Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

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TIAX
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by TIAX »

facepalm wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:42 am We have a number of subs at our school site that are retired teachers. I never think they sub because they need the money; I always assume they do it because they like the social aspect of the job and still like kids.
Teaching is a bit different than a fast food job.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by ResearchMed »

facepalm wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:42 am
nisiprius wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:16 am I work as an occasional substitute teacher at the local high school. It never even occurred to me to wonder about what people think--other than my students, of course.
We have a number of subs at our school site that are retired teachers. I never think they sub because they need the money; I always assume they do it because they like the social aspect of the job and still like kids.
It could be both.

My father had a "second career" in science and math high school teaching, which had been his dream all along.
When he retired, he did substitute teaching. I'm pretty sure that if he couldn't make good use of some extra money, he wouldn't have done it.
However, it was something he generally enjoyed, so it wasn't just "make work", and he also knew that high school math and science substitute teachers were in short supply.
But at least he could call the shots on which requests to accept, and also how often.
Not bad for a very part-time extra job during early retirement.

RM
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David Jay
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by David Jay »

LarryAllen wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 9:33 am I have considered doing stuff like this as a retirement job. The money doesn't matter but nice to keep social. One buddy works at the golf course. He makes a few bucks and golfs for free! Have also thought about driving for Uber as I just think it would be fun.
Uber or Lyft provides complete freedom of schedule.

My biggest issue is scheduling freedom. If we want to do a couple of months down on the Gulf coast (from Michigan!) in January and February, I don't want to leave others "in the lurch", especially a volunteer organization.
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MP173
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by MP173 »

As I grow older I find myself following footsteps of my father. He and mom owned a small grocery store and worked 6 days a week from 7am til 6pm. Lots of hours. I do not quite work that much but am highly motivated.

When he retired, he simply moved from doing what he had to do to what he wanted to do. He "worked" by gardening (massive), selling excess fruit and vegetables, growing and selling pine trees (Christmas trees and wreaths), mowing lawns, fixing up and selling property (only once), etc.

I can see myself doing several things - maintaining several of my accounts (sales), mowing lawns (seriously...great workout and decent pay), odd jobs with a pickup truck, and possibly working for a small company using my sales skills (part time). The movie "The Intern" struck a nerve with me. I could see doing something like that, not full time, but to "help out" and keep sharp.

I respect people who work, regardless of the job (for the most part).

Ed
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by MP173 »

One more comment.

I ran into a "Basketball legend" here in NW Indiana last spring. He played for a State Championship and also an NCAA championship at UCLA in the 70s. He also coached a HS championship before retiring. Our paths had crossed several times during our playing days and we have sons that played against each other.

I asked him "what are you doing now that you are retired from coaching?" He smiled and said he is a full time nanny. His son and DIL have two kids under the age of five and they work. He balanced coaching with nanny life for a year and realized he was doing both groups of kids a disservice. He had to leave the grand kids at 3pm for coaching and his team didnt get him "full time".

My respect for him and his decision was much higher than what he achieve on the basketball court or bench. He had the biggest grin on his face when he told of the time he now has with his grandkids.

Ed
btenny
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by btenny »

Ah that good old scheduling freedom issue. That is the thing that makes so many great retirement jobs not so great. I quit teaching skiing after 5 winters of working too much over Christmas and New Years. My friends are no longer golf marshals as they have to commit for the full summer. Same thing for my other friends who usher for baseball, there are too many games and they have to stay home for the whole summer.

So I guess you are "really fully retired" when you no longer do any play job or volunteer work.

Enjoy and Good Luck.
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facepalm
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by facepalm »

ResearchMed wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:48 am
facepalm wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:42 am
nisiprius wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:16 am I work as an occasional substitute teacher at the local high school. It never even occurred to me to wonder about what people think--other than my students, of course.
We have a number of subs at our school site that are retired teachers. I never think they sub because they need the money; I always assume they do it because they like the social aspect of the job and still like kids.
It could be both.

