What do you enjoy/hate about retirement

BertieMeldrew

Since spring is seriously thinking about starting around here (but only thinking about it, mind you) I felt a spring-like urge to reiterate how wonderful it really is to be retired!

We have quite a menagerie here and they take quite a bit of work to keep them all "happy". Prior to retirement it was always something of a battle to fit it all in. Now it is all done rather leisurely... we can even stop what we are doing half way through and "have a brew"... sat outside in the glorious, if cool, sunshine... absolute magic.

This week we're also ramping up the time that we spend in the garden... it's brilliant!

There's not a day goes by that I don't pinch myself - and give thanks for my good fortune!

A word of advice... if you have any chance of taking retirement early DO IT!

sallie_2

I am really pleased I have read all these posts.
I am due to retire at the end of this year and am really worried about what I will do with all the time. I have no family in this country (as they all moved to South Africa in 1975)
There is only so much golf a girl can play!!

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Sallie, when you've retired you'll wonder how you found time to go to work :j
You have a wonderful opportunity to try out all the things you didn't have time for because you were working. And if the worst comes to the worst, you can always get a part time job

BertieMeldrew

sallie wrote:

I am really pleased I have read all these posts.
I am due to retire at the end of this year and am really worried about what I will do with all the time. I have no family in this country (as they all moved to South Africa in 1975)
There is only so much golf a girl can play!!

"Really worried" DON'T BE... trust me there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to be worried about :rotfl:

OK.. so you can only play so much golf... then pick from the following...

1) Develop new interests / hobbies / etc
2) If you can afford to... travel, travel, travel
3) If you have a mind to then do some voluntary work
4) Etc etc BUT
n) Try and avoid getting a paid part time job... enjoy the freedom and don't get hooked back into regular paid employment

There are SO MANY things! I have now been retired for 231 days (but I'm not counting ) and I still don't have the time for all the things I want to do.

The really good thing is that I had some financial concerns before I retired - e.g. could I afford to... so far (touch wood, fingers crossed etc) things have worked out far better than I anticipated

sallie_2

[The really good thing is that I had some financial concerns before I retired - e.g. could I afford to... so far (touch wood, fingers crossed etc) things have worked out far better than I anticipated [/QUOTE]

Thanks for your replies.
I would really love to travel more but I must admit that I do have financial concerns as well.

marsha8

It doesn't matter if you have a bad night's sleep because you don't have to get up & go to work in the morning.You have time to shop around for the best bargains.I have done 4 years of computer courses,free of charge,at my local college because I am in receipt of a state pension & now have my ECDL which is recognised all over Europe if I want to work - which I don't!!

Johan

I am 51 now and I am already thinking about retirement, I know that once I leave my job of 29 years I can get access to my retirement fund.

I am worried however that it might not be enough for us to get by on. My wife left the same company trough ill health but she is not 50 yet bar 2 years so she has no access to her pension funds yet.

My health is not the best, I have diabetes and high blood pressure and I am suffering from stress, I just don't have the time to spend on ourselves now, never mind when I retire!

We still have debts we would need to clear them first, and have to find cheaper accomodation also, we do not own our house.

I have a 12 year old daughter with autism that needs caring for around the clock.

With autism in the headlines recently pointing out to the shortcoming in our health system we do not know what the future holds for us! We will probably be housebound whilst caring for our daughter with autism way beyound retirement!

Retirement might be as easy by just closing the door of your place of work for some people, it wont be for us carers, now and into retirement, when do we get a break? Who will look after our daughter when we retire or die!

I am sure we won't be the only ones that find themselves in this situation!

Dora_the_Explorer_5

It's a tough world for carers. I come across many people in their 70s and 80s who have caring responsibilties. As far as stopping caring on retirement goes, it doesn't happen - unless the carer makes it clear that they refuse to do it. Care is then provided by community services, better in some places than in others - better for some people than for others.
Johan, have you checked recently that you're getting all the financial and practical support you need and are entitled to in order for you to care for your daughter? Respite care, for instance? Your local Carers Association or organisation can give you all the info you need, and apologies if you already 'up to speed' on everything.

Johan

I am up to speed, with respite @3days a month, mind you this will stop once my daughter becomes 18. We have a motability car provided for Claudia so we can take her around, she is receiving behaviour therapy to control her violent outburst. Can't see myself coping with that when I am 70!

I don't think that I could refuse to care my daughter, but having said that we wait to cross that bridge when we get to it!

There are a lot of carers outhere that receive nowt, they have been trying to get help for ages!

Sofa_Sogood

BertieMeldrew wrote:

The really good thing is that I had some financial concerns before I retired - e.g. could I afford to... so far (touch wood, fingers crossed etc) things have worked out far better than I anticipated

Did you seek out financial advice Bertie? Or was it fairly accounted for by yourself?