grandkids and/or elderly parents. 

I mention it only because I'm aware of multiple instances where this has been the case, yet I'm sure none would have suggested ahead of time that they planned for part of their retirement to involve caregiving. 

The point being, we need to be flexible and to expect the unexpected (at any time in life really).


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> One retirement activity that hasn't been mentioned is looking after the grandkids and/or elderly parents.
> 
> I mention it only because I'm aware of multiple instances where this has been the case, yet I'm sure none would have suggested ahead of time that they planned for part of their retirement to involve caregiving.
> 
> The point being, we need to be flexible and to expect the unexpected (at any time in life really).


In my age group, just before or on the edge of the retirement (55-65), many of my friends are already caregivers, mostly for their parents, so it'll already be part of their lives. Two are also taking grand kids for a day (or two) a week and they really look forward to it.

Good point though, depending on your age vs your parents some may not have thought of that.


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> One retirement activity that hasn't been mentioned is looking after the grandkids and/or elderly parents.
> 
> I mention it only because I'm aware of multiple instances where this has been the case, yet I'm sure none would have suggested ahead of time that they planned for part of their retirement to involve caregiving.
> 
> The point being, we need to be flexible and to expect the unexpected (at any time in life really).


That idyllic notion of retirement is often replaced with taking care of parents and grandchildren at the same time. The timing is such that your parents are at the age they require assistance from their children and your own children can use the help with daycare.

This was certainly the unplanned situation in my own case where one parent had dimentia and needed help and I was also called upon for childcare duties through the week.

These responsibilities usurp your original plans for many years until parents pass and the grandkids are established in school. 

Then once you've finally claimed your freedom, you're at an age where you start to spend extra time in doctor's appointments and getting medical tests.

Life is funny that way.

ltr


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> One retirement activity that hasn't been mentioned is looking after the grandkids and/or elderly parents.
> 
> I mention it only because I'm aware of multiple instances where this has been the case, yet I'm sure none would have suggested ahead of time that they planned for part of their retirement to involve caregiving.
> 
> The point being, we need to be flexible and to expect the unexpected (at any time in life really).


I did mention both in my case. My parents will most likely no longer be around when I retire, but my in laws parents will be. We anticipate that we will be helping take care of them. My kids are still pretty young right now, but based on their already aspirations, I am going to guess they will have kids later in life. I certainly hope that I will get to see the grand kids often, but I am not sure if I am willing to move for that if they are in different cities. Who knows? in our families, the expectation will be that we take care of the aging and the super young. My oldest sibling is retired, but my parents health has severely impacted his retirement. He helps them almost daily. We arrange that both of us never out of town at the same time. So I can see how the elderly is a much bigger piece than many anticipate. 

My friends father wanted 12 kids, he thought was when he retired, he would visit each child for one month of the year. He came pretty close with 11 kids. I think he takes one month for himself.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

like_to_retire said:


> ... Then once you've finally claimed your freedom, you're at an age where you start to spend extra time in doctor's appointments and getting medical tests. Life is funny that way.
> ltr


Hey, have you been peeking at my calendar somehow? :cower:



Plugging Along said:


> I did mention both in my case...


Yes, you did. My slip up.


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> Hey, have you been peeking at my calendar somehow? :cower:


hehe, yeah it doesn't always work out like we plan. I'm glad you brought the subject up in your post as I do get a kick out of reading all the plans of the 45 year olds who want to retire with all the FIRE hoopla as if it's some sort of panacea. 

They forget that when they retire, they are the responsible party for their own parents (who are now in need) and their children's children (who require expensive daycare).

ltr


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

The title of the thread is 'what will you do in your retirement?'

Of course in asking that question, I had a reason for asking. That reason was that I expected to get many of the kind of answers that it has generated and I also knew that the only *correct* answer to that question is that YOU DON'T KNOW. I wanted to make that point and tie it to the financial aspects of retirement in regards to it. 

I know some people have personalities that prefer life to be structured, predictable, etc. When something upsets their 'plans' or 'routine', they can become quite upset, annoyed or whatever. But the reality is that no one gets to go through life without those things happening and retirement is no different. You cannot plan your retirement any more than you can plan to not get hit by a bus when crossing the street one day. 

