crafterwantabe Loc: Mn

I’d say keep busy. Keeping busy keeps the mind sharp. You also feel useful if you stay busy... good luck with your decision.

dragonfist Loc: Stafford, N.Y.

I retired in 2002 and whatever you do, do it now. Get that bucket list out now and don't stop until it is complete. My wife and I got in a couple of cruises and then my health went south. At retirement age you may be in good health but that can fly away in no time at all. I just read an article that said people hang back from doing things for fear of finances. The thing is the older you get the less you want to do so you spend less. I made the mistake of doing just that and now have many regrets. Because of my health I now have a nice portfolio and nothing I can do with it for enjoyment. The worst part is my wife is losing out too. Live for today, tomorrow may not be as rosy.

willmscr Loc: Beloit Wisconsin

I am 69 and have been retired for three years. We are in much the same financial situation as you. We live just as comfortably as we did when I was working and I have not yet started to take my Social Security. We have enough income that our savings is only going down a little each month and some of that is because we are making additional investments in income-producing things.

I schedule time for regular exercise. I schedule time for regular intellectual exercise as well. I exercise five days a week most weeks and play bridge with friends at least four times a month. I have also been working on getting ready to be a certified tax preparer for or senior citizen's center. I have worked/volunteered for over 30 years at our local college's basketball score's table. I will continue these as long as I can.

As to photography. I have been working on becoming better at post-processing. I have been considering taking some classes. My wife and I did take a short-course in photography and design at our local arts incubator. That has helped my photography considerably.

It sounds to me like you have lots of things that you can do with your time when you finally choose to retire. Don't fear the unknown. I have never regretted my decision to retire for a moment. That despite still enjoying my job up until the end.

CaptainBobBrown

If you don't keep busy you'll rot inside of two years. That's why we moved from a condo in Boston to a 5 acre plot of land on Island of Hawaii ('The Big Island'), built a house, and it demands enough of my time working the grounds to keep me moving. Plus acquired 3 corgis which need care, attention, and walking to stay healthy themselves. Then because we live on an island in the middle of the Pacific we travel to places we'd not been before like Botswana, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica for bird and wildlife photography. My wife sings and is active in a choral society and local symphony orchestra plus music festival. West Hawaii Astronomy Club and 13 world class observatories on top of Mauna Kea for those interested in the rest of the universe.

Lots of other stuff and interests here and always room for volunteers so in spite of being on an island and being expensive can be a cheap place to live.

We live independently of fossil fuels because there's enough sunshine to produce so much electricity on our rooftop we sell the excess to the grid. Not a single thing on our farm uses petroleum except for 1 tiny engine in a Prius 'C'. Don't need A/C or heating. Many use catchment for their water even on the 'Dry' side of the island. Paradise indeed.

One Rude Dawg Loc: Athol, ID

Every day is Saturday, don't fall into the just sitting around trap. Get lots of hobbies and projects, keep busy.I walk at least 2 or 3 miles first thing in the morning, stay active. Some days are better than others, you will have to get used to it, comes with the territory. Nobody ever said being old was easy, again, the point is STAY ACTIVE and enjoy your retirement.

ntonkin Loc: western Upper Peninusla of Michigan

I retired 9 years ago, when I was 60 and a half. One thing I had difficulty with was the transition to being "retired". For almost a year I was in a kind of mental limbo, which is not like me. I did things I would never have done before and wouldn't do now. I would do stupid things where I would get injured and I was in a mentally "weird" state. So one thing I would at least consider is planning for an adjustment period and be careful during that time. I would never have thought this would happen to me, but it did. One thing I did a couple years ago was to take a welding course for 5 and a half months where I got certified in pipe and structural welding, then I bought a nice welding outfit for my garage. My wife and I have no issues financially - - we can afford to do pretty much anything we want to do. We spend a significant amount of time on fitness and managing a high quality diet which takes a lot of time but this is a key factor in health maintenance in order to enjoy retirement. For the last 10 - 15 years before we retired, we set about accumulating stuff that was required for things we wanted to do in retirement. We never seem to have the time to do all the things we want to. We love to go hiking on the many trails in the western U.P. and northern Wisconsin. We like to do a bit of kayaking, photography of course, bicycling, motorcycling, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, feeding the birds, collecting data for CoCoRaHS, plant and tend a garden & flowers, reading and adding to our library, etc. A little over 4 years ago we bought a Wire-haired Vizsla puppy which was clearly a commitment... but she brings with her a great deal of joy and enhances our quality of life. We like to take short day trips in our Corvette or on one of our motorcycles. There are so many beautiful and interesting things to see within 2 - 3 hours of where we live. We don't do "traveling" as we are "traveled out" from the last 15 - 20 years of our working life. My wife and I are best friends and now have the time to just "be together" all the time - - a lot of time just talking on myriad topics. We are not social people, you might say we are reclusive. We don't do any kind of "social media" which we feel is degrading American society. We are heavily invested in our daughter, her husband and our grandson. We help and assist them in any way we can. When I get the time, I really want to learn to fish... well. I've got this big fishing boat that I bought over 12 years ago that sets in the pole building as well as a load of fishing tackle & gear. We really like to eat fish and good fishing lakes are close at hand.

