Updated 2026. My mother passed at age 97 (2024) RIP. I will be updating this site so I can help retirees again. Write to me!

Life in Retirement: Routine or Busy Life?

by Wendy
(www.retirment-online.com)


I posted this in the Facebook group... after reading all the Home Cleaning on the weekend (or not) replies... I had to know more!

I am curious how retirees run their post-retirment life. Will post the FB replies soon too!

Thanks!

Comments for Life in Retirement: Routine or Busy Life?

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busy life
by: Diane

I have been retired for a year now. I immediately went to the local senior centre and applied to volunteer. I found that I loved the front desk reception (I was a former manager with 150 staff but rarely met the public), I also work in the little coffee shop and do some accounting work...all 4 hour shifts. I also pick up my grandchildren after school until their dad get home. In order to keep my finger in my profession I joined a board of Directors. I also, just recently, joined a quilters guild...I have never had a sewing machine so it is all new for me...

I love retirement it gives me an opportunity to try many different things...
What to do
by: Carolyn

There are days when I miss the structure and routine but I volunteer for the humane society as I love animals; I meet friends for lunch in various bistros and pubs, go to the art gallery, take walks in the parks,ravines and along the lake,I swim and bike, attend free lectures at the university, go dog walking with my sister, read. Still it is a lot of work keeping busy 24/7 and there are times I am bored but try to fight it. I live in a huge urban city - Toronto - which offers so much to do and I am glad about that. I hope to travel soon too.
Routine
by: Irwin

Wendy:

Our usual retirement routine evolves around our line dancing, cleaning our home, and practicing with the line dance group we perform with when we get what we call "gigs" at Nursing Homes, Retirement Homes, VA Hospitals and Old Age Home, and basically anywhere that other seniors such as ourselves but usually older (although our group consists of an age group that ranges from the mid-sixties to the mid-eighties), cannot get out and about like we do. Usually they are stuck in the retirement home for medical or other reasons and thus miss a lot of what we, ourselves, take for granted.

When not involved with line dancing we are involved with various events within the manufactured home community where we reside. Pot luck suppers, once a month breakfasts, playing games (all sorts of card games, Mexican train night), Saturday morning coffee, mens' luncheons, ladies luncheons, social night, dances, plays, and so forth and so on. Our community is quite active when it comes to our residents.

Other than that - our routines involve doing things we never had time to do while we were working such as traveling more to see this great country of ours and visiting with our children who are spread out across the USA. When not doing that - my honey likes to work on making homemade jewelry and I attempt to write an article or two for this site or The Writers Drawer.net.

My goal is to write for my own blog site but even though we are "retired" which means we have little to do 24/7 but that which we want to do, trying to find time to post to my own blog site seems to be quite the challenge at best.

Most days we are active a minimum of 8-10 hours a day with the balance of the time spent watching some of our favorite TV shows, and sleeping. One thing I can say about our retirement routine is that it is far from boring. With that being said, we (my wife and I), just recently agreed that one thing we do not need within this routine is an exercise schedule because we are moving and not sitting still most of our days.

Hope this helps others that may be looking for some type of routine to follow so they do not become bored with retirement life. I can truthfully say our life is not boring.

Thanks for reading about our retirement activities!
Filling Days
by: Ricardo

I retired about two years ago and moved to an age restricted community. Here one can do MANY things or do nothing!

Now that the weather is getting a bit cooler I will begin taking some classes that interest me. I am up by five thirty every morning {old habits are difficult to break} I feed the felines, clean up, and out the door by six.....and on down to the "lodge" for about a two-three hour workout including swimming and sauna at the end.
I come home exhausted and go to sleep till the next morning, and then the same routine every day....

I love it and it keeps my better half and I from getting into each others hair....although I have very little! A little humor there about the sleeping.

We have been going out to dine more often, and when I get back home, after the paper reading and email check, it's probably noonish, then a lite lunch, perhaps some fruit, cheese, and wine....a bit of television following the "markets", perhaps I might close an eye for a bit.....an afternoon bike ride for a few miles, and it's cocktail time and dinner, followed by the evening news programing, and in the sack by nine ish or so......there you have a rather typical day for yours truly.....toss in some baby sitting on ocassion, and some swim meets, soccer games, cheerleading, football games that we attend with the grandkids involvements, and that about rounds it out.....a international trip usually once a year, and we call it all GOOD,

Regards to all, and best wishes for the fall season....Ricardo!

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