It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

My Reflections on Retirement- a cautionary tale

it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us...
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

I have reached the ninth month of my retirement life.  

I have given birth to boredom and second thoughts.

Perhaps I should have waited to collect "full retirement benefits" at age 65, 66 or 70!

My premature departure at 62 has left me in a less than desirable financial state.  

Continuing to indulge in the reckless lifestyle I had grown accustomed to was slowly draining my savings and threatening my security. 

Once the gift cards ran out and the checks were cashed in,  reality hit me like a ton of bricks.  

The every other week paydays, opportunities for extra income via overtime and working holidays at time and a half $$ had vanished into thin air.

My monthly pension and social security payments were my new reality. And they were not going to increase or arrive more often then scheduled.  

(Regrettably, I had even tapped into my 401K on several occasions. Realizing that my retirement savings was going to have to last me the rest of my life, I resolved to only use that money as a last resort!)
So, either I had to go back to work or I had to change my life style. My old job was gone and I wasn't ready to flip burgers at McDonald's quite yet.

Therefore, I came up with a ten step plan of action:

1. Stop going out to eat on a daily basis.
try for three times a week and go at lunch time

2. On that same line of thinking, learn to cook!  Practice, practice, practice. Be creative.

3. Do not go to the mall!  (do not commit spontaneous acts of purchase)

4. Make a list when grocery shopping and stick to it.  Go for sale items and use coupons.

5. set  goals and reward myself realistically. (no take out pizza til I loose 3 lbs, no horseback riding til I loose 30 lbs)

6. Go to the library rather than loading up on E books.

7. Stay Busy!  Make a schedule and incorporate exercise as part of my daily routine.

(I joined a Wellness Center and will keep a calender of attendance to justify the expense versus the health benefits.)

8. Have a vacation fund.  If I know I have the air fare ahead of time, I won't feel guilty or deprive myself.

9. Take time to unclutter my life.  Throw away, give away or otherwise remove excess baggage. reorganize!

10. Enjoy family and friends.  Make time to write, call or visit loved ones.
After all... the best things in life are free!  :-)

If I can successfully fulfill that list, I will strive to be more global or, at the very least, community centered next time around .  (For example, walk dogs at Humane Society, volunteer at church or nursing homes, etc.)

But one step at a time.

If all else fails, you may see my smiling face in the persona of a Walmart greeter!!