Bold leap into retirement

cfw1994

I never had a retirement course: interested to hear what *useful* things people here learn from them!

I think my dad went on something (going back 50yrs!) where he learned basic plumbing/electrics/diy as part of some retirement course.  Sounds handy!

cloud_dog

Maahes said:

I find myself in about six or seven minds over retirement. The family came into some money (low six figures) this year and it was agreed I could use some of this to fund early (4 years) retirement for me. Once I get to retirement age I'll have a similar income to now.

My wife is already retired and her brother, who lives with us, retired in January. Financially I can afford it and I'm done with working - next year will be 50 years since I started in Tesco part-time aged 14. But as much as I dislike my job its so easy - work from home for 4 days a week, literally spend most of the day doing anything other than work and they pay thousands of pounds into my bank account every month!.

My mother's advice, based on experience, was retire as soon as your can and enjoy not working, my closest friend is keep working, take the money, pay something off your mortgage (mortgage runs until I'm 79). I change my mind every week. Two close friends have suffered medical issues recently - one diagnosed with prostrate cancer and one had a heart attack and I'm thinking life's too short to work until I'm nearly 70.

Getting a quote for a new kitchen today, that might be the decider

You can always get more money, but you cannot get more time.

If the finances work, do it.

cfw1994

cloud_dog said:

Maahes said:

I find myself in about six or seven minds over retirement. The family came into some money (low six figures) this year and it was agreed I could use some of this to fund early (4 years) retirement for me. Once I get to retirement age I'll have a similar income to now.

My wife is already retired and her brother, who lives with us, retired in January. Financially I can afford it and I'm done with working - next year will be 50 years since I started in Tesco part-time aged 14. But as much as I dislike my job its so easy - work from home for 4 days a week, literally spend most of the day doing anything other than work and they pay thousands of pounds into my bank account every month!.

My mother's advice, based on experience, was retire as soon as your can and enjoy not working, my closest friend is keep working, take the money, pay something off your mortgage (mortgage runs until I'm 79). I change my mind every week. Two close friends have suffered medical issues recently - one diagnosed with prostrate cancer and one had a heart attack and I'm thinking life's too short to work until I'm nearly 70.

Getting a quote for a new kitchen today, that might be the decider

You can always get more money, but you cannot get more time.

If the finances work, do it.

Mother knows best 😉

Sarahspangles

Maahes said:

My mother's advice, based on experience, was retire as soon as your can and enjoy not working,

That was my father’s advice in one of the last real conversations we had. After he died I dealt with the items, books and papers relating to his hobbies and travel in retirement and this clinched it for me, he’d achieved so much in a long retirement. So I fixed a date.

julicorn

Hi all! I'm a long way off retiring, but made a bold leap into going part time earlier this month. I now only work half my previous hours, and am enjoying this thread immensely because it gives me some inspiration for what to do on the other days too!

I figured I was working hard and getting immensely stressed, and all just with the goal to retire as early as I could - so I'm now trying a different approach and just enjoying some of that free time earlier (with the trade off of pushing actual retirement back a fair few years). We'll see how that goes. 

nicknameless

32 'working' days to go.  I say 'working' as not really doing a great mass of work any more.  Ticking things over of course but as there is no forward looking work horizon a lot of my daily 'to do' has essentially wiped itself out.

Congrats to those that have gone recently, and those who have it on their own horizons.

There is definitely a peaceful calm setting in - a relaxing of forward looking work stressors.

MayDogsandCoffee

@katejo - I think mine will be the same, not much that hasn't been picked up on MSE

BridgetTheCat

I plan to boldly leap into retirement exactly 4 years and 8 months from today 😀

I have absolutely no qualms about it. After a long career in the sciences I plan to make art and study history entirely for my own amusement.

SouthCoastBoy

BridgetTheCat said:

I plan to boldly leap into retirement exactly 4 years and 8 months from today 😀

I have absolutely no qualms about it. After a long career in the sciences I plan to make art and study history entirely for my own amusement.

It's great that you know what you want. I wish you all the best

barnstar2077

julicorn said:

Hi all! I'm a long way off retiring, but made a bold leap into going part time earlier this month. I now only work half my previous hours, and am enjoying this thread immensely because it gives me some inspiration for what to do on the other days too!

I figured I was working hard and getting immensely stressed, and all just with the goal to retire as early as I could - so I'm now trying a different approach and just enjoying some of that free time earlier (with the trade off of pushing actual retirement back a fair few years). We'll see how that goes. 

I dropped Wednesdays a couple of years ago.  I can honestly say it has changed my life.  From DIY projects to lunch with friends, not to mention more time to meet that special someone.  I still wish I could drop more days, but am working towards retiring completely at some point, and don't want to put that sweet, sweet day back too far! :  )