We are about 6 months into both of us being retired, a year into having moved to a new location, and still adjusting. Even the dog is still adjusting as she can't seem to decide where her territory ends so still barks way too much at other dogs when we take walks. She is no longer freaked out by the whole thing though and seems to know how to get back to her own house from different directions. We've been working on that in case she ever got loose.
The current situation? We both will readily admit to being bored. We both are trying new things. We are confirming that suburban living is not our first choice, but here we are for the unknown number of years left in my FIL's life. Could be a lot worse as it is a lovely place. Just a bit to quiet and with a small number of options in our favorite categories. People are very friendly and willing to make new friends - a big plus.
There have been minor tweaks in the distribution of routine chores. Since I retired first I had taken on most household chores although we both pitched in on cooking and yard work. Hubby did most of the home repair projects too and we both were good at cleaning up after ourselves. By our choice of housing we no longer have yard work or most home maintenance chores to do so that has shortened the list considerably. We are pretty much back to our 50-50 split. Not that there is that much to do LOL.
Retirement has made double checking our short and long term finances a bigger deal. Cash flow is working fine thank goodness. We are tweaking ownership of some investments to avoid probate and I need to get a credit card in my own name. The lack of that goes back 21 years to an error that was made on a credit card application that means I am an authorized user not joint card holder. Unfortunately we didn't know this until I had stopped working and had no income of my own. Now that I am collecting social security so have an income again it is time to fix this. Thank goodness that 21 years of great credit history went on my record too due to how the laws are now written.
Does anyone know how you get them to consider assets as well as income?
Since I handle most of the financial chores (bill paying, taxes, investments) we are also spending time making sure Hubby and our local son know how to access everything easily. Now that most things are online that is a concern we all should be aware of and have back up plans. We do make all decisions jointly, but I just happen to like budgeting, etc. more.
Our social life has shifted substantially. Lots more family time which is a lovely outcome that we wanted very much. Friendships are much slower in coming as neither of us is an extrovert. We are trying though.
There is a lot of sameness to the weather where we live, but when we venture inland or north we get more variation. Still, neither of us has needed to use our very warm winter coats. Summer hot weather clothing doesn't get a lot of use either.
Living with one car means we need to get comfortable with Lyftt and Uber so we don't let the lack of a car hold us back. A new goal.
That's all I can think of right now. Did I miss anything you are interested in hearing about?
It sounds like your retirement is going smoothly. I am interested in Uber too, and that means I will get a smart phone in future. I put it off cuz I have a landline and Tracphone (only $99 a year).
ReplyDeleteTerra, we use Tracphone too but both have smart phones. Mine is an android I bought from them and DHs is a hand me down i-Phone that we purchased a new sim card for from Tracphone. So you can stay with them and just upgrade your phone.
DeleteIn my experience the boredom thing takes some time. Partly because when you work, work fills that time for you and partly because of the new lifestyle and location. You'll find your way in that area with time. I agree that uber and lyft are wonderful things.
ReplyDeleteYes, a year is nothing when relocating. Just came home from walking the dog and having a nice long chat with a neighbor so progress.
DeleteI had difficulty settling into retirement life. In the first years, I travelled a lot so my boredom was not apparent. I didn't find meaningful volunteer work. It seemed as if I was just waiting to grow older...We are living with one car. I don't enjoy driving so it's not a problem. Right now, I've gone back to work and it is mostly a positive experience. We are raised and educated to work and retirement can be challenging for some of us.
ReplyDeleteYes, after a lifetime of working in a profession it is hard to not have that part of one's life.
DeleteMy husband retired a few months ago, and we are talking about relocation. Sometimes, I wish there was a way to "ease" into change. We're thinking about renting in the new area before buying property. I know there are pros and cons. Did you and your husband rent, initially?
ReplyDeleteWe did not rent but actually bought before moving. However, my husband is from S. Cal and I had lived here for 20+ years before we moved to Atlanta. We wanted to live near my FIL's assisted living facility and bought into a 55+ active living community where a cousin lives. We shopped online and then viewed the 5 available units that met our criteria and bought the best one. A one day purchase session! If we had moved to an area that we were not familiar with I doubt we would have done it this way. However, moving twice is a lot of work so we might have.
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