Meridian News
What to do Before You Retire
March 1, 2020

Entering a new season of life can be daunting, no matter how good and exciting it is. Retirement is no different. Preparing for the financial side of things is important, but so is planning what you’re going to do with your newfound free time. Here are some things you can start doing now to help you prepare for and get even more excited about retirement.

1. Research recipes

Once you retire, you won’t be rushing home from work to make dinner, and you can spend a little more time on making meals special. Start collecting recipes you want to try. Explore cuisine from another culture or country or learn some more advanced versions of recipes you love. Before you invest money and storage space in a cookbook, see if your local library has some you can borrow. The Food Network also has numerous free online recipes and video tutorials. If you make an account on their website, you can save and organize recipes until you’re ready to make them. You can also make it a social activity by taking a class with your spouse or friend on how to make a specific dish, like paella, or get ready to wow your friends and family at your next get-together by perfecting charcuterie boards, appetizers and desserts.

2. Start dreaming

Retirement is a great time to learn how to do things you’ve always wanted to try or invest more time into the activities you already love to do. You won’t have a work schedule holding you back, so you can volunteer for an organization that you’re passionate about during work hours. Here is a list of nonprofits in Stillwater to contact about opportunities. Your job won’t be taking the majority of your mental power anymore, so you can give yourself a fun challenge by taking classes on subjects you’re interested in. Whether you want to grow your technical skills with computer classes at the library or wow your grandkids with your balloon art skills, have fun with your newly freed schedule and do what you love.

3. Prepare your funds

You’ve probably been saving and preparing for retirement for a while now, and you’re probably revisiting your budget, researching how to get more out of your credit card, and making a plan for where you’re going to live. You may be planning to find a more affordable place to live or to stay in your current home. Either way, your home may take some renovations to prepare it for market or to make it an even more pleasant place to spend your time. Bathrooms and kitchens are some of the most popular areas to renovate, so learning how to install cabinets and countertops yourself may be able to save quite a bit of money. If you’re planning to stay in your home, here are some popular renovations for retirees as well.

If you’d like to learn more about how to prepare for retirement, sign up for our short course, Ready Set Retire. It’ll cover the less fun, but very practical aspects of what you need to consider before you retire. From healthcare and insurance to portfolio management and estate planning, you’ll get answers to your questions and concerns and gain the knowledge you need to manage your financial resources in retirement. To register call 405.377.3333. To find out about more courses like this sign up for our monthly e-newsletter. View all of our upcoming courses in our digital catalog.

Abby McCain is a Communications and Marketing Specialist at Meridian Technology Center.

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