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My suggestion is to take as many trips as possible while you are still young. It becomes more difficult at 80+. Switch up your mode of transportation, fly, car, train, and even a bus you will meet a cross-section of the population. I once wore a sport coat and slakes on a bus and the driver thought I was an inspector for the company and I didn't tell him any different. I used to love flying, but now 4 hours seems too long. I can easily drive 8 or 9 hours to get a comfortable room for the night. I like trains, they are comfortable and relaxing. Fly business class if you can. This has worked for me for the 30 years of retirement. See the world and all its wonders.
I read the book "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" by Zielinski. This book serves as a tool to help you decide what YOU want to do in retirement.
It csn be a slow read at times, contains the occasional comment that led me to believe the current book (2018) is a 90% rewrite of a ~2003 book (such as "80% of travelers use a Travel Agent to purchase airline tickets"), but all in all I found it worthwhile. With a $20 cover price, search for it at used bookstores, libraries, or discount retailers.
My retirement activities are:
1) Serving as a Volunteer Docent at The Henry Ford museums.
2) Building a vintage racecar.
You need activities tbat will introduce you to new groups of like minded individuals to build a new network of friends. For many of us, our friends are tied closely to our employment. I meet once per month with former co-workers of my first 20 years of employment, and once or twice per month with former co-workers from my final 7 years of employment. In between was another 15 years of employment, and I have zero contact with that group.
So my fellow volunteer Docents, and fellow vintage racing car geeks, allow me additional socialization.
These self-help books won't tell you what to do, but hopefully will help You decide what You want to do.
Wow! I just read all the responses and saw that three of us used and recomnend the same book!
Reviews complain of 'dated' information, but open your eyes and mind to glean what suits you. (I actually 'plan' for the (5)+ distinct decades of my retirement) nothing in concrete, but fewer suprises. This book helps to disclose potential surprises.
For the 'Pre-retiree' / non financially fixed potential retiree. This dated book was very effective for some of my coworkers. Read it 10+ yrs before retirement. (Dated but useful infor... 'quiet quitting' 25 yrs before it's popularity). Pretty solid guidance for those making that decision... Do I leave? do I stay? Do I stay and cash in on the benefits of doing so? How long is too long? (to drag out that j-o-b) Die Broke: A Radical Four-Part Financial Plan
From America's most trusted financial advisor comes a comprehensive guide to a new and utterly sane financial choice. In Die Broke, you'll learn that life is a game where the loser gives his money to Uncle Sam at the end. There are four steps to the process:
Quit Today
No, don't tell your boss to shove it...at least not out loud. But in your head accept that from this day on you're a free agent whose number one workplace priority is your personal bottom line.
Pay Cash
You should be as conscious of spending as you are of saving. Credit should be a rarely used tool for those few times (buying homes and cars) when paying cash is impossible.
Don't Retire
Your work life should be a journey up and down hills, rather than a climb up a sheer cliff that ends with a jump into the abyss.
Die Broke
It sounds terrifying, the one intolerable outcome to your financial life. And yet, in truth, dying broke might be your best option for a life without fear: fear of failure and privation now, fear of impoverishment in the long run.
Reading books may help you but it might be better to talk one-on-one to a therapist to start learning about what you want out of the rest of your life.
I've been retired for a while and it was pretty easy transition because I had hobbies, retirement just expanded time and opportunity for them. For OP who doesn't have hobbies the easy answer is to travel, it will let you unwind a bit and think about what else you'd like to do.
Every day I think about what I want to accomplish if this is my last day on earth. It makes me value and enjoy my time.
Looking for research or recommended books for how to successfully prepare for the transition from full work to full free time.
Mid 50’s and a year out from stopping work cold. Few interests/hobbies currently. I understand that is not a recipe for success and happiness in retirement. Finances are all taken care of, but the rest of happiness needs attention.
What prep or resources were helpful to you in making that transition?
1....We retired in place. For us, that was central to our planning, so we paid the house off and the backyard and maintenance of the home became my hobby/activity. Lately, I have taken physical fitness as an all-encompassing activity - that means both diet and exercise.
2....Many months before retirement we began living off the amount of money we were going to take in when we retired.
The result of those two actions gave us a seamless retirement. Retired 2010.
I used to travel but slowly came to the realization that I really just don't like it and would rather not.
Reviews complain of 'dated' information, but open your eyes and mind to glean what suits you. (I actually 'plan' for the (5)+ distinct decades of my retirement) nothing in concrete, but fewer suprises. This book helps to disclose potential surprises.
For the 'Pre-retiree' / non financially fixed potential retiree. This dated book was very effective for some of my coworkers. Read it 10+ yrs before retirement. (Dated but useful infor... 'quiet quitting' 25 yrs before it's popularity). Pretty solid guidance for those making that decision... Do I leave? do I stay? Do I stay and cash in on the benefits of doing so? How long is too long? (to drag out that j-o-b) Die Broke: A Radical Four-Part Financial Plan
From America's most trusted financial advisor comes a comprehensive guide to a new and utterly sane financial choice. In Die Broke, you'll learn that life is a game where the loser gives his money to Uncle Sam at the end. There are four steps to the process:
Quit Today
No, don't tell your boss to shove it...at least not out loud. But in your head accept that from this day on you're a free agent whose number one workplace priority is your personal bottom line.
Pay Cash
You should be as conscious of spending as you are of saving. Credit should be a rarely used tool for those few times (buying homes and cars) when paying cash is impossible.
Don't Retire
Your work life should be a journey up and down hills, rather than a climb up a sheer cliff that ends with a jump into the abyss.
Die Broke
It sounds terrifying, the one intolerable outcome to your financial life. And yet, in truth, dying broke might be your best option for a life without fear: fear of failure and privation now, fear of impoverishment in the long run.
I just came across a YouTube video called "The 8 WORST retirement purchase EVER for retirees", while most is common sense but it's still worth watching.
Bottom line is don't spend your money on frivolous stuff such as an expensive European vacation/ cruise around the world, buy a vacation home, expensive cars/ boats, RVs, etc. One interesting item was don't buy extra insurance, such as life insurance.
I know it sounds simple & obvious, but I assure you from personal experience the "urge" is there.
I just came across a YouTube video called "The 8 WORST retirement purchase EVER for retirees", while most is common sense but it's still worth watching.
Bottom line is don't spend your money on frivolous stuff such as an expensive European vacation/ cruise around the world, buy a vacation home, expensive cars/ boats, RVs, etc. One interesting item was don't buy extra insurance, such as life insurance.
I know it sounds simple & obvious, but I assure you from personal experience the "urge" is there.
Bottom line is don't spend your money on frivolous stuff such as an expensive European vacation/ cruise around the world, buy a vacation home, expensive cars/ boats, RVs, etc. One interesting item was don't buy extra insurance, such as life insurance.
Worst advice ever ! ^^^^ lol Actually, do go on the expensive vacation, do buy the car/house you want. Guess what... someone is going to spend you money ! why not you ? You want to be the richest person in the cemetery ?
I just came across a YouTube video called "The 8 WORST retirement purchase EVER for retirees", while most is common sense but it's still worth watching.
Bottom line is don't spend your money on frivolous stuff such as an expensive European vacation/ cruise around the world, buy a vacation home, expensive cars/ boats, RVs, etc. One interesting item was don't buy extra insurance, such as life insurance.
I know it sounds simple & obvious, but I assure you from personal experience the "urge" is there.
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