These are the things we have done/are doing in retirement and I absolutely love it. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

I retired at 72 because I was tired of the drive to work every day. That was 13 years ago. I had been in to picture taking, seriously since I was stationed in Libya 60 some odd years ago and the the occupation in Bat Tolz Germany. I restarted photography gathered a few friends (pro and advanced amateurs) which is running as a mentoring club with over 65 paid members. We run Exposes and tons of outside shoots and keeps all of us running. Just keep busy and keep mentally and physically busy .

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

Don's Leica Loc: Asheville, NC

You sound good to me. My path was similar. Work part time, visit places that appeal to you, try new adventures with family, spouse, friends. Take digital pictures, keep them on a notebook (mine is a 15" Mac) in the Pictures folder where you make sub-folders with names of places and dates that makes it easy to find whatever you want to review, display, print, or email. My biologist spouse got the hots for a small log cabin overlooking a waterfall on a creek, where we are spent the day and night yesterday.

skylinefirepest Loc: Southern Pines, N.C.

I love retirement so much now I wish I'd been born rich!!! My wife and I get by comfortably and I spend most days at the fire department running calls and hanging out with the young guys. I'm 73 so all I get to do is drive the trucks, take the pictures, and act as safety officer to keep the youngun's from doing something really stupid! I also do wreck photography for the NCSHP in our county...doesn't pay anything but I haven't gotten a ticket in years. I go anywhere a Moore County fire unit gets paged so I do go over the county lines frequently. I've been a vollie for 27 years so pretty much everybody knows me and I send my ( well censored ) photos to a couple of newspapers and about five tv stations. I'm pretty well sure that if I had simply stayed home I'd probably be pushing up grass by now. I heartily recommend finding something that interests you and keeps you out of your wife's hair.

mymike Loc: Tucson, AZ

Amen to keeping out of wife’s hair!

Pkfish Loc: Wilson Wy

Wanting to “retire” soon also. Just need to be brave enough to pull the trigger. Health ins is a BIG factor. We are both 60. Right now we pay about 2300-month. Just got notice they are raising it 48%. I’m able to have our company pay this right now. But that won’t happen when(and if) we sell. Being busy won’t be a problem for us. Everyone is so correct about not being able to “buy” more time. I better get after it.

bicwood

If you are looking for retirement activities, try volunteering. It is not as simple as it sounds because there are often hidden adgendas and politics in organizations that need volunteers, but you can move around until you find tge organization that best suits you. My wife and I have been volunteering for over 8 years at both a local no-Kill animal shelter and a national no-Kill organization. There are lots of opportunities to do everyhing from walking dogs, socializing cats, taking photos, training dogs and cats, creating videos, doing maintenance, cleaning, working in the office, marketing the shelter... the list goes on. And, of course, there are many other organizations focused on other worth while projects that may interest you.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Sit down with your spouse and draw up a bucket list of stuff you would like to do or achieve. A place, a music instrument, a wgatever. Let your imagination run wild. Make sure you include the "gee I wonder what that would have been like" stuff. Then there is the money stuff - how might the new tax bill crimp you, when the GOP cuts Social Security and Medicare how will you have to adapt. It is your hobbies that will get you through your 80s.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

I got to be 64 1/2 and told the boss I would be retiring in 6 months. The only thing he could do was say "OK".
After about 3 weeks of thinking about retiring I went to the boss and said that if you want me, I was willing to stay, but I only want to work 4 days a week.
I said I would take hours off at the end of the 5 day week so that I would be at my desk 5 days while only working the hours of 4 days. He agreed and I worked until I was 74. That gave me two things: something to do and extra money as I started my SS at age 65. Turning 82 in Feb and have no regrets, generally in good health except for neuropathy in my legs which has limited me a bit.