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Retirement Diaries: Kathie Shares Why She Retired In Tampa Bay

“A day in retirement is living and enjoying life to the fullest” — Kathie Youtz
Jul.31.2022
  • Lifestyle
  • Retirement
  • Retirement Diaries
    • Jul.31.2022

    Retirement Snapshot

    Kathie and her husband at Valentine's Day Dinner
    Kathie and her husband at Valentine’s Day Dinner
    Photo credit: Kathie Youtz
    • Location: Heritage Isles, Tampa Bay, Florida
    • Age: 74
    • Retired At: 65
    • Marital Status: Married 35 years
    • Profession: Purchasing Supervisor, General Electric. Then spent the last 15 years working as a realtor.

    For 10 years, Kathie Youtz has called Florida home. She and her husband, Larry, knew they wanted to be closer to their family and were looking for some warmer weather. While there are challenges in retirement, we also talked with her about what makes it so wonderful. 

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    Typical Day

    Retirement Awaits: What does a day in retirement look like for you? 

    Kathie: A day in retirement is living and enjoying life to the fullest.

    Retirement Reality

    Retirement Awaits: Is this what you pictured retirement to be? 

    Kathie: My husband and I didn’t know what retirement would be, other than we would have more free time to explore any opportunities that came along.

    Your Retirement Plan

    Retirement Awaits: Did you have a solid plan going into retirement?

    Kathie: There was no plan going into retirement, other than when retirement came along, we knew we were moving out of New York state to a warmer state: Florida.

    Best Part About Retirement

    Retirement Awaits: What’s the best part about retirement? 

    Kathie: The best part of retirement is the ability to be spontaneous. We enjoy beaches, vacations on cruise ships, sightseeing, volunteering, et cetera.

    Challenges In Retirement

    Retirement Awaits: What’s the biggest challenge in retirement?

    Kathie: The biggest challenge for retirees is trying to stay healthy. Eating better food, exercising, and drinking more water to keep hydrated.

    Cost Of Retirement

    Retirement Awaits: We want people to understand how much retirement really costs. How do you manage your money now? 

    Kathie: We have a financial adviser who is outstanding and keeps us on track to achieve our full income for the rest of our lives. It isn’t easy, but it works for us. With our investments made earlier in our careers, we planned ahead.

    Retirement Advice

    Retirement Awaits: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give someone about to retire? 

    Kathie: Make sure you are financially ready to retire, and know where you would like to retire and when.

    Things I Wish I Would Have Known

    Retirement Awaits: What are a few things you wish someone would have told you about retirement/this season of life/transition?

    Kathie: As you get older, more health issues occur. More doctor appointments, et cetera. Golden Years are probably younger years. Like 30 to 40. You can still have fun times, but perhaps not as often.

    If you’d like to connect with fellow retirees, join our Retirement Awaits Community!

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    • Image of Allison Godlove Allison Godlove View Full Profile

      Allison loves learning about new people and places and always jumps at the chance to take a trip. Whether it's visiting a town in her area or traveling across the country, she's up to explore!

      She has traveled outside the U.S. several times including trips to London, Switzerland, and a cruise through the Western Caribbean. Her favorite travel memory is visiting Sundsvall, Sweden, her great grandfather's birthplace. Growing up, she spent a lot of time with him, so it was special to see where he was born. It looked very similar to the town where she grew up in New York. Within the U.S., she continues to check states off the list, most recently making a trip to Alaska for her honeymoon.

      Allison spent almost 20 years of her career as a TV news anchor. She’s covered everything from political conventions to Super Bowl LV to hurricanes and, most recently, the pandemic. She is a two-time Emmy award-winning journalist. She's been recognized for her work nationally and regionally by organizations including the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists.