I was looking forward to retirement

[frank horton]

I'm 72, was self employed, quit at 55.......to busy now to go back to work.....
I love everyday......
our kids are in a different country with no chance of turning up here unless INVITED.....
I remeber having it rough as a young worker and sleeping in a van for 2 years......snoflakes......hahaha....

 

[Geoffm]

But theyve ballsed it up.
Id planned to get out at the end of february, when I turned 55, but decided ( in good time ) to stay until the end of April, for a few reasons.
So imagine my surprise when a P45 dropped through the door, followed by a final pay packet. Oh and nothing from the pensions department to sign.
Of course this lot is outsourced, so spent the best part of a week trying to sort it out, and getting some emergency pay, which coupled with the P45 issue will potentially balls my tax up.

Added to this, they have known for two years I was going, and calibration is a fairly specialist subject, so two months ago I get given someone who aspires to be useless to teach up, and due to his propensity for being off sick will cause a single point failure to the business (though I try not to make this my problem)

God knows when my pension paperwork will drop through the door to sign and whether it will be correct.

Also having a bit of a time of it with the dog, shes turned 16 which to be fair is a good age but shes’s had a time of it with the d+v virus, nearly finished her off, and she’s regularly having bad days now, and needs full time attention when she’s feeling off.

Eldest has arrived back at home with a load of baggage including chickens, sheds, kennels, garden furniture, house furniture etc which has all needed moving and stashing, oh and a boisterous 12 month old lab, which the border terrier has just about got used to living with, the lab is very good but its bloody hard work with the two of them.

Added to that its now house hunting time which is a bloody nightmare with the market the way it is, and we really don’t want her to buy a rotbox as it’ll end up being my unwanted project…


Never thought Id be getting to retirement age and we’d still be lumbered with two kids that are now adults bouncing round the house

So I know in the scheme of whats going on in the world its not an issue, but can’t help not being bothered with doing the things I want to do at the end of a long day, and Im feeling quite sorry for myself at the moment

Sounds like you will be called back as a contractor to fix stuff ups when they realise the replacement is no good. Don't be in a hurry to help them out, and when you finally agree, charge them enough to,make them bleed.
Been there, and regretted not making the most of it. If they have laid you off, all loyalty is gone, unless it is a clear and genuine attempt to,stave off bankruptcy for the company and you were just out of luck after they did everything possible.
My attitude is more flexible if I leave by choice or mutual agreement.

 

[addjunkie]

My missus keeps asking me "what are you going to do when you retire with all your time" and i keep telling her "stop living"...Retirement scares me to be honest so i think i will give it a miss and just keep going till i cant anymore but just do less.

You wont have any free time you will be retired, and your missus will have been subconsciously creating a todo list for about the last 5 years.

The thought of not having a job used to scare me too. Huge income drop, same out goings and all that.

In reality once I began to hate the job, the incompetence and apathy that made me want to batter people it was time quit for my own sanity. I resigned Human remains messed up wages / notice etc. Took a bit of sorting, never did get my long service award I was due, so kept their fancy laptop instead. I was 56. I-quit to go contracting but didnt bother.

Since quitting Ive converted my barns to holiday cottages, so now work two maybe 3 half days a week. Sure beats having a proper job.

As for kids comming home. I help mine when required, but only because theyll choose where I die if I last that long!

 

[Burdekin]

I hope to retire at 55, I pay a shed load into my pension. I have plenty to fill my time with but may look at a new work challenge also, something part time and more social than my current job.

 

[blackolive (Ste)]

Thanks all for giving my head a wobble

Dogs got up and eaten so thats todays worry off the list. I just never thought I’d turn into a worrier.

I guess what will be will be with the housing. Ironically it seems that letting agents can’t get enough properties round here so we had been discussing putting some of my lump sum into one and getting a return.

Will get the next few weeks out of the way and start enjoying things again

 

[slim_boy_fat]

My missus keeps asking me "what are you going to do when you retire with all your time" and i keep telling her "stop living"...Retirement scares me to be honest so i think i will give it a miss and just keep going till i cant anymore but just do less.

A cautionary tale, if I may? My older Brother was exactly the same when asked that very question, his usual response was "Oh, I'll think of something" but you could tell he gave it no thought. He lived for his work and although he was interested in all things car related (kept it in better state than me tbh) but that was about it. No other interests/hobbies like his garden/walking etc but would vegetate in front of the box for hours.

