I'm Free to Do Whatever I...... Anybody else?

Maz · 13 January 2007 at 11:25PM

From debt (hurrah!), kids and all the shackles that come with life as laid down by society. At last!!

My goal now is to spend my best years doing what I want to do, with nobody wagging a finger at me. i.e. b*****ing about in Devon, making a few quid when I can, eating, sleeping when I want to and casting off the corporate handcuffs.

Anybody else got a lot of life to live apart from being a wage slave? What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Might give us some more ideas and incentives if we can swap ideas.

kenshaz · 13 January 2007 at 11:52PM

Life happened and like you I am free ,mortgage free,work free the two biggest shackles that life expects us to endure,of course we need not conform ,but that would have been more difficult than conforming.

The rest of my life well ,I want to spend that with the one that I love and share adventures and laugh and love and I want it to last and last ,because I am afraid that I might lose her and then I will be sad.

jumping_j11 · 14 January 2007 at 12:05AM

I sm still very much a wage slave but longing to give it up and retire (probably feeling more fed up than usual because not feeling very well - bad cold). I could retire in 14 months, although if I carry on for another 2 years after that, my pension will be very much better.
I do worry sometimes though that I might miss my job, and feel at a bit of a loose end. I do have hobbies and interests, but the thought of all that time to do as I like with does seem a bit daunting in a way. I have known colleagues who have been keen to retire and have then changed their minds and wanted to come back! Any thoughts on this?

kenshaz · 14 January 2007 at 12:11AM

I retired 18 months ago,and like you I hung on for a better pension ,that was the right decision,it was hard at the time the job was getting more difficult ,but I hung in.Believe me .I do not miss it for a minute,I have my freedom,you will be fine ,do not compare yourself to others ,make your own world ,relax and enjoy.
Make plans now ,get your life in order,prepare.
I have escaped ,I was a bird in a cage ,why would I want to fly back into the cage ,when I can fly free.
Stick it out for the extra time ,do not wish your life away,enjoy now .

jumping_j11 · 14 January 2007 at 12:53AM

Thanks Kenshaz, I'm sure you are right, I should hang on for those extra couple of years. It is good to hear of people like you enjoying the freedom of retirement, makes it something to look forward to.

seven-day-weekend · 14 January 2007 at 2:24AM

My husband retired at 55 and I gave up my job (can't take pension yet) and we moved to Spain.

He does all the things he has never really had time to do -writes (for an expat newspaper), paints (and sells) pictures, walks and takes photographs.

I read all day long when I'm not on here! I always swore when I retired I would read all day.

Our lifestyle is very laid back and the only deadline we have is to remember to put any empty gas bottles out to be changed on a Tuesday morning. And it's no big deal if we forget that.

We also are debt- and mortgage-free.

EdInvestor · 14 January 2007 at 6:09PM

I do worry sometimes though that I might miss my job, and feel at a bit of a loose end. I do have hobbies and interests, but the thought of all that time to do as I like with does seem a bit daunting in a way.

I doubt you will have a problem if you are net-savvy.

fatnan · 14 January 2007 at 6:54PM

:j :beer: I loved my job, working as a support tutor with dyslexic students producing their dissertations before graduation, and felt guilty about letting them down when I retired. However, DH had bad health scare and I really thought I was going to lose him. It certainly helped us prioritise! Now we have downsized in the UK and live for a lot of the time in the sunshine of rural Spain, where the loudest noise you hear is the sound of the cockrel at our Spanish neighbour´s waking us up. Sure, we have little money to spare, but neither do we have the stress we used to have. Go for it, I say.

missile · 14 January 2007 at 8:21PM

Don't know how I ever found the time to work

kenshaz · 14 January 2007 at 9:08PM

missile wrote:

Don't know how I ever found the time to work

Exactly work just interferes with your social life.

Maz · 15 January 2007 at 9:35PM

kenshaz wrote:

Exactly work just interferes with your social life.

I'm not retired, just redundant! But, it has been a real eye opener for me. There ARE other ways to make money that are much more fun and a lot less stressful than being tied to a desk and computer all day. Think we're all brainwashed at an early age, you know how it goes, 'work hard at school, get a good job - sorted'. I realised a long time ago that I've been lied to, big time! I'm also in the very fortunate position of being debt free since December but having a great time using my imagination for ways to make money, cos I still need to eat etc.

I am now determined NEVER to work in the confines of an office EVER, EVER again! That, to me, is freedom.

A MEGA thank you to this site and all the lovely people whose advice/tips/encouragement I've read to enable me to rage against the corporate machine, consumerist trap and all the money slavery that goes with 'em. You're a lovely community, long may you continue to bring hope and solutions to people, whatever their needs.

I'm Free to Do Whatever I...... Anybody else?

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