I was looking forward to retirement

[addjunkie]

I retired very comfortably from the oil fields at 56, living the dream, I thought at the time......

..... unfortunately it played hell with the long term affair my cnut of a wife had been having for years...... and six months later the marriage was all over.

She kept the dream house in the Philippines, I grabbed our daughter and headed back to blighty. I think I got the better part of the deal, but the whole thing is still something I'd not wish on my worst enemy. 6 years on and I'm still gutted at how life can turn round and kick you in the sack so easily.

You both need to embrace the dream or it will likely turn into a nightmare. Life is full of ups and downs, but no matter how bad you think yours maybe, there will always be many worse who look to you and think its alright for Some.

The glass is either half empty or half full. To some, you had a lucky escape.

 

[premmington]

You both need to embrace the dream or it will likely turn into a nightmare. Life is full of ups and downs, but no matter how bad you think yours maybe, there will always be many worse who look to you and think its alright for Some.

The glass is either half empty or half full. To some, you had a lucky escape.

+1 for the highlighted.

Good robust standard adult advice! One door shuts - another one opens!

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I went a few weeks ago for my first trip into an old peoples home. What an eye opener - the visit has stuck into my mind. No burnt into it.

Life is short boys - ill health and old age puts an end to it - for all of us.

 

[Morrisman]

You both need to embrace the dream or it will likely turn into a nightmare. Life is full of ups and downs, but no matter how bad you think yours maybe, there will always be many worse who look to you and think its alright for Some.

The glass is either half empty or half full. To some, you had a lucky escape.

I keep telling myself it could be worse, I could be living in a council flat, on the dole..... but that doesn't really help much.

And by that rationale, everybody should be happy, because there is always someone else worse off. I mean, that legless begged on the streets of Delhi, thank the lord that's not me....

 

[addjunkie]

I keep telling myself it could be worse, I could be living in a council flat, on the dole..... but that doesn't really help much.

And by that rationale, everybody should be happy, because there is always someone else worse off. I mean, that legless begged on the streets of Delhi, thank the lord that's not me....

No I appreciate it doesnt really help. I have the T shirt you speak off. Nothing anyone says really helps. Until you say whats required to yourself.

 

[KemppiFrog]

Retirement? Unlikely.. Still have lots of people knocking on the door and I quite enjoy what I do, apart from the money. 74 and counting. No kids, as married a bit late. Usual fear of being mentally incapacitated, as has happened to a few friends recently.
See how it goes.

 

[premmington]

Retirement? Unlikely.. Still have lots of people knocking on the door and I quite enjoy what I do, apart from the money. 74 and counting. No kids, as married a bit late. Usual fear of being mentally incapacitated, as has happened to a few friends recently.
See how it goes.

This worries me. Would I better at work - mixing with younger people....?

 

[rosinante]

I am 71 can afford to retire and exist , my wife is one of the Waspi women and has been deprived of her pension for 6 years , so in order to live a little have gone back to work , I have to say the stimulation has done me good, we are worrying about going for a pint on a Sunday , not making loads but allows us to have a life rather than watching every penny

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Usual fear of being mentally incapacitated

Just make sure you've registered someone to make your decisions...been thro this process recently and it's well worth putting in place ahead of time to prevent some random person making important decisions for you.

 

[premmington]

I am 71 can afford to retire and exist , my wife is one of the Waspi women and has been deprived of her pension for 6 years , so in order to live a little have gone back to work , I have to say the stimulation has done me good, we are worrying about going for a pint on a Sunday , not making loads but allows us to have a life rather than watching every penny

My wife is one of them too - born in 1958. Nine year older than me and as "bitter as hell about the subject"....

Home - Women Against State Pension Inequality

SCAMMERS ALERT – Do not give out your personal details – No Compensation has been agreed. A Campaign group for 1950s born women who saw rapid and steep increases to their State Pension age without adequate notice. In March 2024, the Ombudsman found this to be maladministration and instructed...

www.waspi.co.uk

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I'm just going back to work after a planned break...I'll be shifting down to 3 days a week when I go back. Can't ever see myself wanting to retire completely...I'm happy doing a few days a week I think.