Had a stroke at c 57ish iirc, followed by series of successively bigger ones until he died about a year and a half ago completely reliant on others. His boss phoned once in the early days to ask how he was and was he likely to return to work. His workmates (he was a heating engineer on large projects like hospital/schools/department stores, not domestic) used to call occasionally but that dwindled to one in the end.

 

[JMS1972]

Thanks all for giving my head a wobble

Dogs got up and eaten so thats todays worry off the list. I just never thought I’d turn into a worrier.

I guess what will be will be with the housing. Ironically it seems that letting agents can’t get enough properties round here so we had been discussing putting some of my lump sum into one and getting a return.

Will get the next few weeks out of the way and start enjoying things again

View attachment 339716 View attachment 339717

If you do invest in a buy to let make sure it is a fairly new house or you will have a lot to pay out getting it up to latest spec. The government keeps ratcheting up the minimum EPC rating for let's.

 

[premmington]

Been following this thread with interest - I will be 55 in May of this year.

Been thinking more about retirement of late - what the "game plan will be and when I will do it?"

 

[Alan Reynolds]

When you retire, don’t make the mistake of keeping yourself “busy” doing things for friends and neighbours. You will never have any time to yourself. I’ve been “retired” for 9 years now, it should have been 14 1/2 but I went back to work for another 5 1/2 years. It should have been just two weeks but hey ho! I have so much to occupy my time and enjoy keeping my brain active by doing complicated jobs that require problem solving and design. I love rescuing discarded items (like the vast tool haul I salvaged from the skip.) and bringing them back to life and saving them from landfill. I’ve just rescued a Parkside sliding mitre saw and got it all working bar the on/off switch which is a common fault on many types of saw. I now have to try and make a tiny part for the inside of the switch as they are unobtainable. ( That’s not quite true as I traced the manufacturer of the switch to China and they still make them but I can’t find a distributor.) it grates on me to have to pay £28.00 for a switch that would fit but only costs a tiny fraction of that to make in China. I’ve seen too many of my friends retire and just vegetate. Their health suffers and they go downhill fast. I’m now 74 and can still lift a 100kg kart at the track. Kep your brain active.

 

[premmington]

When you retire, don’t make the mistake of keeping yourself “busy” doing things for friends and neighbours. You will never have any time to yourself. I’ve been “retired” for 9 years now, it should have been 14 1/2 but I went back to work for another 5 1/2 years. It should have been just two weeks but hey ho! I have so much to occupy my time and enjoy keeping my brain active by doing complicated jobs that require problem solving and design. I love rescuing discarded items (like the vast tool haul I salvaged from the skip.) and bringing them back to life and saving them from landfill. I’ve just rescued a Parkside sliding mitre saw and got it all working bar the on/off switch which is a common fault on many types of saw. I now have to try and make a tiny part for the inside of the switch as they are unobtainable. ( That’s not quite true as I traced the manufacturer of the switch to China and they still make them but I can’t find a distributor.) it grates on me to have to pay £28.00 for a switch that would fit but only costs a tiny fraction of that to make in China. I’ve seen too many of my friends retire and just vegetate. Their health suffers and they go downhill fast. I’m now 74 and can still lift a 100kg kart at the track. Kep your brain active.

My Father just stayed at work - did less and gave up working aged 76 - because he hurt his Achilles tendon. He is 90 in sept of this year. Still driving/shopping doing his garden.

Dad keeps telling me to just stay at work....

 

[GRW]

I'm 55 in a month. Zero chance of being able to retire until what, 70? I'd love to go now. Pittance of a pension to come anyway. I was with Equitable Life!

Enjoy yours.

Sounds like me, that (cept I'm 58 in a couple of months).
Mortgage is cleared when I'm 60, so toying with the idea whether I could at least cut-down to a 4-day week.

 

[bourbon]

As you know. I took redundancy in September. No clear plan what to do. Company insisted on us working three shifts and I don't want to work nights. Unfortunately, no big pension pot so living on my redundancy pay, just under a years wages. I have a lot of hobbies, but soon got out of the habit of getting up early, then sometimes spending days, vegetating on the computer. Got a part time job at the local woodyard now, But the Health and safety down there is shocking, So I'm applying for other jobs, No trade qualifications, I didn't really want to go back on the forks, but that maybe the only choice for me.

 

[addjunkie]

Been following this thread with interest - I will be 55 in May of this year.

Been thinking more about retirement of late - what the "game plan will be and when I will do it?"

