If you are active and healthy but old enough to be what most people believe to be your retirement years, well, you really aren't retired until you pass away. Then again, if you no longer require a job in order to pay for your living expenses, from a financial point of view you are retired from the work force.

Good for you and maybe now you can do those things that you didn't have time for because your family and your employer required your attention.

So now how do you spend your time, besides watching television and browsing in the shopping malls for items of interest? You might even be lucky enough to eat out every night because your retirement income allows you to do so.

I like all kinds of food. So now I have time to cook those meals that I'm most fond of. Yes you can learn how to cook and save a whole lot of money while you really enjoy cooking those meals that you and your wife or husband enjoy eating in those expensive restaurants. Then again, who really knows if the chef that cooks your food is disease free and if his kitchen is as clean as it should be?

Yes being retired means that you really are independent from those responsibilities back in the days when you had to go to work each day. Do you miss that part of your life?

In a way I miss being so active but I still manage to make some contribution to the well being of society. I got a computer and for fun and a few pennies of income each day, I write stories that are published on the Internet. Believe it or not, writing is a most enjoyable way to pass the time. You also meet a whole lot of people who do the same thing.

It is also an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. Wisdom and experience is the secret to being a successful writer. I wrote a novel that I'm trying to get published. Those who have reached their retirement years do have a whole lot to offer for the good and/or enjoyment of others. You can even go back to school and try some other means of earning additional money, if that's your goal.

Toward my goal and since I love music, I created a home media business. The software I purchased that I installed in my computer allows me to play phonograph records and tapes into my computer, from which I make custom music CDs for people. They love the music but they no longer can play their records for one reason or another.

Be that as it may, I enjoy music and I have a huge collection of records. So too, I have a huge data base in my computer from which I can provide CDs to those who desire the wonderful music from forty or more years ago. I can also make DVDs from their video cam home movies or VHS tapes.

If you like to collect things like antiques, coins and stamps, you can also profit from your particular collecting interest by looking for bargains at flea markets and yard sales. In that regard, there's a load of treasure just waiting to be discovered.

If you like adventure, an RV or mobile home is a great way to tour the Country. In so doing you can also go treasure hunting. No doubt, whatever you find will help pay for your traveling expenses, and you might even discover the Mother Lode.

Since I'm not you I can only offer a few suggestions as to how you use all of your free time but you should now have an idea of some of the other ways that you can wisely use your time and have a whole lot of fun. Good luck and stay healthy.

Learn more about this author, Joseph Malek.
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