Both H and I have stressful jobs with long hours so we are looking forward to retirement. Before the recent stock market plunge, our goal was to retire in 5 years - that may be 10 now (we don’t have pensions). I suspect we will both continue to work in some capacity. That may be in the form of a less demanding second career, or perhaps just steady volunteer work. During a break in my career many years ago, I volunteered regularly at a reading program for at-risk kids. I loved every minute of it and look forward to returning.
Here are retirees who sold everthing to becone global nomads:
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/nomadic-retirees-sell-home-travel-world-n80356
Good post SouthernHope. I will be turning 56 in November, and celebrating (loose word) my 28 years at the same company. I don’t dislike what I do, I’m just tired of sitting in a 6’ x 12’ cubicle with grey walls for 6.5 hours a day. I’ve been lucky to work these hours for more than 1/2 of my career now…but it’s just not fulfilling. I carry the insurance and have a healthy 401K. The thought of retiring is scary, as i do like my income and like you…I think it makes me a more interesting person to work, not just other people, but to my DH also.
DH says he’ll never retire…but he’s an attorney. He will have the option to scale back if he wants. He’s one of those people who is terrified of retirement, he’ll have to make that call later on. Right now he’s in his “meat and potato” years as he calls it. Plus, my salary isn’t as crucial as his…and he has an awesome office surrounded by windows in a highrise (no, I’m not envious).
But I don’t know what I would want to do, that’s why I’m reluctant to just quit…plus I still need to pad that 401K some more.
I tell you what? If I enjoyed my job, I’d stay until 65 for sure.
I’m one of those people in the other thread who can’t wait to retire. I have a good job that I enjoy, but I also have a lot of interests - volunteering, travel, family - that I I would love to spend more time on. Although I like my job, it really doesn’t define who I am.
Plus, I know a lot of really active, engaged, involved retirees. I have a friend who retired at age 55 (government job) and he and his wife go everywhere - U.S., Europe, South America. And they do much of it on the cheap, especially the U.S. travel. They have the time and they swear it doesn’t take that much money and I’m jealous.
Maybe I’d feel differently if all my retiree friends were couch potato slugs, but the only retirees I know who fit that description are those in their late 70s and 80s. Most of the others are too busy volunteering, traveling, gardening, taking classes…just like I want to do.
Here’s a thought. Maybe part of my reluctance to “retire” is because my husband’s idea of retirement and mine are not the same. Not that we have to walk the same path everyday but he can be perfectly happy to sit in the recliner and watch a movie or two or an entire sporting event in an afternoon. That would DRIVE ME CRAZY to observe! To each his own, but for me that lifestyle is a waste of time!
He will retire before me - as early as next spring. I hope he chooses to do something else part time. But I don’t know that he will be in a hurry to do that. Love him, but his idea of retirement is the part of the retirement concept that I dread/avoid/despise - he’s somewhat content to be “old”. 
I’ll do my best to transform him. 
There’s retirement, and then there’s retirement.
One means working part-time at something one enjoys, visiting friends, enjoying hobbies, entertaining, traveling. The other means being isolated, being bored, being lonesome and having nothing to do and no place to go.
We can choose to make it the former and not the latter.
I always said I wouldn’t be able to retire until I’m 70 for financial reasons and that’s still true, but I’ll be 63 in a few weeks, 70 no longer seems so far off, and the financial outlook is becoming clearer–and less scary–as 70 approaches. I’m now thinking I’ll put myself on a glide path to retirement, gradually winding down, and maybe not completely hanging up my spikes even at 70. I’m an academic. I teach, do scholarly research, and write, except to the extent I get tied up in administrative tasks. It’s not stressful or physically demanding work, and for the most part it’s interesting and enjoyable as well as intellectually stimulating. I’m also quite good at it, and I derive immense satisfaction from seeing my students learn, grow, and succeed, which most of them do, some with stellar results. So that’s a lot to give up. But I have some health issues which make it more difficult to tackle the job with the same energy I had even 4 or 5 years ago, so it’s time for me to start a process of winding down. My tentative plan is to work full-time for 3 more years, health permitting, then to begin a phased retirement, which my employer permits on quite generous terms. I can cut back by teaching one less class per year for a couple of years, then cut back further to half-time, teaching one semester per year at half salary but full benefits, then take full retirement at 70, which is when I’ll need to start taking required minimum distributions from my retirement accounts and also when my social security benefit will be at its highest if I defer until then. But health and competence permitting, I should still be able to teach an occasional class as an adjunct, and continue to write if I’m so inclined, even after I’m fully retired. I am, however, looking forward to more travel, more hikes and long bike rides, and more time in nature and in warmer weather in my semi-retirement and retirement.
