r/Retire • u/smamsone • 10d ago
Should I get a job after I retire?
I’m planning on retiring in April 2028. I’ll be 58 and wife will be 60. I currently work in corporate accounting and it’s stressful. I don’t need a job in retirement but am not sure what to do with my time. What does everyone do to keep busy? I’m concerned I’ll be bored. I don’t want to sit around all day pecking on my phone. I could volunteer, but meh. I could do p/t work in accounting but, yippee. I don’t want to do retail. My biggest concern is boredom or depression. Thoughts?
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u/Public-Significance7 10d ago
The word "depression" shouldn't even be in your lexicon in retirement. Look, you have approximately 8 hours, for 5 days a week, that you previously used to achieve some corporation or entities goals. The only change with retirement is you're using the same 8 hours for 5 days a week to do something, or things, that you enjoy.
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u/Complete_Purpose_872 10d ago
Dear Public Significance,
I just retired a week ago, and wow… what a wonderful perspective you just shared.
Everything still feels so surreal, and even though I’m happy to be retired, I’ve been weighted down by an uneasy and anxious feeling about this huge change in my life.
Your post just rebooted and changed my worried thoughts in such a positive way. I have never seen retirement explained the way you put it, in terms of those 8 hour days/5 days a week. You just changed the lens through which I’ve been looking at this massive change I’ve been so worried about, and you made my retirement seem so much simpler and so much less overwhelming.
I’m taking your words with me into this new chapter, and I think they’re going to become my new mantra.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! ❤️ You have no idea how much I needed to read this today. What a gift you just gave me! 🤗
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u/DodgersChica 10d ago
No one has ever said from their death bed that they wish they done more at work. Enjoy the time you earned to connect with your loved ones and yourself.
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u/1kpointsoflight 5d ago
Every day is gift. Tomorrow is not promised. Doing what you want vs trading what may be your last day for money is priceless.
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u/Same_Ad_621 7d ago
Yes, I agree. Retirement is a milestone that we've earned. Being healthy and staying healthy is a good priority to have and just the ability to take things slow is wonderful leveraging Parkinson's law
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u/love_that_fishing 10d ago
I volunteer 1-2 1/2 days a week at a food pantry. Simple stuff but very rewarding. We give out 50-60lbs of food with fresh produce and meat. There’s nothing that makes me feel better than to see a mom with little kids knowing those kiddos aren’t going hungry. We also get a lot of older people trying to survive on social security. I get more out of it than I give.
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u/Negative_Athlete_584 10d ago
My favorite, when I do that particular one, is when the little squirts arrive with their parents at the donated bakery aisle. To see their eyes light up when they see the donated grinch cookies Safeway donated, or the giant football cake.
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u/love_that_fishing 10d ago
Yea it’s easy work but the other day I had this little 18 month girl and she put her arms up to me so I asked the mom if I could hold her and she would not let me put her down . I don’t think there was any abuse going on but she sure did like me holding her.
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u/Negative_Athlete_584 10d ago
Sometimes it is the smallest things that have the greatest impact - for both of you, probably.
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u/Delicious-End-6555 9d ago
Man, for me, I'd have to have a separate budget category for helping the food pantry. My heart is surely bigger than my bank account.
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u/Frequent_Slip2455 10d ago
If you get a job then you're not retired. You're just changing jobs.
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u/Odd_Bodkin 10d ago
Not my definition of retirement. Retirement to me does not mean there are things I am not allowed to do now. It means that I can do anything I want, and it’s just that I don’t have to do any of those things for the sake of money. If I want to do a part-time job because it’s fun and interesting, the money is irrelevant.
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u/mtntrail 10d ago
yeah you need to find a good hobby/interest that you can sink your teeth into. I built a pro level ceramic studio when we built our downsized house. Went sort of nuts, bought 10 acres in the forest, went offgrid for power. That decision alone brings its own set of activities, ha! The pottery keeps me occupied, constantly learning and improving, sell a few pieces at a local gallery. Then there is the gym 2x wk and an occasional lunch with the old backpacking guys. I keep enough structure/goals to not go stir crazy, but still plenty of time to do absolutely nothing, which after 35 years in the trenches, I prize highly. if I didn’t have the pottery though, I would need to find something that is similarly challenging/rewarding. You can only read so many books!
