This is the kind of blog – you might call it advice giving – which I wrote a lot of when I first started this retirement blog. I’ve written fewer and fewer of this type the further I’ve got from retirement – over ten years and counting.
I also used to read the newspapers / media with one eye on possible topics for a blog. That was when I was writing maybe three blogs a week and was often short of inspiration. As I say, recently I’ve done neither. I suppose the obvious explanation is that I haven’t felt very much like giving advice. Ill health will do that.
Then,, quite accidentally, on my Facebook or was it Youtube, page and what a lot of rubbish there is on the first of those platforms ( a bit less on the second) but at least it’s, the first, not owned by that dickhead Musk (aka a smell), but that’s about all it has to recommend it. Anyway I digress and I haven’t stopped doing that. I digress again.
The point is, for no good reason, up pops an article or whatever they’re called, about things to do and not do in retirement and you know what happens when you click on one of these. Correct, you get a thousand more. Slight exaggeration but that’s definitely not out of place in this world.
I can’t imagine what encouraged me to click on this topic when I have steadfastly is that a word? (spell-check doesn’t think so) ignored them in the recent past. But here goes, prepare yourself for some advice that you could not be bothered finding for yourself. I’ve added a comment or two about my view of the advice.
The first list and I’m afraid I didn’t note the guy’s name (nor the second) which would have been a definite no-no in the old days, but these days I just don’t care. The list of 5 items that retirees said they wish they had done when they retired, is accurate, so they may be useful.
- They wish they had retired earlier. Not true for me. I retired at 60, went back to work and retired again at 65. But then I liked my job which I guess makes a difference.
- They wish they had spent more money earlier in retirement. Not really, although I admit I have a great fear of running out of money but then you don’t (mostly) know when you’re going to die, so not easy but for me, on balance, no.
- Taken better care of my health. Well, mea culpa. Maybe I should have taken my diabetes more seriously but then again the things that really laid me low – pulmonary embolisms, colon cancer, prostate etc, couldn’t really have been predicted or prevented. So go figure.
- Taken up a new hobby. Got this one covered. I planned what I would do and the balance needed before I retired. So this blog, vineyard, music were the mainstays. I have to admit that long-distance travel was kiboshed by the doggies but we don’t regret that at all. But yes, basically a sound bit of advice.
- Travel more, earlier (while you were fit enough) in retirement. Agree, but refer to point 4.
Then a second article about things to avoid when retired. I thought this made for a balanced presentation.
- Avoid buying an expensive car. Any interest I had in expensive cars has long since disappeared so this was easy for us.
- Buying a bigger house. Again no problem the one we have is quite big enough, thanks very much.
- Big travel experiences. As before the doggies made this a simple decision.
- Giving expensive gifts. Ha, no chance. A complete no brainer. I would, however, recommend giving money to favourite charities.
- Giving regular cash gifts to relatives. As above.
- A vacation home. Well, we have three so we’re not very likely to buy another one even if we could afford it, which we can’t.
I’ll stop there. Further reading just revealed more of the same or worse, contradictory advice. Like don’t spend all your money early and have nothing to live on. Or, do spend on luxuries like a new, expensive car on the grounds, you’ve worked hard all your life, so treat yourself. As I say I’ll stop there.