Someone may well say they will be very happy if everything goes as they planned and hoped it would. It just won't happen though as change always happens and so remaining flexible and not financially tied down in a way that leaves you less able to adapt to the changes that WILL occur, is important. It is even more important later in life because you are unlikely to be as able to make financial changes as you could earlier in life. Mess up financially after retirement and you can't just take a second job or declare bankruptcy and start over, or go back to work, etc. as you can when you are younger.

So the message is that you don't know what you will do in retirement and financially, you should not assume that you do know. Assuming that you know can and does lead some people to making bad financial decisions based on those assumptions and we all know what 'assume' does right. Makes an *** out of U and ME. 

I recently ran into an old high school acquaintance and that is what triggered my starting this post. He and his wife had retired a few years back and started the quite common 'snowbird in Florida' routine each winter. All was going according to 'plan', right up until she had a massive stroke and died. She was 67. He was devastated. But along with that, his income was more or less halved overnight. 

They had both always enjoyed good health, both had good jobs and ended up with decent pensions. In planning their retirement, they had sold their house in Toronto, bought a condo in a suburb and a condo in Florida for the winters. Not an unusual plan at all I think most would agree. They 'planned' to enjoy many years of retirement together with a comfortable income that would let them do that they wanted to do. But after she died, he could no longer really afford the condo fees on both properties, not on half the income. So he had to sell the condo in Florida as soon as possible and re-think just how his retirement was going to be lived.

Unfortunately, he had to sell the condo at a considerable loss because he wanted a quick sale. He sold the Florida condo within a couple of months of his wife's death. He lost $100k, he told me. Now he wishes they had rented in Florida as he could have simply walked away and lost nothing. In hindsight, they should never have bought but who could know that would happen? 

It is also a fact that he was confronted with making these decisions at a time when he was least able to cope with doing so. He was grieving, not thinking as well as he might obviously. He made a quick decision to sell without looking much at any alternatives, etc. That's what I mean by making a bad financial decision based on assumptions about what you will do in your retirement. 

Whether it is suddenly having your income decrease when a spouse dies or not having anticipated having to become a care-giver for parents or wanting to help with grandkids school tuition, etc. it is important to remember that 'nothing is as constant as change.' Change will occur regardless of how well you think you have planned and the more flexible you are financially, the better able you are likely to be to deal with those changes.

Another example I am very familiar with is people buying property in a foreign country and then losing their shirt for one reason or another. This happens to retirees every day somewhere. Brits bought 'villas' in Spain and then when the UK Pound to Euro exchange went the wrong way, suddenly discovered they could no longer afford to live there. Overnight literally thousands were trying to sell and move back to the UK. You can imagine what such a glut on the market did to the price they could sell for. Many had their life savings wiped out. The same happens with people from N. America buying in the Caribbean or Central American countries. Right now, thousands of Brit retirees living in other European countries are living in fear of what is going to happen to them after Brexit.

From a financial perspective, I believe in the 'Rule of 3s'. That is to live on 1/3 of your income, have 1/3 for disposable income and save/invest 1/3 for the future. If my school acquaintance had followed that rule they would never have bought the condo in Florida as it would have required more than the 1/3 of income to live on that the rule allows. If buying and maintaining it was within 1/3 of their income then even having his income drop by half would not have required him to sell. 

The same is true of the Brits in Spain who would not have had to panic when the exchange rate went against them if they were not already living on all or nearly all of the income they had. Far too many people live in retirement with very little 'cushion' in their income vs. expenses. As it happens, my wife and I have some income derived in another country and are subject to exchange fluctuations affecting our income. Did you know that even between two relatively stable countries like the UK and Canada, the exchange rate has fluctuated by as much as 25% during the last 10 years? Imagine if 25% of your income disappeared through no fault of your own. Could you sustain your lifestyle in retirement if that happened? The Rule of 3's would allow you to cope with twice that.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Of course no one knows exactly what they will do in retirement. . Heck, I make plans for my meals during the week and they are seldom followed to plan. That's for five days. I don't think most people think that the plan that have set out for 25 -50 years, will go exactly as planned. That doesn't mean they should have a plan and some idea if they are heading in the direction they want. 

