Everyday Ordinary Man Approaching Full Retirement at 59.

crv1963

I hope 2018 brings you a better year excelpaul, and best wishes to everyone else with their plans. I too am now counting down, final date to be set when the pension forecast arrives early in the New Year- but I'll be gone regardless within the next 10 paydays!

joansgirl

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all on the thread :xmassign:

Seanymph

I'm not a teacher. There, that's got that out of the way!

I have sat, over days, and read this thread - and cheered. The OH and myself started working on the 'stopping of working full time' about six years ago, and I read and read the pensions board, and every time I did I talked myself out of it, so eventually I stopped reading it.

I needed this thread back then.

Anyway, on with our story - I am 50 and OH is 56 - and I stopped at the end of November, and the OH stopped a week before Christmas.

We haven't really stopped stopped, because he will work two months a year (harvest) and I will have to find something, but for now, we are taking a sabbatical.

We have a house in England which needs a LOT of work - we bought it as a project, sitting on a third of an overgrown acre, and did very little because we were working.......

We have a house in France which needs a LOT of work - we bought it as a project (see above comment and fill in the blanks...)

And we have recently bought a motorhome so we can travel.

I am back enrolled with the OU to finally get a degree (I did a year or so ages ago, but this time will see it out I think) - I have enrolled on a British Sign Language Introduction Course in January, always fancied it, and I think I will take the OCN course and do some electronic notetaking part time in a few years.

The OH is not going back to work apparently, apart from his two months, but we will run out of money so I have to do something.

Currently we are in France, as I type I have a relaxed Jack Russell in the chair next to me, the TV on, and a log burner next to me. The OH is painting the toilet ceiling!

We have no heating apart from in the one room, so I'm avoiding helping him...

However Sausage Casserole in the Slow Cooker, and Bread just come out of the bread maker.

We go back on the 15th (me, I'll fly) and the 18th (him and the dog) and then are going to spend some time in England.

There is a family wedding on the 5th May, and we have a one way ferry to Holland booked for the 11th - due back for his work on the 28th July. We think Holland, Germany, Poland and then back - three months of trundle.

Three weeks in, and we are struggling to see how we will fit in everything we want/need to do - and I panic about money all of the time - buying houses and camper vans uses up the money you have available.....

But, we have 40, or so saved, so our two years is possible, and we can stretch that with his work hopefully, the car is paid for, we owe nothing to anyone and the final kids have now left university (although two remain at home in England and seem reluctant to move out)...

This thread has given me faith that others also share our 'let's build memories together now, we can earn some more later' opinion. It worries me, but I'm getting better at not worrying every day we do it!

sukysue

Seanymph try not to worry please. I think you sound very happy and so many ppl would give their right arms for your life. I think as long as we have our health then we are ok we can always get a job doing something,anything, money is what it is, a source to buy things with which is essential but not the bee all and end all, we have fallen for the usual over buying of food, drink and presents this year but it is all meaningless. I realise how very lucky we are to never have to be controlled by bosses again , we are the masters of our own lives at long last and it feels amazing.

Seanymph

Thanks Suky, I realised after I'd posted i wrote too much but didn't want to edit it down....

We had a quiet Christmas, and a 1am start Boxing Day to come here!

sukysue

Seanymph you are not alone in your endeavours your other half is with you in this and you have your gorgeous Jack Russell and your family ....life is good my dear take heart , I do understand your misgivings I was plagued by them before I retired 8 months ago and my oh 2 months ago but in truth we have not looked back , you will be fine I am sure .

System

Seanymph . Many thanks for your interesting post. Do you mean when you say 40, you have £40000 in savings to see you through? Have you any regular income at the moment. Don't mean to be nosey but just curious about how you budget. Many thanks for your contribution and look forward to reading more.

Seanymph

Hi Paul,

I think it's nearer 50k, but yes, I mean a cash in hand. As for budget - I ought to get on with that really.

We have no regular income, solar brings in about 2.5k a year, maybe a bit more, the OH will work for a couple of months, the kids are now paying towards the household bills, I will do some part time to eke that out, but no, no regular income now the jobs have gone.

Our investments are all programmed to add to the investment, IYSWIM. But it is across premium bonds, funding circle, stocks and shares ISA - we even have a tiny bit in bitcoins...

We have promised ourselves a couple of years out - and then I guess I'll go back.

We have a vague idea of downsizing the house in the UK if the kids ever move out, we could sell the French house eventually I suppose.

What we did, was buy ourselves a few years and we will see how it pans out.

sukysue

You can never buy this time back for yourselves . We feel like we are at last living for ourselves and not working for others, family members included, now we are spending their inheritance lol. I can't tell you how lucky we feel. I wish I had read such positive feedback before we finished our jobs. I would have been reassurred then and not so apprehensive. Still .....everyone is different and even if we had read great reviews then we may not have found it to be as good for us . I suppose like everything it is up to the individual, it is what we want to make it . It is easy for me now because we have been through it and out the other side . Hindsight is a wonderful thing lol!

blackcatsx2

I enjoy this thread because I think we are all “average” people who have taken the decision to retire early or (like me) are planning to retire early.
We are not average at all but compared to some of the very wealthy, very knowledgeable posters on the main pensions thread the people here seem much more like me - not experts, not super rich but friendly, open and enthusiastic.
I’ve been doing some number crunching this afternoon. I tried to log in to check my NHS pension but the site is currently off line, so I think I will need to wait until next week to check accurate figures.
In the meantime I am setting my budget for 2018 at 10% less than last gear. It might not sound a huge amount but it will make a difference, help me apply more thoughtfulness to my spending and help me practice for reduced retirement income in 2019.
Best wishes to all for the new year