We are already well into 2020. Regardless of whether you are one of those people that make resolutions, go with the flow, or something in between, why not try a couple of new retirement adventures this year (also good for pre-retirees). There are literally hundreds (even thousands) of possibilities but I’ve given you a great starter list of 25 options.

Sports and Fitness

• Go for a nice long walk and listen to a podcast or audio book. If the subject matter is interesting enough, it will make the time pass quickly.
• Do the podcast or audio book thing on a bike ride, assuming you are not riding where you need to keep your ears wide open.
• Try a chair workout. This may sound like an oxymoron but if you have a serious leg injury, like I did a couple of years ago, it can help you get your muscles toned and blood flowing.
• Find a local gym that will give you a free day (or several day) trial. Even better if they offer Silver Sneakers – which is free to many who are on Medicare.
• Give yoga a try. Yoga has more benefits than almost anything else you can do. And if you fear being scorned because you are an amateur, have no fear. Experienced yogis love to see new participants (as they all were at one time).
• Participate in a charity walk/run. Good cause plus great exercise: what could be better.
• Try pickle ball. They say it’s the fastest growing sport for those over 50. Plus, it’s not too hard and really fun.

Travel, Arts, Education

• Take an overnight trip to a town at least an hour away from your home.
• Take an all-day road trip – the kind of thing you used to do on a spur of the moment.
• Join an organized tour of your own town. You may be surprised by how many new things there are to discover.
• Visit a museum you haven’t thought of before. Even better if you qualify for discount entrance fees.
• Take a class at the local community college or senior center (if you qualify). A great way to learn something and meet people.
• Learn a brand new technical skill that helps you communicate like email, social media, or Skype. Your kids and/or grandkids will appreciate this.

Community

• Start a dinner club. Four to six couples (singles also work) take turns hosting a monthly dinner. The host plans the menu and serves the main course and everyone else brings side dishes, appetizers, desert and beverages.
• Invent a new drink (or dessert if you prefer) and invite friends over to try it out.
• Host a wine tasting at your house. These can be fun and educational.
• Try a local meetup group. You can find a list of many different types of groups at meetup.com. In my area, groups include book clubs, investors, hikers, boardgames, yoga, political and religious groups.
• If you know anything about business, go volunteer at your local SCORE office. There are lots of young entrepreneurs that can use your mentoring and/or teaching skills.
• Volunteer for an environmental-friendly cause (e.g. cleaning parks, playgrounds, roadways. It will improve your fitness and your outlook on life. This is also a great way to meet like-minded people.

Home-Based

• Pick up a jigsaw puzzle or paint-by-number set.
• Plant something. Depending on scope, gardening can be good exercise and is always good for the soul.
• Pull out your old photo albums – wedding, family, vacation – and relive great memories.
• Refinish a piece of furniture. This is a great hobby and if you get really good at it, can become a part-time moneymaking endeavor.
• Make a list of at least 50 things you are grateful for – yes you can do it.
• De-clutter your house. If you are like most of us (including me), you have lots of stuff you never use. Sell it at a garage sale, or via Craigslist or Facebook. Even better, give it to Goodwill or ARC and let it be a blessing to others.  Source...
  

Hope you enjoyed this list of fun and productive activities. For more ideas on retirement adventures (also for pre-retirees), read Colleen Milner’s article, Activities and Hobbies for a Fun and Active Life.

For Additional Info: Manage Mood Swings

It is Possible to Successfully Deal With Mood Swings!

So many people, especially those Over 50, are looking for ways to assure better sleep!

These ten tips are simple and can be easily incorporated into your day and evening routines.
​
Getting enough sleep is important because it helps you feel better during the day.  Sleep also plays a critical role in maintaining your good health. according to The Sleep Council.

• Bad sleep is chronic. Poor sleep results in an increased risk of developing chronic conditions.
• Hormones wreak havoc. Missing out on adequate sleep can interfere with your body’s hormones.
• Compromises your immunity system. Lack of sleep can also affect your immune system.

You need to “power down” your brain  if you’re going to sleep well. Meditation is a great way to give your brain a break. Label your bedroom as a worry-free zone so you can sleep soundly.