My father had a "second career" in science and math high school teaching, which had been his dream all along.
When he retired, he did substitute teaching. I'm pretty sure that if he couldn't make good use of some extra money, he wouldn't have done it.
However, it was something he generally enjoyed, so it wasn't just "make work", and he also knew that high school math and science substitute teachers were in short supply.
But at least he could call the shots on which requests to accept, and also how often.
Not bad for a very part-time extra job during early retirement.

RM
Great point! I think that if you like math, substitute teaching is an excellent way to get your math fix, and the daily rate in most districts is not too bad.
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buccimane
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by buccimane »

This post resonates with me, however I am no where near retirement. I occasionally work as a fill-in bartender at a smaller restaurant, and see people I know ALL the time. Don't get me wrong, bartending is not a job to be ashamed of- but I am happy when they ask if I work there full time, and I am given the opportunity to explain to them my real full-time career.

For those looking to socialize through a part-time job, I am hard-pressed to think of a better opportunity.
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10YearPlan
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by 10YearPlan »

Valuethinker wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:42 am
Cruise wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 12:39 am I don't need the income, but wonder what it would be like to work various part-time jobs. I've thought about being a checkout clerk at Whole Foods or something similar. One thing that holds me back is that I've been quite successful in my community and I am certainly not anonymous. When I think about working one of these jobs, I just imagine people seeing me working and thinking to themselves (and telling others), "Hey, Cruise must not be doing too well, I saw him bagging groceries. Poor guy..."

Anyone else have/had similar concerns that restrained their choices of retirement activities?
Retail is an industry that treats its people badly, and it's getting worse. The Amazon factor is causing an implosion in American retail. Staff being slashed, and those remaining being pushed ever harder-- performance metrics etc.

Hedge funds and Private Equity firms that specialize in distressed industries are staying away. They can see structural change, and they can see the risk of being another Sears. So the specialists are staying clear.

The exception would be if you knew a lot about running shoes, say, or computers, and could work in a specialized shop where the customers would appreciate your expertise. But they are all getting killed-- people go and get the advice at the outlet, then buy it from their phones at 40% off from Amazon et al.

You'd be better in a not for profit, a school, some kind of role where you could offer your business expertise to young entrepreneurs.
It's been a while, so things may have changed substantially, but I used to work in retail. A lot of my colleagues (seasonal and longer term) were retired men and women who were just looking to stay busy, loved interacting with customers, get a discount and maybe make a few dollars along the way. They were wonderful colleagues and great employees. I know some women who worked the Christmas season (Oct-Jan) every year for years and years. She used the discount for Christmas shopping and had the rest of the year off. Our local Home Depots and Lowes stores today are filled with retired carpenters and plumbers, who are my go-to's when we need assistance. Retail is definitely not for everyone for some of the reasons you cited (grueling hours, lowish pay). However, for the people who do like it (and I was once one), it can be really fun and flexible. And for those people, their enthusiasm and love of the job usually translates into a better customer experience. If you're trying to raise a family on retail wages alone, no I would not recommend that. But as a part time or additional job...sure, why not?
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randomizer
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by randomizer »

I think I could enjoy a lot of different jobs as long as I didn't actually need the money (this is my goal, BTW). No embarrassment.
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cherijoh
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by cherijoh »

BogleMelon wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:11 am
cherijoh wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 7:37 am
BogleMelon wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:59 am
CurlyDave wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 1:12 am If you don't need the money, taking a paid position may prevent someone who does need the money from working in that job.

