Early-retirement wannabe

Redknapps_Dog · 20 June 2017 at 12:53PM

OldMusicGuy wrote: »

I can only agree. For me, it has been the last five years that have really changed my outlook. I've had a well paid, high pressure job for many years but had never given early retirement much of a thought. However since turning 55 (I'm 60 in a couple of months) I have found working in such an environment really taking its toll mentally and physically. I have realised that I do only have limited time on this earth and I don't want to spoil what time I have left by damaging my health even more by slaving my guts out for somebody else.

I had always assumed that I would work until about 65 and just have a small gap to state pension age. Keep working, keep saving. But now I am going to stop completely at 60 and my wife and I will have to make do with what we have at that age. No one can really tell you what "the number" is so we have decided to make do with what we have now (well by February next year) and enjoy what limited time we have left together. We can't wait.

I'm 53 and in pretty much the same boat. I don't want to carry on beyond about 57/58, flying to France or Germany for 2/3 days work at least once a month. I'm hoping to go to 4 days a week from next April.

Spreadsheetman · 20 June 2017 at 2:05PM

OldMusicGuy wrote: »

.....However since turning 55 (I'm 60 in a couple of months) I have found working in such an environment really taking its toll mentally and physically. .....

I have found this too, post-50 the job stress+pressure started really getting to me and now at 55 I know I don't have that long left before my coping resources are gone and something blows. I've taken steps on the financial side, but at some point it's just going to have to do even if it's not as safe as I'd like.

Marine_life · 20 June 2017 at 10:39PM

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Make that three , but I'm going from 5 days a week to zero. mostly because i can financially, and also because i think even 1 day a week would make my time very restricted when it came to planning trips.

I dont want to have to think "oh i cant take that half price cruise leaving this Wednesday as I haven't booked the next couple of Fridays off". I regard myself as having booked 365 days off starting 1 July

Generally I agree however for me its part of a package. We have an early retirement scheme which starts at 56 and an early early retirement scheme which starts at 54. As I'm 52 they weren't prepared to give me that so taking a one-day a week contract was a way to bridge to early early retirement. Its a fantastic package.

Actually the one day a week is not so bad as essentially its 25% spread in anyway that works over the year so it could be three days one week then nothing for the next two. Totally flexible. I imagine myself ringing an imaginary bell in any event i.e. once the 25% is booked "ding, ding" times up

Marine_life · 21 June 2017 at 8:00AM

Spreadsheetman wrote: »

I have found this too, post-50 the job stress+pressure started really getting to me and now at 55 I know I don't have that long left before my coping resources are gone and something blows. I've taken steps on the financial side, but at some point it's just going to have to do even if it's not as safe as I'd like.

Yep, i can sympathize with that.

I have felt the stress for a long time errr.....probably since 2010 when I started this thread

but seriously since 2012. I think the stress makes it difficult to retain the same performance levels which leads to more stress and so it compounds.

I do a lot of travelling, probably something like 1,000 flights in the last 10 years - maybe more - and its typically an early start / late finish. I find now that even on the short haul flights I feel like I've got jet lag for a few days after.

Anyway I am now looking at my diary for the weeks starting from 3rd July and all I can see is big blank spaces!

8 working days to go.

justme111 · 21 June 2017 at 8:08AM

I can not imagine how someone in managing/organising role can cut workload to a specific time to an hour/day. I would expect in some occupations it would be easy ( a teacher doing one hour tuition a day or a factory worker turning up for work once a week) but in others I just do not see how it can work. A surgeon can not put the instruments down midop or a manager stop meeting mid sentence . If working life consists of issues that need to be solved it is not fraction Ed per hour , it is fractioned per issue and even then the issues are interlocked and not solving the next one impacts on quality of a solution of previous one.
Suppose part of the solution is to eliminate travelling as you say in the post above. But then if it is essential for your role what is left for you to offer that you could do in 7 hours/week while someone else takes on what you used to do?

chiefie · 21 June 2017 at 8:17AM

Spreadsheetman wrote: »

I have found this too, post-50 the job stress+pressure started really getting to me and now at 55 I know I don't have that long left before my coping resources are gone and something blows. I've taken steps on the financial side, but at some point it's just going to have to do even if it's not as safe as I'd like.

Ditto to all that. And now the winter months make things even worse for me to be able to cope. I think stopping for a bit at last at 55 is the ideal solution and knowing myself I will eventually get my zest and mojo back for some form of paid employment that stretches me a bit but not in the way the last 5 years have. Good lucka

OldMusicGuy · 21 June 2017 at 9:13AM

Marine_life wrote: »

I have felt the stress for a long time errr.....probably since 2010 when I started this thread but seriously since 2012. I think the stress makes it difficult to retain the same performance levels which leads to more stress and so it compounds.

I do a lot of travelling, probably something like 1,000 flights in the last 10 years - maybe more - and its typically an early start / late finish. I find now that even on the short haul flights I feel like I've got jet lag for a few days after.

Me too. I dread long haul, even in business class. I can't sleep on planes and even those short haul flights are tiring these days. Once I am retired I will do a couple of holiday trips with my wife to use up air miles but after that I don't ever plan on getting on a plane again!

Marine_life wrote: »

Anyway I am now looking at my diary for the weeks starting from 3rd July and all I can see is big blank spaces!

8 working days to go.

Wow, I am jealous. 8 months for me.......

justme111 · 21 June 2017 at 9:32AM

OldMusicGuy wrote: »

. 8 months for me.......

Lucky you !

aldershot · 21 June 2017 at 9:57AM

OldMusicGuy wrote: »

Wow, I am jealous. 8 months for me.......

I've kept of this thread for a while but I'm hoping it's only about another 6 weeks for me. I will report back!

Me too. I dread long haul, even in business class. I can't sleep on planes and even those short haul flights are tiring these days. Once I am retired I will do a couple of holiday trips with my wife to use up air miles but after that I don't ever plan on getting on a plane again!

Totally agree.

gfplux · 21 June 2017 at 10:06AM

In the years before I retired (20 years ago) taking 3 to 4 short hall flights, a week every week seemed a normal life. How crazy is that. In fact I saw long haul as excitement. Yes I was that mad.
My daughter at five would point at a plane overhead and would shout "Papa"
Sill today I look up at a passing plane and say "so glad I am not onboard"
The first couple of years of retirement were difficult (for my wife as well) as home was a difficult place to get used to. It passed and it will for any other road warriors it just takes time and lots of love.

Early-retirement wannabe

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