Think I'll start scaling back on my pension contributions soon...I've been really shovelling it in the last few years however the constant rule changes worry me...I think for me I want to spread my eggs around different baskets as I'm a way off retirement age.

...I suspect my state pension age will be 70+...kind of hard to plan when the goal posts are moving all the time!

 

[premmington]

I'm just going back to work after a planned break...I'll be shifting down to 3 days a week when I go back. Can't ever see myself wanting to retire completely...I'm happy doing a few days a week I think.

Think I'll start scaling back on my pension contributions soon...I've been really shovelling it in the last few years however the constant rule changes worry me...I think for me I want to spread my eggs around different baskets as I'm a way off retirement age.

...I suspect my state pension age will be 70+...kind of hard to plan when the goal posts are moving all the time!

"eggs not in one basket" - Sensible man.... (pleased me to hear your comment).

 

[redlig]

If you can FORGET about all this work carp and get a productive Hobby where you have something to show at the end of each day life will become much easier. Watching anything does not class as a hobby.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

+1 for the highlighted.

Good robust standard adult advice! One door shuts - another one opens!

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My thoughts exactly, every time I attend my monthly hospital clinics .

 

[dobbslc]

If you can FORGET about all this work carp and get a productive Hobby where you have something to show at the end of each day life will become much easier. Watching anything does not class as a hobby.

A perfect world ^
And that's ok if you're not completely knackered after work everyday to the point of mumbling your words and being in so much pain you just want a hot shower or bath!

 

[redlig]

A perfect world ^
And that's ok if you're not completely knackered after work everyday to the point of mumbling your words and being in so much pain you just want a hot shower or bath!

I was meaning post retirement. Too many people get to retirement with no fixed interest or idea of how to fill their time and maintain contact with likeminded souls. This gives the haunted fish tank in the corner the opportunity to slowly shut down your brain and physical bits. This is only my observations from my last 10 years of work in the care sector.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Too many people get to retirement with no fixed interest or idea of how to fill their time

I suspect people who "get bored" and struggle to fill their time before retirement will still struggle after too!...I've been on a break from work recently and I don't think there has been a day yet where I've not had a list of things that needed to get done! I just don't know how I managed to fit my work in around all my hobbies for so long if I'm totally honest .

I suspect there are quite a few of us who do the welding/car stuff as basically one of many hobbies and interests?

 

[Robotstar5]

One of my mates is in his early 60s and still has two of his kids at home - one's 22 and the other 27!

One of my aunts is in her 80's and still has her 50 odd year old son living with her!

 

[Richiew]

On Friday, I was at a funeral for a 58-year-old. He was a minimum 12 years older than the rest of us. I'm the next oldest of our social subgroup. (We play five-a-side footy together). He was very fit and put the rest of us to shame with all his effort and running. The youngest is 37, most are in our 40s. It has provoked a fair bit of introspection and analysis from us all. The first funeral for most of us for a friend, rather than a parent or grandparent.

Don't wait and save it all till you hit pension age.

To be fair, he was semi retired and had a decent life after a lot of hard work and effort. It wasn't all hard graft for him till the end. Still, far too short a time to be had.

 

[roofman]

On Friday, I was at a funeral for a 58-year-old. He was a minimum 12 years older than the rest of us. I'm the next oldest of our social subgroup. (We play five-a-side footy together). He was very fit and put the rest of us to shame with all his effort and running. The youngest is 37, most are in our 40s. It has provoked a fair bit of introspection and analysis from us all. The first funeral for most of us for a friend, rather than a parent or grandparent.

Don't wait and save it all till you hit pension age.

To be fair, he was semi retired and had a decent life after a lot of hard work and effort. It wasn't all hard graft for him till the end. Still, far too short a time to be had.

100% its not about the length of the journey its the fun times during the journey..why live in poverty till your too old to use and enjoy it and worse case might not even get to see it.

 

[angellonewolf]

100% its not about the length of the journey its the fun times during the journey..why live in poverty till your too old to use and enjoy it and worse case might not even get to see it.

well said