Going thru same myself just getting all lined up taking redundancy and turned 55 so sticking FS pension into a drawdown bit of a gamble but hey ho.
Done my bit let the youngsters take over
That's where i'm at.Me and my Wife retired April 2022, i was 55 and she was 51, it is the best thing we ever did and if you can afford it just do it. We had many neigh sayers telling us we’d be bored, would return to work after 6 months or be dead after a few months as “they know someone who retired early then died a few months later”, seriously the amount of people who said that to us was unbelievable, like work alone keeps you alive
We love the slow pace of life, we can do f@ck all and be happy as Larry, we walk, travel, do all of the hobbies we love and just enjoy life and each others company. As far as money is concerned you can enjoy your life on less than you think, we are all different but i’d rather have less money and less stress than the opposite. It’s not for everyone but grabbing some life and enjoying the family is like heaven to me, it is literally living the dream for us.
Good luck to anyone who is heading that way, you‘ll love it.
If you’re in good health and can take up couple hobbies then don’t see how get bored / lost off . Might be different if you retire and your other half still working I suppose , either way though loads of enjoyable stuff you could do
Conversations you never have in your 30/40s
Wish I had, I'd be retired now if I'd planned a bit and pissed less away.If you’re in good health and can take up couple hobbies then don’t see how get bored / lost off . Might be different if you retire and your other half still working I suppose , either way though loads of enjoyable stuff you could do
Conversations you never have in your 30/40s
Fair pointsYou do realise you'll be getting nearly £600 a week with those figures don't you?
Your last sentence proves what I said in my first post, those fellas might be living their dream, obviously not yours and there's nothing wrong with either. I've just been out on my bike and got drenched some people will think that's the worst thing ever but I enjoyed it
Go on then , give us a run down of a normal week for a retiree . Genuinly interested
It’s obviously different for different people, and at first the extra free time takes an adjustment.
Thanks @Wearson appreciate that.It’s obviously different for different people, and at first the extra free time takes an adjustment.
However, you have more time to devote to your existing hobbies and the ability to take on more interests, particularly those that take time and may have been difficult when doing 9-5, like walking, golf, art etc .
You have the chance to do a it of voluntary work, that can be rewarding.
DIY becomes an interest rather than a chore, same with cooking. We all have “projects” in mind that we never had time for.
The ability to book appointments anytime can lead to getting more things done that you may have “not had time for” in the past. No just tradesmen etc but health appointments too.
You can accept invitations readily without worrying about work, means more trips and events.
Free bus and metro (£12 a year) travel helps.
All this can be done during the day time which frees up the evenings, and never have to worry about “drinking on a school night” etc
There is no weekly routine for me, but some folk like routines and they can be created. I’ve taken on an allotment which creates a routine of sorts.
Sadly the down side is you are obviously getting old if retired, so sometimes it nice to have the ability to do absolutely nothing should you wish, whenever you want
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