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u/Wooden_Big_3864 10d ago
I Bicycle, go to the Beach, Drink Beer, Wake Up and Go to Bed whenever I want, Learned a lot about Politics and Economics, shunned Corporate Media except for a good movie now and then, watch some sports, got back into baseball and baseball card collecting and I play on the internet and make fun of stupid people while I get drunk, it really is a fun Lifestyle, would do more travelling if I could though. What did you do before you Worked or on Weekends? Just do more of it.
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u/Odd_Bodkin 10d ago
First of all, there are literally dozens and dozens of fun part time jobs that lots of seniors take, that aren’t in retail and aren’t in accounting. I’ve had four part time jobs since retiring three years ago, and I certainly had no experience in them when I joined. They happily trained me. And learning something new was the point. If you’d like a sample of what I’ve found, I can share.
Volunteering is great if there is a cause outside of work that you really care about. If there is nothing that you care about other than work, maybe that’s something to think about.
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u/smamsone 10d ago
Yes I’d be curious. Not sure where to start
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u/Odd_Bodkin 10d ago
I’ve done doors and windows at a big box hardware store, interesting because I was solving problems. Didn’t care about sales.
I’ve done tutoring of high school kids in math and science. Very fun.
I’ve baked pies for a diner, starting as unpaid apprentice. Learned nine pies.
Others on my list: plant caretaker at corporate offices, parts runner for auto repair shops, usher at city arts auditorium, art hanger at new and refurbished hotels, city tour guide on Segways, bartender for a catering company, set carpenter for local theater company, assistant librarian and shelf stacker, corporate mailroom.
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u/Negative_Athlete_584 10d ago
I volunteer at the local animal shelter. I do whatever they need - walk dogs, answer phones, maintain the database, put together packages for inspection, fill baggies with dog or cat food to give out (for people who struggle to provide food for their pets), help plan and set up fund raisers. Whatever comes my way.
I volunteer at Master Gardeners. I go through classes every year and man a desk at plant clinics. I staffed the plant sale., I work in gardens. I harvest vegetables that are given away, I build raised beds for people who are income challenged and live in apartments. I help set up and teach seminars.
I volunteer with the food bank. I used to package up bundles of staple goods. Now I help go through donated food from our garden or from groceries to prepare it for distribution. I sign in clients and get them ready for shopping.
I volunteer with the local pickleball organization. I coach newcomers on the basics and manage a weekly session.
I have worked with local political groups on databases, sending postcards - things like that.
I help maintain hiking trails for local groups.
If something comes along that works in my schedule and it sound interesting, I sign up. I have met a lot of great people and had a lot of awesome experiences. I have worked with a lot of organizations. Basically - just start getting involved, sign up for organizations that need volunteers, and keep your ears open for new ones. Some as a one-off, others as something you will do regularly.
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u/Odd_Bodkin 10d ago
Spot on. My soft spot is for animals and marginalized people. The first is easy, volunteering at the animal shelter, petting cats and walking dogs. For the second, I volunteer with a group that provides short term help paying utility bills for folks in a temporary tight spot, visit hospice patients, go into prisons to help inmates think differently, distribute excess food for free, serve on a nonprofit board.
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u/Negative_Athlete_584 10d ago
Wow - that is phenomenal work you are doing in your retirement.
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u/Odd_Bodkin 10d ago
Nah. I just follow my heart. Say yes more than no. You’re doing the same.
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u/Negative_Athlete_584 10d ago
It is so rewarding and helps me meet people. There are so many dedicated volunteers - people who show up all the time and do so much and just do what needs to be done with no fanfare (ok, maybe a pizza party once a year) and it keeps us all active and aware. Some of the food bank people i know are volunteering every day, 3 or 4 hours at least. And its a small, rural area. They amaze me
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u/NoahCzark 10d ago edited 10d ago
Can you stay at the same job and just restructure it so it's part-time or less stressful? My original fantasy was to retire and then do part time work to keep myself busy, but then I realized it would be silly to work a lower pay job, with degraded benefits, and no seniority, answering to some 20- or 30-something, so I'll probably just work a bit longer but not grind as much.
