When Will or Did you Retire?

[SpokeyDokey]

I think you'll find several other people on here have similar experiences. For example, those who also frequent YACF will know about fuzzy, a former police officer who got bored and now works in a bike shop...

Lots of people do it.

Indeed - I had fancy car, fancy office a PA etc etc and as I said earlier I got bored and returned from retirement after only a year.

Since I did this:

Two of my friends have done a similar thing - both got bored with retirement and set up small businesses to keep them sane. Aerospace Commercial Procurement Director now runs a small decorating business and Regional Director Food Retailing now runs a gardening outfit (after a period as a Postie).

In the course of my business I have stumbled across two self-employed painters & decorators (one was a Solicitor and one an Architect) and they are really enjoying their work. Both part time and both just happy to be doing something.

In my village we have a very senior IT specialist turned party planner and a GP turned dog walker! Both needed something to fill 'the void'.

Brilliant stuff!

 

[midlife]

No current plans to retire. Various pensions will kick in from next week, 55 on Saturday, for the next few years.

Will take stock at 60. Much depends on the children leaving home as our house is the lions share of my pension pot.

My private pension is available this year as I'm 55, it's going towards funding the kids through Uni......

Shaun

 

[snorri]

In my village we have a very senior IT specialist turned party planner and a GP turned dog walker! Both needed something to fill 'the void'.

You make it sound as if having to fill the void is a bad thing(?), I wouldn't describe these two as filling the void unless they actually detest party planning and dogs!
I took on another job requiring completely different skills and commitment because it appealed to me, I certainly didn't see it as filling a void.

 

[Ian H]

Since I sold my business a few years ago I've done various things more or less remunerative. Currently I am employed one day a week, could do more if I wanted. I do some business consultancy, which is usually a day a week. My partner took early retirement and became a gardener, so I help her, which covers a couple of half days in the summer. Then there's artwork, running cycling events, running a few websites, and that about covers it. I don't plan to change dramatically just because I reach a certain age.

 

[PaulSB]

My wife finishes September at 60 and I finish October at 62. For the last 15 months we have lived off one salary (basically halving our disposable income) while saving the other which will give us an "extra" lump sum. This also helps us get used to more frugal living.

No debts and spent the last 4 years doing all the major house stuff - new door and two windows completes that next week.

When my state pension kicks in we will be comfortable. The next three years we use some of the savings above to bridge the gap. We plan to use all our savings and lump sums to travel for as long as we can. Our financial advisor says the private pension will run out when I'm 89. Will I care? No.

I've been off work for five weeks following a heart attack and apart from 4 days before Christmas won't go back full time till mid January. The retirement decision was made before this event.

What I have learnt in the last few weeks is the huge food savings to be made. For example in our local market last week I bought 28lbs of carrots for £1.50, 6lbs of tomatoes for £3.00 and 15 onions for £1.50.

I love to cook and now have 3lbs frozen julienne carrots, 20 litres of various carrot soups - roasted vegetable, cardamom and carrot, tomato and carrot, carrot and coriander - two carrot cakes, carrot and celeriac purée and gave away 5lbs carrots!!!

The soup alone would have cost £35+ in Tesco. I've also had time to cook and freeze enough pulses to keep us going for 6 months. Cost 25% of the tinned cost and I know what went in to it all. Time is the issue.

We will fill our days cycling, walking, gardening, working the allotment, travelling and pottering. I can't wait.

 

[gavroche]

Officially I have retired 1 month ago but am still working for something to do, but the beauty is that I can now decide when and how much I want to work. Retirement can be boring if your working life suddenly comes to a stop.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

You make it sound as if having to fill the void is a bad thing(?), I wouldn't describe these two as filling the void unless they actually detest party planning and dogs!
I took on another job requiring completely different skills and commitment because it appealed to me, I certainly didn't see it as filling a void.