Id say retirment is great, but you need to do something doesnt matter what as long as you enjoy it. Vegetating isnt healthy, and will naturally happen when your body tells you.

My Father just stayed at work - did less and gave up working aged 76 - because he hurt his Achilles tendon. He is 90 in sept of this year. Still driving/shopping doing his garden.

Dad keeps telling me to just stay at work....

If you enjoy it yes, but I get the impression you dont these days.

Sounds like me, that (cept I'm 58 in a couple of months).
Mortgage is cleared when I'm 60, so toying with the idea whether I could at least cut-down to a 4-day week.

20% cut in time at work isnt actually a 20% cut in take home pay, so not actually a bad idea if your employer would allow it. A pal of my Mrsis on a job share thing, they both do 2.5 days and cover each others holidays

 

[Seadog]

I was made redundant at 58, so effectively retired. Bugger all redundancy, so I worked with a friend doing plumbing and decorating on and off. In the end it got to be too stressful, the plumbing jobs that is. The state of bodged pipework that people wanted fixed, or add-ons made to, was too much. Not many people like it when you tell them that it all needs stripping out and doing properly I gave that up about 6 years ago, I didn't need the money at that point, just doing it for interest's sake. I found so much to do, once I had the time, that I wondered why I'd carried on for so long my dad retired at 65, but carried on working until he was 69. He was dead before he made 71. Enjoy living, you never know how soon before you won't be

 

[Bobtail4x4]

I was 65 last year, could have left on full pension at 60,
decided I will stay another couple of years, as I still enjoy the job.

 

[premmington]

Id say retirment is great, but you need to do something doesnt matter what as long as you enjoy it. Vegetating isnt healthy, and will naturally happen when your body tells you.

If you enjoy it yes, but I get the impression you dont these days.

20% cut in time at work isnt actually a 20% cut in take home pay, so not actually a bad idea if your employer would allow it. A pal of my Mrsis on a job share thing, they both do 2.5 days and cover each others holidays

Everything is just an "uphill battle" these days. I am self employed - in the last couple of years I have just had to work longer to earn the same money!

 

[dutch2u2]

I changed to part time work 10 years ago 2 days, then 3 days the next week, loads of time off but still earning money. Took my pension in september but still have a year to work
till I draw the state pension, next september so the company pension gets put away, still living off my wages with no mortage to pay but a bit worried about the cost of living
going through the roof. After 43 years of driving a london bus I've had enough and I'm looking forward to retiement but will probally not be able to do much because of the
cost of living going sky high fuel, gas ,electricty and food.

 

[Burdekin]

I changed to part time work 10 years ago 2 days, then 3 days the next week, loads of time off but still earning money. Took my pension in september but still have a year to work
till I draw the state pension, next september so the company pension gets put away, still living off my wages with no mortage to pay but a bit worried about the cost of living
going through the roof. After 43 years of driving a london bus I've had enough and I'm looking forward to retiement but will probally not be able to do much because of the
cost of living going sky high fuel, gas ,electricty and food.

There's English folk living up here who sold their properties in Englandshire for a good whack and then bought a lovely fisherman's cottage for a fraction of the price. They could then afford to retire early typically, or some work part time. And the thing is these small fishing villages are thriving communities so always stuff to do with friends etc.

 

[GRW]

I was made redundant at 58, so effectively retired. Bugger all redundancy, so I worked with a friend doing plumbing and decorating on and off. In the end it got to be too stressful, the plumbing jobs that is. The state of bodged pipework that people wanted fixed, or add-ons made to, was too much. Not many people like it when you tell them that it all needs stripping out and doing properly I gave that up about 6 years ago, I didn't need the money at that point, just doing it for interest's sake. I found so much to do, once I had the time, that I wondered why I'd carried on for so long my dad retired at 65, but carried on working until he was 69. He was dead before he made 71. Enjoy living, you never know how soon before you won't be

My old mum took early retirement/redundancy package at 57yo (& lived to be 80).
She often used to say that after retiring, she wondered how on earth she found time to go to work, as her days were full doing all the stuff she never had time to do before.

Well aware life ain't a rehearsal, and that time can be more valuable than money (within reason & if you don't gave exotic tastes and a high-cost lifestyle) - I'd like to get some more of my time for my own stuff - before I'm too old (or croaked) to do anything.

 

[fizzy]

I will NEVER be able to retire
Not sure if I would want to either.