Keep everything that relates to work or stress in a separate room which is physically separated from where you sleep. That means your phone, TV, paperwork, bills, etc., will be out of sight and, hopefully, out of mind!

Did you know that we spend 33% of our lives asleep? Therefore, improving sleep means improving 1/3 of your life!

These Top 7 Considerations will help you focus:

1. Your Budget – Take a realistic look at your finances and determine what you can afford to spend. Then you can start looking for destinations that fit into your budget.
2. Length of Time for Vacation – How much time can you be gone from home? Are you considering a lengthy vacation or long weekend vacations?
3. Time of Year for Vacation – Are you flexible with the time of year for your vacation or do jobs and/or school schedule’s dictate when you can go. If you travel during the shoulder* season and not during the peak travel times, that will save you money.
4. Climate and US vs. International Travel – Do you like it hot and tropical or cold and wintry? Do you want to stay in North America or travel internationally? These are both personal preferences to consider.
5. Mode of Transportation – How do you want to travel? Do you want to take a road trip or sit back and relax on a plane, train or ship?
6. Main goal of the vacation? Do you want to relax and do nothing, participate in outdoor activities, take in culture or even have a volunteer vacation? Also, consideration should be given to the interests of other members of your travel party, such as children or older family or friends.
7. Visiting Family During a Vacation – Visiting family during a trip may limit your travel, but not necessarily. For instance, you can have a stopover before or after the main part of your trip. That way everyone is happy!

Going over the Top 7 Considerations listed above and checking them off will make the vacation planning much less daunting.
*Shoulder Season – This is the travel season between peak and off-peak seasons, when fares tend to be lower. This season is usually spring and fall. When traveling to Europe it is generally April through mid-June, September, and October.
Now, get busy planning a vacation that is long, overdue! Related Post: Colorado Vacations
More info on Planning a Vacation during this COVID 19 era: Travel

Honey is one of nature’s natural sweeteners, but it also has many health benefits you may not be aware of. Honey is loaded with antibacterial and anti-fungal properties that have been used and appreciated since Ancient Egypt.  Check out the many health benefits below, and start using more “liquid gold” in your daily routine to reap it’s benefits!
​
All Natural Energy Drink

Honey is comprised of 80% carbohydrates, so even one teaspoon is a big boost of energy for your body. It’s an all natural form of glucose and fructose, and it’s liquid form means it enters your bloodstream quickly when a much needed energy boost is required!  Add it to tea or lemon water for a quick pick me up!

Alleviates Allergies

Honey has anti-inflammatory properties and many say it helps to soothe coughs and reduce symptoms of seasonal allergies. There are no clinical studies proving its efficacy, but Dr. Matthew Brennecke, a board certified naturopathic doctor in Fort Collins, Colo. says “A common theory is that honey acts like a natural vaccine.” It contains small amounts of pollen, which if the body is exposed to small amounts of it, it can trigger an immune response that produces antibodies to the pollen. “After repeated exposure, you should build up these antibodies and the body should become accustomed to their presence so that less histamine is released, resulting in a lesser allergic response.”

Boosts Memory

Honey is full of antioxidants that may help brain cells. A 2011 study published in Menopause found that a daily spoonful of Malaysian honey may boost postmenopausal women’s memory.  After four months of taking 20 grams of honey a day, the women were more likely to have better short-term memory than their counterparts who took hormone pills.
 The brain also needs calcium in order to process thoughts and make decisions, and honey helps with the absorption of calcium!

Cough Suppressant

Honey’s thick consistency helps to coat the throat and suppresses the trigger to cough.  Two tablespoons are said to do the trick! One of the great health benefits of honey!

Sleep Aid

That’s right!  Honey contains many amino acids, including tryptophan which is often associated with turkey – this explains why we get so sleepy after a big Thanksgiving dinner! Honey also helps to release serotonin which is then converted to melatonin, which also helps with a good night’s sleep!

Treats Dandruff

Mix honey with a little warm water and apply to problem areas on the scalp. Leave it on for three hours before rinsing and it is said to help with itching and scaling associated with dandruff.

