Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Just retired

^^^ What he said. Take off your watch. Don't overschedule yourself (like when you worked). There is always tomorrow when you don't get something done. After a while, you learn to balance things out and just enjoy life.

This right here.

i just built one. no wood stove yet though. i call it Camp Close.

When I retired, I was so busy that I wondered how I had time to work a job!

You got to have a reason to get up each day!

No problem sleeping anytime of the day, it’s a gift. My grandmother used to tell me, “Teddy you could sleep on a picket fence.”

I'm at about 18 months left to go before I jump to life of leisure. I am worried a bit honestly. I have trouble on vacation unless we go somewhere, just takes time to decompress, relax and re-set your body clock/schedule. My plan is to retire spring/early summer so I get decompressed before winter :-), figure with golf, hiking, fishing and getting ready for hunting, I should be able to stay busy

LOL that is exactly what I see . retired people are selfish azzholes. another thing is old ladies have to go to the deli at noon when I would go with my crew and other guys to get lunch. they got all day to get cold cuts. another guy said it here that you notice tons of younger able bodied people driving around. half the country is getting paid to stay home then drive around

Talking to other retires is a dance where everyone talks to themselves. The only sage advice I ever got was 'Do one thing a day' and do it well.

Retired to part-time five years ago and then to full time two years ago. We have a well-maintained home in a semi-rural area on an acre so there aren’t continual maintenance projects. There are times the days fill up to me wondering how I ever had time enough to work full time. But there are slower ones also.

And I’m a big reader having had a 1000+ hard copy library and another bunch more on my iPad. I occasionally write editorials or essays for online sites or the regional paper.

My handyman skills stop at duct tape and a pliers or hammer. Have a lawn service for the grass and the landscaping.

I think the best advice is decide to on some routine to give you some order in your day and week — nothing you can’t deter from but a routine of projects, service, etc gives a sense of accomplishment. It should include things you are good at and have an interest in. For example, various topics I have studied enough to become conversant enough allow me to teach them in an adult Sunday a school class.

And then there is some fishing, some shooting (my golf) and some hunting with friends.

That's a good plan, but you don't work for 50 + years and then 1 day stop unless you die. A guy who is productive all his life and retires has 1 job left in life and that is to remain productive for yourself, to do the things around and in your home for you and family or others.It's the time in your life to find balance to get caught up on things you need to get done and things you want to do. Above all else it is the time you take total control of your life and be your own BOSS. It's really destructive to not have purpose.good luck . mb

Congratulations!

I retired early at 51 myself.

3 months later I had shingles from working like a maniac for myself... I have always done side work... with my day job almost relaxing. After retiring I work like a madman on my own 300 page to do list and the shingles got me.

That helped me find a balance on working and relaxing.

Work: buying distressed properties fixing them up and flipping them. Small construction jobs and other "low on the radar/taxman" things... like making lumber.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cQyassR6qxpQzArj7

Relax: time on the parallel bar as an architect, Boy Scouts when my sons were younger, making stained glass windows, building weapons, beer making, reloading, raising oysters, hunting Etc.

A man told me 20-odd years ago that life is supposed to be balanced. I thought he was very wrong... but found out otherwise.

Congratulations again on the retirement and I hope you find a whole lot of fun stuff to do.

I knew a fellow that retired with an FAA ticket on engine repairs and so forth. I believe he was a aircraft mechanic at DHL somewhere up around Cincinnati Ohio.

I suggested that he keep that license active... and take in the odd engine rebuild here and there on a Cessna or whatever.

Not my expertise, but what I understood was a $10,000 engine rebuild on a 150 lb 4 cylinder engine could be accomplished while drinking coffee in the garage... seemed to be at least $100 per hour job.

I have no idea if that makes sense for you, but you seem like a personable fellow that might enjoy such things.

Again, congratulations and good luck!

Hey cash, damn nice milling you got a band saw mill or chainsaw mill? Mb

No, you do it because you're an ass hole.

I dont think he really does that. just a round about way of mocking them

Next year for me....

My question is to the retired fellows who are married to wives who still work. How do you manage not to become your wife's "errand boy" and keep peace in the house? You know what I mean: "Well, you don't have anything to do. You can take care of these things for me while I'm at work."

I was going to buy a Wood Mizer lt40 super hydraulic but decided renting would probably make more sense than actually purchasing. Started looking on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist and a fella contacted me about crew share of the wood.

We set up an arrangement where I keep half of the wood and pay for the band saw blades and provide the labor and he provides the saw and the operation of the saw including all Fuel and oil.

It is an outstanding relationship. He is a super nice guy and so far has only been interested in a small percentage of the actual wood he has earned.

Furthermore, the labor has been free as well. A bunch of my friends have gathered during the milling operation to provide the labor in exchange for the wood they might need for their homes barns or other projects.

If you would like to participate in the next Milling session please drop me a PM with your phone number. We are all very accommodating. Typical Arrangement is... come and help out and take a pickup truck load of lumber home with you.

The milling operation is adjacent to Quantico Marine Corps Base in Stafford County Virginia on one of my smaller farms.

We have been milling the Sweet Gum as structural members... the poplar wood as board and batten siding and the ambrosia maple as countertop cabinets and flooring. In a typical week we will make more lumber than the average Home Depot has in stock.

The Lord has blessed us with an abundance of premium trees.

7-1/2 years for me.
Do not do this. If you don't already hate people in general it will only get worse. You will get people of all ilks venting on you for reasons you wouldn't believe. You may not get support from management.
I thought Bass Pro would be a great part time job but I was wrong as can be. Most customers were decent but management was terrible. I probably haven't been in that place 5 times after I quit and that was 4 years ago.
Indulge in the hobbies you have, your family and friends. Turn off the news. Drop your newspaper and magazine subscriptions that don't have anything to do with your hobbies. Sleep in or get up early. When you have nothing to do, take all day doing it,

Pick up just a couple of small tasks that she normally does. Nothing taxing. Maybe do your own laundry. Make dinner. Only do these things once in a while. If she sees you doing this regularly she will come to expect it. Don't be afraid to say no. Going golfing, shooting, fishing, biking, hiking whatever with the guys, shooting and then cleaning the guns, or reloading this morning and shooting this afternoon.

The problems with retirement don't start until you are both home. In the beginning of our marriage my wife hated being alone. After about 6 months my wife told me I needed something to do. I was a homebody. I ended up reviving some away from home hobbies and she started riding horses. That give us plenty of me time.

I kept up all the yard work and outside of the house anyway but now I do most of the laundry and attempt to do some of the cooking and cleaning up the kitchen.

My wife and I actually like each others company and now we can go and do things on the weekends whereas before we both pretty much worked around the house to get ready for the next work week.

I still have more than enough time to hang with my friends, reload, go to the range etc.

Enjoy yourself and keep momma happy at the same time= no worries.