Tag Archives: love being retired

The Best Activities for Retirement

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Post by Emma Carey

Everyone knows that retirement is a big moment of change in people’s lives and it’s not always easy making the adjustment from having a 9-5 career to having days stretching out ahead of you where you’ve nothing particular you have to do.

Of course, there is always something to do, but the transition from working to retirement can be a strange time, especially if you don’t have a burning ambition to use your retirement in a particular way. What follows is a few suggestions of how you might find new activities and ways to keep busy in retirement. Of course, not all of them will chime with you, but you might be inspired by some of the ideas below.

Volunteer

by mrvklaw

Remember all those times you wished you could give something back to society? Well,
retirement is the perfect time to do so. It doesn’t have to take much of your week but there are many volunteering opportunities out there, and many organisations can make use of the skills you have acquired through life and work. You could volunteer at your local library or hospital, mentor children or help out at a local homeless charity, to name but a few ideas.

Discover a hobby

If you’ve never had a hobby, now might be the best time to find one as you’ll be able to give it the time it deserves, without having to put it on hold for work. There are so many different crafting activities and collecting possibilities. You might take up quilting, pottery or scrapbooking. Or maybe you’ll develop a passion for gardening and make your garden an oasis.

And then of course, there’s the internet. There’s a whole world of entertainment out there for you to tap into. You might get into online gaming – whether it’s for real money or just for fun. For example, check out bingo games from UK based Costa Bingo to see the kinds of games you could be playing. Costa Bingo is one of the UK’s biggest bingo sites, and if you don’t like the idea of putting real money down, the site also has plenty of free bingo games to play. Part of the fun of playing bingo rather than other PC games is the social nature of the game – it’s not only entertaining, but you can also meet new people as you chat to fellow players in the bingo chat rooms. Of course, there are a myriad of similar sites to choose from like 32Red and Royal Vegas that offer similar games.

Get fit

Too often, people use work as an excuse not to take any exercise. Once you’re retired, you’ll have no more excuses and you can use the opportunity to try a new sport. Golf is a favourite sport amongst both retired men and women. It doesn’t matter if you’re an absolute beginner – you’ve got plenty of time to practice now! There are so many different sports to choose from – do a few taster courses and see which one whets your appetite!

Hit the road

You don’t have to go down the backpacking route – but now you have the time to do so, why not take time to see all those different places that you’ve always wanted to. Some people spend their whole time on the move once they’ve retired – coming back home for a few weeks’ break between trips.

With so many different possibilities of ways to spend the time, retirement could be one of the richest periods of your life – enjoy it!

5 Ways to Stay Positive in Retirement

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Retirement literally means a removal or withdrawal from service, often into privacy or seclusion. Retirees withdraw from a world they have been entrenched in for many years when they remove themselves from the working world.

However, I do not believe that the goal of those attaining age 65 is necessarily to hide from the rest of the world. Few retirees-to-be would describe their plans in terms of seclusion. While escaping the hectic nature of the working world is a commonly shared goal, retirement is also seen by many as a time to turn the page and begin a new chapter. Retirees are not done with life. They are just changing gears as they re-channel their energies toward new passions and experiences.

Unfortunately, there are some people who will experience a retirement that may accurately be described as secluded. Elderly people who have not prepared for the changes that are part and parcel of retired life may find themselves alone, uninspired, unchallenged, and living in a seclusion that is not their choice.

Many people underestimate the challenges of living a fulfilling and happy retirement. A 2011 National Public Radio, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Harvard School of Public Health survey found that about a quarter of retirees say life is worse after retirement. To avoid falling into such a predicament it is helpful to pursue positive goals as we transition into retirement:

1. Enjoy your grandchildren. What can be better than spending time with an energetic bundle of smiles and hugs, especially when their able parents can quickly be called upon to step in when their attitude becomes negative? Grandparents get to enjoy all of the good things about children, and hand over the reins when the bad comes along. A true joy ofspending time with grandchildren is you can be part of first-time experiences that result in wide-eyed wonder and amazement. Sharing these new experiences not only brings back personal memories but bonds you together for a lifetime.

