About working once retired.

comeandgo

For goodness sake go and blether in somone else's thread. You have managed to totally derail the OP's question.

lessonlearned

True but as she hasn't yet returned I guess our blethering won't really be a major cause of concern to her will it.:rotfl:

And of course if she does return I for one will be ready to instantly refrain from blethering, extend her the hand of friendship and offer whatever support I can.

pollypenny

dorothy52 wrote: »

Ah yes the grammar school uniform. My parents had to get a provident loan to kit me out! My science overall reached my ankles and my hockey boots were still too big when I left five years later! School was not great, not at all but we endured and here we are today.......real trip down memory lane today

My uniform was bought on Provident, too. Most of us had our uniforms bought to last, though.

Having brilliant O-level results was good enough for my parents, unfortunately. Since I had no idea what I wanted to do, I wasn't allowed to 'just' go to university and had to leave school after lower 6th. I was too proud to admit that my parents were making we do that.

14 years later I made it and my mother came up to look after the kids every half term. She admitted to feeling guilty. The same thing had happened to her a generation early.

Excuse my blethering, but it's not entirely unrelated to OP. Hard work, good job = good pension.

dorothy52

Oh Polly you made it in the end, well done you!! Such a different world back then......where did all the years go?

lessonlearned

I agree.....the blethering is actually relevant.

Our histories make us what we are......and for many of us "smug old women" our stories reflect just how difficult it was for people, especially women back in the good old days when sexism was still rife, to get a head start.

Many were denied access to education and so had to find other ways to get on and try and make a success of our lives.

CAndy is of an age where she likely had to face similar issues but whereas some of us managed to "change our stars" perhaps she didn't.

But as she hasn't come back to tell us we can't know for sure, and if she doesn't come back to the thread then we can't help her.

Candy if you are still reading then please do return. If you don't talk to people then they can't help you.

dorothy52

I was thinking just that, this morning! My younger colleagues often refer to my generation as 'lucky', they see where we are now and have no inkling of the hardship we faced, cold, often hungry as children, no new clothes let alone the designer gear they grew up with.

We knew that the only way out was to work really, really hard, first at school then at work, often having part time jobs as well as full time ones. Yes, we bought our homes, but remember the 15% mortgage rates of the 80s? I remember begging for more shifts in my evening job, and ex DH working 7 days a week.

Haven't thought about all this for years..........

lessonlearned

Yep.....I had my first part time job at the age of 13. Technically against the law even then. Saturday girl in a hairdressers. I loved it.

And I loved finally having some money even more. :rotfl:

I worked out that I have had 33 jobs in my life, often more than one at once. Owned two companies, and several sideline hustles.

Then of course there was voluntary work, helping at the kids nurseries and schools, the local theatre, charity shops

No wonder I am a worn out wreck. ......

Wouldnt change a minute of it though...apart from my husbands illness and demise. My history made me what I am. Made me strong and resilient.

Without that history I would never have survived 9 years as a carer.

Ilona

I wasn't intending to spend half an hour reading one thread. I was having a quick flick through the forum while eating breakfast, but hey, I have been well and truly drawn into it.

I too don't understand what the poverty line is, doesn't it depend on how you prioritize your spending in relation to your income, whatever that is? I am managing very well on the state pension plus a small top up pension, less than £10,000 a year. And like LL, I live like a Queen.

I have to admit I have never saved in the long term, when I retired eight years ago (60) I had almost no money at all. I have never wasted money, it all went on getting on the housing ladder with my first house at age 27, now on my third house, all paid for by my own endeavours. I had no holidays for a long long time. I worked hard for 45 years, 32 of them lorry driving.

I still had a mortgage when I retired, it was due to run till I was 73. I pulled out all the stops, saved from my pension and managed to pay it off early. Basically I stopped spending on everything but the necessities.

For anyone who is coming up to retirement age, it is not necessarily going to be miserable. It all depends on how you have lived your life before. My mum taught me that you can't have everything you want, there are compromises to be made. My mum managed on little money, father gave most of his wages to the pub landlord.

I look on every day as a challenge, how cheap can I get my day to day living expenses down to, so I have enough money for treats. OP, it is not all doom and gloom. I pride myself on my self sufficiency, and that is not bragging. Only last week I was called 'sanctimonious' by a nasty person on my blog. Why do people always want to bash those who have got their lives together. Just like LL, I want to pass on my knowledge and experiences to help anyone who might be in a pickle.

As for confidence, I didn't get mine from University, I wasn't clever enough. I got mine through throwing myself in at the deep end with a brand new HGV licence in 1976, and a determination that I was going to drive an articulated truck, no matter how many people said it was a mans job.

Probably too late, but OP please come back.

Ilona

dorothy52

Oh ilona, if anyone knows about making a little go a long way, it's you. I hope Candy does come back and benefits from the wealth of experience that this thread and site can offer. We have never 'spoken' before, but I have read your posts on here and seen you on the telly. Another remarkable woman.

lessonlearned

Ilona.....I am one of your biggest fans....:rotfl: a real groupie.

I read your blog and shamelessly pinch your ideas.

All hail Ilona.

Right I'm off out to enjoy the sun, lunch with a friend, and a mooch round the chazzers.