The Retirement Thread

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screenman

Squire
If a bike rides in the forest and I'm enjoying it, does it count as work?

Not if you enjoy doing it in my opinion.
 
After 33 jobs since I left school I'm not sure work suits me. I've resigned again and I don't know whether to go for number 34 with career type number 5 or retire.
The crux of the matter is how much do you need to live on? I know this has endless possibilities but for a basic life style how much?
I reckon fixed costs - assume no mortgage, council tax, water, gas and leccy + other stuff comes out around 6k.

What do folks reckon a cyclist + cycling wife can survive on whilst still being able to buy coffee/cake/beer/wine/tyres/bikes etc.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Forget foreign holidays, forget new German cars, forget the latest mobile phone, get that mortgage paid off. I've no sympathy for people who moan they won't be able to retire for the foreseeable, yet drive a 5 series on credit, have 2 foreign holidays a year, and a mortgage on a house with more bedrooms than family members.

Have it now, or have it later - most likely you can't have both.

I was quite lucky - my Ma was very anti credit, pro savings. My Dad kept drumming into me that "once you own your own house, you answer to no man" , and "you can only s*** on one toilet at a time son.". How right they both were.
 
OP
OP
Dirk

Dirk

If 6 Was 9
Location
Watchet
What do folks reckon a cyclist + cycling wife can survive on whilst still being able to buy coffee/cake/beer/wine/tyres/bikes etc.

A lot less than most folk reckon.;)
You alone know what your fixed annual costs are, everybody's varies.
I have been very pleasantly surprised at the seemingly contradictory fact that, since retiring, my income is less but my standard of living has improved.
Had a strange conversation with the missus the other day about making sure we are actually spending enough money. After all, there's no point in being a rich corpse. :laugh:
And things can only get better in 3 years time when our state pensions start to kick in.........
 
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Lee_M

Guru
BTW doing my 1 day of the week at work. It's rubbish!
 

Drago

Legendary Member
I'm spending about £800-£1000 a month on food, bills, insurance, fuel, clothes etc. Mrs D's pension covers that. Mine gets piped into the savings account, where it keeps the balance of my commutation company. Were quite disciplined and won't deviate from the plan except on the case of something unforseen, like the cooker flooding or the fridge getting pregnant.

Provided I resist the urge to waste money on large capital expenditures I'm drought and famine resistant for the rest of my life. Keep that going until I kark it and my youngest daughter won't have to work for the rest of her life either, should she choose not to.
 

Ian H

Ancient randonneur
I work one or two days a week as much for the interest as anything. I don't have debts, all mortgages paid, and I have a few income streams to live off. Next year I attain pensionable age, but it probably won't change what I do.

As for being bored: I have my books, the bike and bike events to organise, my painting, a stout pair of walking shoes, National Trust membership, friends and family, etc.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Change of plan. Today I fitted the new rear brake drums to the Ford Fusion of Elderliness, and finished the rust treatment with the last of my home made Redneck Waxoyl. 11 years old, looks 3 years old, runs like new, and now is so rust resistant that archaeologists will be pondering its marvels in millenia to come.

For those that are interested, soak 1/2 kg parrafin wax flakes in 2 litres of white spirit. Put it somewhere warm, shaking ever few days. Once the wax has dissolved you have a gunk that looks rather like trouser gravy. Add 2 litres of any oil (I use gear oil), warm the lot up, shake it thoroughly, and apply using a high pressure hand pumped sprayer. It'll quickly leach into joints, seams, box sections etc, and over a few days the white spirit will exaporate out to leave a waxy film that will harden to be good enough to protect, but still be soft enough to absorb impact and bleed over minor chips etc.

A gallon of Finnigans Waxoyl = £25.

A gallon of Old Unkie Drago's Redneck Rust Repellant = £0.

Most people have the bits knocking about anyway. The wax flakes are dirt cheap, or you can attack some candles with a cheese grater if you're really impoverished. I didn't get to retire at 47 by buying new cars, or wasting money on stuff that i can make myself
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Aviva and Standard Life, along with Age Concern reckon you need £15k pa for a comfortable retirement (ie with holidays and a new car every few years), more if you're a couple. If you forego the foreign holidays then less

My MIL gets that on benefits. She's never had a private pension, but unfortunately, has been disabled the last 12 years (many ailments). She'd be knackered (financially) if she was fit and healthy.
 
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