# Retirement.



## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Well guys I've been talking about retiring for years but the lure of a challenging but rewarding managerial position kept me going back year after year, the lucrative pay check helped as well.
I cannot return to Oz so have relinquished my position but advised that I am only a phone call away. They are talking about next year but I think it's time to go.

Definitely a turning point in my life after 46 years of grafting. I have to get over the fact that I am now retired and all that comes with it. While I only contracted for 6 months a year for the last 8 years the farm in Oz kept me busy, 50 acres etc. here only 2,500M2 is a walk in the park, I am glad I sent fishing gear over but realise I need to find more interests now. Pondering the future as I'm sure many of you have done.
Full time here now with only a few vehicles to get rid of there and bank accounts to tie me to Oz. Welcome to the Philippines full time.

Cheers, Steve.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Welcome to the full-time geezer group. Took me several tries to make it. I first retired in 1990 - only lasted one week. Found another job in different field -retired in 2001. 3rd wife died in 2008, back to work to have something to do - quit in 2010. Then did volunteer driving to transport disabled military Vets(patients) back and forth between the small clinic in Globe where I lived and Phoenix, Az. (about 90 miles distance) where there is a major Hospital. Quit doing that when permanently moving here in 2014. Now I just lounge around and smell the roses, If I feel like doing something, that is fine, if I don't feel like it, that is also fine. I do maintain the property & my little van. Installed a pressure pump water well system a couple years ago and had to install a new clutch in my van a few months ago. Just enough so I don't have a useless feeling. 

Fred


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Yes I hear you Fred, they are trying to book me for next season so never say never. I simply think it's time to move forward with my life here, no hobbies, a comfortable place to live in, no money worries and in the last 5 months have gained 4 kg's, time to focus and get off my back side me thinks. I'm sure all retirees have been there.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

I hear ya!...and hope to to join the fully retired ranks by end of year when I can tack on US social security to the take home $. It IS great to have time that is your own And a passion or project to work on, plus more time to work out. I really enjoyed my first go at retirement late 2017 and we knocked some US travel destinations off the bucket list, though not the 1 yr RV rental plan to cris cross the whole USA for a year before the first planned move to PI and "paradise". I really enjoyed having lot of time to work on a half completed remodel home we bought and not feeling that grind of working M-F only to have to work on house, lot, etc all weekend. As you and I discussed some privately, only went back to work 35 hrs a week after son diagnosed with autism and the intense programs they put them in nowadays to get them really functioning in the real world ain't cheap!...sometimes $2K out of pocket After insurance, but money well spent as he made huge strides. The suck of it is there aren't a lot of great jobs out there where I can call my hours, etc and needed time off for him....far cry from the excitement of the prior 35 yrs. Reckon I'll finish out the yr working even when he completes most programs in Aug and we'll try replenish savings and better fund the move, even though heart's not "in it" by then and working just to work; so, keeping eye on our Philippines move likely now next Spring and prepping for that and convincing myself I'm working at the courthouse for That. Just hope us old [email protected] can move freely around PI by then, as the one decent thing here in US is that we can All still go out of the house and neighborhood whenever we want, which still sounds off limits there. So!...enjoy the time that's yours and let me know how the fishing goes. I'll be looking for a new hobby and lots of travel hopefully next yr, including a vacation to Oz when things allow. Cheers!


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Nickleback99 said:


> I hear ya!...and hope to to join the fully retired ranks by end of year when I can tack on US social security to the take home $. It IS great to have time that is your own And a passion or project to work on, plus more time to work out. I really enjoyed my first go at retirement late 2017 and we knocked some US travel destinations off the bucket list, though not the 1 yr RV rental plan to cris cross the whole USA for a year before the first planned move to PI and "paradise". I really enjoyed having lot of time to work on a half completed remodel home we bought and not feeling that grind of working M-F only to have to work on house, lot, etc all weekend. As you and I discussed some privately, only went back to work 35 hrs a week after son diagnosed with autism and the intense programs they put them in nowadays to get them really functioning in the real world ain't cheap!...sometimes $2K out of pocket After insurance, but money well spent as he made huge strides. The suck of it is there aren't a lot of great jobs out there where I can call my hours, etc and needed time off for him....far cry from the excitement of the prior 35 yrs. Reckon I'll finish out the yr working even when he completes most programs in Aug and we'll try replenish savings and better fund the move, even though heart's not "in it" by then and working just to work; so, keeping eye on our Philippines move likely now next Spring and prepping for that and convincing myself I'm working at the courthouse for That. Just hope us old [email protected] can move freely around PI by then, as the one decent thing here in US is that we can All still go out of the house and neighborhood whenever we want, which still sounds off limits there. So!...enjoy the time that's yours and let me know how the fishing goes. I'll be looking for a new hobby and lots of travel hopefully next yr, including a vacation to Oz when things allow. Cheers!