2. Get up and get out. When you move around your body and mind benefit. Sitting in one place for too long dulls the mind and slows the body. Rather than looking for the path requiring the least effort, get moving. Walk to the store rather than drive. After dinner, don’t flop in front of the TV until you have taken a journey around the block on your own two feet. And when you do watch TV, why not add in a little stretching or sit-ups or push-ups.

3. Smile. It is difficult to feel badly when you have a smile on your face. Being happy improves your quality of life and perhaps also the quantity of life. A British study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that older people who reported feeling happy and content during a typical day were 35 percent less likely to die during the course of the five-year study. And if smiling doesn’t work, what do you have to lose?

4. Watch or read something funny. How bad can things really be if you are laughing? I am a sucker for slapstick comedy, so The Three Stoogesare the perfect tonic for all that ails me. Their antics may be a little low-brow for your tastes, but you probably have a particular comedian or actress that can always give you a chuckle. With all of the suffering we hear of each day, a little laughter can go a long way to improve our outlook.

5. Do something nice for someone. When we put the needs of another ahead of our own there is an inner satisfaction experienced that is hard to describe. A little thing done spontaneously without expectation of any reward can bring a smile to the face of the recipient as well as the giver. It is easy and opportunities present themselves with great frequency. You just have to be tuned in and ready to act when the moment arises.

From my US News & World Blog. Dave Bernard is the author of “I Want To Retire! Essential Considerations for the Retiree to Be“. Although not yet retired, he focuses on identifying and understanding the essential components of a fulfilling and meaningful retirement. He shares his discoveries and insights on his blog Retirement-Only The Beginning.

Dividing an Estate Without a Will

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Post by Katie Jones

When someone you know dies, such as a family member, it is normal to find yourself experiencing feelings of loss, confusion, and uncertainty. During those difficult times you can find yourself forced to confront demands from all sides as you struggle with legal concerns, family issues, and making all the necessary arrangements. It can quickly start to feel overwhelming and if there is no will, things are only going to become more difficult.

Without a will that outlines how an estate is to be divided, there are legal procedures that will come into play to dictate what is to be done. Not only may the final decision not reflect the way the deceased would have wanted things distributed, but the cost and complexity and time requirements can quickly grow.

With this in mind, here’s a closer look at the rules of intestacy – the rulings that determine who receives what. This should also hopefully encourage you to write a will yourself, to avoid this situation where possible, and ensure your possessions, money and estate are divided as you choose. These are your personal assets, so it’s wise to consider what happens to them after you have died.

A guide to intestacy

The rules of intestacy have been in operation since their implementation in 1925. The rules outline who receives what, and often dictate how much along the way. Whilst the exact amounts vary, depending on the situation and relevant members involved, the rules are nonetheless clear on the order itself.

  • If the deceased died with a married spouse or civil partner, this person receives the estate. Depending on the amount, as well as other factors, this may or may not be all of the estate.
  • Non-married partners are not included by rules of intestacy. Likewise, step-relatives, such as step-children, step-siblings and step-parents, are not considered. For the purposes of intimacy, only registered partners (such as marriage and a civil partnership) and blood relatives are included.
  • Adopted children, including any step-children that have been officially and legally adopted, do count under the rules.
  • The rules themselves follow these ‘classes’ of kin in a very specific order. If there are no living relatives in one class, the next is considered, and so forth.

Personal representative

In a normal situation, where this is a documented will, the Executors, or Personal Representatives, are those chosen or outlined in the will to be given the responsibility. This is given through right of Probate; this can only be given if mentioned in the will.

When there is no will, rules of intestacy looks to next of kin. These aren’t given a right of Probate, but a Letter of Administration will empower them to a similar situation. Since this uses the rules of intestacy, you might not always be notified, especially if you’re a distant relative or hard to track down. As such, if you think you may have a right to the estate, as per intestacy, additional assistance can help you with your options and application.