I’m not planning to retire. I work in health care and what I will do, is scale back. Work enough to make a living and to travel. My DH also has no plans to retire. I make the better income, but he carries the benefits.
GMTspouse wants to start a BB after retirement-- groan… I don’t even like cooking & cleaning up after myself. Why would I want to do it everyday for strangers?
I’m 49. I’d like to do what I do now until about 60. Then I’d like to power down a bit. Too much stress, too long of hours. For 2nd career, maybe government work for 7 or 8 years. Then I’d like to get a doctorate in WWII history. That’s far enough ahead for me to plan!
My goal is to travel, but as a single woman, every group trip seems geared towards couples. For 10 years I’ve hesitated joining a group trip. My neighbor travels a lot, but she goes with her sisters.
It isn’t always a matter of choice. Poor health or not having enough money can put a lot of limits on retired people’s lifestyles.
I would retire today if I could, at 52. I like my job, think I do it well, and it is a big part of my identity. However, I just get so tired when I work, when I get time off, I feel so much better. It takes too long to recover, and there is too much sleep deprivation. I’m trying to work less, which helps. If I did this too long, it would surely kill me.
@bookworm, several years ago we went on a Backroads (name of company) hike, bike, and helicopter tour, and I recall at least 2 singles on the trip. I think they have special trips just for singles also. A good friend of mine went on a cruise for singles, and the women she met have become some of her best friends. I can imagine it being “scary” to try something like that, but It may be worth it. I remember a single woman, probably in her 50s or early 60s, and that was her third trip as a single with Backroads.
Why not travel with a friend? That way you don’t feel as if you are a “single”, and on your own.
For those of us with small businesses , there is no such thing as a retirement plan. We struggle through bad economic conditions and other obstacles that we cannot control. I wish we had simpler jobs, truthfully
I’m out on medical leave sort of since I own the business and run it with hubby. I’m physically unable to work, but am still well aware of what’s going on. I could see running the business like this, remotely and key players in place.
Bus driver,
My 2 closest g/DS travel, but one insists on Crystal cruises and $400 dinners. The other stayed in hotel costing $1000 per night. When they went together, one complained of the expenses. I wish I had someone like me to travel with. Trust me, I miss my son from 10 years ago, who was the BEST companion. I have offered trips to my sister, but she is not interested. Honestly, it was so much easier when I was part of a couple.
My sister and I used to travel when we were single. I didn’t mind staying at 3 stars hotel or low budget. But my husband prefers 4 or 5 stars hotel otherwise he thinks it’s best to stay home.
“My 2 closest g/DS travel, but one insists on Crystal cruises and $400 dinners. The other stayed in hotel costing $1000 per night. When they went together, one complained of the expenses. I wish I had someone like me to travel with. Trust me, I miss my son from 10 years ago, who was the BEST companion. I have offered trips to my sister, but she is not interested. Honestly, it was so much easier when I was part of a couple.”
Yikes! Those are some pricey vacations!
I would consider group travel with tour groups, particularly suited for singles. I’d also consider going on one of those tours with a casual friend, and maybe get my own room. Or meeting people at a single travel group meetup, there must be plenty of women whi want to travel, but not alone. I don’t know many people that I would want to travel alone with (maybe my sister), but would be fine being part of a group tour with, so I had someone to sit with and hang out with.
In fact, if I wasn’t married, I’d be happy to go on a group tour with many ladies on cc (including you), because you don’t really need to know someone that well just to have someone to hang out with and watch over. The Rick Steves tour we went on, there were a number of single ladies, and one kind of adopted us to hang out with. We looked after her, and she looked after us. Kind of sad she didn’t stay in contact with us later, maybe we liked her more than she liked us.