Ask the Readers | What do you DO in retirement?

Reader Michelle sent me this question asking for your help:

My idea/request for a post is your readers’ ideas for starting retirement. Hint/tips/discussions.. do this but don’t do that… etc. Our financial advisor has indicated we will be absolutely fine to retire at 62, but I can’t wrap my brain around not working and receiving a full paycheck every 2 weeks.

I am (ugh) 60 (although I don’t feel like I look it, act it, etc.). but facts are facts, lol. I have been at my current job for 42 years and was thinking about retiring at 62.. but what does one do all day/every day when not “working.”? And what about possible health care coverage ideas since I’m not 65? We don’t have grandchildren (yet).. but thought I would get a part-time job close to home then, instead of my 30-minute commute every day. I’m beginning to despise driving the commute every day.

I am about 13 years behind Michelle in age (I’ll be 47 in April), but also probably way behind her financially. I will be very surprised if a financial planner tells me I’ll be more than 0k to retire at 62 (no matter how you slice it, divorce is a financial setback!)

So, I have zero actual retirement experience, but I’ll tell you what my plans are (and then those of you that are actually retired can chuckle at my naivete.)

My work plans

I will probably work bedside nursing for a good while, and then when I tire of that, I have considered getting my master’s and doing some kind of nursing education. So, I plan to be in the workforce for many years to come.

And even if I do get remarried to someone with plenty of money on hand, I think I still would want to use my education and healthy body to contribute to society in the healthcare-related workforce.

What would I do in retirement?

If I were in a place of retiring at 62 with lots of time on my hands, I don’t think I would be bored!

I have lots of hobbies and interests that I could pursue with that much free time (what are all the things you say you wish you could do if you weren’t at work all the time? You’d have time for those!)

I also would want to devote time to things that would help to prolong my healthspan (mobility training, exercise, good eating, proper sleep) because having lots of retirement years is more fun if your body is working to the best of its capabilities.

(And here I acknowledge that many health things are entirely out of our control. I’m just saying I’d want to do my best to maximize my chances of maintaining good health.)

Purpose and Connection

Human beings tend to feel better when they have connections with other humans. And since you lose some of that built-in interaction when you retire, I would imagine it is important to come up with other ways to see people in retirement.

Also, I know I have heard multiple experts say that humans feel better when they have a purpose or are involved in something bigger than themselves.

In that vein, since my niche is being a helper, that’s probably what I would do with at least some of my free time. There are always people who need help, whether it’s in an official volunteer role or a more casual help-your-neighbor type of role. I would love to use my nursing education to do some kind of volunteer work in the future.

from when we used to volunteer at the cat shelter 🙂

Also, as Michelle said, there’s the option of a part-time job that you do just for the love of it, or because it aligns with a purpose you care about.

Both the volunteering and the part-time job would offer a purpose and human connection, so that seems like a win-win!

And healthcare…

For healthcare coverage to get you through until Medicaid, my first thought is that I would buy a plan through the public marketplace, just like I’m doing right now. But I am for sure not an expert on this!

Alright, readers! Help Michelle out by sharing your experiences/plans with retirement.

P.S. Michelle, though you are not a part of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early), I wonder if some of their resources might be helpful to you. People in that movement are navigating the challenges of health insurance and also the experience of suddenly having a lot of free time on their hands, so their experiences could be educational to read about!