How old were you when you retired?

Due to not finding the type of job my experience and education called for (Inventory Management and Purchasing), I was forced into SS Early Retirement at 62. Am now 68 1/2 and enjoy not working anymore. Well, not working as an "employee" that is. While wife is still working, I do most everything to keep our apartment clean, as well as all laundry, loading/running/unloading dishwasher, changing bed linens, some cooking for us and running errands.
 
i retired at 62 to take care of my grandson---i took care of him from 6am til2pm i got a part time job at a day care center working from 2 pm to 6 pm--- i worke there for 12 years and quit i am 84 now and do what i do
 
I didn't really retire but quit working part time at age 49. I just love not working and doing things for myself. Husband will retire this summer. I hope he can find things to keep him busy. :)
 
Retirement? What's that? I have always worked for myself, and always will. I have always worked when I wanted to, relaxed when I wanted to. I like staying busy, just as my Dad did. Until a week before he became late, at 85, he kept doing those things he loved, and kept getting paid to do so. How can there be a life better lived? I just started two new bands, and will take both of them to the public within the next two months. Music has been a big part my life, along with those fun things that come with it. I still like climbing and working on trees, for my company, but music is even more fun than tree work!
 
retiredtraveler said:
What type of advice? Financial, retirement activities, how to prep?
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I have the financial side pretty well covered as I've been planning that for years. It's everything else. I'm nervous about it to be honest. I wouldn't necessarily say that my identity is wrapped up in my work but I've always been the kind of person with a drive to achieve and accomplish things so I'm wondering how that will translate into retirement years. When I was young, it was accomplishing things in school then it was accomplishing things at work and in life, etc. I don't like being required to work in that I'm a very independent person but it does provide some structure to the day and relationships that I enjoy. For my entire life, I have intended to retire early and am actually past the target date I set when I was young (didn't have the financial resources vs. desired standard of living). I've always had a plan for the future. I guess I'm lacking that right now. Just curious how people have prepared for and worked through the transition. Maybe this should be split out into another thread.
 
duncan said:
I have the financial side pretty well covered as I've been planning that for years. It's everything else. I'm nervous about it to be honest. I wouldn't necessarily say that my identity is wrapped up in my work but I've always been the kind of person with a drive to achieve and accomplish things so I'm wondering how that will translate into retirement years. When I was young, it was accomplishing things in school then it was accomplishing things at work and in life, etc. I don't like being required to work in that I'm a very independent person but it does provide some structure to the day and relationships that I enjoy. For my entire life, I have intended to retire early and am actually past the target date I set when I was young (didn't have the financial resources vs. desired standard of living). I've always had a plan for the future. I guess I'm lacking that right now. Just curious how people have prepared for and worked through the transition. Maybe this should be split out into another thread.
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Don't panic...you can always volunteer doing something you love... and you can choose when you want to do it too... Just google volunteer opportunities in your area when the time comes and you're ready... but my advice would be to take some time off, just to be able to do all those thing, or visit all those places you've never had the time for .. ..you'll always be worth something to someone when you volunteer believe me..
 
I retired at 54,,then being bored bought a farm,wrong move,lol,,sold it a year ago now,so I retired twice,54 and 72,
 
duncan said:
.....For my entire life, I have intended to retire early and am actually past the target date I set when I was young (didn't have the financial resources vs. desired standard of living). I've always had a plan for the future. I guess I'm lacking that right now. Just curious how people have prepared for and worked through the transition.
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Like you, DW and I started saving/investing for retirement in our 20's and retired at 56 sand 54 respectively. We had the long term goal of retiring 'early' --- of course, didn't know what that would be in our 20's.
No one can give you a simple answer because we're all so different in our needs, wants, psychological makeup, interests, abilities...... I had no problem with the 'transition'. IT work was no longer fun and I was simply making a living and saving for retirement by going to work.
But we had interests. Went traveling (camping) a great deal for a couple of years where we would go to national parks and spend a month at a time. We continue to travel, but for shorter periods and don't camp any longer. Have a small, but older home, that had a great deal of deferred maintenance and remodel needs. Live on a few acres and have never-ending gardening projects. We also work out a couple of hours a day. In short, plenty to do. Winter is slower, but not boring. We also do volunteer work, the wife doing far more than I do.
But that's us --- your situation is probably totally different and different interests (?).
So yes, you'll have to try to figure out if you have interests that can keep you occupied for a large part of the day. I'm sure you realize a great many people just can't stand retirement and are simply bored. Volunteer activities are nice, but you have to find something you're interested in and depending where you live, there could be a lot of options, or very few.
All anyone can do is give you ideas to look at, but you'll have to decide if they interest you or not. I would suggest looking up articles about things to do in retirement and see if something jumps out and appeals to you.
 
I retired one month short of 66. I got a bit of a late start in the working world. I married at the beginning of my junior year in nursing at Syracuse University and had my eldest son shortly after the end of the school year in June.This was in 1958. I dropped out to raise my family - ultimately four children - 2 boys and 2 girls. I went back and finished my BSN in 1970 at Sacramento University and graduated in 1973. I worked full time the next 29 years. I did a lot of traveling since 1997 and continued after I retired. Motorcycling in Ireland, Scotland, China and Japan; Horseback riding in Ireland,Austria/Hungry, Spain and Australia.
 
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