Downsizing?

[fixit]

My sweetheart and I are drifting towards retirement (62 + 57), and she keeps bringing up this cuss word.... downsize. She has hopes of traveling in our retirement, and I share that thought, but I have been a working man all my life, and I envision retirement as being a time to do what I want to do, not so much what I have to do. This is where things go off the rails....I want to shoot, hunt, tinker, build and so on, and downsizing doesn't work well with that. Anyone out there have similar experiences with your sweethearts?

[Kestrel4k]

I have the sneaking feeling that she is talking about you downsizing your stuff rather than 'hers'.

[Txcowboy52]

I retired 2 years ago December, with the thought that I would be able to shoot more, cast more and reload more . Was I ever mistaken! I work more now around the house than I ever thought possible. When someone asks me about being retired, I say I’m not retired I’m under new management! It seems there is always something to be done.

[Fitz]

Told my sweetheart that she can down size when I am gone Or if she goes first I will upsize buy removing her stuff , but remember things are worth much more than I told you I paid for them, we both get a chuckle from that , will probably be the poor kids and then its their problem .

[myg30]

I have the sneaking feeling that she is talking about you downsizing your stuff rather than 'hers'.

Yup, that’s what mine was thinking by saying “WE” need to down size, meaning you have to much stuff and when we move it’s got to go or at least start organizing it and get rid of what you don’t need !
I wanted to be in the country, she wanted to be on the lake, neither got what we wanted but were really close to the lake and NOT in the country.
Me idea of retirement like yours fixit didn’t workout so well fer me or her kinda, but I love her and we get along.
My shooting hobbie is minimal. I have to travel 30 miles to a outdoor shooting range.
Good luck my friend. I hope you both find a good fair compromise !

Mike

[myg30]

I retired 2 years ago December, with the thought that I would be able to shoot more, cast more and reload more . Was I ever mistaken! I work more now around the house than I ever thought possible. When someone asks me about being retired, I say I’m not retired I’m under new management! It seems there is always something to be done.

You hit the nail on the head! Fixit he speaks the truth here !! Remember his post !

[CastingFool]

the word is hate is "organize" it's double speak for get rid of stuff you don't use. lol

[45workhorse]

Retirement, the hours are awesome, the pay sucks!

[cwtebay]

I am not so close to retirement as the OP, but my wife suggested this in January. I wholeheartedly agreed and consolidated the things I wished to keep and then asked her to do the same. Her's amounted to 4 cardboard boxes of old cords. Mine amounted to quite a bit more - but consolidated to about a corner of the shop. House and garage completely scrubbed of my existence - she got the point in roughly March when she noticed the bear rug, antelope skull and elk mounts were missing. Compromise is a positive thing for all of us!

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[Winger Ed.]

The in-laws talked like that to each other.
However- All Mom's stuff was 'collectable', and really just needed dusting off.
Pop's? Well, all his stuff was just junk.

When some item of Pop's was particularly offensive- he'd take it outside, pass by the trash can, and put it in the car trunk.

[jimlj]

I retired 2 years ago December, with the thought that I would be able to shoot more, cast more and reload more . Was I ever mistaken! I work more now around the house than I ever thought possible. When someone asks me about being retired, I say I’m not retired I’m under new management! It seems there is always something to be done.

Txcowboy, you're only an apprentice at this thing called retirement. Give it some time and the chores around the house will get finished. Your free time will increase and you can fill it as you please. (at least I can. It took me about 5 years to start getting that free time) Retirement has been good for me and my "new management" is great.


Fixit, downsizing, at least for me has been liberating. I still have a long way to go, but start getting rid of things you don't need. I got rid of several "projects" and the tools to do them I no longer have interest or desire to do. My wife has done the same and it's made the last move so much easier.

[Dekota56]

My Wife brought it up more then once, all I did is laugh, she got the hint. That is all it took. She doesn’t even go into my stuff except doing my laundry. But I keep her happy by going on vacations several times a year. We are in our mid 60’s.

[Wayne Smith]

First, ask her what she is downsizing. When we moved into this house (28 years ago) and LOML stated "I'm NEVER moving again!" - I took her up on that and told her, when our oldest son moved out, that I did not lose a son, I gained a gun room. She did not argue. After 28 years in the house, woodworking, cooking, smoking meat, and casting boolits and reloading I dread the idea of moving anyway.

[Handloader109]

We moved to NWA about 13 years ago. Bought a decent size 1500 sf house in a small subdivision. No shop. Was taking up one side of the garage to do anything. Neighbors died and some moved and not as good folks moved in. Wife wanted to move and found current house. 3 acres, surrounded by several hundred more on 3 sides and by another 40 on south side owned by another large land owner. 1800sf upstairs, 1600 in almost full basement. 2 car garage, and 24x36 ft shop. Almost enough room for us.... wife can't say downsize, she picked it.


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[WRideout]

Retirement? Downsizing? We didn't retire, we just changed employers. Now we work for our children. My beloved has boxes of toys in the basement that no child will ever use again, but she will not willingly part with them. Also, after years of keeping all school papers from the children, we are now keeping the papers of our grandchildren. My tool collection keeps growing, and usable lumber is never discarded. We will be in this house until the kids put us in a home.

Wayne

[hiram]

I am retired and I am downsizing. I have been selling firearms and ammo at gun shows I can't use and reloading and other items here.

If I kick off, my wife is left with all my stuff. She said she'll throw it out or go to a dealer. A dealer means 20-30 cents on a dollar. I don't care that much if I sell something on the light side because selling it means getting rid of it and that's what I want to do. I will keep just a few items I enjoy and that are special to me. I have 2-3 items earmarked for friends as gifts. Whatever is left at that point she can do what she wants to. My most difficult item to sell is the Hornady lock-n load AP press.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Downsizing? like to a van down by the river?

[wv109323]

My motto about retirement " If you do good work, and work for tree, you can stay busy." It seems like the grandchildren have caught on.

[imashooter2]

Other than occasionally reminding me of the sad experience I had settling my Father’s estate, no. But we had frank discussions early on about our wants and desires. Then more talks as we aged and situations changed.

Sounds like you two need to have a meeting of the minds. Traveling and maintaining your home, toys and tools aren’t mutually exclusive things.

[armoredman]

The wife retired three years ago, and discovered she is way too young to be retired, especially since I have 5.5 years to go until I can retire. So, she's at work right now while I enjoy my day off. At least she can tell the new employers to shove it if she hates it.
Downsize? Not yet, maybe in a few years - right now I am finally getting the toys i wanted and couldn't afford for all the lean years with the non-working ex-wife.