Everyday Ordinary Man Approaching Full Retirement at 59.

Katiehound

have loads of fun too! Today is the start of... a new life!

fatbeetle

Thanks all, two days in and loving it!!

Just back from the gym and walking the dogs, got a loaf of bread baking...

This is the life. Going to start filing my music collection next.

ETA:

YoungScot

I have loved following all the comments and good advice on here.
I also took the decision about 2 years ago to stop working as it was stressing me out and my husband had already made the decision to stop....or at least the job situation made the decision for him! We were both 57 and due to a lot of hard saving and overseas working stints we reckoned we could just about afford to stop and live off our savings , a tiny pension and a couple of small rental properties. I did (have!) become a bit fixated about having enough money but finally am relaxing as I turn 60 next month and realise that the life we have now is lovely and the time we have together is priceless! We dont live the high life but we go out for walks and coffees and still have holidays.....I just look for good deals!
We sold the rental properties as they ended up causing as much stress as my work and I have now made my peace with not working. Life is good and I just feel so lucky that we have good health and this time together. I can definitely say that I made the right decision and no longer feel guilty about not working.....not sure why I did since I have worked in one capacity or another since I was 13.....the daughter of a shopkeeper was expected to work on a Saturday!!!!
All I can say to anyone of our age is 'carpe diem'..... you wont regret it and any doubts you might have will be dispelled when you look at other peoples stories....life is definitely cut FAR too short for lots of people .....so enjoy!
Phew....all this and I've not even had my porridge yet !!!

dunroving

YoungScot wrote: »

I have loved following all the comments and good advice on here.
I also took the decision about 2 years ago to stop working as it was stressing me out and my husband had already made the decision to stop....or at least the job situation made the decision for him! We were both 57 and due to a lot of hard saving and overseas working stints we reckoned we could just about afford to stop and live off our savings , a tiny pension and a couple of small rental properties. I did (have!) become a bit fixated about having enough money but finally am relaxing as I turn 60 next month and realise that the life we have now is lovely and the time we have together is priceless! We dont live the high life but we go out for walks and coffees and still have holidays.....I just look for good deals!
We sold the rental properties as they ended up causing as much stress as my work and I have now made my peace with not working. Life is good and I just feel so lucky that we have good health and this time together. I can definitely say that I made the right decision and no longer feel guilty about not working.....not sure why I did since I have worked in one capacity or another since I was 13.....the daughter of a shopkeeper was expected to work on a Saturday!!!!
All I can say to anyone of our age is 'carpe diem'..... you wont regret it and any doubts you might have will be dispelled when you look at other peoples stories....life is definitely cut FAR too short for lots of people .....so enjoy!
Phew....all this and I've not even had my porridge yet !!!

Having just retired, I found this an interesting accuont of what to potentially expect in the first year or two of adjustment. I've already found (after 2 months) some interesting adjustment patterns. I really don't miss getting up at 5:15 every morning, but feel somewhat guilty when I find myself still in bed at 8:30. I am loving catching up on all sorts of telly (I'm a TV/movie addict), but am not finding myself reading much, other than newspapers. I am loving the freedom to go for a walk any time but am finding myself mucking about on the laptop for hours on end without moving a muscle.

I can identify with your statements about living a modest, relaxed lifestyle and making peace with the money worries. I lived in the US for many years and the expectations people put on themselves for finances in retirement are ridiculous.

I'd be interested in other people's experiences of the 1-2 year adjustment period following retirement. Did things change in ways you didn't expect? Did you take on part-time work for something to do? Did you get bored?

Misslayed

My main change is that I no longer feel any guilt! I still wake up at about the same time as I did for 40odd years, but I often don’t get up til 9 or later. I read the news online, check my emails, catch up with Facebook, enter a few Competitions!

sukysue

Wonderful stuff from everyone!
Fatbeetle I bet that bread was the best tasting bread you ever ate!
Thought I had misstyped then and written broad lol.... but it was a smear on my laptop screen lol..............
ahem....anyway I must just say that I had a few twangs over the last week due to frequenting the hospital I trained in a little too much and seeing my old colleagues , I no longer felt I belonged but they were very sweet to me and genuinely happy for me. I am fine though these were but momentary and I am only mentioning them because I am sure we have all had them. I am off out for a long walk in a min with my beloved ....life is just Grand !

dunroving

sukysue wrote: »

Wonderful stuff from everyone!
Fatbeetle I bet that bread was the best tasting bread you ever ate!
Thought I had misstyped then and written broad lol.... but it was a smear on my laptop screen lol..............
ahem....anyway I must just say that I had a few twangs over the last week due to frequenting the hospital I trained in a little too much and seeing my old colleagues , I no longer felt I belonged but they were very sweet to me and genuinely happy for me. I am fine though these were but momentary and I am only mentioning them because I am sure we have all had them. I am off out for a long walk in a min with my beloved ....life is just Grand !

I vowed I would not be one of those "ghosts wandering the hallways" after I left work. I meet a small cadre of colleagues at local coffee shops because we are friends as well as colleagues, but I avoid work gossip unless they want to bring it up.

A friend used to go back into work after retiring, on a regular basis. He took doughnuts to leave in the main office. Although he worked there for about 30 years and was at one time he head of department, he quickly realised that he was "in the way" - people just wanted to get on with their jobs and didn't have time for idle chit-chat. I think it was a difficult lesson for him that when you leave, people and institutions simply move on.

pollypenny

dunroving, I did supply for the first year after retiring, including taking over from a young teacher who was ill. I enjoyed it greatly. I’d never do invigilation, though. Die of boredom or driven mad by my tinnitus.

However, OH and I joined U3A and soon became involved in lots of groups, so that I had my excuse ready when I was asked to cover a maternity leave, which would have included an OFSTED inspection! No way, mate. I lived through enough of those in my career.

Like young Scot, I was initially worried about money, but it’s worked out well. We don’t need anything major and as long as we can go to the USA twice a year to see the little ones, were happy.

Misslayed

I did supply for a year or so too, but a new head started and things changed. Stuff was fixed which wasn’t broken. Relationships changed and the morale in the staff room was at rock bottom. When I got to the point of dreading that early morning phone call I knew it was time to stop. Never looked back!

bugslet

@dunroving I get up at 5.15, nice to know you don't miss it, though frankly I'd pretty much guessed that;).

Is there anyone here that has retired and is single besides the OP, who is very recently retired and has had, unfortunately, quite a lot on his plate.

I have three concerns:

1. Leaving loyal staff, making them redundant.
2. Retirement alone.
3. Money.

The latter I'm more or less sorted on. The second does make me wonder, most early retirees have an OH. I have friends and have loose plans to expand my social life post retirement, but can't help but be concerned that I'll be cutting myself off somewhat. I have no family at all.