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PHYSICIAN
RETIREMENT

Everyone says you have to have hobbies or se- ing my business career and therefore travel felt
rious interests in your life in order to retire early a bit like a mailman taking a walk on his/her Here are some ideas of what
and successfully. Athletics had always been my day off. It just wasn’t my first choice. to do in retirement, printed by
hobbies; basketball, baseball/softball, golf, run- Something that impacts everyone in retire- U.S. News & World Report:
ning to stay in shape. I found that when I got ment is learning to live on savings and invest-
older, I couldn’t keep up with the younger guys ments; no more paychecks from an employer 1. First and foremost: Learn
to live within your means.
anymore when playing sports. I became too or proceeds from a business. Social Security

slow in basketball (I figured that out when I does not fully compensate for this lost rev- 2. Travel.
started fouling too much), couldn’t throw the enue. Like many, I had heard it said that it is
ball as far or hit a ball as hard in baseball any- cheaper to live as a retired person; well, IT’S 3. Remodel your home.

more, and found it hard to find golf partners NOT! Most expenses stay the same. Expenses
4. Move to the city.
who wanted to play as often as I wanted. such as property taxes, insurance, food, home
Volunteering is also purported to be a good maintenance are all still there. Plus, medical 5. Move to the country.

use of retirement time. Being very active in my expenses tend to go up, leisure travel can be
6. Get a part-time job.
church, I got very involved in helping others. very expensive, some hobbies can add signifi-

Everyone has developed different skills they cant costs to the budget, and eating out be- 7. Volunteer.
can share to assist others and therefore we comes a regular form of entertainment. I met
8. Spend time with friends.
should help in ways where we feel we can many people during my second retirement

make a difference. My choice was to provide that had reached their seventies or eighties and 9. Babysit.
free counseling to those who lacked experi- had run out of money. They were embarrassed
ence with business and “the system”. It is very and ashamed. When they retired, they 10. Get educated.

fulfilling to see someone who is about to be thought they had more than enough money.
11. Write a book.
deported, because of a vengeful husband, have Then inflation, investment losses, bad
the opportunity to stay in the country to- economies, death of their partner, kids who 12. Learn a new language.

gether with her three US citizen children. It provided support moving away, or the need
13. Start a new hobby.
was also fulfilling to teach non-financial peo- for repairs to their home or for a new vehicle

ple how to manage their lives better and find all hit them unexpectedly. 14. Nothing.
success. It was fulfilling to help business own- Are you ready for retirement? Prepare and
15. Join a fitness group.
ers figure out how to better manage their busi- calculate carefully. My advice is stay close to

ness and not lose everything. Contrarily, it is family, get financial advice before and after re- 16. Take up a new sport.
demoralizing to see those who refuse to accept tiring, live a healthy lifestyle, and do what you
advice and as a consequence lose their liveli- really enjoy. 17. Buy a motor home.

hoods, their homes their jobs or their families.
18. Start a business.
Traveling is what many who retire seek to Stephen C. Fitzer BS MIM is the
do. What can be more fun than going to CEO/Executive Director of the 19. Teach.

places one has never been before, experience Bexar County Medical Society
20. Go into public service.
other cultures, see the great wonders of the
world. Some just want to get in their car or RV References: 21. Visit family.
and travel this great country; others want to 25 Things to Do When You Retire - By Phil
22. Be a mentor.
visit Europe, Australia, the islands, the home Taylor, Contributor, June 15, 2020

of their ancestors or other exotic locations. If 23. Read.
one has prepared financially for the expenses
of these joys and has the health to enjoy the 24. Start a blog.

travel, it is worth comparing what you know
25. Learn to play music.
in life to what you have not known. However,
in my case, I had traveled to 65 countries dur-

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