Retirement marks the end of your professional career, but it brings changes beyond your paycheck and finances.
As you prepare for retirement, remember that your lifestyle will dramatically shift when you no longer work full-time, and it can be a good idea to prepare yourself for some of those changes ahead of time.
Here are 10 things that go away the second you retire from your job.
Earn cash back on everyday purchases with this rare account
Want to earn cash back on your everyday purchases without using a credit card? With the Discover®️ Cashback Debit Checking account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!1 <p>See website for details.</p>
With no credit check to apply and no monthly fees to worry about, you can earn nearly passive income on purchases you’re making anyway — up to an extra $360 a year!
This rare checking account has other great perks too, like access to your paycheck up to 2 days early with Early Pay, no minimum deposit or monthly balance requirements, over 60K fee-free ATMs, and the ability to add cash to your account at Walmart stores nationwide.
Don’t leave money on the table — it only takes minutes to apply and it won’t impact your credit score.
Apply for a Discover Cashback Checking account today
Your morning alarm
/images/2024/11/21/man-turning-off-alarm-from-bed.jpeg)
Unless you're a morning person, you can finally say goodbye to that pesky AM alarm. That means no more rushing out the door half-asleep or scrambling to wolf down a quick and unsatisfying breakfast.
Instead, you can take your time getting out of bed and savor that delicious breakfast sandwich with a newfound peace of mind.
Your boss (and deadlines)
/images/2024/10/27/boss_screaming.jpg)
Retirement means you no longer answer to anyone (aside from maybe your spouse). So, that means no more emails from your boss in the middle of the night or endless workplace deadlines.
Your stress levels will plummet as you settle into your new life. Things will begin to slow down, and you'll be able to appreciate the little things in life much more when you're no longer in the grind of work.
Workplace socializing and friendships
/images/2024/01/09/young-boss-adobe.jpg)
Many don't realize the amount of social interaction at work, which all disappears in retirement.
That means no more watercooler (or Slack) gossip, company happy hours, corporate retreats, lunches, and so on.
If you’re over 50, take advantage of massive discounts and financial resources
Over 50? Join AARP today — because if you’re not a member you could be missing out on huge perks. When you start your membership today, you can get discounts on things like travel, meal deliveries, eyeglasses, prescriptions that aren’t covered by insurance and more.
How to become a member today:
- Go here, select your free gift, and click “Join Today”
- Create your account (important!) by answering a few simple questions
- Start enjoying your discounts and perks!
You’ll also get insider info on social security, job listings, caregiving, and retirement planning. And you’ll get access to AARP’s Fraud Watch Network to help you protect your money, as well as tools to help you plan for retirement.
Important: Start your membership by creating an account here and filling in all of the information (Do not skip this step!) Doing so will allow you to take up 25% off your AARP membership, making it just $15 the first year with auto-renewal.
Your commute
/images/2025/01/09/people_subway_train.jpg)
The daily grind of traffic or a packed train ride will finally be over once you retire, and you won't have to contend with any more rush-hour stress or worries about making it to work on time.
Considering the average American spends 25 minutes commuting one way, that's close to an hour you'll instantly get back in retirement. With that extra time in the day, you can take up a new hobby or other fun activity. And you never have to worry about merging onto the freeway ever again!
Your weekly routine
/images/2022/11/09/woman_hands_writing_agenda_on_calendar_desk.jpg)
Work provides us with a very consistent routine, week in and week out. Once you're no longer working, that disappears.
But, there's good news here, since this gives you a lot more flexibility to plan trips, go on daily excursions, and take long vacations out of town.
Trending Stories
Your work wardrobe
/images/2022/06/10/mens_suits_on_hangers_in_different_colors.jpg)
You can finally say goodbye to business casual, uniforms, and dress shoes.
Once you retire, you can wear whatever you want, whenever you want, focusing on comfort over everything else.
While some retirees might miss the put-together look of office attire, you'll save yourself from all of those other headaches associated with keeping your professional clothes looking good. No more dry cleaning, alterations, shoe shining, or figuring out how to tie a tie while half-awake.
Daily mental challenges
/images/2024/04/09/tired-man-working-at-a-computer.jpg)
While work can be stressful and grinding sometimes, it still provides daily mental stimulation.
Keeping your mind sharp in retirement requires daily intellectual challenges, and you'll have to find creative ways to get them in without a job.
Whether it's learning a new language, a new skill, or another challenging mental task, it's important to keep yourself engaged daily to make sure your mind stays sharp.
Company perks
/images/2025/01/25/dentist-showing-patients-teeth-adobe.jpg)
Those small (and large) things you took for granted while employed all go away when you retire.
No more free coffee in the break room, employer-sponsored gym memberships, or health insurance. That could mean more out-of-pocket expenses for you, but it could also give you a chance to work on your coffee-brewing skills at home.
A sense of professional identity
/images/2025/02/05/businesswoman-talking-on-phone-at-office.jpg)
When you're in an industry long enough, it becomes part of your identity. Parting with that in retirement can be a challenge.
You'll have to find other things to fill that void, and your sense of self-worth will change once you're no longer a full-time worker.
In 2023 Americans lost over $10 billion to identity theft and fraud
That's right. According to the FTC, Americans lost over $10 Billion to fraud and identity theft in 2023.
But you can safeguard your data with all-in-one identity theft protection services from Aura which comes with $1,000,000.00 in identity theft insurance2 <p>Identity Theft Insurance underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group‚ Inc. The description herein is a summary and intended for informational purposes only and does not include all terms‚ conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for terms‚ conditions‚ and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.</p> per adult, to cover you should you have eligible identity theft-related losses.
An individual plan starts at $9 per month, and you can choose a family plan that outmatches most others - includes Dark Web monitoring to scour data breaches and leaks for your sensitive personal data — such as Social Security numbers (SSN), Medicare information, and phone numbers.
Before you make your next online purchase, protect what you’ve built for a fraction of what it could cost you if your data were compromised.
Work-Related travel
/images/2025/01/17/check-in-counter-in-the-airport-adobe.jpg)
The days of a free work trip across the country will end once you retire.
While that means no more training, packed conferences, or client meetings, you'll also miss out on exploring other parts of the world while on the company dime.
Bottom line
/images/2024/04/21/athletic-retirees-doing-yoga.jpg)
Part of your retirement plan should include a way to deal with all of these abrupt lifestyle changes. Find ways to fill your days so you're not stuck inside your house doing nothing.
Preparing for these changes will make the transition to retired life much easier for you. That way, you can enjoy your new life to the fullest.
FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.
Earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month.1 <p>See website for details.</p> No minimum deposit or balance. FDIC Insured.
Become a member and enjoy discounts on things like travel, meal deliveries, eyeglasses, and more.
Helps to identify and prevent fraud in real-time with 24/7 U.S.-based support.
Subscribe Today
Unlock the Best Banking Deals and Bonuses
From high-yield savings accounts to cashback checking and sign-up bonuses, we bring you the best banking offers to grow your money smarter.