No matter how this shakes out, I’m thinking the pandemic is going to have a big impact on retirees and future retirees. I’m a happy homebody with enough interests to amuse me for years to come and savings that can withstand a recession. I consider myself lucky.
The pandemic offered a sneak peek at what it’s like to spend more time at home. But COVID is not a frolicking gap year. You’ve got fear, sickness, death, loss, boredom, home schooling, aging parents, family squabbles, childcare and financial stress. For a lot of people, it’s like getting hit with a Sharknado, and their response is, Oh Hell No!
I’ll bet a lot of people who used to dream about retirement can’t wait to get back to work. Or their savings have taken a tough hit, and they need to get back to work. And then I wonder if the pandemic experience will drive them to stay on the job even longer and avoid retirement, not only to fatten up the finances but also to maintain six degrees of separation from all thing homey.
There’s something to be said for staying in the workforce. It’s that whole identity thing. I’m post-identity, livin’ the jammie lifestyle, but there was a time when one of life’s curveballs changed my connection to work. I was only 43 the first time I got cancer, and I was stuck in a boring job with no growth potential.
Once I recovered from cancer, I vowed to put everything into finding a new job so I could achieve my professional dreams. It took me five years of steady job-hunting, but I did it. And when I found that new job, a door opened and then another and then another. That one move led to a successful career I was proud of.
Then I got cancer again. By this time, I was in my late 50s. And this time I started to think about another way of life with less stress. Did I want to spend my precious time on Earth working for the man, or could I cut the electronic leash and learn to enjoy life’s simple pleasures?
I had a hard time coming to grips with my decision because it seemed so alien not to work and be totally focused on my career, but I decided to retire at age 62. Not exactly early retirement but earlier than I ever imagined. Three years later, I’m so happy I made the leap.
Illness definitely affected my professional timetable. My first bout of cancer woke me up to get serious about work, and my second bout woke me up to get serious about life. Perhaps the pandemic is another turning point – what will we do differently as a result of this experience?
As for me, I have a hard time making friends, and the pandemic enabled me to stay distant in every way! I’m looking forward to becoming more sociable. I’ve said that before, but this time it feels real.
With so much alone time, I’ve learned I can go long periods without talking. I’ve always been such a blabbermouth, and I like this quieter side. Perhaps this new-found skill of talking less will teach me to listen more – and that will build on my goal to become a better friend.
The only other thing I thought of it is some sort of volunteer job. I’d like to contribute in some way beyond charitable giving, but my motives aren’t totally pure. I have a closet full of cute work outfits that haven’t seen the light of day, and after a year in jammies and workout clothes, I thought it would be good to get dressed up once a week.
Then again, I might just donate the clothes.
I’m with you, Donna. I brought almost all of my clothes (work wardrobe, included) with me to Vancouver Island. Very little purging done while I was packing. Between the new climate and the new lifestyle, I think I will be doing a huge closet purge by next spring.
Deb
I need to purge the closet, but I was up for a big job right before I retired and bought some nice things. I hate to part with them!
I have 2 professional outfits because I had a volunteer gig that required meeting and front office stuff. Other than that I’m what my daughter would say is business casual with an accent on the extra casual at best. Life is mainly I’m comfy casual and have been known to stay in Jammies till after lunch.
I’m mostly golf clothes and if I’m not golfing, home in jammies. Sometimes I just change jammies at the end of the day.
I understand your reluctance to part with some of those costly work clothes. I’ve been purging my house in general since I retired in 2016, and the work clothes cause the most anguish. But then I went back to work part time in the office I retired from, only to be sent home due to the pandemic. I retired again and that did it for me – donated (almost) all of the work clothes because there is no looking back for me now; I am certain I am never going to work again. Happy sigh. My walk on the trail today convinced me that I’m going to need to buy some warmer athletic clothes, though. It’s gonna get cold here.
I’m with you — certain I am never going to work again. I suppose I could try some of the clothes on and see how they look. Maybe wear a blazer with jeans — but even that is dressy for me. Keeping my work clothes doesn’t bring back the money I spent on them. I should just let go.
You could post them on Poshmark or Consign them. You could recover some cash to buy more jammies. 🙂
pam
Great ideas! I may wait out the pandemic and then see about consigning them.
Semi-retired 3/1-or so I thought. Work from home keeps me a little too busy, but I am trying to add more fun stuff into my life to crowd out the work……I have done 3 new things since making the work treadmill a little less frantic: 1) Started walking in local parks that are lovely and that I never knew about until I was at home all the time; 2) joined my local OLLI (Osher Living Learning Institute) program last month-taking 5 classes, although not all at once. They are on Zoom. My favorite is one called Jazz Listening for the Non-Musician. I take mine via a local school (Temple U. in Philadelphia), but there are programs all over the country. Duke and Northwestern have some classes that interest me, so I may take some of theirs in the winter; (3) Joined my local Impact 100 chapter. You donate $1,000 per year and your donations are pooled with those made by other locals. You get to work together with the other donors to pick out the local charities that get the donated funds. It is in lots of different parts of the country. Being done via Zoom around here. I figured I would try it out for this year.
It sounds like you’ve found an eclectic mix of activities! Thanks for the tip on OLLI — I will definitely check that out.
Another nail on the head post :)..Parting with my work clothes has been hard. I got rid of what I dubbed Tier 2 and Tier 3 easily – you know, the pants that you bought on sale (or not) that never fit right and the top that was past its prime, etc. Four years into retirement, I am still hanging on (pun intended) to my favorite Tier 1s. Until the pandemic struck, I had a once-a-week volunteer gig at a historical site that did give me the opportunity to wear some of them, but now I find myself changing from one set of “loungewear” to another these days. On the social side, as an introvert I don’t mind staying home at all. But, the pandemic brought me and a neighbor together in a love for hiking. Thankfully, we live in a beautiful area for that (foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains) and it has helped to keep me more balanced.
P.S. On getting a volunteer gig – I thought it sounded great, but like you I’m really happy not having “something”….just the obligation of even one day a week felt stifling some weeks and I don’t miss it at all. I also tried doing taxes through AARP last tax season. Even worse – obligation PLUS pressure. Not going back to that either.
Sounds like we’re totally on the same page. I say jammies, but I mean lounge. I don’t want a volunteer gig, either. Some of my work clothes are more business-casual, and I’m thinking maybe I could get dressed up a little more to go wine tasting. I know, how elitist. When it’s safe to go to museums, I could play dress-up for that, too. I was never into matched suits, but I have one I bought for an interview shortly before I decided to retire. It’s really cute, but it might have to go. I need to spend some time trying it all on. That might force action.