Your Biggest Retirement Regret?

[ecotourist]

Even converted to USD that seems like a lot.
I took a quick look myself and found that it wouldn't be hard to spend the 22K USD on such a trip. You'd then have to figure in another grand or so for incidentals.
So yes, this would not be anything like the deal you might have gotten in 2019.

Yeah my estimate of $30,000 Cdn probably doesn't cover it.

A cabin with a veranda costs right around $15,000 Cdn for Budapest to Amsterdam (a 15 day trip). Airfares can be included if you go during less desirable time slots and if booked early enough. Tips are not included in the quoted price. You would probably want to arrive and leave with a couple of days to spare (because you're already there) so there would be additional accommodation and food costs for those days. And then there are the (optional) occasional drinks and food off the boat to truly enjoy the local scene.

So the actual cost might be closer to $40,000 Cdn ($29,500 US). I think that's a lot of money.

 

[k1xv]

When I was in my first full time job out of college, I had a co-worker, age 59, who constantly pondered over when he should retire. The older he retired, the greater his retirement benefit, but he really wanted to retire. Every day, ?the discussions went, Should it be 62? 65? When should he claim Social Security? On and on it went.

One Monday morning, he did not come to work. We learned he had a heart attack over the weekend and died at age 61. Never got to retire at all.

 

[sloinker]

The best thing about retiring is when you pull the carpet out from your employers feet. The years of overwork, poor management decision making, unforced errors in job planning, the promotion of butt kissing sycophants without any skills to positions of authority... the sheer panic and groveling lifted 47,890 pounds off my shoulders immediately. Haven't missed it for a second. I do miss the full use of the giant steam cabinet, media blaster, machine shop and tool room for any G-job that I may have had.

 

[Foreman04]

When IS it time to retire? I'm thinking that it's different for everyone and I hope I clearly know when it's the right time for me. I'm 67 and still working at the job I've had for the past 15+ years and I'm enjoying it. My kids are grown up and out of the house so I have more money "coming in" and less money "going out" than ever before. If a change occurs at work that I don't like I can retire if I want but my job is very satisfying to me currently. I don't want to travel because I've had to travel/fly for most of my employed life and it's no longer enjoyable. The last thing I want to do is travel at least by air. I love working outside, around the house, manage and work the forest management plan for our property. So life is good. I've done pretty much anything I wanted to do so there's no desire to retire and do anything specific. So I guess I'm not ready to retire at this time??? And hope I clearly know when it is time.

 

[doitmyself]

When I was in my first full time job out of college, I had a co-worker, age 59, who constantly pondered over when he should retire. The older he retired, the greater his retirement benefit, but he really wanted to retire. Every day, ?the discussions went, Should it be 62? 65? When should he claim Social Security? On and on it went.

One Monday morning, he did not come to work. We learned he had a heart attack over the weekend and died at age 61. Never got to retire at all.

The moral of this fable is that one should attempt to live each day as if it might be the last, not that one should retire from their job, career, whatever as soon as possible to avoid regrets. To counter your story, my personal physician, age 71, says he sees lots of his male patients wither and fade soon after retirement because they didn't cope with the challenges, suggesting that late-life work is good. Two data points, both very weak.

Not being snarky - I hear your story all the time, as well as my doctor's version too. One of my goals at age 68 is to accept my choices without regrets. It's very difficult. My mom at age 91 just got hit very hard with dementia. My first reaction was a bit of regret that I didn't put more effort into our relationship (plenty good, but could have been better?). The circle of life.

 

[k1xv]

My last full time job in a formal organization was at age 43. I was always an Egalitarian, happy to be a member of a team of equals with divided responsibilities. In my career, a few people I reported to in an organization chart were wonderful, gave credit where credit was due, and covered for us when we may have screwed up a bit. But other times, I worked for crooks who wanted me to carry out their unethical directives.

From age 44 to 70 I cut back my schedule, did consulting for people I liked and respected, and who liked and respected me. Sometimes the work was intense, but overall, I worked a lighter schedule. Some of it was consulting in foreign countries on work sponsored and paid for by the US State Department.