Treats Wounds and Burns

Honey’s antiseptic and antibacterial properties help heal wounds quickly and naturally when applied topically. A 2005 study published in the British Journal of Surgery found all but one patient who suffered from wounds and leg ulcers showed remarkable improvement after applying a topical application of honey.

​

According to an April 2, 2020 article in Forbes, a MagnifyMoney survey found that 38% of investors are worried they’ll lose all their retirement savings due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Millions of Americans have filed for unemployment during this social. This double sledgehammer of job loss and dwindling assets is a hard burden to bear. The need for protecting retirement finances is even greater in the COVID era.

Many people are staying in their jobs and delaying plans for retirement – that is, if they have a job at all. Some are losing sleep due to concern about their future. A lot of us feel that we are in the grip of forces beyond our control – all because of an invisible bug/virus which has potentially done more damage to the economy than anything since the great depression. This loss of control and uncertainty can be as damaging as the financial impact itself.

Here are some things to consider doing (and not doing). After all, sometimes non-action is preferable to action, especially if your action is driven by emotion or short-term panic.

Prepare your financial documents. It’s hard to make financial changes if you don’t have a starting benchmark. Basically, you need to know the details in three areas.

1. Compile your assets and liabilities to create a balance sheet/net worth statement. Don’t be surprised if it has taken a hit due to the COVID crisis, but this does not mean the future can’t be better. And for a perspective about why its not just about the finances, read Mark Evan Chimsky’s excellent article, The Retirement Balance Sheet that Will Change Your Life.
2. Capture all sources of income, including wages, business, pensions, social security, trusts, dividends, draw-downs from investments, and any other sources of income.
3. Craft a budget, outlining all of your fixed and variable spending. You will now be in a position to take effective actions.

Cut your spending. There are many things you can do to reduce spending and the tendency is to dismiss some of these as trivial. Here are some examples of expenses to reduce:

• Travel.
• High credit card payments.
• Investment and banking fees.
• Clothing.
• Live entertainment.
• Insurance.
• Media and Internet.
• Mobile phone.
• Automobile.
• Coffee.

Maintain an emergency fund. Now, more than ever, you need to keep 6-12 months of expenses in an account you can get to easily, with no withdrawal penalties. This fund will help ensure that you don’t have to cash in under-performing assets to pay current and or unexpected expenses.

Get relief. If you happen to be one of the many who are taking a big financial hit due to the COVID financial crisis, you may be able to gain relief in the form of delayed mortgage, auto, credit card and other payments – usually without interest or credit report penalty. There are also expanded unemployment and other benefits.

Believe in the future. There have been numerous events that caused the stock market to fall – sometimes major and sometimes minor. These include the Spanish Flu pandemic, Great Depression, World War I and II, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, SARS, MERS, Swine Flu, Ebola, the 2008-2009 housing crisis, and so forth. You get the picture – life happens. However, all of these events have one thing in common, they did not stop the upward momentum of the market. Don’t forget that lots of people sold stocks when the Dow was at its lowest point in 2008, convinced that the worst was yet to come. Yet, between 2008 and 2020 the index rose almost four-fold before dropping due to the coronavirus crisis. Please don’t be one of those who sells at the low point in the market and buys back in again when stock prices are higher.

Take advantage of the stock sale. Many great stocks are now “on sale”.

Buckle up for the future. You may have heard prognosticators talk about a “V” shaped recovery, meaning that the stock prices imploded quickly but will also come back quickly once they hit bottom. Many health experts predict that the virus will occur in waves, with perhaps significant relief late spring or summer, with another wave of COVID-19 rearing its ugly head this fall. For more about this, read my article about Achieving Financial Peace of Mind in Retirement.
As mentioned above, before acting on these recommendations, particularly the purchase or sale of assets, you should talk to a financial professional about the specifics of your situation. Preferably, use an adviser who specializes in retirement finances instead of an individual who is a financial generalist. Chances are your situation and objectives are vastly different than someone who is decades younger and you want an action plan that reflects this.
Visit here for more information on protecting retirement finances.