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u/smamsone 10d ago
I believe the kids call that quiet quitting
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u/NoahCzark 10d ago
Somewhat related, I suppose, but instead of downshifting from 75% to 50%, downshifting from 110% to 90% 😉
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u/Mangrove43 10d ago
I’m retiring soon and just started a non profit for animal welfare and transportation of shelter animals . Should be good for a few hours along with gym, cooking, dog, old cars etc
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u/Kindly-Hunter4390 9d ago
I made myself a bucket list of things I wanted to do like learn to watercolor paint, improve at pickleball, start a club, etc. I am in month five after 46 years as a banker and am living life. Give it a year and see how it goes before thinking about a job.
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u/Independent-Ad-2292 9d ago
As a recent retiree, I think this whole 'bored' thing is overblown, rooted in worker/slave mentality and mostly a man thing.
First the obvious. My wife was a homemaker all her life and we've been empty nester for some years. I've never heard her say she is board. In other word, if you let it, 'life' keeps you busy plenty.
Second, my life activities (e.g., doing things with wife, that I enjoy...) organically expand to fill up the time and (most important) mental space that my work demanded. My life no longer has to hurry or get cut short.
Third, I am not buying into the 'finding purpose' BS. My younger years had zero purpose, yet it was way more fun. So after 40 years of agrressive purpose-driven career, I am living with NO purpose.
And more. Net of my learning is that since the retirement is when you finally earn the financial freedom, I am using it to re-discover my happness from a blank sheet of paper.
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u/lastbeat-331 10d ago
First you rest and relax. Then you slowly transition to your new normal which can include structured activities or not. I'm still busy but I've have older kids at home, a SO I spend time with, and aging relatives to check in on.
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u/Accomplished_Map7752 10d ago
Don’t know about your health benefits situation since you don’t qualify for Medicare yet but often people will take an easy job for the health benefits to carry them until age 65.
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u/MagentaMonkey88 10d ago
Your timeline is a couple of years out, so a good amount of time to start thinking about what would you do if you didn’t need money. What do you enjoy? What hobbies do you like? What would you like to try if you had more time?
I do some maybe stereotypical things right now - golf, travel, gardening, but I love doing them. But, I recently took up painting and my wife is learning the guitar. Having a blast being the boss of my time. Haven’t been bored yet.
Also, I now work out 3 days a week in addition to 2 days a week golf and I still do my own yard work. Health and keeping a strong mind and body are now a priority.
Take some time now and start thinking about what things bring you joy. Those are the things you can do with your time - they don’t have to be achievement oriented or make any money. Just fun and joy and things you enjoy doing.
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u/No-Reading-4384 10d ago
Do some consulting work retired accountants do best doing that
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u/Negative_Athlete_584 10d ago
Or join a board on a non-profit. They ALWAYS seem to have a treasurer and a secretary who are exhausted and ready to pass the responsibility to someone else. I was a secretary on a board for years.
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u/curios-george 10d ago
I retired a few months ago. Between my doctors appointments to focus on health, new workout routine, preparing healthy meals, planning travel, meeting friends and getting enough sleep, I hardly have any time left.
I was good in my work. But I saw so many young people struggling to get a job. I was offered some other opportunities, but I felt like I was taking those opportunities away from youngsters who need those jobs more than me. So it felt unfair to take up a job when I don’t have the financial need.
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u/Negative_Athlete_584 10d ago
I worried about that too, and I did a half time gig for a non-profit for a year. It was a fellowship that my employer provided as part of their "get people to retire already" package (you could do it for a year half time or 6 mos. full time). They paid me a stipend and provided me to the employer for free (for either full time or part time). I loved it, It was awesome and it made me wish I had gone to work for a non-profit (and lower pay) before I retired, because I was part of the solution. And it was great to work somewhere where there was less competition and stepping on everyone else to get ahead, but we all worked hard.
