Well you are a wonderful dad and you can look yourself in the mirror and be proud of that. There'll be some on here that might have had successful careers that have set them up nicely financially. But that might have came at a price of not spending as much time with family as they'd have liked.
Retirement
- Thread starter Shieldsman
- Start date
archiesdad
Midfield
55 later this year. Mrs and I have a total figure in mind covering pension and savings, once we hit it I'm putting my sodding feet up! If we try hard I think 3 years max, maybe 2 with a couple of decent annual bonus payments at work.
Swindon On Tour
Striker
Not just that though Mate.
A massive mental decision involving other factors, other family members, suddenly with plenty of time on your hands etc.
That question - Can you afford it? not always black and white either.
This thread has been useful. Some responses were real confidant boosters.
I for one found making the decision not straightforward or easy.
Guilt one factor I faced, that may sound daft, my Mrs (no) still working.
Equally some real good financial advice on here.
The 4th post on the thread is a link to an article giving loads of tips about retirement.
There are loads of tips from posters on the expenses people need to think about, tax, where the state pension fits into the analysis, and other ways of doing it - slow wind downs vs abrupt stops.
There is lots of lively discussion about the relative importance of retiring early enough to have the time and energy to enjoy it, and making sure you don't run out of money.
And loads of interesting anecdotes that people can learn from or simply enjoy.
The content of your inexplicably angry entrance to the thread, at post number 1,374, demonstrates that you haven't read it. Your demands that people "point" you to helpful tips just underscores that you haven't read it. There are absolutely loads.
And even if the thread was the cock-waving contest you imagine it to be (it isn't), so f**king what? It's a free country. Don't read it if you don't like it.
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Swindon On Tour
Striker
Well said.
My Mrs (no) sacrificed her career, less money but She spent all her time with both boys working from home, school holidays etc.
Said She never regretted that once and would do it again.
Family everything @ATS should feel proud, no doubt some days are tough.
Can't beat a decent bit of frogs pornThere’s a puddle along a local nature trail that’s full of frogs, you can hear them before you see them. I could spend hours just standing and watching
dangermows
Striker
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I think that’s the best way to decide on when to retire .
Have a figure to aim for and once you hit it jobs a good un.
archiesdad
Midfield
Nee idea if its the right figure mind 
Don’t think anyone does tbh. No doubt that figure goes up and down during one’s life.Nee idea if its the right figure mind
Everyone is different .
Personally I could live on the state pension .
OldNewtown
Midfield
I actually made the decision to retire without having actual figures.
It was my intention to work reduced hours for another 3 years until my wife was closer to retirement however my boss played sticky, comments such as business need, authority required from higher management etc. So I just said F it I'll make it easy and just go. Higher management had a word offering reduced hours but by that stage the figures had come through and were a bit better than expected, not brilliant but enough. My wife said she'd rather have the real me back rather than a stressed out screaming maniacally depressed version of me and that we would cope, thank you darling, so I retired.
Money isn't everything, as long as you have enough to get by. I must confess that life got a lot better after retiring.
Aww thank you @JJH, you are a wonderful person yourself. I’ll never forget your kindness xx
Thank you @Swindon On Tour xx
Thank you very much (I am her Mam though not her Dad
). I wouldn’t change anything to be honest, I absolutely adore her. Just not looking forward to being old, skint and finding it harder to care for her
xxThank you @dangermows xx
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Swindon On Tour
Striker
Aww thank you @JJH, you are a wonderful person yourself. I’ll never forget your kindness xx
Thank you @Swindon On Tour xx
Thank you very much (I am her Mam though not her Dad
I wouldn’t change anything to be honest, I absolutely adore her. Just not looking forward to being old, skint and finding it harder to care for her
Thank you @dangermows xx
Some days will be tough, some days emotional but a smile will lighten up the World.
Never judge or compare yourself to others but take the positives out of what you have.
You are lucky not to be listening to that Corporate shite for a start
Spring is here to lift you. xx
I was talking to a bloke in the village quite a few years ago and I said that I was looking to take my lot and work part time when I got to 50. He looked at me as though I was daft “ you might not have enough “ was his words.
I’d rather work less even if I had to work a bit longer
He didn’t finish until he was 65 having 2 good careers with 1 being the military.
Roll forward to his 66th and a prostate Cancer diagnosis which he is well from but I don’t want to be like him, Obsessive about money. Yes you need to be comfortable in your old
Age and not worry about putting the heating on for instance but I would rather work less even if it means for a bit longer.
So true marra, I am luckier than millions of people in the world for a start. At least I have a roof over my head and am not starving like all those poor people in Africa etc.Some days will be tough, some days emotional but a smile will lighten up the World.
Never judge or compare yourself to others but take the positives out of what you have.
You are lucky not to be listening to that Corporate shite for a start
Spring is here to lift you. xx
Thank you for that post, it does put things into perspective xx
It’s about having enough for what you want and not necessarily more. If you want to carry on spending what you do now then you will need to carry on working or have enough savings or investments to draw on to maintain that lifestyle.
I’m happy to scale back my spending but have more time to do nice stuff that isn’t really expensive to do.
I’ve got cabinets of guns but too tired to go shooting. I’ve got a fishing boat that’s not been in the sea for 2 years as working gets in the way.
We both did shift work when the bairn was little. She remembers that there was pretty much always one of us there at functions and the likes but very rarely both of us. That’s ok though as she wanted for nothing and we did have some great experiences just often it wasn’t all of us. Saying that, working Monday-Friday would really only leave weekends but we did stuff after school days and in holidays lots but the trade off was not all 3 of us.
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Sunderland Til I Cry
Winger
What a lovely post, i’m so glad you found your way out and it’s improved your life. An inspiration to some i hope.
DaveH
Striker
it is great when you have a wife like that.
About 18 years ago, we had just moved house and had our first baby on the way, but I had made a huge career mistake going into a slightly different area and it was having a huge negative effect on me. Although it would have been a struggle, we had a bit in savings and my wife was supportive of me just quitting. I was on a 18th month probation, at which point my notice period would go from 1 month to 3 months. We had both agreed that if I had not found a new job by probation date then I would just walk and we would deal with it.
I was a bit daft and worried that it would look bad on my CV if I didn't last a year, so I stuck it out to 12 months then got applying. Found a new job within 6 weeks, and really I should have left there straight away. If I had described why I had left the other job so quickly there are very few interview panels who would not have accepted my answer.
Sunderland Til I Cry
Winger
Actually ATS, it’s YOU and your post further up that puts things into perspective, what a wonderful story of commitment and love, money just can’t buy what you have and who you are. For me it’s a crying shame you need to worry about retirement, folks like you should be taken care of.
Paddy O'Dors
Striker
Lots of helpful tips about pensions mind.
