Retirement hobbies (and how do you plan to fund them)

[Apple]

What hobbies do you plan to take into retirement with you? What hobbies are you waiting to start? How do you plan to fund them?

Already retired?  How are things working out?

Mine, in no particular order:

Quilting-- I will probably have enough of a stash by then that buying fabric will not be a necessity since I love scrappy quilts, but I plan to have enough money built into my budget that I can afford what I need. If, as I quilt more, I decide I need a fancier machine, I'll probably purchase it before retiring. I do hand quilting now, but may not be able to continue that forever. May help fund by selling quilts I make, even if I'll never get my time-value out of a sell.

Woodworking-- I've slowed down on this since I don't have a shop. But, the retirement property has the slab for one, and I will build the shop before I retire, so that I will be able to gather tools as I find them. Mostly want to make things for myself, but might be willing to build things to sell.

Travel-- I'll need to make sure I have enough between pension and retirement savings to continue to travel as much as I want, but I do tend to do even my large trips as frugal as I can. As I lose interest in having to fly to do vacations overseas, I want to get a camper/trailer/camper van and a dog, and just travel to different camp sites. Should be able to do on-the-cheap.

Photography-- I've always enjoyed photography. It can be as inexpensive or expensive as you make it. While all the latest lenses and gadgets are nice, if I can't afford them, I can be happy with what I have. I don't plan to sell photos, although I know several people who earn money in retirement that way.

Walking in the woods-- will be living in the woods, that will hopefully always stay that way, so this hobby will be free outside of good shoes so I don't roll my ankles.

Cooking/baking/food preservation-- It will just be me, but I may be able to barter some home cooked goods for help around the property. My neighbors are all pretty "simple-joys" people, like me.

[cronewitch]

I retired without goals of hobbies. Having enough money means I have choices. I like to go camping and fishing and take long drives or sit home and read books and play games on the internet. No expensive hobbies, visiting family and ISO.
I had hoped to find a charity I care about but so far nothing. I tried working at a place that packages food for food banks but they have more volunteers than they need. I wanted to help the homeless but they don't seem to want help just hand outs, I am not going to do more to help them than they do to help themselves, enabling just allows them to stay homeless.

[buystoys]

I want to do more gardening and less yard work/upgrading/cleaning up/home projects.    We're getting there.  All the oleanders we planted in the fall look dead as do the lantanas.  Fortunately, I didn't get all the oleanders mulched in.  We can go back to the nursery with pictures and they'll replace everything for free, so we'll probably go next week.  Once those are planted and the remaining 25 trees/bushes are mulched in, it should be easier.  We have about 15 more trees to take down and then the landscaping is pretty much done.  That should give me time to pay attention to my flower bed and rose bed and work on getting some nice blooms!

My other hobbies are needle work, card making, and I want to learn to crochet.  That won't cost me much to begin because I have so many supplies.  We need to get my hobby hole finished first. 

Maybe in a few years we can put in a raised garden and I can work on veggies.  Would love to do that, just no time right now.

[Lizard Queen]

I'm in a bad state of mind, so I'll just say travel, because that's all I can think of, and no clue, because of feeling pissy about everything right now.

[movingforward]

I am still several years away from retirement but I hope to still have exercise as a hobby when I retire. Right now I spend about $150 - $200 a year on athletic shoes and around $350 a year on a gym membership. Not a very expensive hobby.

I enjoy reading and typically use the library, Half-Priced Books and Amazon Prime lending. I am not sure how these options will change 20 years from now but hopefully reading will still be fairly cheap for me.

Currently, I travel quite a bit and hope to continue that trend as well. How will fund it...I plan to have enough saved for a decent travel budget. Same goes for gambling. I typically go to Vegas a couple of times a year. I hope to continue that, maybe even gamble a little more at places that are within driving distance.

One hobby I can see me adding in retirement is bird watching. I don't really have time for it now.

I would like to acquire more animals as I get older. I have one cat now, but I can see me taking in some more rescues (both dogs and cats). This truly will rely on funds and I will have to look into my budget more extensively when I get closer to retirement. I may end up fostering animals instead of adopting.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

We were talking about this earlier this week.  At the top of our list is travel, and as we were budgeting for retirement, there is a line item for 2-3 trips/year.  We we also have season tickets to the theatre, ballet and opera.

Right now, my Kindle downloads are running about $30/mo.  

I have a needlework stash that will last a lifetime, and  working on a yarn stash.

[sesfw]

I love to sew so when I retired I had time for that ....... unfortunately I ran out of things to make and places to put them.

I found retirement extremely boring so I found volunteer places and did that for a while.  I worked at the community center once a week, drove people to various Dr appts, and delivered meals once a month.  Not enough ......... so I found a part time job.

Travelling is OK but I like home best.

I still sit in front of this computer too much.

[Deleted]

Already retired. 

