The talented and hard working women on both sides of our family seem to have the hardest time in totally retiring.
The men often take an early retirement and work a few days a week in jobs they like and often which came to the guys.
Then, when in their late 60’s or early 70’s they quit working for money.
Business travel even non airplane travel soon becomes a no go. For these guys.
The women often go into their own business or become a senior partner and work until their 70’s. We men joke that they don’t want to be home with independent guys in their 60~70’s.
We are seeing that pattern in both sides of our family even with non DNA male relatives.
The pattern seems to be hard working males get into their mid 50’s, and they slow down or limit their work %.
Our women often increase their hours/time with their own business or whatever business they are in. All of them work until they turn 70. A wake up call came last year. When one of our hard working SIL’s in her retirement job developed adult leukemia and died in a few months.
One reason many of the women keep working and plan to keep working is to have health insurance after/when their husbands “retire”.
We feel that within 1-2 years most of the working males in our family and in their mid 50s- to early 60’s will retire and maybe work part time. Their wives will probably continue to work at least part time for a decade. This has happened with one of my wife’s nieces. Their kids are out of college with good jobs. Her husband got a great early out offer.
He retired last year and didn’t work for 6 months. Now he does the upkeep on their rental properties and works for a few old friends or relatives. He is a double engineer and has worked on houses/homes with his Dad, since he was a teen. He is now a role model for a lot of cousins in their 50’s cousins.
We have a few male relatives in their 50’s. If their jobs or bosses become B$, they will pull the plug on full time work.
Then, they will be part of the vast and growing part time job workers for seasoned workers.
“when in their late 60’s or early 70’s they quit working for money.
Business travel even non airplane travel soon becomes a no go. For these guys.”
That is me. I flew a lot on business when I was working—hated it.
Part of the joy of retirement for me is no more airports, no more rental cars, no more hotels!
My wife wants to travel from time to time.
My answer: “Go for it!”
;-)