Will Your Retirement Be A Working Retirement?

MercyL

MercyL

Member
Both the hubby and I invested for retirement, then watched it fall to almost nothing during this last crash. We have been fortunate with our mortgage not being underwater, and gaining significant value since purchasing it, about a decade ago.

Since we have a home, we are looking at small businesses we can run from our computer room and basement. These won't be "turnkey" ventures but things we are already building skills toward. We will not have a "sitting on the porch" retirement. It will be a working retirement and the hubs and I are positively drooling over 3-D printers!

A lot of folk were stripped of their life's savings, during the crash. No matter how much they had set aside, they will be in the same situation as folk who did not save a penny. I think most people, now in their 40's and older, will not be able to stop working. Our retirements will be "working retirements".

Of course, some people really want to keep working, and would be terribly disappointed at having to retire.

Will you have a working retirement? If so, what sort of work would you enjoy?
 
There are signs saying "Retired in Place" that are put on old equipment no longer in service at work. I've been meaning to have one made into a T-shirt. So, guess I am technically in a working retirement... But, when I actually take the proverbial "gold watch" do not want to need another job. Heck, I've got one, now.
 
That Guy, "Retired in Place" - I love it!

Mercy, ever since I hit the tender age of 30 or so I knew I'd never retire in the conventional sense. I don't know how I'd make enough to live in in the first place, since I'm self-employed and never had a 401(k) or anything remotely like it. I'm one of those great unwashed masses that lives from day to day, and if I were to "retire" there would soon be a dust-covered skeleton sitting in front of the computer.

But beside that, I love my work - in fact, I don't even see it as "work" but simply as "something I do". I've seen people fall into catatonia from lack of purpose as soon as they retire, and I'd never want to be one of them.
 
I've been so busy since I retired I don't know how I ever had time to hold a job. I enjoy life too much to spend any more of it earning a living.

I don't have a lot of income but I spend less than I get so the bank account gets bigger nearly every month. I don't owe a penny to anyone and hope to keep it that way.
 
TWHRider said:
-- it's the better option for both of our sanities - lol lol lol
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Loud and clear on that one!
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LOL........
 
After my dad retired he said he was always busy. I think, perhaps, many people define themselves by their work and are lost when retirement takes that away from them. People would ask my dad if he still flew and he would say it was something he wanted to do, did it and was done. He still loved planes, though.
 
/\/\/\ This.

That's the problem with labeling yourself by the work you do - you become that work, and when IT no longer exists neither do YOU.
 
When anyone says anything about myself or someone else being a "surfer", I always say, "We are only surfers when we are surfing." I am so very tired of labels.
 
That Guy said:
When anyone says anything about myself or someone else being a "surfer", I always say, "We are only surfers when we are surfing." I am so very tired of labels.
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I get the same thing -

"Oh, you're a martial artist! You aren't supposed to be abusing those small, furry mammals!"

Hey, I'm a martial artist when I'm doing martial arts - what I do in my spare time is MY business!
 
Retirement to me is just that I'm not doing the work that I did for 32 years. I hope to do the things I've been interested in for years but just didn't have the time. My work involved a lot of research and detailed report writing, so I just want to give my old brain a rest from that. I might get into something else eventually, but for now it won't involve anything that I can earn money at.
 
TICA said:
Retirement to me is just that I'm not doing the work that I did for 32 years.
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Retirement to me will be no longer hearing, "Thanks for all you do," while under constant scrutiny of the ever-watchful, disrespectful eye that threatens dismissal in the archaic management style of Ebenezer Scrooge . . . and other stuff...
 
It's becoming the new norm. Encore careers, ReCareering, etc.

We hope to do a combination of projects including writing, hydroponic gardening, teaching, Web Marketing, etc.
 
Well, my job has lasted a long time which is what I was looking for; some sort of security. And I never wanted to move up. Got hired at top pay because of my qualifications. When I was married, my wife was always trying to push me into management but that's not for me . . . and after awhile I was no longer for her . . .

I tend to think of someone with an actual career as a professional who has a skill to offer the world at large.
 
TWHRider said:
IF the Sheriff and Good Lord are still willin' after that, I'll get serious about an America By Horseback cruise where they will have horses, maids to do up our rooms and delicious food/drinks to indulge in 24/7 - and I expect to meet Ozarkgal and TICA at the dock -- lollollol
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I would love to see you all pull that together.
 
TWHRider said:
I can't go anywhere now because I can't trust Mr. TWH with chores much less the special diets for two insulin resistant horses. All the horses were out the other night and I wondered how I could have forgotten to close aisle gate. It wasn't me, he forgot to latch the gate by the water tubs and that's all she wrote -- everyone was yahooing in the yard because they KNEW they weren't invited into the yard - lol lol It's a good thing this entire place is fenced in, elst there might have been an earthquake------------------------
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Might I refer you to Anne's posting of Advice from Men in the Silliness thread . . .
 
