Prepare for hubby's retirement at least ONE year ahead of time!
Looking forward to not watching him go off to work at the mine?
Ladies, those of you with husbands who work a lot of Overtime will agree with me that on those days where HE isn't in the house, YOU get so much more done!
Whether it is housework, laundry, time to have coffee with a good friend, or even just enjoying a good book and a cup of coffee BY YOURSELF you really enjoy the quiet time that you have to hear yourself think!
Yes, I know that we promised long ago to 'love, honour and to cherish' (I put my foot down when it came time to say the word 'obey' sorry Mr. Justice of the Peace, NOT going to happen!)
But, we didn't promise to be meek, quiet and just 'put up' with being a 24 hour a day cook and waitress either!! We had his babies, loved them (and him!) raised those babies, watched them grow up, graduate, get jobs, and get married, and, we watched as THEY made babies too!
NOW, it's time for you!!
So, step #ONE of preparing for HIS retirement is for YOU to 'retire' from your job as chief cook and bottle washer! Those of you who still work outside the home, DON'T give up the day job (unless you really want to!). Those of you who have been thinking about quitting at the same time as him: DON'T do it at the same time! IF you can afford to do it, retire ONE full year before HE does! That way, you can enjoy doing all the things that you never had time for before because you were working!
What to do with the extra time on your hands?? Write a book, write a blog (just like I did!) take up a quiet hobby like reading, knitting, crocheting...whatever it is that allows you to do something YOU enjoy, and that you can do while the house is quiet; or, offer to babysit the grandkids!
How often do you get to spend time with them WHEN YOU want them? Take one on at a time, or all of them (depending on how strong you feel that day!)!!
I promise you, that they will see a totally different side of you, and will remember those days with you with warm feelings! (take it from a granddaughter who is now 53 years old and remembers memere with very fond memories of cooking pies and rolling pie crust!!)
Also, during this free time that you will find yourself having, get to know your best girl friend again! You both love each other greatly, but, there just doesn't seem to be enough time in a day where the two of you can spend time together! Whether it's going out window shopping, having a leasurely lunch, going out for a movie, or maybe having movie night at each other's homes when hubby is working; it's all good girlfriend!!
Another thing, if you've always wanted to re-decorate the house, paint, wallpaper, or whatever it is, NOW is the time to do it BEFORE he retires! Remember girls, you will be living on a fixed income afterwards, so, do it now while you can still afford it!!
Speaking of living on a fixed income, make sure that you are involved in the process of retiring!
Go with him to see the financial advisor; ask questions, be prepared though!
Start keeping a running tally of what you pay out every month in utilities, bank loans, mortgages, groceries, etc. Not only will you still be paying for these things after retirement happens, but you'll be doing it on a fixed income! No more overtime paycheques, NO more bonus paycheques, shift premiums, or two FREE paycheques twice a year!!
So when you add everything up, make sure that you leave yourself a pillow (nest egg account), for emergencies such as the car needing a new engine, or whatever unforseen things that may happen, and, that can happen, and usually happen when we least expect them to happen!
Also, in this nest egg, make sure that there is some 'free' money that allows you to have a little mad money for you to enjoy and not have to keep to a really tight budget!
Remember, these are supposed to be our golden years!
Hubby will most likely be surprised that you want to get involved at this late date, (IF you haven't been involved from the beginning, then give yourself 10 lashes with a wet noodle!!) but, the investment agent will welcome your presence at the meetings! One more thing: Make sure that the agent takes enough money off the gross amount for your retirement for taxes.
For example, if you find that you want to live on $2,500.00 a month, then you will have to actually be withdrawing an extra $700.00 from HIS pension to cover you for income tax. I know that this sounds like a lot, but, believe me, better to do it this way and get a really nice income tax cheque from the government at tax time!! I know of several couples who didn't take out enough for income tax and ended up paying back $5,000.00 to $7,000.00 back. They had to sell their homes and move into senior housing complexes to make ends meet!
which brings me to another point. Have you ever thought of down sizing your home and moving into an apartment? If you have, maybe now, a year ahead of time would be a good time to look into applying for a geared to income senior housing apartment. There are some really nice ones here in town with both one bedroom and two bedrooms.
It would also be a good time to start downsizing, organizing, and going through the attic, spare room, basement, and garage and look at it as money in the bank!
Do you have antiques, collectables, or good 'junk' that you can turn into cash BEFORE you retire? NOW is the time to do that! Do you have a cottage / summer home?
Are you planning on spending a lot of time there after retirement, or are you hardly using it now? Time to sell it? Or, to spruce it up if you intend on going out there more often? Lots to think about eh ladies??
I can go on and on, but, I hear my bed calling out to me!
Goodnight my friends; remember, if I have piqued your imagination, and you have questions, leave me a message and I'll do my best to answer you! remember, if YOU are thinking about it, then others probably are too!
Have a good evening Ladies!