A plan is merely a roadmap to help you reach your goals, as your goals change, so much the plans. The idea of planning retirement (or anything) is once you think you want to do something, then you need to come up with a way to get there. if you have thought about a general plan, then when the unexpected happens you either change your plans or goals. None of this makes it WRONG as you say. 

It's still really helpful to know what you want, even better if you are good in terms of identifying risks and mitigations. I always say plan for the worst, hope for the best. Yes, this may mean that you have a much larger cushion than you need, or you may choose to retire later (hence my other thread started). I think my roadmap has served me pretty well over the years, though I am not retired, I have used the same framework in my planning. I have had life plans since my early 20's.


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## Earl (Apr 5, 2016)

When I retire, I'm gonna wake up real early every day, then I'm gonna drive real slow to Tim Horton's at 6:30am and make everyone late for work. I'm also gonna do all my shopping at costco on Saturday when it's super busy. Oh, and I'm also gonna get 2 or 3 of those annoying little yappy dogs, and let them out into the backyard at 6am every day (including weekends) so they wake up the entire neighborhood.


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## Earl (Apr 5, 2016)

Longtimeago said:


> Regarding later concerns about healthcare Earl. There is no actual truth in the common belief that you have to live in a city to have good 'accessible healthcare' or access to the best available treatments, equipment and doctors. Don't let that thinking influence your choice of where to live much Earl.
> 
> Take a look at the top rated hospitals on the following list and click on some to read more about them individually. The top hospital in Canada is in London, Ontario, not Toronto or Vancouver or any other major city. Where some of the larger city hospitals are on the list may surprise you.
> https://www.cbc.ca/news2/health/features/ratemyhospital/hospitalratings.html
> As an Ontario resident, would you have thought of Smith Falls as having one of the best hospitals in Canada?


Fair enough but let's suppose you develop some rare sickness, and there are only 2 or 3 hospitals in the entire country who deal with that particular sickness. You then have to live reasonably close to one of those hospitals, and it's more likely than not going to be in a city, not a small town.


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

Earl said:


> When I retire, I'm gonna wake up real early every day, then I'm gonna drive real slow to Tim Horton's at 6:30am and make everyone late for work. I'm also gonna do all my shopping at costco on Saturday when it's super busy. Oh, and I'm also gonna get 2 or 3 of those annoying little yappy dogs, and let them out into the backyard at 6am every day (including weekends) so they wake up the entire neighborhood.


Don't forget to go to the grocery at exactly noon, when workers are buying their hot lunche. Go to the express lane, buy lots of lotto tickets, and slowly count out your payment in coins. Chat up every busy store clerk and bank teller about how everything was better back in the day.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

Earl said:


> When I retire, I'm gonna wake up real early every day, then I'm gonna drive real slow to Tim Horton's at 6:30am and make everyone late for work. I'm also gonna do all my shopping at costco on Saturday when it's super busy. Oh, and I'm also gonna get 2 or 3 of those annoying little yappy dogs, and let them out into the backyard at 6am every day (including weekends) so they wake up the entire neighborhood.


I suspect you forgot the part about sitting on your porch, watching everything and yelling at those good for nothing teenagers as they go by ... :biggrin:


If you get bored you can report neighbours that are fertilizing their flowers as putting out poison to get the squirrels/chipmunks or claim that any cars stored on driveways are being worked on.


Cheers


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Earl said:


> Fair enough but let's suppose you develop some rare sickness, and there are only 2 or 3 hospitals in the entire country who deal with that particular sickness. You then have to live reasonably close to one of those hospitals, and it's more likely than not going to be in a city, not a small town.


LOL, that is what I call the 'lightning' argument Earl. It is a 'strawman' argument. You could get struck by lightning therefore you should plan for that. Really? 'Let's suppose' is often the start of using some highly unlikely circumstance to argue against the far more likely usual set of circumstances. A 'strawman' argument. 

As I said, don't let 'what if' get you hung up on having to live in or near a major city. If you want to live in a city, that's up to you but do not try to suggest that you need to do so in order to get good healthcare. The link I provided for you to take a look at shows you that quite clearly.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

newfoundlander61 said:


> Will continue my photography hobby and do some more travelling. My fav canadian location for photography is NFLD, see below sample.
> 
> Atlantic Puffin, Spillars Cove NFLD


 ... so beautiful and cute. Thanks for sharing. Plus A1 photography!


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