Do volunteer work instead.
How occupying the same position but with zero salary wouldn't prevent someone who needs the money from working in that position?! Once the position is occupied, it won't be available anymore to those who needs it anyways, no?
Huh? I think the recommendation was to volunteer at a non-profit not a retail establishment.
Even in non-profit, they have paid employees and he will compete with them in their positions. I don't think there is a non profit that is based on 100% volunteers only. I could be wrong.
I volunteer with several non-profits. I seriously doubt that they would consider volunteers to replace one of the few paid positions in the non-profit. I think it is rare to have anyone volunteers 40 hrs per week - my guess is that to cover 40 hours of work in a week you are more likely get 10 people volunteering 4 hrs per week or 5 people volunteering 2 days/week for 4 hrs each day at most. Neither of those is equivalent to paying 1 person for a full-time job. In addition, a lot of volunteers are fickle about their commitment since they aren't getting paid.
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Golf maniac »

I retired two years ago, it took me a year but I found 3 programs I really believe in and volunteer my time with these agencies. Each agency is different and unique and I do something different at all three. This keeps me excited about what I do for each.

What was amazing to me was the number of agencies I contacted who never responded to my requests about volunteering. It’s like they didn’t have time to respond to people wanting to help, really strange.

Also, what I have found in non profits is using volunteers allows them to increase their reach. They have a set budget and say they can only support 10 employees, by using volunteers they increase what they can do. Plus, many volunteers not only contribute time, they also contribute dollars, so having volunteers actually increases their budget to hire or provide more help.
andypanda
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by andypanda »

Thirty years ago my father retired at age 64, but my mother decided to work for another couple of years. They were active at the old Methodist church in town, so my father took a part-time job there. The church had had numerous additions over the decades and was used by a wide variety of groups for meetings as well as for the commercial kitchen, etc. There was always something on the blink.

His job was not fixing things - other than the odd light bulb or loose wire. His job was to figure out the problem and call the proper tradesmen. He was a country boy who'd been in the Army Air Corps in WWII, worked as a State Trooper, a safety engineer for trucking companies and finally in high end retail furniture management.

The point you ask? When they finally decided to move from D.C. back to the Shenandoah Valley, many of the church women approached my mother to say what a shame it was my father had to give up his job and ask if he'd found something yet where they were going.

She had to break the news to them that he simply liked working, but certainly didn't need to work. Well dang, some folks thought we were poor or something. :oops:

He also joined the mens' garden club and took on the job of distributing their new book to bookstores, mail orders, etc. We had pallets of the dern things in our basements. There's even a copy or two for sale on Amazon...

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mouses
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by mouses »

Jags4186 wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 7:28 am I think what you are overlooking, and I'm sure I'll get grief for saying this, is that you won't necessarily be working with people who are similar to you so the social value of working as a checkout clerk might not be what you think.
Oh, the misery of talking to a different type of person, maybe one not even in one's social class. Perhaps one who is Not One of Our Kind.
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Jags4186 »

mouses wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:49 pm
Jags4186 wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 7:28 am I think what you are overlooking, and I'm sure I'll get grief for saying this, is that you won't necessarily be working with people who are similar to you so the social value of working as a checkout clerk might not be what you think.
Oh, the misery of talking to a different type of person, maybe one not even in one's social class. Perhaps one who is Not One of Our Kind.
Perhaps!
JeanMich
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by JeanMich »

I taught school for 33 years. I was worn out and so I retired. A few years later I went to work part time as a teller for our local bank. I thought I needed to be productive. It was easier work. No papers to correct, no lesson plans to write, no staff meetings to attend. And I enjoyed it. But, the schedule was different every week and made it impossible for me to make any kind of plans. And I was making only minimum wage. I thought why did I leave a good paying job that I loved for a minimum wage one, even though I also liked it? When I had a health scare, I quit. I decided I didn't really need to be productive. I just thought I did. And I haven't looked back. Volunteer work, my grandchildren, and the garden keep me plenty busy. Plus, now I can make travel plans and know that the bank will not schedule me for a shift when I want to be gone :happy .
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Kalo
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Kalo »

GoldenFinch wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:38 am
Watty wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:19 am
BTW, at the corporate and regional level McDonalds has lots of mechanical and industrial engineers and professional people to run a multi billion dollars business so I would not be quick to assume that you it would be so easy to improve on the restraunts operation.
I don’t know. I recently bought a dollar cheese burger for my son at a McDonald’s drive-through and when we got home discovered that there was no burger, just bun and cheese! LOL
:oops:
That's a great story. Maybe the cook thought, hamburgers have hamburger meat, and cheeseburgers have cheese.

