The race has been run. Battles have been won and lost. The champagne corks have been popped, and the empties returned for refunds—every penny counts now apparently. I am retired and ready to get on with the rest of my life. Now what?
When preparing for my own retirement I began to think about the ways in which I would use the free time that I was anticipating becoming available after throwing off the workplace shackles. I decided that it would probably be a good exercise to document and share my experiences as I move through this, hopefully, interesting and fulfilling life stage. Hence the blog.
So here it is, the first of hopefully many attempts by one Canadian to share his retirement experience in all of its wonderful manifestations and machinations. It is my hope that these will also be of interest to the recently retired, the soon to be retired, and the very large group of individuals thinking, “geez, I wish I could retire right now”.
To begin, I thought it was necessary to address a variety of topics which have already become important issues in my new life; finances, continued personal growth, finances, community involvement, finances, health and fitness, finances, and a variety of lifestyle choices often associated with being retired—oh, and finances. The blog will most certainly evolve over time, eventually becoming more specific and focused, or broader and more general in nature. I am looking forward to the process, even though I have no idea where it will all end up.
As it turns out, retirement can often be a lot busier then anticipated. I am now 3 ½ years into it, and as such have already had much practical experience with this new phase of the lifecycle. The reason it took 3 ½ years to launch this project was principally due to the fact that I was simply too busy, particularly with volunteer work. I have recently set aside that involvement as it became, as it might for many of you, more like a full-time unpaid job. It was incredibly gratifying, but time-consuming; leaving little time for other projects.
The other reason to begin now is that my lovely wife, who I affectionately refer to as the “Love-goddess” has recently retired herself. I am thinking that a household with two retired individuals should provide a very interesting perspective on retirement—you know, if the marriage survives.
It probably goes without saying, that I am not an expert in any of the fields I will be writing about, rather, just someone with a lot of life experience and a deep interest in the road ahead. Whenever possible, I will try to point you in the direction of legitimate experts or knowledgeable individuals whose opinions I value. I will also endeavour to make what I share relevant to individuals and couples irrespective of their financial situations whenever possible. So join me, if you wish, as I wander and reflect through this much-anticipated phase of life. It has already proven to be considerably more enriching and interesting than I anticipated.
Just discovered this and have read many of your entries. I retire in 10 days, aged 63, to join my spouse who retired 8 years ago, aged 56.
I’m a bit nervous about it, particularly the huge drop in income(less than half my previous take home pay).
We share food and basic household expenses.
Thanks for writing your blog. It’s just what I need at the moment
I always thought you bore a striking resemblance to John Diefenbaker. Great blog idea. Well written with humour and common sense.
Great job!
This is a great idea