Spending a week on a lake last week got me to really thinking about retirement. Vince and I talked about it some while I was in Louisiana and spent some time discussing it and researching it yesterday. He isn’t going to retire this month and probably not this year but it is going to happen before long.
I suppose some people think about it and plan for many years and either plan to stay right where they are or know exactly where they’re going to move for retirement. We totally do not have a clue. We’ve read websites outlining all the things we should consider, Vince has even read a book or two recently and we’re no closer to having a clue than we were 10 years ago . . and we didn’t have a single thought about retirement back then.
Things we’ve discussed:
- I want to be close to Chad. How close? Close enough that they could get there within an hour or so if we needed them? Close enough we could babysit while they go out to dinner?
- Do we want to be living where there’s snow, ice and tornadoes? If not, then than kinda screws up #1.
- Probably first for Vince is to be close to good medical care. I’m kinda of the opinion that when it’s my time .. I’ll go and I really don’t want to be 100 years old in a nursing home not knowing where I am or who I am or who anyone else is. But, I have sick family now and I do see the advantage of living near quality medical care.
- Are we ready to give up having acreage and chickens and gardens and fruit trees and live in a subdivision with rules and covenants and the red tag man? I think you know my answer to that question. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to enjoy that type setup but there are places that are less rustic and more amenable to comfortable living that don’t have all the rules. There will come a time when I don’t want the responsibility of chickens and a huge garden . . it’s just not this year.
- I would love to live on a beautiful lake like my uncle’s place but resort type areas come with a price. Everything seemed outrageously expensive around there last week. Most everywhere else, whether 2 hours south of the lake or halfway across Texas, I paid $2.09 for gas and around the lake, I was paying $2.45. I was pretty shocked at grocery prices at the lake, even in the chain type stores. Everything was more expensive. Heck, I could see us in a position where I had to choose between food and yarn and you know that wouldn’t be a healthy choice! 🙂
It seems the more we talk and research, the more there is to ponder. I’m glad we started thinking about all this early. Yesterday, we looked online at places in Arkansas, Texas, Missouri and Louisiana. If I had to guess, it will be one of those four states but .. there are 46 other states so who knows where we might end up.
East Texas
If I had to say right now . . I’d say on a lake in east Texas or somewhere in western Louisiana .. probably Toledo Bend. I think we’ll end up on the water somewhere and it has to be somewhere that gets sufficient rainfall to have green. I’ve had about all the brown I ever want to see.
When we were talking yesterday about the places we’ve lived, we both felt like Texas was the friendliest place and the place where we’ve felt most at home .. though Louisiana will always feel like home for me.
I guess in the end, we’ll just do our homework, make the decision we think is best and then . . bloom where we’re planted.
Connie Robison says
Good luck. There are so many things to consider and so many options.
JudyL says
Yes, and knowing that we need to get it right the first time . . the pressure is on! 🙂
vivoaks says
Believe me, if our gasoline was $2.45 a gallon, I wouldn’t complain. Right now we’re paying $2.69! I just retired this month, although I’m only half retired, because church organists are difficult to find these days! 🙂 I don’t envy you your search for what is right for you. Good luck!
JudyL says
Gas is always less here than in most parts of the country. That will not be a deciding factor but it will be a consideration. Considering that I fill my car about once every two months if I’m not making a road trip, it probably shouldn’t matter much at all but it is aggravating to see it so much more around a resort area.
Sherry V. says
I understand exactly what you are going through. DH and I have been talking about where we want to go when we retire. . . .of course, we had wanted to be near to my younger sister in Tennessee. . . .and with the tax situation that seemed to work. But I don’t want to be too far from my parents (I’m 20 minutes away at present) in case they need help.
DH does not want to stay where there is snow (which kind of cancels out my love of Pennsylvania) and I don’t want to go where it is too hot for too long.
So the only thing we know for sure is that we won’t be looking in Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Michigan, Indiana or the Dakotas! LOL
My thinking is we will end up south of the Mason-Dixon line. . . . .I’m just not sure where!
It will be interesting to find out where you and Vince narrow your choice to.
Vickie VanDyken says
Oh my!!! Before my hubby past away we just wanted to travel. Being long haul truckers we like to go new places and see new things. Just keep our house here in NW Washington. Weather is good here, unless you like Sun! hahaha Bellingham, WA is listed #1 on the list of least sunshine of any city in the US. What a great thing to be first at…..not. We get used to it. Maybe that is why we travel. Anyway now he’s gone I cant afford to travel 🙁 Just the way it is. I hope I can stay here. God has watched out for me. I have sold 1 truck and 2 trailers (semi’s) and I hope that I have someone interested in my 2016 Peterbilt. That was the most expensive thing I had to sell. If this local man takes it, I wont get quite what I wanted, but close enough to get a chunk paid down on that $250,000. debt to the bank!!
I guess I will sleep better when everything is sold and then I can decide where I want to be. I am blessed with the BEST friends in the world. I’m thinking God is signaling me to stay here. My kids and Grands are in California and I really don’t want to live there again….
It, retirement, just became a whole new ballgame! Treasure the fact that there are 2 of you. I miss bouncing ideas off of DH and listening to what he wanted.
Step by step. I am doing things that need to get done. With Gods assistance I am able to do it. I am extremely thankful for him. I am sure he has my best interest at heart!!!
Don’t know right now. I guess long term planning will wait til short term problems catch up.
I like how you go about deciding! I will certainly write a list when all my current must get done things are history!
I am praying that is soon.
Good luck in your decision….. I like all of your locations, especially living on a lake. Right now I am good where I am and wading thru the matter of getting my life back in order.
Cathi in Texas says
When my husband & I retired over 20 years ago, we had planned on staying where we were in Nevada. We paid off our house, cars, etc. Then 16 years ago we came to Texas to visit our daughter, stayed a month, saw a place for sale, bought it the next day! We returned home, sold our place & moved to Texas! We fell in love with all the green and decided we were tired of living the desert in triple digits and constant wind.so here we are! None of it planned.
Laura says
I’m pretty sure I drive my husband crazy talking about all the possible places we could live after retirement. I really wanted a home in a remote area of northern California, but he doesn’t think he’d like to be that far from a metropolitan area, and he’s not crazy about the weather (rainfall) near the northern coast. We’ll probably end up staying in central California, where housing is relatively cheap (for California), and travel to all the pretty places we want to visit.
Dottie says
When DH retired, we decided we wanted to move back home (Texas) – mostly because of elderly parents and the fact that our kids and grandkids would be closer to us if we were in Texas (we were living on the east coast).
While we are glad that we made the move, we do miss places we’ve lived in the past, LOL. The big advantage for us now is we can visit either one of our kids within 9 or 14 hours (before it was at least 24 – 48 hours). The biggest disadvantage I’ve found (so far) is having to find new doctors (general, ophthalmologist, dentist, etc.)
It has been fun reconnecting with old friends/classmates, etc., as well as extended family.
Ellen says
I don’t envy all the decisions you have to make about retirement. You’ve built your piece of paradise where you are yet know that old age may not best happen there. I’ll be grateful at 55, that I’m still in my college town and settled into a home/garden of 26y that I can grow old in.
Meanwhile, I enjoy your journey alongside you. 🙂
Ashley says
$2.45 sounds good to me. I filled up this weekend at Costco for $2.69
carolyn says
Well, when you look at the other 46, take NJ off your list right away! It’s so expensive to live here! Our property taxes are outrageous, everything is! But, that’s where we live and work, where two of our three children have settled, so we’ll be here for a long while…