Reminds me of the difficulty I once had explaining to a McDonald's employee what I meant by "no onions". She thought I might have intended nothing but onions. That doesn't even sound edible to me.

Kalo
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by spammagnet »

BogleMelon wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:59 am
CurlyDave wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 1:12 am If you don't need the money, taking a paid position may prevent someone who does need the money from working in that job.

Do volunteer work instead.
How occupying the same position but with zero salary wouldn't prevent someone who needs the money from working in that position?! Once the position is occupied, it won't be available anymore to those who needs it anyways, no?
I believe the intent was to volunteer elsewhere that does not have paid positions.
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by 2tall4economy »

miamivice wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:35 am
Cruise wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 12:39 am I don't need the income, but wonder what it would be like to work various part-time jobs. I've thought about being a checkout clerk at Whole Foods or something similar. One thing that holds me back is that I've been quite successful in my community and I am certainly not anonymous. When I think about working one of these jobs, I just imagine people seeing me working and thinking to themselves (and telling others), "Hey, Cruise must not be doing too well, I saw him bagging groceries. Poor guy..."
I have seen people that used to work in high paying, strong benefit jobs now working relatively menial jobs. I didn't question how they did financially, but I did think that they retired too early and got bored in retirement.

Honestly, I think that once a person retires, they should stay retired unless they need the money. It doesn't make sense to me to leave a high paying position, retire, and then go work a menial job. But that's just my opinion.
This is exactly the number one fear that gives me pause about early retirement. If I want socialization and other things that have been the drivers of my career success (transformation, building teams, growing bsujenss) I can stay in my current job or maybe take a step down and still get tons of time off and be able to spend more on toys or vacations once I’ve hit my number. I will only get a small taste of those things or none at all in a menial job, though volunteering could make some sense.

Having thought about it a litte but not a ton, the only things I can think of that make sense to exit a senior job and go back into the workforce are positions that have very few hours and low pay but are as intellectually / socially challenging as a senior corporate job.

So far I can only come up with three of those: college professor (though they’ll probably want you to get your PhD - not necessarily a bad thing to do in retirement), politician or senior person on politicians staff (assuming you can stomach it), and board memberships. A couple others that are close but not quite close enough would be a senior position in a private equity company (lots of hours but very limited long term career path), or getting involved with the investors of such a group and/or real estate development (both of which require more than your number before exiting yet he workforce).

Would be curious if others have come up with any.

Note creative jobs (ie you’ve always wanted to be a painter) clearly work here too but I’m not wired that way.
You can do anything you want in life. The rub is that there are consequences.
KNMLHD
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by KNMLHD »

Cruise wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:45 pm I really enjoy reading everyone's responses and suggestions. I'm pleased that the question that I posed has struck a cord for some. Thank you for your input, and keep the comments about retirement options and barriers coming!
...
I'm drawn to the activity for social contact and curiosity. Whatever I do, I want to maintain my schedule flexibility. However, I realize that interesting things may require some sort of commitment.
One of the things you'll want to ask yourself is "How many days, and consistency of interaction are you looking for?". When you talk about wanting flexibility, is that to say... I want to be able to go on a 2 month excursion in a given year (ie something seasonal could apply) or "If I decide tomorrow I need to take off for a couple of weeks for fun, rush to a child who needs help, etc.", then I suspect you can scratch retail off the list. It's been several decades, but there was no quicker way to get pushed out of a schedule than to have too many unexpected "I'm gone for two weeks" moments... you become a hassle... who wants to manage that?
Cruise wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:45 pm I have a passion that I have been studying for the last few years that could be transformed into a small sole proprietor-type business. I've dismissed starting this because I did not want to have commitments and overhead expenses about which to be concerned. However, as this thread develops, I am rethinking this and may explore devoting some resources to website development, legal consultation, and insurance costing. The possible benefits sought (see above) might exceed costs.
Do you want to start/own the business or have you thought of becoming a mentor/advisor for others wanting to do the same thing. I may have missed it, but I don't know you're skills background, but there is increasingly becoming a need for CxOs in the startup space. Do a Google search for "fractional CMO" and you'll get the idea. I know several folks that run a company f 2-5 people, accounting is not their thing, so they have come to an agreement with a former corporate finance person who is on retainer for X hours per week (you can define - get a contract) and you're off and running. Often times, the majority of the work can be done remotely as well.