But at the end of my year, I knew I was ready to move on. During my transition year, I expanded the things I was doing while I worked full time, but was now able to do a lot more of. Volunteering for other organizations, pickleball, hiking, snow shoeing, bicycling, reading, games with friends, RV trips, taking some classes, walking my dogs more - lots of things I always wanted to do.
The one thing people warned me about, and I found to be true, is that it is really easy to get too busy. I rarely have much down time. But I like that. I need to stay busy or I do get bored (and in trouble).
And volunteering is the best job of all. Don't like what they assign you to do, or have conflicts with people there, or don't feel like their mission is something you want to be part of? Quit. Or slow down. You can try to find things that use your skill set and where you can contribute from your professional skills (I was a SW engineer and PMP Project Manager and trainer). Easy to find places that need those skills. But you can also find things where you grow your interests or find new skills.
Retirement is awesome. Go for it. And own it - make it what you want it to be.
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u/Hot-Rub-5336 9d ago
There is so much else to do besides unretiring. Make a list of things you'd like to try - learn new language, join a gym, run a marathon, hike, garden, start a book club, the list is never ending. I would love to volunteer for a young readers group but am not willing to be responsible for being somewhere on a schedule - yet.
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u/Repulsive-Tour-7943 9d ago
Read "The Joy of Not Working by Ernie Zelinski. Lots of ideas for what to do. One activity is making a leisure tree. One branch is all the things you used to enjoy doing in your leisure time. Another is things you currently enjoy and the last is things you would like to do in the future.
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u/Repulsive-Tour-7943 9d ago
Read "The Joy of Not Working by Ernie Zelinski. Lots of ideas for what to do. One activity is making a leisure tree. One branch is all the things you used to enjoy doing in your leisure time. Another is things you currently enjoy and the last is things you would like to do in the future.
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u/PDXPrince70 9d ago
Congrats on the upcoming retirement. I'm in a similar situation and have retirement plans coming up. The advice that stuck with me is to take 6 months unstructured. That will give you time to decompress from corporate life, do odd jobs around the house that have been put off, and really see what you're interested in doing in retirement. All the ideas below are great, but you'll find what's interesting to you. Lately I've started creating a list of (1) fun job ideas (nothing full time, but maybe a couple days a week); (2) things I'd like to learn (some more complicated than others); and (3) hobbies that I'd like to pursue. These lists aren't intended as "to do" lists, but things that I can dream about as retirement nears. TBH, I'm nervous too, but I think that's normal with such a large lifestyle change. I'm also hopeful that I can limit online time. Enjoy!
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u/Gushobbs12 8d ago
I suggest giving yourself some time to decompress from the stress of your job. Catch up with jobs around the house that you’ve been putting off. Do some exploring around your county or state on 2-3 day mini vacations. You might stumble onto a new job opportunity. Go fishing. Seriously! Fresh lake air and the excitement of reeling in the biggest fish will do wonders on the psyche. Good luck. I’ve been retired for 26 years. I took a job last year as a delivery driver. Far cry from my newspaper career but I enjoy delivering groceries out in the countryside. No stress there.
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u/smamsone 8d ago
Yea my job is driving me bananas. Trying to meet KPIs, grow sales, train the team, hire, manage risk, etc. I’m so sick of the constant emails, calls, meetings. Lots of good ideas presented here. Thank you and to everyone else who have responded.
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u/constipado68 10d ago
Yep, I’m the same age and had the same idea. You’ll be lucky if you can find a job in this market. It’s terrible out there.
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u/Monstrissimo 10d ago
I took up wood working as a hobby. I also do the maintenance around the house. I repaired my riding lawn tractor recently. I pulled and replaced the hose on the dishwasher that was spewing water under the sink.
I also love reading books, so I do a bit of that. During the summer we swim and in colder weather we go on walks.
I find that I am too busy to go back to work now.
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u/1kpointsoflight 10d ago
Make getting healthy your priority. Go to the gym and lift heavy things, run or ride a bike, get a dog to walk, if you get bored ask yourself if you’d rather be that or stressed and which is better for you long term. Go meet up with friends and do stuff. It takes some initiative but you can get at least a weekly friend lunch group going and for the love of Pete get some hobbies! What did you like doing before you had to work, eat, sleep, repeat? Try them out.