I continue to wake up at least six times every night with what I think is a full bladder – it’s one of the hassles of getting older.  I also continue to “dream” about work and wake up relieved that I’m not.  Fortunately, if I don’t get enough sleep at night or that work-dream turns into a nightmare, I can always take a nap in the middle of the afternoon.  It seems as if every hassle in retirement has a happy ending.

One of the toughest adjustments that retirees need to make is all the spending that we now do on a daily basis, without the stream of income to counteract the output.   After working for 50 years, we get used to making money and saving for the future.  Well, the future has arrived and now we start spending more than we’re making.  It seems a bit uncomfortable – just spending and not earning.  Social Security and Pension checks continue to come in, but they were really dollars that were earned in employment.  Now, we’re pumping them back into the economy in a race against time.  Will we live long enough to spend it all?  Or, we we spend it all and struggle to live?

I continue to fret and adjust my budget, but currently I’m outspending my monthly allotment and may need to tap into 401K reserves.  With my wife still bringing in paychecks, those dollars are only worth half right now after taxes on our combined income.  To me, that’s like spending twice as much on what you want, and maybe not worth it.    Travel will be the main cause for overspending in the first stage of my retirement – hopefully it will settle down after the first five years.  My budget is counting on it!

I have this intense desire to travel, but at the same time enjoy just staying home.  Travel involves strict schedules, stressful unknowns, and heavy spending.  Staying home is relaxing, uneventful, and predictable.  When I was working, it was not uncommon to have six or more meetings a day, but just one thing to do now is often overwhelming in retirement.  Travel many times involves different modes of transportation, a new bed every night, sights to see, dining out, and places to be at specific times.  In my working days, returning to the job allowed me to unwind from the whirlwind nature of vacation.  A “vacation” that was supposed to relieve the stress of working!  However, I do like a good adventure, and “living it” seems preferable to watching or reading about it.

Today is Friday – the day that finally ends the typical work week.  There was always that sense of anticipation about Saturday – the best day of the week. All those weekend benefits were top of mind, like sleeping-in, doing what you wanted instead of what was expected, and unwinding or refueling.  The countdown was on as the day passed slowly.  “What are you doing this weekend?” the most asked question you heard.  I still woke up this morning with a sense of anticipation, knowing it was Friday.  I haven’t gotten over that feeling yet – but I soon will.  It is being replaced gradually with the realization that every day is my favorite day.  Every day is the same, filled with the anticipation of doing what you want to do.  I love that feeling!