5 Alternatives to Traditional Retirement

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I used to be an Architectural Designer, Retired NHFL, Assoc ASID, Assoc AIA.
I know several languages and can translate from home.
I work as a Sec. and Director of a large Corp., but would like to also be able to
translate from my home.
I love to work and also will work until I die,
It is nice reading about people that think like me.
I used to be an Architectural Designer, retired from these organizations:
NHFL, Assoc. ASID , Assoc. AIA.
Now I work for a large Corp. as a Sec. and Director, but would also be able
to be a translator from home, I know several languages that can be used in any industry.
I also love to work and will never retire.
It is very nice to see that other people think the same as I do, it keeps you young and vigorous.

Graziella Rocha of FL 1:26PM June 27, 2010

I didn't save in my early years because I stayed home and cared for my children. But my marriage ended. I used my half of our savings as a down payment on a house while I helped pay for my children's college and medical school expenses. My plan was to continue to invest in my 401k, and when the kids finally got finished with school, refinance my home on a 10-year loan, and retire comfortably at 65.
HA!
About the time the kids were finished with school, the dotcom fallout occurred, then 9-11, and worse, I was a systems engineer in telecom...the wired kind. I ended up losing my home and all my retirement. I worked in a grocery store for 4 years while I lived in a boarding house.
At 57, I'm finally back on my feet, working for a satellite TV provider and starting over. Thank God I've got my health. But I'm one of those who has a second career plan. I'm writing screenplays in my spare time, and if all goes according to plan this time, I'll retire doing rewrites and guest appearances...and awards ceremonies!

Sandy of GA 11:28AM June 27, 2010

I can truthfully say that I have never worked a day in my life although I've had jobs since age 7. Absolutely everything I have ever done to me was "play" or learning something new. I still have not retired completely as a professional and sometimes do things to help others. Although my professional retirement funds are above average for a family of four in my area, I can live adequately on my SS benefits. My cost of living is based upon keeping myself active and healthy which means lots of exercise-like activity, good nutrition, good emotional health, and being surrounded by family and friends. So, a key for retirement to me has been to "never" work and to do that which I enjoy even if I receive no cash benefit for it as long as I've been able to meet my basic needs. This frees up worrying and frees up cash to be invested, saved, or just plain spent having more fun. RES, IL.

Robert E. Stoner of IL 11:16AM June 27, 2010

Why not just collect unemployment. Let the rest of America work for you. It invovles no planning, no saving, no extraordinary job skills; just get laid off while enough democrats are in office, and it could last indefinatley.

Tim of CA 11:10AM June 27, 2010

I had the good fortune to be a secretary at an investment counsel firm when I was 19. I saw that if I could always save a third of my gross pay, I could stop working by age 50 and never go back. Many of my assumptions were faulty: I did not foresee the inflation of the 70's, nor did I foresee the better occupational opportunities that would come my way. But I did save a third of my gross income, more or less, and I did stop working for others at 49. Since then have operated a successful private mortgage business with no defaults in recent years.

AZ Lender of AZ 2:16PM June 25, 2010

Flo in MD,
I am right there with you.
I like your statement, "...being comfortable".
I guess it comes down to what it cost for me to live comfortable in comparison to what someone else feels it costs to live comfortable, they usually have a different/higher standard of living for them to live comfortable.
Live comfortable, I like it.
Me....I will quote the T-shirt, "Life is Good!"

Me 7:44AM June 25, 2010

I have recently finished the classroom training for law school and am working in the field to get some extra hours to qualify to take the bar and get my JDS. I graduated cum laud with a BA in law which also included all the classes I needed for a JDS. I also passed the California Baby bar. The fact that I went to a school for working adults for people who can't afford to go full time or have it paid for by someone else makes it a whole different program. However, It has been a blessing in disguise because my school is unique in that the Dean prepares his students to open their own office, write and file motions, courtroom procedure, pretrial pleadings and answers and so on. This saves a new attorney at least a year of training that a firm will offer a new lawyer in exchange for slave labor I have been told. That is if they so choose. Even with all of that it is still expensive and time consuming. During that time I decided to write my own outlines to learn the material. I used 3 or 4 bar review courses to put the material together and I wrote the first year basic 3 and a constitutional law outline that is as condensed and user friendly as I have found anywhere. I would like to sell them to students who are interested in a good comprehensive study and information on how to answer essay questions based upon each issue that comes up and clues as to how they are clustered
and expected to be addressed for any given definition. I also have samples of
essay answers from the baby bar for all of the subjects written by me and a list of remedies for 150+ actions proscribed by different areas of the law. plus samples of pretrial motions, pleadings,order to show cause, requests for admissions, TRO, temp restraining orders, summons, Complaint, Answer, Arguments in evidentiary hearings and so on. This is for the State of California bar but most of the information is applicable to all of the states because it talks about jurisdictional preferences when needed.
and How to set up a first client interview that covers the entire gambit of what to discuss that I wrote. I would like to find an editor and find out what needs to be done that is different than copy writing a song which I have done already. Thanks Shoshoni

Shoshoni of CA 4:57PM June 17, 2010

After 30 years as a college English professor, I put my reading, writing, and research skills together in the very satisfying role as part-time pastor of small rural churches. There is more to it than book-learning, of course: it requires compassion, empathy, and a basic faith in God, but for a spiritual person, it's not a huge leap. Well, it does take a "leap of faith" for pastor and parishioner, not to mention some formal theological education. For me (and my parishioners?) it has been a very rewarding, marvelous post-retirement career.

BroDave of GA 11:28AM June 15, 2010

Why do so many people want to be rich ? What's wrong with just being comfortable?

Flo of MD 9:01AM June 15, 2010

I too have been downsized from a great job in Jakarta. My savings are running out, my family live in the UK and my boyfriend lives in the US and is very sick. I'm trying to get my life going as a freelance writer, editor, translator, teacher, training consultant etc. but panic set in months ago.
I've done the goal-setting and visualization: just want work I can do from my mother's house or my boyfriend's apartment. 50-hour work weeks and summer houses don't appeal, but it seems if you ask for less that doesn't necessarily mean you get it.
I'm sure it can be done, so I'll keep plodding on. Send good thoughts please so I'll have a more positive message to leave here next time.
Sue Bonnington

Sue Bonnington 10:24AM June 10, 2010