Well Jay I'm glad to hear Wesley is doing well, fantastic mate. You will get here when the time is right for you guys and will then enjoy.
I'll let you know about the fishing,,,,,, if and when it happens,,,,,, my employer was on the phone yesterday talking about chartered flights and immi clearances in PH and Oz. Good luck there I said but they are also trying to get some 200 crew into Oz from the U.K.
Personally I didn't realise I was valued to this extent for them to go all out to get me back, pigs might fly I have told them, stand ready they tell me.
I will know more on the 7th of August. I am in two minds now whether to stay put or go back. Friends have just started up again at Fox studios in Sydney and all crew are tested for covid 3 times a week as social distancing is difficult on a film set. Do I need to go there as it will probably be the same for our gig, introducing new health protocols, higher risks etc.

As for moving freely here? I go out only when needed and adhere to the requirements implemented here, I could go out more but I'm happy to sit at home and reduce the risks, Ben does most of the running around once or twice a week for our food and bills etc. Sometimes we go for a drive but stay in the car and simply look,,,,, the new normal? I hope not.
Stay safe.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

"here in US is that we can All still go out of the house and neighborhood whenever we want, which still sounds off limits there."

Depends of where in the Philppines. 
Some regions have VERY hard restrictions in "red" (=high risk) Metro Manila and Mettro Cebu, 
while people can MOVE FREE - with mouth cover - within some "green" (=low risk) regions as e g south Leyte and whole Palawan (if I'm correct informed by people I know there.) I believe they opened in south part of Cebu island too recently. they talked about doing so. Some of the deciding power are delegated localy/regionaly so there are big differences between different regions with same red, yellow, green classifications. 


- -
"*no hobbies*, a comfortable place to live in, no money worries and in the last 5 months have gained 4 kg's, time to focus and get off my back side me thinks.* I'm sure all retirees have been there.*" 
I have had a lot of hobbies allways, so I will never be there  

(I normaly work very hard in periods, then little in between, specialy in startups of projects when big part of my work is to get others started, so I had much time for hobbies during the others worked,
BUT even during a week I counted I had worked 109 hours I took time to go watching an icehockey league match, play a 6 hours game in a one game per week chess tournament, went to a dance and party total 10 hours including preparings.
During the calmer periods I have done things as e g playing computer games, much youth leading , organice tournaments even at national championship level, read and write books, genealogy. composing music, compeeting in dance, tennis, canoe, sailing, being, playing coach in basketball...)
So when someone say they have no hobbies, I say I can give them some of mine  
(Some people, who get tired by looking at TV  think I can't have done as much, but before a serious sport injury I had "superstamina" and managed to relax even in hard work speed so I needed to sleep just 4 hours per night. Two CEOs of stock market companies took time to be youth leaders for their kids too in same club as I.)

Next planned "project" is moving to the Philippines and start a family  And I plan to start a new business, which family can earn from "for ever" after I'm dead, after I have step by step tought wife - and kids if I live long enough - how to handle it so I can retire step by step. 
If I will find that to little to do  I will perhaps - if the covid problem don't sabotage it - assist poor with some Help-to-self-help projects and/or coach a kids team in basketball if they want me to. And if I get work permit for these volontary work, which Philippine law demand!!!


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

Lunkan, Good luck with all that future planning! You are clearly fortunate to be blessed with genetic make up to run on little sleep; ironically a very key trait among the SF guys I worked with off and on over the years, as well as an evaluated item for officers (stamina....and they weren't just talking the physical part, but moreso the go a long time on little to no sleep) way back when I was in USMC Herschel Walker was blessed with that same gene and the physical bod to go with it....said he only slept 4-5 hrs per night and never lifted weights, just did push ups, sit ups and ran sprints, then later added swimming and all US football fans know he's always a beast. Anyway, enjoy it while it lasts!...Mine started dwindling at 60 and all that body abuse from Marines, the civilian ops in far away places, significant head and shoulder injuries, running, swimming and lifting forever has started to show up in the joints. I'll keep going till I can't, but ya never know when time is up on the ticker or the joints, and the other side of 80 looks pretty [email protected] no matter how ya slice it from what I've seen of others so far. Gotta enjoy life while ya can and Big Pearl seems to have conquered that in spades. Best of luck and welcome to the forum.


