Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, just some advice for you actual last day of work. Have something planned for when you walk out-of the office for the last time. You will want plans for that evening, something. An office party goodbye doesn't count.

NP. This is such good advice!

PP who has 4-6 months off each year: what do you do? That sounds perfect!

I am a new poster- I plan to retire in 2027- I am a CPA and I am looking to start doing tax returns for others from January to April.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe I’ll be retiring on December 31st! I’m excited for the freedom, but I have to admit—I’m also a little nervous about what I’ll do with all that extra time. Sleeping 12 hours a day sounds tempting, but I don’t want my days to just slip away.

I don’t have the money to travel, so I’ll be looking for fun ways to enjoy life at home: walks in the neighborhood, hobbies, reading, maybe even learning something new online. And of course, spending more time with friends and family.

Retirement isn’t just about stopping work—it’s about having the freedom to fill your days with things that make you happy. I can’t wait to figure out my new routine!

This is completely an AI generated post. The long dashes -- the colon : list in the second para... even the completely cheesy feel good ending.

DP. Using double dashes and colons correctly makes your post AI? That’s how we were taught English, pp.

DP.

It is definitely AI generated. As PP stated, the combination of the writing style and tone give it away. 😀

If OP used AI to generate the post she’d have to give Chat some direction. She wasn’t able to spell her title correctly so maybe she has language issues and looking for help.

Anonymous wrote:I’m retiring too. I do have some money to travel so I’m gonna spend the year traveling and then I’m going to work part-time.

I’m the youngest of a large family so I have a few family members who are also retired.

They’ve said volunteering is very hard because they over schedule or you can’t get shifts. Then you feel like you’re just standing around doing nothing.

I’m going to play pickle ball, golf, work part-time.

I can’t imagine not having a lot of things to do.

I agree!

But for some people, their entire entity is tied up in work that they don't know how to proceed without it. It can be difficult as well if you were an executive, and now don't have anything "to be in charge of". You go from being one of the most valued, listened to, important people in your day to just being a "normal person" (and trust me, your spouse doesn't want you being the boss at home)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe I’ll be retiring on December 31st! I’m excited for the freedom, but I have to admit—I’m also a little nervous about what I’ll do with all that extra time. Sleeping 12 hours a day sounds tempting, but I don’t want my days to just slip away.

I don’t have the money to travel, so I’ll be looking for fun ways to enjoy life at home: walks in the neighborhood, hobbies, reading, maybe even learning something new online. And of course, spending more time with friends and family.

Retirement isn’t just about stopping work—it’s about having the freedom to fill your days with things that make you happy. I can’t wait to figure out my new routine!

This is completely an AI generated post. The long dashes -- the colon : list in the second para... even the completely cheesy feel good ending.

DP. Using double dashes and colons correctly makes your post AI? That’s how we were taught English, pp.

DP.

It is definitely AI generated. As PP stated, the combination of the writing style and tone give it away. 😀

My Dad retired early and before my mom. He loved to putter around the house watching TV, fixing things, running errands, cooking, laundry, going to the gym and the grocery store. My mom retired a few years later. Together they would do some volunteer work. She was very active in retirement and took lots of classes and eventually sold art work that she made. She went back to school and got trained in a new trade and worked in that for many years. She also made new friends and did book clubs, movie nights, etc.
Everyone is different!

Anonymous wrote:Volunteering is not a great plan. Most of the opportunities are pretty basic, and the volunteer coordinators resent having to find stuff for you to do.

Something better is mentoring. If you can help a kid or young professional set their rudder straight and more quickly achieve their goals, you have genuinely helped a life, and that’s good on you!

Exercise is one sure bet because sitting on the couch all day is going to sink your health. Walking is awesome, but if you’re into golf or tennis or pickleball, that’s great too.

Taking classes at a local college, particularly in an adult learning program, is awesome. In particular, take some philosophy classes.

If you like ideas, choose a topic, create a short bibliography, and work your reading list. Take notes and type up a quick summary of your thoughts. You never know where your reading might lead you.

Travel is fine, but it can be expensive and a bother. In the end, you can’t get away from yourself, and people all over the globe are pretty much doing the same things. There are plenty of restaurants, sights, and drives right around you. Start there.

You are volunteering in the wrong places. There are so many great opportunities, from Strathmore (meet other retirees and see great musicians), to the Humane Society (play with furry friends) and more where volunteers are needed, wanted, and valued.

