Retirement; What is it like for you ? The positives and the negatives?

Well i have forced retirement disability due to arthritis and this back surgery gone wrong and it sucks. Not enough money

Pros:
        I get to do a lot of things that I couldn't do if I were still working.
        I can take an afternoon nap if I wish to.
        Spend more time with my dog.
        Eat my meals when I want to.

Cons:
          Boredom
          Medicare, it sucks.
         

I haven't worked outside of the home since 2002 after my husband was called back into the Army. He retired from the Army in 2009 and worked for the federal government until 2014 when he retired from there. We moved back home to Florida. We both keep busy with our families, and with projects around the house. We also get to travel a bit. (I am suppose to be camping now, but thanks to Irma the park I had booked is closed while the deal with the damage created by the storm.) We have also become the household that hosts family events like holidays. We have more time to prepare and we are centrally located.

The only downside is my mother-in-law thinks we don't do anything but lay around the house and should be able to be at her beckon call. She is learning that is not true, but is still amazed when my husband is working on something and can't come to the phone, and cannot call her back within an hour.

I retired in 1999... The next twelve months was taking care of daughter and granddaughter.

Then 2001 husband needed care

I volunteered 12 years in an elementary school. Loved it but when I broke my arm and had to have surgery that had to stop.

Since then we do what we want, when we want. Nothing is so important that it can't wait till tomorrow.

I chose to retire in 2008, when a confluence of imminent national economic calamity, increasing stress of running a growing company in tough times, and a surprisingly generous offer for a portion of my business interests came together. I was 44 at the time. My wife implored me to grab this opportunity which, all told, was one of the best decisions of my life.

Since then, I can't say there has been much downside, other than missing contact with some of the exceptional people I used do deal with everyday.

I have no real schedule now, live how and when I like, and that old stress is a distant memory. I now have nearly unlimited time and all my energy to devote to my family, my health (read: sanity) and my passions 🛥. 

I'm on permanent vacation.

I'm quite far away from retirement. But so far so good. Since getting my first real job:

• I have one years worth of salary stashed away somewhere in a savings account I don't touch.
• I contribute $18,000 a year into my 401k, while my employer matches it with another free $18,000.
• I max out my ROTH IRA every year and stash away $5,500.
• I have a Vanguard ETF where I contribute whatever I manage to save.
• I get stock options every year or so and sell half when they're vested in.