How to stay busy and happy in retirement

Photo by Jordan Whitt | Unsplash.com

By Elliot Raphaelson
Posted on October 29, 2025

I have been retired from full-time work for 30 years now, and I probably have been more active during retirement than when I was working full-time.

Many individuals in retirement are bored because they have not found activities that give them satisfaction. Maybe that’s because they haven’t tried hard enough to find activities that challenge them.

During my “retirement,” I have taught personal finance courses at local colleges, volunteered for the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) advising small business owners, volunteered at AARP helping individuals file their taxes, and conducted seminars on personal finance for AARP members.

For more than 15 years, I volunteered in Orlando, Florida, with my wife as a state-certified court mediator helping individuals deal with debt collectors and other financial issues.

Of course, for the past 15 years, I have been writing a syndicated personal finance column. I encourage my readers to ask any questions they have regarding personal finance issues.

It is not unusual to receive 100 responses to columns, especially when new Social Security regulations or tax regulations change. I try to answer all the responses I receive.

Many readers ask me complicated questions that require some research. Fortunately, experts in the field are happy to respond to complex issues. For example, I receive many inquiries regarding retirement plans, and when I ask the experts at Ed Slott’s group for advice, they generally respond with an accurate answer the same day. Regarding Social Security issues, I work with several experts, and I receive prompt responses.

Find a hobby

It’s important to find activities to fill your hours. If you are interested in expanding your education, most local colleges are offering free or inexpensive courses for you to develop new skills and new hobbies.

One of my favorite activities is playing contract bridge, which I have played for more than 60 years. One of my favorite partners just celebrated his 95th birthday, and he plays better than most of our opponents. Playing bridge will keep you young and help you maintain the life skills you need.

I prefer duplicate bridge because you only compete against players who receive the same cards as you do, so you don’t have the excuse of receiving poor cards. If you enjoy playing cards, you won’t find a more challenging game.

In most locations in the U.S., you can take courses at minimal costs. At the bridge club I belong to, for a $5 fee, you receive excellent training for several hours for beginners and intermediate levels. After the course is over, you can then play duplicate bridge with experienced players for three hours for a $10 fee, with refreshments, five times a week in a friendly environment.

Once you become more experienced, you can attend regional and national tournaments to test your skill against experienced players. You may play against Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, who are both avid bridge players.

Bottom line: There is no excuse to be bored in retirement. Your local paper will generally indicate ways to volunteer, learn new hobbies. and expand your education.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com.