I know this doesn't help but I'm sorry that you are not happy in your retirement. I just retired from nursing as of 7am Monday. I'm not eligable for SS for 18 months but I'm planning on living very frugally until then. Of course I can go back to work any time if this doesn't work but for me it will be better to just try and do without.

yesican,

Would you be interested in doing some work currently, or do you want to have a rest for a while?

How's the possibility of finding some seniors around who need a bit of home nursing care, or some people recently released from hospital who have limited need for a short time?

Probably there are agencies that offer such help, and perhaps you could work for them to find clients, but there's a substantial difference between the amount that they pay and the amount that you receive, so if you could find such clients on your own there'd be less loss between payer and payee.

It really is helpful if one has a cushion in terms of some extra savings that one feels comfortable in using during times of undesired lack of work, early retirement, etc.

Most financial advisors recommend that everyone should have 3 - 6 months, or even, in today's uncertain employment picture, a year's income available in case one's paycheque were to stop tomorrow.

It would be wise for unions to hire such advisors to address their members, for if 50% of their members could do so without pressure rather than possibly 10% currently (not accurate figures - just for illustration) the employer would know about it and would be much more responsive when wage negotiations were ongoing, knowing the union could last for a much longer period in case of a strike without their members rebelling. That is, if the company more or less dared the union to go on strike, as they had enough inventory to last for a while, the union might be able to stay out long enough that the employer couldn't fill incoming orders.

Yesican, I hope that you can find some means of tiding you over to enable you to live comfortably rather than flat out frugally until social security begins.

I hope that you can make your way through retirement years comfortably as well, for I think that many people have not provided adequately for their retirement.

Th ideal is to spend the last dollar (including having provided for one's funeral and final costs, income tax, etc.) on the last day of one's life.

Providing that you don't care about providing some capital for your kids, who I think are going to have a tougher time than we did.

We've been getting used to living higher on the hog for several generations - but remember Ross Perot talking about that sucking sound of well-compensated jobs shifting to Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, China and India?

If you were an employer, you'd prefer to pay an employee $20. (or less) per day to build your product rather than $20. per hour.

Good wishes for a pleasing New Year.

ole joyful

Hi ole joyful! I just want to rest and be out of the rat race. I'm using a set amount of my savings until I get SS. I have a new car that's paid in full and I have a hubby who pays for everything except my car insurance and the groceries. I've been planning this for sometime. I'm just so used to having my own money and all and since this is a second marriage I WANT my own money. Living frugally to me means I can't eat out every time I want or buy new clothes all the time. LOL.

I wish now that I had gotten a job after retiring. I did work for about three weeks at a JoAnn's but there were personality conflicts.
I worked with a lady who said the only reason she worked was to wear out her clothes. I understand what she means now. I think it is important to have some kind of a program or routine. It may not have to be something that demands your being in a rat race but is something.

We love being retired. I love being able to do whatever I want, when I want, if I want...we are learning to appreciate each other and learning to live together as we instead of seperatly as before cause we were apart all day...if nothing else, not having to answer the alarm clock every day makes retirement worth every minute...

Hi ruthieg TX,

You say how nice it is not to answer the alarm clock, now that you're retired.

I was wondering whether you might have "anwered" the alarm clock sometimes in earlier years ...

... but, just possibly, some of the words may not have been fit to print??

Have a great week.

One thing about being retired - every day is weekend.

ole joyful

mechanic_mo, First time on this site. I hope you learn to enjoy your retirement. Were you a mechanic? If so, you could take jobs and work out of the home. There are also lots of 'free' or 'reasonable' activities one can do, e.g., senior centers have yoga, art, trips and other activities that are either free or low cost. At local colleges or parks, you can take piano lessons, painting, dancing, gardening or whatever your interests are for very little money. Spend more time on GW, ha, ha! Good luck.

Lots of really interesting stuff - plus activites - at the library ...

... where I am now, by the way.

Bought an almost new computer the other day, son's now working on it. It needs a modem - without which I can't tease my friends at THS & KT.

Hope you have a happy week - doing what you choose (for a change).

ole joyful

I answered the alarm clock for many many years and even in the last few years when I actually became a stay at home wife, my husband had a hot breakfast every morning...I poured his juice and counted his vitamins and when he left for work, my work day started at home...We have been retired for two years now and we bought 5 acres and we had a home built...we take care of the property including cutting wood for the fireplace and gardening...Life is so good...at 5 in the afternoon we call our day to a halt and have happy hour on the veranda/deck and watch the sunset...My husband always worried he would be bored if he retired, he has never been busier...

ruthieg tx,

Good for you guys!

It'll keep your bodies in good shape - fit as fiddles.

Minds, too.

Don't forget to tend your spirits, also.

Hope you have some friends with whom to share it.

We suggested to someone here a while ago that they develop some new friends, to which they replied that they had a few friends, now, so why seek more?

Cause you have more time now, want to keep a number of ideas juggling around in the air, and ...

... you'll find with advancing age that your friends keep dropping off, become disabled, move away, etc.

For whatever reason - their numbers will thin out.

Need to keep replacing the losses.

Until -

- it's you that goes.

Then that problem (no - not "problem": let's say "issue" or "concern") disappears.

(So do you).

ole joyful

I'm grateful for some cyber-friends made here and on other boards. No one needs to be "lonely" with a few nice forums and some cyber-buddies too.

Just when you think you know it all there is something new to learn.

I am a nurse who was forced to retire unexpectedly. I have lots of hobbies and didn't think there would be a problem but nursing was so much a part of my life and it was NOT my choice to retire. (I even have a post somewhere in this column stating my unhappiness.)

I was absolutely miserable for the first year and couldn't get interested in doing what I long for time to do! I am almost at the end of year 2 and it has been a great year! I wake up every morning and am thankful I don't have to go to work. I am busy almost every day doing something. I don't know what "did it" for me to feel better, maybe I was going through grief and grieving..... for my job. I certainly understand how someone can be unhappy.

byrdlady
I'm glad you got out of that mood. I think the fact that your life isn't as structured now as it was took some adjustment. I miss the work I did and the idea of doing ten things at once and the fixing of all kinds of problems. I don't miss the hassles with office politics. I'm hoping that they will move the senior center closer to me so I can get involved in that.

Heck, Minnie - have a Seniors' Centre of your own.

Invite some other seniors in for tea and/or a card game.

Have a pot luck dinner occasionally, moving from house to house.

Get some fund-raising project going that the schools might be interested to have the kids support and get busy with the kids to get it going.

We just had the Terry Fox run in this area (as in many others) last Sunday. Has raised millions to combat cancer.

And there'll be more of that in future, what with all the smog ... and finding new, exotic chemicals every year - some of them sure to be human-unfriendly.

Lots of interesting stuff to do. And new friends to make.

ole joyful