Is retirement boring?

Honeylife

You clearly don't have a retirement plan yet.

Travelling is great, but you need to retrain your brain to take longer trips that are further away. The advantage is you can now travel ANYTIME.

Volunteering is great, too, but don't do it full-time because then it's just like working a regular job. One or two days is a good way to be active.

Physical exercise, whether it's the gym, swimming or rambling, is definitely worth it. Tai Chi is my new thing.

For me, retirement means I can go "out out". Concerts nearly every week, theatre, whether local or West End. Again I don't have to wait for the weekend. I no longer have to think, "can't go mid-week, got to get up for work tomorrow", I can book any day of the week. Weekend Festivals in a field for 3 days in the summer - I am there, full-out camping, enjoying the music!

Learning a new skill. I always wanted to learn to Tango, so dancing re-entered my life.

As I am no longer cooking for a family, I don't have to "stretch" my food budget; now I indulge in experimental cooking at a cooking school.

Have some plans for what to do and just do them. If it doesn't work or you are not enjoying it, then move on to the next thing. But do something.

Roger175

I'm finding this thread fascinating. What it demonstrates to me is just how different we all are…some of the things various posters have suggested to avoid life being boring, I would find exceptionally boring, I dare say many of the things which occupy my time would be equally boring to others.

One thing which we find very important is maintaining some form of routine and in our case we both volunteer, me on a Tuesday and my wife on a Thursday. Without this it is so easy to forget which day of the week it is, which many would say is not a bad thing, but we like the minimal routine.

I've never been bored, never ever watched a daytime TV programme, don't actually watch firms or much TV at all. I do enjoy surfing the internet and visiting sites like this (probably very boring in itself!), but my take on it is that if you're bored by life whilst in work, you will be in retirement. I'm just a busy person who could always fill their time no matter how many hours in a day.

eastcorkram

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82044447#Comment_82044447

Spot on. Especially the first paragraph. Someone posted Travelling is great. Well, yes, it probably is if you like travelling!

We're 18 months into retirement. We didn't really do holidays when we were working. Nothing to do with cost, we were on around 100k between us. In retirement, around 55k. We did one week away since finishing work. I wouldn't rule out another one at some point, but nothing planned, so it could end up as only that one.

I had ideas of volunteering, but as yet, haven't done anything about it. I still think I probably will at some stage. I've never been bored. If that ever happens, I'll do something about it. Worked for 49 years, and I'm very happy that I now don't.

Starmer24

In the sea 3 - 7 times per week depending on conditions (SUP, wing foiling, fishing, snorkeling, foildrive - been in twice today), mountain biking, skate boarding (badly), walks, new puppy, gardening, seeing friends and 3 kids inc an 11 yr old keeps me plenty busy - last day at work is next Tuesday, whahoo

michaels

Get up late, get ready leisurely, make some lunch/brunch for DW and the kids. Bit of browsing and maybe some chores, cook some dinner, help kids with driving or homework or whatever, some internet research for holidays or pensions or whatever, leisurely dinner, walk to the corner shop to get some steps in some netflixs or football or whatever with no pressure on bed time. Rinse and repeat.

Oh yeah, some duolingo every day.

bjorn_toby_wilde

I volunteer for the county Wildlife Trust 3 or 4 days a month. It’s flexible in the sense that the days are set in advance but if you can’t make it there’s no pressure.

Our trust also has a website where they post tasks so, once registered, you can add your name to opportunities across the county.

It’s mostly physical work such as clearing brambles, pollarding willow, fencing etc. which is good exercise too.

Exodi

I'm not retired, but to inverse the question - is that to imply that working is fun (or at least more fun than not working)?

In my field of work, I have many contacts with senior staff who have retired, and many of them go on to take up regular activities and/or part time employment in a field they enjoy doing. My ex-MD suggested he's never been busier. My wife often suggests she'll volunteer at the cat charity near us (though I think her expectations may be a bit of touch with reality as she seems to think she'll be stroking and cuddling the cats all day, as opposed to changing litter trays, cleaning pens, etc).

I do think it is important to try to avoiding vegetating on the sofa all day every day watching daytime TV slop.

My neighbour is in his early 80s however he runs marathons, does triathlons, long distance treks around mountain ranges, etc. We have a great relationship and alternate dinners at each others every month. Each time we visit, he'll show his new medal or accomplishment. Likely due to all this, he's very mobile and in great health. I do admire him, and would love to live a similar life when I reach retirement (though currently it's easier said than done as both of us work more than full time and have a very young child!). My stepfather by comparison, who unfortunately does spend all day every day in front of the TV, despite being the same age, is unable to walk more than a few metres.

NormalNorman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82047436#Comment_82047436

Nice, although not retired yet I volunteer with our local Countryside Rangers.

Storcko14

Good idea @NormalNorman.

Well worth starting to volunteer ahead of retirement if you have that inclination and the time. I tried out a few things for a year or two pre retirement, found something I enjoyed and then got a few qualifications via the charity which meant things were well established before I retired.

Ibrahim5

The first couple of years of retirement I did adult courses at the local college that I started in September. Now I am holidaying through October so I can't really do those anymore. Just have to let things evolve. Drop the things you don't enjoy and do more of the things you love.