On retiring, what new things did you start...

[UP4014]

Decluttering is to me getting rid of things that you no longer need or use.

On this basis, decluttering provides more space for things that you want to use, makes it easier to find things etc.

It may even create some extra funds that can be used on other things.

I like having stuff, I don't get rid of anything which is why I have 3 houses and a storage unit full to the brim. (Plus the BAM)

Some people like minimal and I will will give away things to those who will appreciate them when the time comes.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I like having stuff, I don't get rid of anything which is why I have 3 houses and a storage unit full to the brim. (Plus the BAM)

Some people like minimal and I will will give away things to those who will appreciate them when the time comes.

Trust me, I am not a "stuff" minimalist. However come hard waste collection day each year I always have a fair bit to put out. Without that I would hate to think how much junk I would have.

 

[straitman]

I think I am there for the frequent flyer points......

If you get to-many then you know where to send them.

 

[straitman]

Thanks. Fully expect that to happen. In a way daughter is preparing us for that time now as she wants to do her own things.

Not even close JohnK. I assure you.

 

[straitman]

I know what I'm not going to do....have any involvement with CASA.

I resemble that remark.

Every time I see our DAME he tells me how lucky I am that I'm no longer doing class 1 medicals and tells me how much harder it has become for both the DAME and the examinee.

 

[cove]

My family have great abilities when it comes to using our points and miles Straitman.
It is 3.30 am over in jet lag city and I have been thinking....and of course that is dangerous.
Marina del Rey is all peaceful and I have finished looking at the stock market.

I hope your cruise worked a treat for you.

 

[straitman]

Well, I cruise now so it’s not a retirement thing for me.

Us too. 65 nights last year and 64 nights this year.

 

[straitman]

My family have great abilities when it comes to using our points and miles Straitman.
It is 3.30 am over in jet lag city and I have been thinking....and of course that is dangerous.
Marina del Rey is all peaceful and I have finished looking at the stock market.

I hope your cruise worked a treat for you.

I know thanks cove and the cruise was awesome thanks. (as was lunch in Perth)

 

[straitman]

Sadly I am a while away from retiring yet but am definitely enjoying reading it also.

Don't be so sad. Remember the tradeoff is age, and in many cases health.

 

[straitman]

our two will be our last. We will hopefully be in our 70s when they die, so after that it will be grandpuppies only.

We should be about 80 when this one goes. What happens after that I have no idea.

PS: I think that there are also two types of people in this world.

Those that think camping is bliss....

...and those that think it a living hell.


I am not big on van parks (except off-season when they are near empty) but give me a great campsite as per my pics above and I am in bliss mode.

Any love I had for camping evaporated during my time in the RAAF when I spent weeks/months living in army & air force tent cities. If I have my way it's never again other than the 5 stars option that were mentioned.

 

[straitman]

Golf 3-4 days/week and being involved more with my daughter would be more than enough.

Countdown on.

I look forward to doing "Nothing". And that's nothing to be ashamed about.

Finally an admission that playing golf is akin to doing nothing.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Any love I had for camping evaporated during my time in the RAAF when I spent weeks/months living in army & air force tent cities. If I have my way it's never again other than the 5 stars option that were mentioned.

Well there you go. I tend to dislike 5 stars due the years I spent flying interstate for work and that they all tend to blur into one another. If I check-into most hotels it tends to be a well its a bed reaction from me.


I tend to prefer smaller bespoke places with character and small numbers of staff that you can get to know/talk to....and yes camping/glamping of course. But yes a tent city would also be my idea of hell too. With camping/glamping the setting is crucial.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Don't you feel attached to your home in any similar way? Especially with the memories?
Regards,
Renato

oh hugely! Every time I walk into one of the kid’s bedrooms, or see a pink patch on the carpet where one of Ms FM’s friends tipped over her creaming Soda (nothing gets creaming Soda out), or remember all the girls in the pool with their hair done up after Dr FM’s semi formal (we were fishing hair pins out of the pool for months), or what the rabbit used to do or the previous dogs, or a thousand other memories!

