Retirement VS working

[sour_grapes]

We have struggled with this. I have been literally/figuratively, all over the map on this!

We don't have family tying us to WI, and I would like to avoid spending all winter in WI once I am done working. We therefore have thought about moving to many other warmer places, but nothing quite feels right and/or is affordable. Also, I won't go into details, but it will be much cheaper to get our healthcare in WI than elsewhere. Enough cheaper to offset state income taxes, even though WI has a fairly high income tax.

Sooo, for the short-term at least, we are roughly planning on doing some snow-birding. Haven't worked out any detailed plans yet. I would say that our plan is to sample some possible new locations by snow-birding, and look to possibly move only after identifying the right place later. (I have threatened to bother Mike @Kraffty in the Verde Valley, for example!)

If you recall, the guy who started this thread up and left for Georgia on short notice!

 

[ibglowin]

Anyone looking to potentially move down the road at some point will appreciate this.........

 

[Boatboy24]

The DC area is crazy expensive, but offers a lot. Both my wife and I have lived here since the late 70's or early 80's, so it's pretty much home for us and we like it. But unless both our kids end up settling here, I just don't see us staying. Too advantageous to move. We have a lot of choices that would offer lower cost of living.

 

[Rocky]

We are in the process of preparing for a move to "God's Waiting Room," Florida. Our plan is to put the house on the market in early April, hope for a reasonably quick sale and be in Florida in the June-July timeframe. We know where we want to move, a small golf community in Bonita Springs, but there is nothing for sale at this time. However, properties come and go fairly regularly because of the age of the residents so we plan to rent until something is available. There are a number of things motivating us: this house is too big and the yard is too much work, the real estate taxes in this area, state income tax, the winters. We are just looking to enjoy the last few years restfully.

 

[Obbnw]

I'm not moving again, except to the crematorium, and if I can convince my wife to plant me under the muscadines, not even to the crematorium.

Ditto, except I want to be in the Malbecs.

I've spent the last 25 years transforming my house to exactly what I want - well not there yet, you know "continuous improvement" - but seriously hardly anything in the house or yard matches what is was when we moved in., and I'm not just talking paint color.

Plus I am really looking forward to being 80 with 25 yo vines looking glorious. You know trophy vines

 

[VillaVino]

Great thread here!

I retired from my professional career at age 57 (I will be 79 in May), moved to the Columbus, Ohio area and worked in a few "after retirement" jobs to make some additional cash and until SS would kick in for me. Tried the "great elephant graveyard of all professions," Real Estate, for about 5 years and then really hung up my spurs. I have had mixed emotions about retiring at 57 and, on balance, I would count it a mistake. I had a nice job in Corporate Purchasing and could have worked there a few more years, assuming I did not get "tagged" by the essentially annual "right-sizings" that occurred. But, hey, a card laid is a card played.

I had worked at something every year since I was 11 when I had a paper route. I enjoyed the independence it gave me in doing and buying whatever I wanted without having to "grovel" before my parents. (I am overstating here, but you get the idea.) I always had some type of job at least part of the year (golf caddy, nursery worker, delivering beer, delivering groceries, construction, etc.) and I enjoyed working. My bride was the same and began working when she was 14 in a pharmacy at the soda fountain. She eventually became a pharmacist and worked at that profession until she was almost 70, because she loved that profession so much.

Lastly, I would like to point out that virtually every company that I worked for in my professional career either failed or was significantly reduced after I left its employ. (Westinghouse, Digital Equipment Corporation, NCR, Kodak) Not drawing any conclusions, just sayin'...

Rocky,
We had some similar jobs. I started working in a nursery hoeing acres of rows of trees and shrubs, (where I got the experience for my vineyard ) learned how to landscape, worked in grocery stores stocking shelves, mopping the whole thing and checkout, then when old enough, worked at a local brewery on the bottling line and delivered cases of beer to northern Wisconsin and the Milwaukee areas. Joined the Air Force, flew combat aircraft, retired after 20 years and picked up a job in a National window making company. We supply the windows for Marvin Pella Anderson and more. I’m on final for retirement. As for staying put or moving, it will be hard to leave the vineyard. I’ll make a go of it as long as I can. Automating as much as possible will keep me around longer. Snow birding will probably be in the future. As much as I like the SW states, it will be Texas or LA. We’ll see.