I think you are interpreting me wrongly - both felt they had a gap to fill and then filled it. Same as me. I think it's a good thing @snorri

 

[ColinJ]

I'm going to be really annoyed if I peg it before I draw that pension. Doubly so if I peg it through some work-related stress-related illness. I have a few friends, same age as me, currently recovering from life threatening illnesses. Makes you think, and makes you ponder on the wisdom of leaving it too long.

A good mate from my childhood died in January aged 59 so he didn't get to see one day of retirement. I had been trying to get him to retire early on the grounds of ill health but he said that he couldn't afford to. (He could - I went through the figures with him several times and he would have had more coming in than he was actually spending while he was working.)

 

[snorri]

I think you are interpreting me wrongly - both felt they had a gap to fill and then filled it. Same as me. I think it's a good thing @snorri

Funny thing, when I read it over later I wondered if we were in agreement..........a hazard of communicating in print

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

[QUOTE 4031710, member: 9609"]I suppose it depends on your work, I basically worked and slept for 30 years, and I do mean working 16 hours a day with may be a day a month off, had 9 weeks holiday in 30 years. Can't say I ever hated it, I used to even think I enjoyed it. But now I realise how fantastic the free time of retirement is, I can't help but think how i have wasted the best years of my life - but then again if I hadn't worked such stupid hours I wouldn't have got to retire so stupidly young, swings and roundabouts i guess. . no regrets though [/QUOTE]

One thing that seems to be a common theme among people I know that have worked all the hours before they retired is that when they retire, they realise that life is for living and not for working. You always think you have a long time after you stop working, but it may not be the case. My mum died at 62, before she retired. My dad worked until he was 67 and only stopped because his new wife put her foot down and now he relaises he should have done it years ago.
I had an accident on my bike last year and although it was pretty bad it could have been a lot worse. The year off work I had gave me plenty of time to think about things. I have always worked 50-60 hours a week, that will stop when I eventually get back to work full time. I am 43 and feel young, but you do not know how long you have to live your life and do the things you want to do and visit places.

 

[Accy cyclist]

This'ill be me in 24 years time.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3mHnCeIn-A

 

[FrankCrank]

....I think I ought to declare retiring at 43 years, which is when I moved to Thailand. I have done some English teaching here, part-time, but more like a hobby really. Last couple of years just been helping Mrs Crank with her job - survey/research type stuff. I help with driving the car, and taking pics on location, but really it's a bunch of free travel for me as we get round the 4 corners of Thailand. Nothing of course was ever planned - just serendipity smiling down on me

 

[screenman]

My wife finishes September at 60 and I finish October at 62. For the last 15 months we have lived off one salary (basically halving our disposable income) while saving the other which will give us an "extra" lump sum. This also helps us get used to more frugal living.

No debts and spent the last 4 years doing all the major house stuff - new door and two windows completes that next week.

When my state pension kicks in we will be comfortable. The next three years we use some of the savings above to bridge the gap. We plan to use all our savings and lump sums to travel for as long as we can. Our financial advisor says the private pension will run out when I'm 89. Will I care? No.

I've been off work for five weeks following a heart attack and apart from 4 days before Christmas won't go back full time till mid January. The retirement decision was made before this event.

What I have learnt in the last few weeks is the huge food savings to be made. For example in our local market last week I bought 28lbs of carrots for £1.50, 6lbs of tomatoes for £3.00 and 15 onions for £1.50.

I love to cook and now have 3lbs frozen julienne carrots, 20 litres of various carrot soups - roasted vegetable, cardamom and carrot, tomato and carrot, carrot and coriander - two carrot cakes, carrot and celeriac purée and gave away 5lbs carrots!!!

The soup alone would have cost £35+ in Tesco. I've also had time to cook and freeze enough pulses to keep us going for 6 months. Cost 25% of the tinned cost and I know what went in to it all. Time is the issue.

We will fill our days cycling, walking, gardening, working the allotment, travelling and pottering. I can't wait.

We just came back from 4 days away to find the rcd for the sockets had tripped out. Meaning the freezer was now a cupboard with lots of soggy expensive food inside.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Three weeks left to work and I'm retired.

 

[screenman]

Just had a great weekend away and I am looking forward to work today.