What do you call yourselves?

Savvy_Sue

I say DH works for himself now. And isn't yet being paid for most of it ...

pollypenny

OH retired before I did. There's no way I would have described him a 'homemaker', although he took over the cleaning!

The Hoover never ever made it to corners of rooms .

tgon

The problem of being a male 'homemaker' is that we can never do it good enough. At best we're 'try-hards-aww-bless'. I certainly don't see it a feminine term, I just know my place in the scheme of things and not to have any notion that our home can have more than one goddess-like domestic professional!

Magnolia

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I say DH works for himself now. And isn't yet being paid for most of it ...

Economically inactive then

Meadows

I stopped work at about 53, hubby at 57, we both say we are retired when asked.

teddysmum

I do online surveys and they often have an employment question giving options: retired on State Pension only/ retired with private pension/retired with neither.

mumps

My husband retired due to a disability, he was still in his 40s and didn't like to say he was retired so he described himself as "of independent means." Sounds like something from a Victorian novel to me.

lessonlearned

Mumps. Bet people think he's landed gentry.......:rotfl:

I am retired so that's what goes on official documents but often for sheer devilment at social gatherings for example I might describe myself as a "trust fund babe".

Although retired I do still like to "dabble" In a couple of sideline businesses and any money making ideas that occur to me. I wouldn't go so far as describe myself as an entrepreneur.

When my sons ask me what I've been up to I just smile and say "oh a bit of ducking and diving". :rotfl: All strictly legal and above board I might add.

If I find myself in a social situation and I'm being pressed by nosy people I just smile and say "Oh a bit of this and a bit of that, but unfortunately none of 'the other'". Without fail it gets a laugh, it's a great ice breaker and of course they end up none the wiser....

So when pressed I just go with either of the above two options.

I have a retired male friend who answers the same question with "I'm a professional hit man". Always good for a laugh .......

mumps

lessonlearned wrote: »

Mumps. Bet people think he's landed gentry.......:rotfl:

I am retired so that's what goes on official documents but often for sheer devilment at social gatherings for example I might describe myself as a "trust fund babe".

Although retired I do still like to "dabble" In a couple of sideline businesses and any money making ideas that occur to me. I wouldn't go so far as describe myself as an entrepreneur.

When my sons ask me what I've been up to I just smile and say "oh a bit of ducking and diving". :rotfl: All strictly legal and above board I might add.

If I find myself in a social situation and I'm being pressed by nosy people I just smile and say "Oh a bit of this and a bit of that, but unfortunately none of 'the other'". Without fail it gets a laugh, it's a great ice breaker and of course they end up none the wiser....

So when pressed I just go with either of the above two options.

I have a retired male friend who answers the same question with "I'm a professional hit man". Always good for a laugh .......

Sounds like you and my husband would get on well.

moneyistooshorttomention

teddysmum wrote: »

I do online surveys and they often have an employment question giving options: retired on State Pension only/ retired with private pension/retired with neither.

Which leaves the question as to what to call oneself if not retirement age and not retired (in your own mind) - but having been made redundant/so-called redundant in your 50s for instance.

I certainly knew that if my last employer had succeeded in finding an excuse to get rid of me in my 50s that I would be likely to remain unemployed from there on in until I reached my retirement age.

I presume I would have had to call myself "unemployed" - even though I would have known the truth of the matter was that I had been forcibly retired in effect (but wouldn't have dared call it retirement - because I'd have had to sign on/look for work).

Fortunate they didn't manage it in the event and I managed to "hang on in there" to my job until I reached my retirement age (ie 60). But I do know I'd have not managed to hang on in there until my "revised State Pension Age".