It is half the reason why we are still here - that and we love the area and the neighbours - sometimes the dogs walk takes twice the time it should by the time we stop to chat.

However you have to be practical and by the time the fur babies pass on we will be mid 70s and I think a downsize will be on the cards - we would like more around 250 m2 - big enough for the hobbies, but not ridiculous....you take your memories with you and make new ones - when the grand children come there will be lots of new memories in Ms FM’s house

 

[straitman]

Well there you go. I tend to dislike 5 stars due the years I spent flying interstate for work and that they all tend to blur into one another. If I check-into most hotels it tends to be a well its a bed reaction from me.


I tend to prefer smaller bespoke places with character and small numbers of staff that you can get to know/talk to....and yes camping/glamping of course. But yes a tent city would also be my idea of hell too. With camping/glamping the setting is crucial.

I also understand your reaction to hotels.

I guess it was the living on the airfield at Rabaul for three months that got me. 0600 Focker Friendship was the alarm clock. (That was 1 week after getting Married)

 

[Renato1]

oh hugely! Every time I walk into one of the kid’s bedrooms, or see a pink patch on the carpet where one of Ms FM’s friends tipped over her creaming Soda (nothing gets creaming Soda out), or remember all the girls in the pool with their hair done up after Dr FM’s semi formal (we were fishing hair pins out of the pool for months), or what the rabbit used to do or the previous dogs, or a thousand other memories!

It is half the reason why we are still here - that and we love the area and the neighbours - sometimes the dogs walk takes twice the time it should by the time we stop to chat.

However you have to be practical and by the time the fur babies pass on we will be mid 70s and I think a downsize will be on the cards - we would like more around 250 m2 - big enough for the hobbies, but not ridiculous....you take your memories with you and make new ones - when the grand children come there will be lots of new memories in Ms FM’s house

And the previous idea I raised - nail shut some rooms (or plaster the doors over) and mow down some of the garden - does not appeal?
It's instant downsizing, at a tiny fraction of the cost of agent's fees, stamp duty and removalists fees, while keeping nearly everything you like.
Or keep the garden and the gardeners, the stamp duty saved in buying a new place will probably pay for them for a century.

You can always finance your lifestyle by one of those pay on death loans that are around for the elderly to access the stamp duty savings.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[JohnK]

Not even close JohnK. I assure you.

Are you saying it gets worse?

 

[drron]

Funny I can get to know staff and chat with them at even big hotels.So much so that when our plane is late and we miss happy hour there is a message on our phone wondering where we are when we check in.

 

[Flying mermaid]

And the previous idea I raised - nail shut some rooms (or plaster the doors over) and mow down some of the garden - does not appeal?
It's instant downsizing, at a tiny fraction of the cost of agent's fees, stamp duty and removalists fees, while keeping nearly everything you like.
Or keep the garden and the gardeners, the stamp duty saved in buying a new place will probably pay for them for a century.

You can always finance your lifestyle by one of those pay on death loans that are around for the elderly to access the stamp duty savings.
Cheers,
Renato

we don’t actually have any problem financing our lifestyle - It just seems wasteful to pay as much as we do for a house we don’t need.

Most of the unused areas are upstairs 4 bedrooms, the second rumpus room and bathrooms, so most of that is shut off in winter and it has its own central heater, which we don’t run. The cleaners don’t do that part of the house - when someone comes to stay, I just do a quick vacuum and dust myself and clean the bathrooms after they go. Guests almost have a house to themselves.

I agree real estate fees and stamp duty take a chunk (although stamp duty might be quite small by the time we do it, as the ACT is phasing out stamp duty). I think this comes down to personal preferences. I would prefer to see a family living in the house again and loving it like our family did, than two old people rattling around in it. .

 

[JohnK]

Finally an admission that playing golf is akin to doing nothing.

Far from it. I will be doing nothing when I'm not playing golf or spending time with daughter.

By far my biggest pet hate in the world is waking up in the morning and "having" to go to work. We have life all wrong. I want to wake up in the morning knowing I "don't have to do" anything and go back to bed.

My brother had the right idea retiring before 40.

 

[cove]

I guess he is of Greek parentage.