Ok

Anonymous wrote:There is so much to do other than sitting in an office and working, I don't see how you could possibly be concerned.

DP. I’m not concerned but it’s a huge change. I have a couple more years until retirement but I do wonder how to fill the time in a way that works for me. I like the rhythm of work and I don’t have to work for the income. I already work out three or four times a week, volunteer, go to bookclub, study a language. I would like to travel but not for weeks at a time.

Anonymous wrote:If I were retiring but couldn't travel, here's what I would do:

1. Volunteer one day a week at a dog shelter
2. Volunteer one day a week in a school, like a teacher's aide or to help little kids with reading or something (if not possible, volunteer at the library to teach illiterate people to read)
3. Volunteer at a farmers market one day a week
4. Spend some time each day working on learning a new language
5. Spend at least a half hour a day walking
6. Spend at least a half hour a day working on balance and stretching
7. Spend at least a half hour (ideally an hour) reading a book
8. At least 3-4 times a week, call a family member or friend to catch up, even if it's just five minutes

Love this! Not retired yet but this is great

-Exercise (maybe a walking club or slow paced couch-to-5K)
-Reading / book club / regular library visits
-Volunteering (reading to/with kids or elderly people)
-Mah Jong - I started playing once a week with friends a few years before COVID and LOVED it. Our group fell apart with quarantine and then someone moved, someone retired, and someone switched jobs. But I found it the right balance of challenging/stimulating and fun.

This past year I dropped in to a few weekly town-organized Mahj games at the local Senior Center and really enjoyed it. People were warm and welcoming and super happy to have someone “young” drop in to join them. (I’m 55, which was young for that particular group. 😂 )

Volunteering is not a great plan. Most of the opportunities are pretty basic, and the volunteer coordinators resent having to find stuff for you to do.

Something better is mentoring. If you can help a kid or young professional set their rudder straight and more quickly achieve their goals, you have genuinely helped a life, and that’s good on you!

Exercise is one sure bet because sitting on the couch all day is going to sink your health. Walking is awesome, but if you’re into golf or tennis or pickleball, that’s great too.

Taking classes at a local college, particularly in an adult learning program, is awesome. In particular, take some philosophy classes.

If you like ideas, choose a topic, create a short bibliography, and work your reading list. Take notes and type up a quick summary of your thoughts. You never know where your reading might lead you.

Travel is fine, but it can be expensive and a bother. In the end, you can’t get away from yourself, and people all over the globe are pretty much doing the same things. There are plenty of restaurants, sights, and drives right around you. Start there.

I use double dashes all the time in my writing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s boring tbh. Especially if u are retiring young. I’m in my 50s and everyone my age is still working. I could hang out with a bunch of 68 year olds at the senior center where I volunteer but my brain needs the stimulation. Went back to work pt. It’s perfect for me. Good luck and congratulations give yourself a year to figure out the new routine. The first 5 months feels luxurious though.

Why did you retire in your 50s?

NP
I’m retiring my 50s because the difference between my pension and my salary is about $30,000 after taxes. I am essentially working a really stressful job for $50,000 a year.

How are you covering health insurance?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe I’ll be retiring on December 31st! I’m excited for the freedom, but I have to admit—I’m also a little nervous about what I’ll do with all that extra time. Sleeping 12 hours a day sounds tempting, but I don’t want my days to just slip away.

I don’t have the money to travel, so I’ll be looking for fun ways to enjoy life at home: walks in the neighborhood, hobbies, reading, maybe even learning something new online. And of course, spending more time with friends and family.

Retirement isn’t just about stopping work—it’s about having the freedom to fill your days with things that make you happy. I can’t wait to figure out my new routine!

This is completely an AI generated post. The long dashes -- the colon : list in the second para... even the completely cheesy feel good ending.

DP. Using double dashes and colons correctly makes your post AI? That’s how we were taught English, pp.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s boring tbh. Especially if u are retiring young. I’m in my 50s and everyone my age is still working. I could hang out with a bunch of 68 year olds at the senior center where I volunteer but my brain needs the stimulation. Went back to work pt. It’s perfect for me. Good luck and congratulations give yourself a year to figure out the new routine. The first 5 months feels luxurious though.

Why did you retire in your 50s?

NP
I’m retiring my 50s because the difference between my pension and my salary is about $30,000 after taxes. I am essentially working a really stressful job for $50,000 a year.