Retiring is a fact of life, and something that we should all plan for. Most of us also look forward to it. But once you actually find yourself retired, and comfortable because you have planned for it properly, you may wonder what is next. Should you, like retiree Elvis Dzebic, live in New York City or near it, then the world really is your oyster.
You need to see your retirement as your next career move, and one in which you will be active and happy. It has to be satisfying, because being retired is a full time job. You can’t slack off, in other words. You will find that there is this period of time during which you need to adjust. You will probably really enjoy being able to stay up late and sleep in as long as you want, but that grows tiring after a while. And, like many people, you may come to the point where you think you have made a horrible mistake. You haven’t, however, and if you ride that period out, you will soon come to see that the full time job of being a retiree is the best job you have ever had.
One of the coolest things about being retired is that you can get lots of things for free! If you are not too proud to say the words “I am retired, I am a senior, and I have a limited income”, then you would be surprised at the amount of doors that will open to you! Feel free to practice that sentence in the mirror, in other words, because it will serve you very well. The golden rule of retirement is: why pay for something if you can get it for free?
New York Freebies
If you are in New York, head on over to the many museums. The Brooklyn Museum, for instance, hosts the Target First on Saturday nights from October onwards, and it is every Saturday evening from 5pm to 11pm. This means you can see fantastic things like the el Anatsui exhibit, without it costing you a dime. The entire Egyptian collection is out of this world, and you could spend a good few Saturday nights exploring that alone. Of course, you can visit the museum on any day you like, particularly because you can enjoy the reduced rate of an $8 entry fee if you are over the age of 62.
You can’t be in New York without knowing the Guggenheim Museum. What they offer, also on Saturday nights but between 5.45pm and 7.45pm, is the “Pay what You Wish” entry. This means that you can pay as little – or as much – as you want. Nobody will look badly towards you if you only don’t put anything in at all, particularly if you have practiced your sentence!
Last but not least, there is the Neue Gallerie, where you can spot German and Austrian design and art from the start of the 20th century. On Friday nights, entry is free between 6pm and 8pm, although this tends to be only once per month. The money you didn’t spend on the entry can be put towards a nice piece of cake at the Café Sabarsky in the museum as well.