 

[glennwing]

I retired from my job as a mechanic in an iron mine did 30 years and left at 48. My wife and I did a second career for 15 years. Foster care for teen girls for 15 years. Retired from that in 2016. Second career a lot more rewarding than first also didn’t miss the grind of going to the mine and working on heavy equipment day after day.
got started on winemaking after tasting my niece’s bottle of angry orchard on a cruise. Thought it was ok and looked into making it. We have countless abandoned apple trees around us. They are not good for eating but make decent cider. After a while I drifted into wine using whatever I can pick in my area. Make apple, rhubarb, blueberry, blackberry, plum, and chokecherry wines. Have made some kits but mostly make wine from fruit that I can get for free.
this year I am trading some wine for 6 gallons of maple sap. It will be concentrated to about 1.080 SG and part of the deal is I will spend the day helping to boil it down. See what kind of wine that makes.

 

[joeswine]

I petty my much mirror Rock, in my life travels,we must have been born under the same moon. ha.
What I have descovered is driving in my van. On the same highways and by ways I finally took the time to really notice road signs . It was like a bulb turned on all around me.
Remember that old saying take time to smell the Rose's. That's what happen to me.

 

[RickD]

For example, get a dog. And religiously walk them each morning and evening (or even at 2:00 AM if they have to "go"). That will help "slow you down", emotionally and psychologically if you approach such walks as a healthy action for your dog (and for you).

Heck get TWO dogs!

 

[Old Corker]

We bought what we hope to be our retirement home two years ago. Barn is built, horses are settled in, goat herd is started, bought a small tractor to help with the chores. A five year plan to get it all paid off so we can slow life down. We've not taken a straight line to where we are but we're here now.

 

[JohnT]

New Jersey hates retirees.

Crushing property taxes and a state income tax that defies fixed incomes.

In the process of moving to North Georgia.

 

[FTC Wines]

How did I have time to work? Retired at 60 ( self employed) now 74 and never looked back. You can always use a few more bucks, but you always don’t get more time! Roy

 

[joeswine]

The property taxes here in NJ are hard to bare at times it seems they hate old people.
The question I have for you johnt is how or did you move all the wine you've made ?
Doctors are another subject.

 

[FTC Wines]

The property taxes here in NJ are hard to bare at times it seems they hate old people.
The question I have for you johnt is how or did you move all the wine you've made ?
Doctors are another subject.

Not John, but I moved 800 +- bottles of wine to Florida 8 yrs ago. Including 10 full carboys. Carboys were in Milk crates stuffed stuff around them so as not to rattle. Bottled wine was in 18 gallon totes. No issues at all. I was nervous about Ag inspection stations etc, but all was moved in a Grand Cherokee with a trap over them, mostly to keep the sun off them. I drove the U Haul thru the stations, she drove the Cherokee around them. Good luck with the move, it’s not hard. Roy

 

[BMarNJ]

My father said of retirement “Every night is Friday night and there are no Monday mornings”! That convinced me to retire at 57 and do a PT consulting gig for 5 years. Now fully retired and I am never bored. Too many books, too many places to walk or hike, too many places I need to see, too many foods I need to cook, a few more wines I need to make.

 

[bstnh1]

I moved about 20 cases 5 years ago about 20 miles in an SUV. That was simple enough. But I had to store them in the garage for a couple of weeks and temps went well into the 90s. I thought for sure that would ruin all of it. But, it didn't seem to have any effect at all. In fact I still have a few bottles left that were in that move and they're still perfectly good.

 

[joeswine]

How about interstates?

 

[JohnT]

The property taxes here in NJ are hard to bare at times it seems they hate old people.
The question I have for you johnt is how or did you move all the wine you've made ?
Doctors are another subject.

I haven't. That's why I am "in the process".

The hard bit was moving all of my winery equipment.

@FTC Wines .. did you simply stack them in the totes on their sides? Did they rattle while on the road?

 

[FTC Wines]

John, I l

I haven't. That's why I am "in the process".

The hard bit was moving all of my winery equipment.

@FTC Wines .. did you simply stack them in the totes on their sides? Did they rattle while on the road?

We laid them on their sides. With a piece of cardboard, towel etc between the layers In the totes We had no rattling issues. Had to keep the whole lot of them in a climate controlled storage unit for 4 months. A suggestion, some of our carboys were still in active fermentation so I used packaging tape to hold the air locks in place. We also taped the solid bungs down, no spills wanted in the Cherokee! Roy

 

[wood1954]

I’m not moving anywhere. The cold weather really only impacts us once or twice where it’s too cold to go for walks. Otherwise the weather is very conducive to outdoor activities . Wisconsin real estate taxes are high but income taxes are low. The people of Wisconsin are great and we have great fish fries on Fridays.