Other considerations... you mention you are well known in your community...

Are there community initiatives that need someone to help drive them to get them off the ground (local school needs a gym) - communities can always use community advocates. Talk with your mayor, or city/town council members and ask "What are the things you'd like to do, but are either so small, or lack in funding that they can never get to.

Are there hobbies you enjoy? Music? Sports? Someone prior mentioned being a guide for a sports team... venues always need ushers. My wife ran a performing arts venue that had a few events each week during the fall and spring months... people would pick/choose which events they wanted to work, summer months were clear, and even in the swing of things, they would be "tied to a schedule" a night every other week or so.

When my father (CS professor and computing center director)... he "slid" into a phased retirement switching to just teaching a class a semester, then it was a class in the fall semester. Ultimately, flexibility won out. He now helps with his parish as a member working on a handful of committees and offers to help repair people's computers (swap hard drives, "make them faster", etc).

Good Luck!
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Lynette »

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Last edited by Lynette on Tue Jan 08, 2019 10:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.
VegasBH
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by VegasBH »

I am far away from retirement but Don Asher has a presentation on YouTube about type A personality retirees and a lot of people in your situation and working part time or full time after retirement. the story he tells that I think is the most funny is there’s a retired executive who’s kids tried to turn him hint the babysitter so he got a job bagging groceries at a store And a customer saw his Rolex and said you were the only grocery sacker right now with the Rolex. I understand your interest for this type of job if you wanted some cover you could tell your friends that you were doing research about what it’s like to start again at the bottom. The one question I would have is do you really want the type of job where you have to work a set schedule clock in and clock out even if it’s part time I love working see myself working for a long time but I would really like to move to a flex or consultancy model that would give me the ability to have more time freedom. Hope this helps!

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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Watty »

2tall4economy wrote: Thu Jan 04, 2018 1:42 am
miamivice wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:35 am
Cruise wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 12:39 am I don't need the income, but wonder what it would be like to work various part-time jobs. I've thought about being a checkout clerk at Whole Foods or something similar. One thing that holds me back is that I've been quite successful in my community and I am certainly not anonymous. When I think about working one of these jobs, I just imagine people seeing me working and thinking to themselves (and telling others), "Hey, Cruise must not be doing too well, I saw him bagging groceries. Poor guy..."
I have seen people that used to work in high paying, strong benefit jobs now working relatively menial jobs. I didn't question how they did financially, but I did think that they retired too early and got bored in retirement.

Honestly, I think that once a person retires, they should stay retired unless they need the money. It doesn't make sense to me to leave a high paying position, retire, and then go work a menial job. But that's just my opinion.
This is exactly the number one fear that gives me pause about early retirement. If I want socialization and other things that have been the drivers of my career success (transformation, building teams, growing bsujenss) I can stay in my current job or maybe take a step down and still get tons of time off and be able to spend more on toys or vacations once I’ve hit my number. I will only get a small taste of those things or none at all in a menial job, though volunteering could make some sense.
...
Another problem is that even if you retire and find a different job that is satisfying and spend a lot of time doing it when you are in your 60's then you are likely not going to be able to do that job when you are in your 70's or order so you will then have to find something else in your life to fill that gap. Finding something then might be even harder because of your age.
Bob-a-job
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Bob-a-job »

