Imagine two senior citizens rocking back and forth in rocking chairs on the front porch while the man naps and the woman knits. Is this stereotypical vision of retirement all you have to look forward to? Of course not!
Retired couples are full of energy and excited to enjoy their new found freedom during retired life. There are so many fun things to do and see as a newly retired couple. Let’s explore a few of them…
Travel and Adventure
Hopefully you’ve worked with a Financial Advisor at Pension Solutions Canada, so you have your finances successfully planned. Maybe you’ve downsized to a smaller home, condo, or townhouse, and you now have some flexibility financially to travel and explore.
Travel can also mean outdoor activities such as:
- Hiking – a great way to keep physically fit, explore, go out on adventures, and meet new people with similar interests.
- Boating – If you have always wanted to live the boating life, now is a great time to try it out. Explore options for taking classes before you head out on the water so that you are familiar with safety and emergency precautions. Grab a group of friends and set sail for the day.
- Camping – If you felt that camping was too much work when raising your young family (too many things to pack along), now may be the perfect opportunity to investigate the great outdoors.
- Going To A Beach – Planning to relax on a beach as part of your retirement plan is a great way to just kick back and enjoy a much-deserved getaway full of rest and relaxation.
Helping Others by Giving Back
Perhaps you have always wanted to volunteer but the time never seemed to present itself. Now that you are a retired couple, you have the opportunity to become involved with many different things to help others.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters – a non-profit federation with a focus on mentoring programs for youth. At Pension Solutions Canada, our Certified Financial Planner, Bruce Youngblud, is a big brother and active in his community.
- Workshops – you and your spouse can offer workshops giving advice and tips on a topic you’re both passionate about.
- Nursing homes – spending time in conversation or simply doing some light reading in a nursing home setting would provide an outlet for your time and a sense of fulfillment for both of you.
- Working with animals – working in an animal shelter will provide love and support for animals with no homes.
Do Something You Always Wanted to Do
Always had a dream to pursue your passion but weren’t able to because of career, family, or other commitments? Now that you’re retired you will have the time to be able to pursue those passions.
- Take dance lessons – learn how to swing dance or take Latin dance lessons.
- Learn how to draw – take art lessons together.
- Learn how to paint – if you and your spouse have an artistic side, you can take workshops for painting.
- Write a memoir or book – if you have a knack for writing, start that novel you’ve always wanted to write.
- Start a blog – create a blog together about how great retirement really is, or blog about a topic you’re passionate about.
As you can see, being a newly retired power couple opens up a lot of opportunities to enjoy life and pursue passions that you’ve always wanted to. The possibilities are endless.
Are you in the planning stages of your retirement? The Pension Solutions Canada team is here to help! We specialize in helping individuals prepare for retirement. Call us at 1-888-554-6661.