Retiring early

maryb

You saying that the first two weeks will feel like a holiday made me smile a little ruefully. When DH retired, to start with, he had that sort of feeling you get towards the middle of your holiday, - time is slipping away and I haven't achieved half what I wanted to do. He was up at 6 am as usual and it was absolutely exhausting!! He did calm down, glad to say

oldtractor

don't think we will be able too. SP at 67 that's 10 years away. maybe we could scale down and do PT work? any ideas?

Pollycat

oldtractor wrote: »

don't think we will be able too. SP at 67 that's 10 years away. maybe we could scale down and do PT work? any ideas?

I guess it will depend on your skills and maybe location.
Is it not an option to go part-time in your current jobs?

SP at 67 sounds like you're a victim of the move from 66 years to 67.

moneyistooshorttomention

You'll be surprised just how rarely you think of work once you've retired. I was just wondering whether I'd think of it more if I was still walking around near my old workplace at times and bumping into old colleagues occasionally - which obviously I'm not (having moved elsewhere in the country).

So - hence I very very rarely think of it at all. I thought I'd be waking up every single day and thinking "Thank goodness I don't have to go in there any longer". But, surprisingly, I don't. Once in a very blue moon that thought will cross my mind - but it is very infrequent.

I do sometimes think "Thank goodness my income is secure now and I don't have to worry my employer will find a way to get rid of me - and that would be me on Dole Money". But - with my income now being Civil Service pension and State Pension - then I can heave a sigh of relief that it's secure at last.

Re feeling like I'm on holiday - well, having moved across country, that's meant having to learn my way round a new area and gut the tatty old house I bought. The work on house itself is nearly finished now (new kitchen being done shortly and that's basically that then at last). I've got my bearings basically on the area now - though working my way through a long list of walks I want to explore.

In some ways - I guess it feels like I'm "on holiday" - courtesy of not having to go into a job any longer. Once I've got that kitchen finished - then I'm still not sure what I'm actually going to do with my retirement personally. I've joined various groups/doing some voluntary work - but there's still a thing running through my head at intervals of "I will have to decide at some point what to do with my life now". Fingers crossed for not being in the same situation as when I left school not knowing what job/career I wanted to do and got all the way through to retirement still not knowing that. Let's hope I don't get all the way through to 85 or so still not knowing what I want to do with my retirement.:rotfl:

Pollycat

oldtractor wrote: »

don't think we will be able too. SP at 67 that's 10 years away. maybe we could scale down and do PT work? any ideas?

Pollycat wrote: »

I guess it will depend on your skills and maybe location.
Is it not an option to go part-time in your current jobs?

SP at 67 sounds like you're a victim of the move from 66 years to 67.

It will also depend on whether it's financially viable for you both to go part time.
And the impact that might have on any pensions you will get.
And you'd probably want to ensure you continue to build up NI entitlement for your state pension if you haven't currently got the 35 years.
And don't bank on it staying at 35 years.
In my working life it's changed (for a woman) from 39 to 30 to 35 years.

Caterina

Litchielou I am so glad you are finally there, at last, it will feel great, great, great, once you have crossed that finishing line. There is freedom on the other side waiting for you and your DH!

I am so sorry for your friend. My DH suffers from MND, but luckily he seems to have a very slow progressing form (please God), he has a slowed down speech and has been like this for nearly 3 years now, but everything else seems to be fine, he is in top physical form, we are hoping and praying that he might have many more years of normal living. It is such a cruel disease, and very unpredictable. I hope your friend manages to have some quality of living.

Litchielou

Just got ready for my last day in work, not sure how I'm feeling. Excited and sad as leaving some good people. I'm sure I will see them around. Tonight it's an all expenses meal for all the staff.

Take care x

lessonlearned

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.:T:T:j:j

Make it a fabulous one.

moneyistooshorttomention

Best wishes for the future:beer:

nannywindow

Best of luck for the future Litchielou. May you find greater happiness work free :j