Some hobbies are cheap- gardening (I don't buy that much in new plantings), various knit/crochet projects for charity (cost of materials is tax-deductible and I keep my stash manageable), reading (love the library), investing (that one is a profit center).

My splurge is travel.  I managed it by saving a lot for retirement knowing this would be a priority, and maximizing freebies from loyalty programs.   E-Rewards $$ are redeemed for Hilton points and the 2% rebate on my Fidelity Visa funds travel, too.  I'm trying Airbnb in Iceland in August for the first time- SO much cheaper than a hotel and I'll survive without a breakfast buffet.  Typically I don't eat in restaurants, especially dinner-there are nearly always grocery stores with pre-made sandwiches, salads, etc. and I settle into the room and relax at night.  My advisor did a full-scale Monte Carlo simulation financial plan and even with $12K/year (increasing for inflation every year) built into the travel category for the next 15 years, it looks like I won't go broke.

[quince]

I currently knit, spin, sew, and weave. Or I potentially do these things. I imagine I'll have more time when the kids are grown.  They cost, but are time consuming too, so should cost less per year than a plane ticket (and I hate travel, so costs should be manageable!)

Husband will still code, and has thought about getting into woodworking. Martial arts is sticking around.

I imagine in retirement we'll do the same things we do now, just with our time differently distributed. Nothing is ridiculously expensive except equipment which is rare and not outrageous, so funding shouldn't be an issue.

[plugginaway22]

Only 2.  Gardening and traveling!!

[ken a.k.a OMK]

Amateur radio - got my license at 14. Then many life events got in the way. Now, being retired, I have time and money to do things I couldn't back then. 

Gardening - Since retiring in 2010 new back pain has kept me from doing any. 

Running -  Same back issues. 

Seeing the grandsons almost every day. 

[tskeeter]

Mar 23, 2017 16:26:38 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

Does scotch count as a hobby?

Only if you make your own.  Then, drinking is a sensory evaluation process.

[giramomma]

My retirement hobbies include:

Cross stitch, hardanger, knitting, reading, quilting, spinning, gardening, geocaching, and volunteering.

I've stopped buying most stash as it is...somewhat because of finances, but also I've got SABLE in a major way. I have a spinning wheel.

DH is the geocacher..but I like it.

I'd like to get back into scrapbooking a little bit.

I'm hoping that I'll get some grandkids.

The only real expensive thing is travel..

I'd love to get into weaving, tatting, and maybe quilling more (I've dabbled in that.)

And I'd love to get back to playing my instrument more in community orchestras and what not.

I don't really worry about funding them. We'll be down three people by the time I retire. DH and I do not eat and outgrow clothing like my kids do.

[Gardening Grandma]

In no particular order: Gardening, sewing (quilting & clothing alterations), reading (I belong to a book club), genealogy, playing with and training 1 year old puppy, travel, photography

The things I don't share with DH are paid for out of my personal allowance.
Gardening (plants & supplies) come out of the household account
Travel is covered by a withdrawal from the retirement accounts

So far, so good

[resolution]

Video games - I play a mmo right now, but I don't have the time to fully develop my character and alts. I would love to spend a lot of time on this and be badass on multiple characters, possibly get into a pvp game where I can take on all the young whippersnappers.

Hiking - There are extensive hiking trails in our area and I would like to spend more time that way. I wouldn't mind volunteering to maintain part of the trail if I had more free time.

[NastyWoman]

Just a few year out from retirement and I like reading = cheap → since we have very good libraries, crafts = cheap → sable in several categories, travelling (have a bucket list so long that even if I start today and don't stop I'd be 150yo before I am done) very expensive, visiting friends is fun and cheap but with my family spread over three continents visting them will be expensive.

I also plan to work as a volunteer in the literacy project they have at our library.

Now if things change w.r.t. family who knows what I will end up doing. At this point DS2 and DIL just moved and they took my DGS1 and DGS1.5 (still in utero) to the other side of the world. If they stay there I may move close by since a large chunk of my family lives not too far away from there. If not, who knows

[Deleted]

Gardening, reading, soap making. Maybe I will try and sell some soap to get me out of the house more.

Cooking, would like to experiment more but always rushing so hope to get  creative with more time on my hands.

Photography-  would like to do better so probably will need a class or two.

I'd like to take some other art related classes too.

Some travel- I'm a homebody now but will probably enjoy travel more when I'm home all the time.


Nothing to expensive really so should be good with retirement funds.

[tractor]

I have more than enough hobbies right now, so I'm sure I won't be bored, most paid for out of pre-retirement money. I have 25+ antique tractors to restore, then there's the shooting/hunting adventures, and an unhealthy obsession with Disney World. Between two pensions and healthy retirement accounts, we should be all set. My wife's hobby is watching me stay out of her way.