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

bigpearl said:


> Well guys I've been talking about retiring for years but the lure of a challenging but rewarding managerial position kept me going back year after year, the lucrative pay check helped as well.
> I cannot return to Oz so have relinquished my position but advised that I am only a phone call away. They are talking about next year but I think it's time to go.
> 
> Definitely a turning point in my life after 46 years of grafting. I have to get over the fact that I am now retired and all that comes with it. While I only contracted for 6 months a year for the last 8 years the farm in Oz kept me busy, 50 acres etc. here only 2,500M2 is a walk in the park, I am glad I sent fishing gear over but realise I need to find more interests now. Pondering the future as I'm sure many of you have done.
> ...


Welcome to Permanent Retirement in the Philippines Steve...I sincerely hope you will find fulfillment and enjoyment here!

I found myself in the same boat as far as trying to keep busy. I am not the type of person that can just sit around all day...I "NEED" some task or purpose in life...even in retirement!

My problem is I keep getting involved in too many projects at one time and start to burn myself out! I need to relax and take it a bit slower but all those years of working has gotten me stuck in one gear...fast forward...But little by little, I am beginning to figure out how to keep busy while learning to shift into a lower gear...Hahaha!!!


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Cebu Citizen said:


> Welcome to Permanent Retirement in the Philippines Steve...I sincerely hope you will find fulfillment and enjoyment here!
> 
> I found myself in the same boat as far as trying to keep busy. I am not the type of person that can just sit around all day...I "NEED" some task or purpose in life...even in retirement!
> 
> My problem is I keep getting involved in too many projects at one time and start to burn myself out! I need to relax and take it a bit slower but all those years of working has gotten me stuck in one gear...fast forward...But little by little, I am beginning to figure out how to keep busy while learning to shift into a lower gear...Hahaha!!!


Well CC, thanks for your thoughts, I am in neutral and occasionally in first gear but do realise I need to extract a digit, a little difficult with lockdowns so mostly thinking and planning renovations and extensions that will hopefully start next year if things settle with C-19.
In the mean time we relax, watch the surfers when the breakers are favourable, swim, eat and all the normal things involved with a property.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

"I need to extract a digit, a little difficult with lockdowns so mostly thinking and planning renovations and extensions that will hopefully start next year if things settle with C-19."
Why waiting with work to do at home yourself??? After restrictions are lifted you will get many more options what you can do *elsewhere*...  

- - 
"You are clearly fortunate to be blessed with genetic make up to run on little sleep"
Well. The low sleep need ISN'T genetic most part (besides if have genetic related health problems.) I needed to sleep 8 hours *before*:
/I did cut 2 hours sleep need by becoming a "cool guy"  =Exersice mentaly so I were relaxed even in very stressful situations. Normal people are "2 hours sleep worth" stiff when they BELIEVE they are not stressed... This can be reached by doing e g same type of relax training as elite sportsmen - and nowadays some businessmen do parts of that elite sportsmen MENTAL training too.
/Back when the Olympics in Seoul were coming with big parts happen during nights for me, I were employee still with office work hours. Then I read vegetarians need less sleep because the body get less crap to clean. I tested, which did cut aitional 2 hours. So I could sleep 11pm -01am and 5-7am when competitions rested  I became a bit tired but had no problem to manage work. 
/After that I have learned SLEEP CYCLES timing are important too. ifferent persons have different long 1.50 to 2.10 hours. In startup of each cycle there are 20 minutes "window" for wake up, but you DON'T want to be woken up by an alarm clock or something during the rest of the cycle, because that's more tireding than sleeping LESS and had woke up in the beginningof that sleep cycle again.
That's some simplified. I have written a book about effective sleeping  but I don't believe I own the copyright because a publishing company got it, but they asked far to high price for DIGITAL books. (39.99 usd for rather thin booklets. The deal was I get percentage of the selling. I told them to sell for 9.99 and sell many, but they didn't listen so they didn't sell any of their booklets and went bankruptcy 
(But when I were close to 60yo I got a "mini-stroke" =tia which made I need to sleep more. Perhaps I got it because during that period I had LITTLE to do :lol:

BUT GENETIC concerning geting "superstamina". (During high school I went from school >basketball until they got tired >home ate dinner > soccer practise until they got tired > tracking field practise, but they didn't get tired because big part of them were national elite in long distance running so we went on until janitor threw us out >home and did home work.) 1.5 years AFTER I had stoped exersise, because of a sport injury, I had still a heart capacity better than most stamina sportsmen at their TOP. (In rest my heart needed to beat only 33 per minute. The lowest elite sportsman I have heared of had 29 the brazilian soccer player Falcao, and world champion in long distance crosscountry skiing had 34.) The evening after surgery of that injury the nurse got scared when she checked my pulse, thought it had got dangerous effects after the surgery :lol:


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