So glad I found this thread! I need to think of what to do for an encore. So far I've retired three times (once at 50, again at 62 and the last time at 66), but it just doesn't seem to take:rolleyes: For a while before DH died, neither of us worked, and we had a lot of fun, rode our bike a lot, even taking it to do our grocery shopping. Sometimes we'd just get on and go nowhere in particular and find ourselves a hundred miles from home just admiring the scenery, meeting other bikers along the way and seeing things we'd forgotten were there.

After he died and I moved to GA and my granny flat was done...what to do!?? I was already 69 and it was 2009, a time when there were no jobs to be had, especially at my age. I wanted something to do so figured I'd do what I always wished I could and became...wait for it...a cleaning lady. Yup. Started with one client on a Friday. By the following Wednesday, I had three clients; a month later five clients and it just kept growing. At one time I had 17 clients, some once a week, some every other week, some every fourth week, and I often cleaned two houses in a day. As time went on, I started chucking one here and one there and last spring gave up five clients who lived just too doggoned far from home. Now I'm down to just six and hope to give up those six next spring.

It's not that I don't want to work anymore; it's just that even though I only work about 4 hours a day, it's hard and tiring work, and I ain't no spring chicken.

Which brings me to the problem: I'm not a do-nothing sort of person but for the life of me, can't think of what to do next. I'd happily keep house for DD (my granny flat is attached to her house), but she's been adamant from day one that I won't be doing that. Her idea is that I looked after her for the first 19 years of her life, and now it's her turn.

So. What to do? My technical skills are woefully out of date, as are my automotive skills and knowledge. And I REALLY don't want to be a greeter at Walmart. I've inquired at the library, but these days their hours have been cut and they have a waiting list of volunteers. As a matter of fact, even the food pantries have more volunteers than they can use...what they need is money! At 72, I'm hardly "front desk" material, as in receptionist or customer service.

The thought of just sitting on my dead center makes my toes curl. What do I like to do? Hey...I'm a throwback...my mother always said I was born 50 years too late. I never joined the "women's" movement, never burned my bra. I really like to keep house and cook and can and sew. There's not a big market for any of those things, except sewing maybe, but I while I can sew, I'm hardly a seamstress. And I've gotten old enough that I think kids are cute but can only take them in small doses and only when their parents are with them.

Anybody have any bright ideas?
 
I am in awe of your 'get up 'n go' GeogiaX. I'm younger than you and it's an effort to get up off the chair, and go to the kitchen.
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Can't offer advice as to projects for you, I've been avoiding work too long now to even think about it.

I 'retired' at 48 in 1994 due to my Govt employer wanting to cut down on employees and offering redundancy packages too tempting to resist. It would have taken at least another 5 years of working to 'save up' what they were going to give me for nothing, so what would you do? heh heh heh.

I was caring for my Mother while doing afternoons and nights shift work so I was about over it all by then anyway.
I never took another job as I was soon after on 24hr call nursing Mum. (She was crippled with R.Arthritis and a few other ailments, non terminal, but very debilitating and couldn't fend for herself)
I lived on the income from some investments and a rental property I'd luckily accrued when I still had a job so didn't need to find other work. (or to 'milk' the system as some call it. )
I didn't miss the job except the 'overtime' money, that was sure missed. We have a fairly generous wage set up out here and getting paid triple time for working an extra shift on a public holiday was a very hard thing to pass up. :cool: I'd get excited when the phone rang, then remember I wouldn't be getting any more 'call ins' for overtime..... siiiiiigh.

Like everyone I lost a bit during the GFC but not enough to change my lifestyle drastically so I've been fortunate.

I'm sure you'll find something to do. Those who really look for it, find it in some form or other, good for you.
 
GeorgiaXplant said:
Anybody have any bright ideas?
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I take it you're looking to make some sort of income with any endeavor you choose - that you aren't just looking for "busy work"?

That lit-up screen in front of you might be the answer.

Not in Internet Marketing or Affiliate Sales or any of those types of things - although those are fine in and of themselves the market is pretty well saturated and I believe only the most shark-like salespeople will do well in them.

No, what I'm thinking is, if you're at all crafty - good with making crafts, that is - you'd have a nice-sized market available to you. You could work at home and send out the finished products to your buyers. Start your own website or as an easier way sell through someplace like Etsy.
 
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Dammit Phil you may just have started me on a new 'career.' I write on forums for the sheer fun of it. I'll even do arguments I don't care about just to be able to exercise the keyboard. Get paid for it?? Yeeeehaaaaaaaa!

I can't believe I didn't know that there were 'forum and blog tarts' out there doin' it for cash. Spammers yes, but 'entertainers'? Noooo.
No wonder it's hard to pick the agenda of some posters.
Is there no end to the deviousness of the world? bwaaaahahahaha.

I'm off to read up on the FAQs and fine print but I think I'm IN!
 
Hi Georgia, how about working at a motel/hotel as the coordinator of the cleaning staff? Not sure there is such a position, maybe in a large hotel....anyway just a thought...good luck.
 
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