[dee27]

Gardening, cooking, exercise, and traveling are my hobbies, and I cash flow the associated costs. After retirement, I must admit it still pains me to take money out of the "bank" to fund travel. Although I do enjoy the activity, DH usually has to encourage me to spend the money.

[Shooby]

  I don't have expensive hobbies, soooo there's no issue for me.

[Deleted]

I'm going to get this kick-ass futurity prospect and spoil him rotten.  I might let some local horse crazy kid live his/her dream by letting them show on the circuit and I fund them.  That would be the only expensive thing.  Other than that, I'm a homebody and not huge on travel.  I think I would do a lot of things like hiking, biking and kayaking.  Things I enjoy now, but haven't been able to much at this stage of the game.  I would garden, and maybe raise something fun like pygmy goats or mini-horses. 

[tallguy]

I want to get a camper/trailer/camper van

I'm starting to toy with this idea myself.  I was planning on more international travel, but that idea loses appeal if I don't have someone to do it with.  There are, however, a lot of places to explore in this country and I would find that a lot easier to enjoy on my own if it comes to that.  I'd like to get back east for some of the historical sites in Washington, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.  And I'll likely do quite a bit of exploring in our national parks.  Even better if I don't have to worry about hotels, motels, or schedules. 

[Deleted]

I love to read, and I enjoy writing.  Maybe there is yet a book in me.  Neither of those habits are expensive.  If I just read what was on my Kindle, I'd be set for at least a decade, and I'm a fast reader.

Two of my granddaughters (8 and 6) asked if I was retired.  All of their other grandparents are.  I told them that when I retired in two years, I wanted to volunteer to go on their field trips.  That's what my MIL did.  It actually helps because then a parent doesn't have to take off, and the child still feels special.  They started picking out which field trips I would want to go on based on their vast experiences and calculating whether I would be retired yet when their younger siblings went.  It was incredibly cute.  

I have a creative streak so I will have to figure out something to feed that.

[Shooby]

Mar 25, 2017 7:54:19 GMT -5 @bamafan1954 said:

I love to read, and I enjoy writing.  Maybe there is yet a book in me.  Neither of those habits are expensive.  If I just read what was on my Kindle, I'd be set for at least a decade, and I'm a fast reader.

Two of my granddaughters (8 and 6) asked if I was retired.  All of their other grandparents are.  I told them that when I retired in two years, I wanted to volunteer to go on their field trips.  That's what my MIL did.  It actually helps because then a parent doesn't have to take off, and the child still feels special.  They started picking out which field trips I would want to go on based on their vast experiences and calculating whether I would be retired yet when their younger siblings went.  It was incredibly cute.  

I have a creative streak so I will have to figure out something to feed that.

I have been going to those painting classes that have been popping up.  That's fun.  And, not very expensive.

[yogiii]

I really want to be a stay at home grandma.  If that doesn't work out I'll find plenty of things to occupy myself.  Exercise, cooking, tinkering around the house.   All the things I currently do but in a non-rushed fashion.

[gooddecisions]

I have no idea. I am great at finding things to do so it will depend where I end up. It would be fun to do something with theater or improv. I am not particularly artsy, but I might try some water color classes. I might join an old timers co rec softball team. I love being outiside and active so could see doing some hiking groups.

My parents are definitely living the retired life, so I hope to follow in their steps. 

[countrygirl2]

We are retired, this is year 2 for hubby, that is hard to believe.

We are working on rentals, he has said when he finishes these

2 anymore we buy will not require extensive renovation like

these last ones, YES!

I spend to much time on here, get to reading and stay to long.

We are getting ready to put out a garden, again this year.

I have hubby working on landscaping, we both have been working

on the lawn. I'm going to go tomorrow and buy some new shrubs,

we are trying to have plants that do not require trimming 2 or 3

months a year so moved some of those further out.

He is volunteering locally and helping with projects.

I have enough sewing stash for years, but I don't need any clothes.

Made us pajamas to add to how many more, been mending.

I can, preserve, clean.

We just bought a second boat a pontoon, hope DD will go fishing

with me more, hubby will some.

He is mellowing and going in the motorhome with us on short trips.

She and I will likely go to Florida for a month in January or February

each year till I can't.

We go out to eat, she and I go to movies and shopping.  I buy books

to read all over Goodwill, Thrift Books online, read all the time at night.

Like cooking so that too.

We have more irons in the fire then time.  We saved for years and soon

rental money and 401k and IRA distributions will add to the coffers.  SS

pays for all our basics.

Life is good, hopefully we don't get sick for years to come.

I think we are slowing down a bit.

[gambler]

I would like to start with a suggestion for cronewitch, I am not yet retired but I do go to the local animal rescue and walk dogs and pet cats they( the animals really like it). travel I bought a motor home and will have it no loan on it when I retire, garden I grow from seeds very low cost, fish, boat, and most of all relax, I worked steadily from when I was 13, and that is my concern, will I be able to stop.