After I retire

[Aberdeenplotter]

Funnily enough.....I once wondered whether there would be a market for these as I was going to put my old blacksmithing skills to good use and make and sell these on eBay.
It'll have to wait a while though as I haven't even finished building my forge yet!

They do add a bit of class to the gardening tool itinerary!..........Maybe when I retire...................

A year and a couple of months before I hit retirement age but I've already decided that I'm going to continue working for as long as I'm fit and for as long as I enjoy what I'm doing. Snadge had a dream. Maybe he's made a fortune following it but maybe not. Anyone else got ambitions ?

[Florence Fennel]

I'd really like to work mortgage free until I drop, I could give so much away, which is the best thing!

[Greenleaves]

I always thought I would work on but decided I wanted to enjoy life a little. I know I am fortunate enough to still be a business owner so I dont have to worry about living on pensions etc. I have only been retired for a month but already wish I had done it sooner.

Simple little things like picking the grandchildren up from school are such a pleasure and not having the weather to worry about at weekends to visit the plot.

[WendyC]

Can't wait. The government would like me to carry on til I'm 67, however I'm planning on retiring as soon as I can, at 55, even if it means a reduction in my pension. I am even more convinced of this when I met a fellow potholder, who said his work colleague had just died at 56, didn't even get to retirement. What will I do, live a little and not have my waking hours ( and often the middle of the night too) filled with work or thoughts of work.

[veggiechicken]

I took early (very early) retirement 19 years ago and have never regretted it for a minute. Lots less money coming in, but I've never been so well off as my outgoings are minimal now. I have all the time in the world to do whatever I want to do, whenever I want to do it.
The only ambition I ever had was to be selfsufficient as far as possible and to be happy Still working on the former but I'm a very happy little chicken

[Jeanied]

I have been retired for 3 years now and it has taken a while for me to get used to it - I was made redundant and they 'retired' me early.
As I was never thinking of retiring for several years, I had made no plans - in fact I was nearly at the end of doing a Masters which was totally work related - paid for by my employer!
So all that fell off the agenda and it has taken me a good while to re-orientate myself into what I really want to do. This is still happening but I have taken on two amazing partners in crime in the form of my two dogs who make sure a) I get up in the mornings b) regular mealtimes and c) lots of exercise
Oh and getting a letter from the council warning me that I need to fix the allotment this year has focused me wonderfully!
Still trying to work out what I want to do when I grow up let alone what to do next!

[Nannysally99]

I retired at 52 ish, just had enough of the rat race work had become. Have filled my time easily and definately wonder how I ever had time to work.
My husband retired last year and he has taken on this gardening malarkey with gusto bless him. He has as big an aversion to diy as I have to housework, so it all works ok ish.
I have no income, but with his generous government pension and our savings we are financially secure. That helps. But like VC, our outgoings are much smaller now.
Life is good

[Bigmallly]

I'm coming up to my 1st anniversary after being forced to retire @ 56. I really should have gone down the "Constructive Dismissal" road but the NHS is scint as it is. I have very little cash coming in but even less going out plus a nice lump sum so everything is hunky dory. I had or have no plans and that's just the way I like it but lady luck shone on me so life's good.

[Rocketron]

I have been retired for 3 years now and it has taken a while for me to get used to it - I was made redundant and they 'retired' me early.
As I was never thinking of retiring for several years, I had made no plans - in fact I was nearly at the end of doing a Masters which was totally work related - paid for by my employer!
So all that fell off the agenda and it has taken me a good while to re-orientate myself into what I really want to do. This is still happening but I have taken on two amazing partners in crime in the form of my two dogs who make sure a) I get up in the mornings b) regular mealtimes and c) lots of exercise
Oh and getting a letter from the council warning me that I need to fix the allotment this year has focused me wonderfully!
Still trying to work out what I want to do when I grow up let alone what to do next!

With the OU, you may well be able to use this as credits towards another qualification.
Should you so desire.

[Philthy]

This thread reminds me of my father. He had a pretty successful career in the motor trade. By the time he was thinking about retiring, he'd risen through the ranks enough to head up a department of about 30 people, but it all came at a price; early starts, late finishes, weekend commitments, lots of pressure and stress.. no real time to himself besides an odd hour here and there. He retired at 60, with lots of plans... and went on to develop a terminal lung condition which he died from two months short of his 61st birthday, having enjoyed virtually nothing of the retirement he worked so hard for. I should add that he was a non-smoker, and very fit. Stress was cited as a significant contributory factor in the condition.
My point is, the job will always be there. If you can, take the opportunities life throws at you, don't put it off for another day. Bit philosophical for a Monday I know

[skeggijon]

I'm planning to retire when I hit 55 in 3 years time - although there's always the chance that I could be made redundant - if I'm lucky lol.

No mortgage to worry about and we have fairly simple needs. The thought of being able to go to the lotty every day is very appealing.

[mrswadders]

i'm with you SJ, 55 is just what i'd like to do. Our mortgage will be well paid off by then and hopefully we can enjoy more time together. I'm lucky as I'm still in the 'bracket' where I can take early retirement and still get my pension(at a lower rate) but without the mortgage we should be able to manage well with MRW's pension too.MInd you by that time he'd have been retired for 10 years so he might not like having me around and disrupting any routine he'd got himself into!

[JanieB]

My OH had an enforced retirement at 60 in his contract. However he was teaching a very specialised course and was asked to stay on with the promise of a golden handshake and a good "redundancy" package as recompense. He accepted but developed AML (acute myeloid leukaemia) 6 months into the extended contract and had less than 4 weeks between diagnosis and death.

As far as I'm concerned we were supposed to grow old together and 9 years on I still miss him.

[PyreneesPlot]

Mr PP and I dropped out/retired in our early 40s after ten years of planning because we wanted to do stuff not have stuff and were classic money rich(ish) and time poor.
So we sold up (eventually)
Bought a field in France
Built a house
Made a garden (Still very much work in progress)
Went skiing in the winter and hiking/biking/cycling in the summer
Lived like paupers and still do
Got Lyme Disease and developed Rheumatoid Arthritis

Guess which one of those wasn't planned!!

Friends have said how sad that we gave everything up to move to a place to do active things which I now struggle to do. But I say no, it would have been so much worse to have fallen ill back in our old life and not had these few brilliant years.

If you have a dream and have the chance to follow it then do it.

[KevinM67]

Inspirational post PP

I'm 47 years old, and getting increasingly brassed off with the pressures and stresses of work.

Money (or the lack of) is the main issue - however, I do think that having the freedom and time to 'think', then there must be some entrepreneurial activities that I could pursue.

I'm extremely jealous of those who have left the rat-race. Is it wrong wanting to enjoy life....