So you might say I semi-retired at 44, but kept on working on and off to 70, when I decided it was time to hang it up for good.

 

[Foreman04]

My last full time job in a formal organization was at age 43. I was always an Egalitarian, happy to be a member of a team of equals with divided responsibilities. In my career, a few people I reported to in an organization chart were wonderful, gave credit where credit was due, and covered for us when we may have screwed up a bit. But other times, I worked for crooks who wanted me to carry out their unethical directives.

From age 44 to 70 I cut back my schedule, did consulting for people I liked and respected, and who liked and respected me. Sometimes the work was intense, but overall, I worked a lighter schedule. Some of it was consulting in foreign countries on work sponsored and paid for by the US State Department.

So you might say I semi-retired at 44, but kept on working on and off to 70, when I decided it was time to hang it up for good.

K1 XV. How did you know, “it was time to hang it up for good”?

 

[k1xv]

K1 XV. How did you know, “it was time to hang it up for good”?

I was living in Vermont, and could do a lot of it here. But it still involved a fair amount of travel. Which was getting less and less appealing. I looked at my projected retirement assets and income, my expenses, and determined that I had enough to carry me through a retirement. And, I wanted to devote more time to family and my local community. So I stopped working and decided to pay attention to my bucket list while I still had my health.

 

[Pablo]

So I stopped working and decided to pay attention to my bucket list while I still had my health.

I always tried to look like your avatar picture during interviews. Helped bring on retirement. haahahahahaha

 

[paulswagelock]

Fortunate to be able to retire at 54 and maintain the same or bigger lifestyle. Not a single regret. It has been 3 years and I have not been bored a single day. I miss my employees and partners, but not enough to generate any regret. We do some traveling, are active physically, spend time with family and friends, stay at our other places and invite people to join us, it is truly a blessed existence and is not lost on us for a single moment.
My wife and I were both widowed young in our previous marriages and understand how short life can be.

 

[Dave Hess]

I was living in Vermont, and could do a lot of it here. But it still involved a fair amount of travel. Which was getting less and less appealing. I looked at my projected retirement assets and income, my expenses, and determined that I had enough to carry me through a retirement. And, I wanted to devote more time to family and my local community. So I stopped working and decided to pay attention to my bucket list while I still had my health.

Exactly.

You don’t want to retire and body be worn out or in poor health.

 

[Jpc1623]

Retired at 66 on the button. My company called be back 8 months later to do part-time work. Which isn’t anything stressful but gives me about 15 hrs a week in the morning at desert pay. Can’t travel MIL Alzheimer’s.

 

[Malo83]

Retired at 66 with full benefits from both SS and Military retirement, Nov 2019 went out prior to Covid disaster, house and cars all paid off, can't complain so far so good, wake up every morning and thank the Good Lord for another day.

 

[wpod]

I had a high stress career. Part of the time, I was in a crooked State government that wanted me to carry out its unethical directives. I wouldn't do it. I carried over PTSD into my early retirement. I'm over it now.

All governments are crooked.

 

[hrv]

My only regret is I wish my late wife was still with me so we could enjoy retirement together....Otherwise I have NO regrets of retiring in Dec of 2017..

 

[andrew_j]

Exactly.

You don’t want to retire and body be worn out or in poor health.

That is exact reason I discourage my kids from trades…

 

[Jim K]

I`m retarded , I mean retired.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

That is exact reason I discourage my kids from trades…

Sitting is the new smoking. There's a lot of long term health problems from doing desk jockeying.

 

[andrew_j]

Sitting is the new smoking. There's a lot of long term health problems from doing desk jockeying.

Which is why they have sit / stand desks including my workplace.

I concur sitting terrible but lucky to work from home 2001-2023 and have sit/stand from a forward thinking employer way back then.

 

[alarmguy]

Sitting is the new smoking. There's a lot of long term health problems from doing desk jockeying.

Trades jobs will also be more secure moving into the future as AI will replace a lot of mid level white collar management positions.
By no means all white level management, but I’m pretty sure that is the area that will take the biggest hit