Volunteer work is the best solution - I have been retired more than 3 years and have volunteered my time for the same organization twice a week for nearly as long. Couldn't be happier :D
41Fin
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by 41Fin »

Jags4186 wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 7:28 am I think what you are overlooking, and I'm sure I'll get grief for saying this, is that you won't necessarily be working with people who are similar to you so the social value of working as a checkout clerk might not be what you think. Of course, if you're someone who can blabber for 10 minutes while checking someone out and that gives you joy then by all means give it a go--I'm not one for small talk.
I'd say there is plenty of social value in spending time with people whom aren't similar to you.
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by mariezzz »

sergeant wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 12:44 am Several of my friends have started working part time in similar type jobs and absolutely do not need the money. They do it for socialization and having fun. One works at Home Depot and likes it. Another works slicing cold cuts at the Italian deli. They don't care what others think.
In the Home Depot case, I love talking to the 'retired' people with past job experience & knowledge relevant to home improvement, who decide to work at home improvement stores part time. I got great advice from a retired electrician working at Menards some years ago. Of course, I verified it, but he was spot on, and prevented me from spending a lot of time on figuring things out.

As others have said, volunteering may be a good option, too. Many communities have volunteers who help people with taxes - that might give the opportunity to share your financial knowledge, etc.
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by mikestorm »

In my town there is a very prominent Selectman (retired save for his Selectman duties) who's now a cashier at a gas station. Regardless of what you choose to do, if you 'own it', then there's no stigma.
Agggm
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Agggm »

Cruise wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 12:39 am I don't need the income, but wonder what it would be like to work various part-time jobs. I've thought about being a checkout clerk at Whole Foods or something similar. One thing that holds me back is that I've been quite successful in my community and I am certainly not anonymous. When I think about working one of these jobs, I just imagine people seeing me working and thinking to themselves (and telling others), "Hey, Cruise must not be doing too well, I saw him bagging groceries. Poor guy..."

Anyone else have/had similar concerns that restrained their choices of retirement activities?
That's what I plan to do in retirement along with travel and adjuncting.
mouses
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by mouses »

Lynette wrote: Thu Jan 04, 2018 6:02 am I don't know if it has been mentioned but I know several people who drive people who don't have family close by to doctor's appointments. If you have minor surgery, the hospital insists that you have a companion. I used to pay my cleaning lady to take me. I know other people who have started a business doing this. As others have mentioned flexibility is a major issue.
Yes, this is really a problem. I understand the reasoning. There is a we do stuff company where I live that I have hired for such things.
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Sandtrap
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Sandtrap »

I experienced just how hard it is for a retiree to find interesting employment.

I thought of going back to work about 7 years ago as I was winding down my R/E & Construction business, and after moving from an UHCOL to LCOL area. I thought keeping busy in at least a part time or full time job would be interesting.
Reality check.
As I've always been a self employed businessman and haven't "held a job" in a decades, it was difficult. The last time I was an "employee" was in a bank after the university. I've always been the "boss" or company owner. Maybe that's a factor. Dunno.

After combing 100's of jobs and many interviews, I came to the conclusion that I was largely unemployable.
1. . my resume was long and deep. (overqualified).
2. . I was a retiree, (too old to hire)
3. . I didn't fit in. (cultural, education level, experience, who knows.)
4. . I didn't need the money. (didn't share this but maybe it came across, who knows.)

