BetterMost Community Blogs > Cellar Scribblings
Cellar Scribblings
Front-Ranger:
I don't know what the answer is but it is not retirement. I am supposedly retired (actually laid off from my last two jobs) and I don't have money problems (knock on wood). I live within my means. Keep my car for 10 years, use a hand-me-down computer, and rent out a floor of my house. I just got back from my first vacation in 8 months. But I always seem to be working lately! After my vacation, I've been having to get up every morning at 5 or 5:30 am and last night I was still working at 11 pm! It is enjoyable work for the most part but still, as Cassie would say, "It gets tiresome!"
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on June 30, 2016, 11:01:36 am ---We do need to pay for our fancy stuff, but I think perhaps the main reason why so many people are working even more than before is fear--fear that somebody else will get ahead of us, fear that we'll lose our jobs if we don't appear to be working enough.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, that's a factor, too. It explains why Americans often don't even take all the vacation to which they're entitled.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on June 30, 2016, 11:48:08 am ---I don't know what the answer is but it is not retirement. I am supposedly retired (actually laid off from my last two jobs) and I don't have money problems (knock on wood). I live within my means. Keep my car for 10 years, use a hand-me-down computer, and rent out a floor of my house. I just got back from my first vacation in 8 months. But I always seem to be working lately! After my vacation, I've been having to get up every morning at 5 or 5:30 am and last night I was still working at 11 pm! It is enjoyable work for the most part but still, as Cassie would say, "It gets tiresome!"
--- End quote ---
I happen to be writing about this very subject for work as we speak. I was in New York a couple of weeks ago for a workshop at Columbia about the value of working past the traditional retirement age. It's good for your bank account, for sure, but also good for your cognitive and physical health. And it's good for the economy.
Tomorrow I'm going to interview a friend who retired from the Post Office with a nice pension. But in less than a year he got bored. So now he has two jobs that don't pay much but are perfect for him: he mows a golf course (he likes golfing) and he tends bar at this local stadium that hosts concerts and professional sports (he likes sports).
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: serious crayons on June 30, 2016, 02:36:20 pm ---I happen to be writing about this very subject for work as we speak. I was in New York a couple of weeks ago for a workshop at Columbia about the value of working past the traditional retirement age. It's good for your bank account, for sure, but also good for your cognitive and physical health. And it's good for the economy.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, it's my understanding that I should actually work to age 67 in order to receive the largest Social Security benefit. :(
--- Quote ---Tomorrow I'm going to interview a friend who retired from the Post Office with a nice pension. But in less than a year he got bored. So now he has two jobs that don't pay much but are perfect for him: he mows a golf course (he likes golfing) and he tends bar at this local stadium that hosts concerts and professional sports (he likes sports).
--- End quote ---
That's the thing. I keep thinking that there are lots of things out there that I could do that I might really enjoy--even if they were just volunteer positions that didn't pay anything. (In particular there's an organization that helps congregations preserve their old church buildings because of the value of the building to the community--seems like a perfect fit for me!) I might still be "working," but I'm not sure I'd consider that actually a "job." To me there can be a difference.
Front-Ranger:
--- Quote from: serious crayons on June 30, 2016, 02:36:20 pm ---It's good for your bank account, for sure, but also good for your cognitive and physical health. And it's good for the economy.
--- End quote ---
I agree about the benefits. Older people working is good for the economy because we are cheap. I work 2 to 3 times longer to take in the same amount of income, and I do not get any benefits. Another thing, I spend a lot of time supervising, mentoring and teaching the full time employed people, covering for them, filling in for them, etc. I don't mind it but people get very dependent on me. I have so many responsibilities already! Because of my caregiver responsibilities to my mother and grandchildren, I can not work more than about 20 hours a week. That's how I end up working almost every evening!! I don't think most younger and employed people have an accurate idea of what it's like.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version