So, I decided to stop being a "workaholic" and "learn how to be retired".
Best decision I ever made. :D
Retiree in Training.
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The Casualty
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by The Casualty »

Retired 3 years ago and have really enjoyed my freedom. I don't plan on working FT, ever. Don't need the money, made about 11K last year just working PRN at a small medical clinic. A few hours here and there and covering for when the FT Tech goes on vacation, sick. Really enjoy going in and my co-workers are great to work with. It's just for fun now. The Manager loves having someone like me who can come in on short notice and if I want to take a week or a month off, they understand.
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Stormbringer »

One of my buddies, his father retired but then took a part-time job driving cars (for dealer trades between car lots) at a Mercedes dealer. No embarrassment in that. :)

Or take a job as a ranger on a golf course.
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Cruise »

djdube525 wrote: Thu Jan 04, 2018 5:21 am
Cruise wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:45 pm I really enjoy reading everyone's responses and suggestions. I'm pleased that the question that I posed has struck a cord for some. Thank you for your input, and keep the comments about retirement options and barriers coming!
...
I'm drawn to the activity for social contact and curiosity. Whatever I do, I want to maintain my schedule flexibility. However, I realize that interesting things may require some sort of commitment.
One of the things you'll want to ask yourself is "How many days, and consistency of interaction are you looking for?". When you talk about wanting flexibility, is that to say... I want to be able to go on a 2 month excursion in a given year (ie something seasonal could apply) or "If I decide tomorrow I need to take off for a couple of weeks for fun, rush to a child who needs help, etc.", then I suspect you can scratch retail off the list. It's been several decades, but there was no quicker way to get pushed out of a schedule than to have too many unexpected "I'm gone for two weeks" moments... you become a hassle... who wants to manage that?
Cruise wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:45 pm I have a passion that I have been studying for the last few years that could be transformed into a small sole proprietor-type business. I've dismissed starting this because I did not want to have commitments and overhead expenses about which to be concerned. However, as this thread develops, I am rethinking this and may explore devoting some resources to website development, legal consultation, and insurance costing. The possible benefits sought (see above) might exceed costs.
Do you want to start/own the business or have you thought of becoming a mentor/advisor for others wanting to do the same thing. I may have missed it, but I don't know you're skills background, but there is increasingly becoming a need for CxOs in the startup space. Do a Google search for "fractional CMO" and you'll get the idea. I know several folks that run a company f 2-5 people, accounting is not their thing, so they have come to an agreement with a former corporate finance person who is on retainer for X hours per week (you can define - get a contract) and you're off and running. Often times, the majority of the work can be done remotely as well.

Other considerations... you mention you are well known in your community...

Are there community initiatives that need someone to help drive them to get them off the ground (local school needs a gym) - communities can always use community advocates. Talk with your mayor, or city/town council members and ask "What are the things you'd like to do, but are either so small, or lack in funding that they can never get to.

Are there hobbies you enjoy? Music? Sports? Someone prior mentioned being a guide for a sports team... venues always need ushers. My wife ran a performing arts venue that had a few events each week during the fall and spring months... people would pick/choose which events they wanted to work, summer months were clear, and even in the swing of things, they would be "tied to a schedule" a night every other week or so.

When my father (CS professor and computing center director)... he "slid" into a phased retirement switching to just teaching a class a semester, then it was a class in the fall semester. Ultimately, flexibility won out. He now helps with his parish as a member working on a handful of committees and offers to help repair people's computers (swap hard drives, "make them faster", etc).

Good Luck!
Back in town again after a long break. Many thanks for your thoughtful reply.

I'm re-evaluating what is feasible giving my current circumstances. I'm looking at three international trips scheduled so far this year and already 2-3 trips across the country. With that kind of schedule, no "regular" job would be possible, and I find my ability to focus on my board activities is limited. I'm thinking that maybe substitute teaching could be enriching? I'll figure it out, some day. :)
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Re: Embarrassment Preventing Retirement Work: A factor for you?

Post by Cruise »

VegasBH wrote: Thu Jan 04, 2018 6:45 am .. if you wanted some cover you could tell your friends that you were doing research about what it’s like to start again at the bottom.
LOL. I like this. Thanks!
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