Enjoying Retirement

[RichB]

Silver Hammer said:

I am happy to say that I will be joining the ranks enjoying retirement tomorrow. Returning computer and phone and that will be it. “What are you going to do?” - “Whatever I want!” I certainly don’t have a grand plan, just intend to enjoy the summer and try to work out the new dynamic of no more 9 to 5 after 40 years with the same company.
I think it will be a bit strange not having the comfort of a monthly salary, but my calculations indicate everything should work out OK and when I get my state pension in 2 years time I will be fine.

Maxwell

Well done and congratulations, enjoy yourself!

[Silver Hammer]

Just heading into the main office to say goodbyes and hand in kit to IT, so should be out of there and free by lunchtime!

Maxwell

[alscar]

Well enjoy that then.
I always felt slightly cheated as retired early during Covid wfh so never made it back to the office.
I always wanted to do the “ later losers “ from the Big Bang Theory.
As it was , closed the laptop at 4pm ( treated myself ) , went downstairs and said that’s it.
Chinese takeaway and a bottle of fizz was a good way to celebrate though.

[Silver Hammer]

Just heading into the main office to say goodbyes and hand in kit to IT, so should be out of there and free by lunchtime!

Maxwell

[OldSkoolRS]

Congratulations Maxwell. Hope by now you've checked out and are on your way home.

[Ed Moses]

Silver Hammer said:

I am happy to say that I will be joining the ranks enjoying retirement tomorrow. Returning computer and phone and that will be it. “What are you going to do?” - “Whatever I want!” I certainly don’t have a grand plan, just intend to enjoy the summer and try to work out the new dynamic of no more 9 to 5 after 40 years with the same company.
I think it will be a bit strange not having the comfort of a monthly salary, but my calculations indicate everything should work out OK and when I get my state pension in 2 years time I will be fine.

Maxwell

Congratulations - look forward to no alarm on Monday morning!

[The Gauge]

Ed Moses said:

Congratulations - look forward to no alarm on Monday morning!

Or set your alarm for 5 mins earlier than you would so you can be awake when that time comes and smugly think to yourself ‘I don’t have to wake up yet’.

[Seventyseven7]

What’s the youngest someone has retired in here?

I’m considering retiring this year, from full time employment at least. Yet, I’m starting to think it may be too early and i may be too young to be doing it now.

[Car bon]

Seventyseven7 said:

What’s the youngest someone has retired in here?

I’m considering retiring this year, from full time employment at least. Yet, I’m starting to think it may be too early and i may be too young to be doing it now.

Retired ? or retired successfully & permanently ?

There was someone earlier in the thread that managed early 40's IIRC - but ended up back doing something.

I did 55 and am nearly 2 years in & loving it.

I think you need a partner and/or friends in a similar position - it's not just about the financial side of things......

[s111dpc]

Seventyseven7 said:

What’s the youngest someone has retired in here?

I’m considering retiring this year, from full time employment at least. Yet, I’m starting to think it may be too early and i may be too young to be doing it now.

I retired at 56 and am 14 months in with no plans to return to work

[tertius]

Seventyseven7 said:

What’s the youngest someone has retired in here?

I’m considering retiring this year, from full time employment at least. Yet, I’m starting to think it may be too early and i may be too young to be doing it now.

I retired at 54, three years ago next month.

I had, and still have, a great deal of voluntary activities to keep me busy, mostly sport related. However, I have also gone back to university to do another first degree. Its only part-time but i'm definitely busy now!

[Boringvolvodriver]

The Gauge said:

Ed Moses said:

Congratulations - look forward to no alarm on Monday morning!

Or set your alarm for 5 mins earlier than you would so you can be awake when that time comes and smugly think to yourself ‘I don’t have to wake up yet’.

Not having to get up at silly o’clock is one of the joys of retirement. In the winter months, we don’t get up until 8ish at the earliest although can be earlier in summer when we want to make the most of the day, knowing that if we are knackered the next day, then we can have a lie in!

I will sometimes get up when I wake up and sit with a coffee enjoying the peace.

[Boringvolvodriver]

Car bon said:

Seventyseven7 said:

What’s the youngest someone has retired in here?

I’m considering retiring this year, from full time employment at least. Yet, I’m starting to think it may be too early and i may be too young to be doing it now.

Retired ? or retired successfully & permanently ?

There was someone earlier in the thread that managed early 40's IIRC - but ended up back doing something.

I did 55 and am nearly 2 years in & loving it.

I think you need a partner and/or friends in a similar position - it's not just about the financial side of things......

This is the key unless you have lots of interests to keep you busy whilst partner at work.

Mrs BVD retired at 54 and had a year before i stopped at 58. She was busy both doing and managing the work on the house and looking after her mother who had dementia.

Since I stopped work, we get out and about a fair bit, enjoy holidays and both meet up separately with friends in similar positions.

The mistake is to sit on ones backside all day and fester - that said, the occasional day of doing just that is quite therapeutic!

[mikeiow]

alscar said:

Well enjoy that then.
I always felt slightly cheated as retired early during Covid wfh so never made it back to the office.
I always wanted to do the “ later losers “ from the Big Bang Theory.
As it was , closed the laptop at 4pm ( treated myself ) , went downstairs and said that’s it.
Chinese takeaway and a bottle of fizz was a good way to celebrate though.

I ran a leaving zoom party for my departure.....a thoroughly enjoyable hour, one I recorded for posterity & future enjoyment.
Included 21 verses of limerick....yes, my last month or two were spent well
(bit of a closing circle - when I left my first proper job, I wrote a bunch of limericks about the characters I was leaving, & felt it worked well enough to try again!)

Car bon said:

Seventyseven7 said:

What’s the youngest someone has retired in here?

I’m considering retiring this year, from full time employment at least. Yet, I’m starting to think it may be too early and i may be too young to be doing it now.

Retired ? or retired successfully & permanently ?

There was someone earlier in the thread that managed early 40's IIRC - but ended up back doing something.

I did 55 and am nearly 2 years in & loving it.

I think you need a partner and/or friends in a similar position - it's not just about the financial side of things......

Excellent points!
I would have left aged 56, but Covid landed so I carried on another year: wasn't going to be any travelling done.....plus it gave me time to properly compose things (see above ).

Defo want partner on board - I had shirked from home (when not travelling) for a couple of decades, so having me around a bit more wasn't a biggie.
We also now have a few pals who join in things along the way, which is great. 2 skied with us on our first week out here, another joins on Saturday.

It will be different for everyone - & not just regarding the finances. I'd say it is more important to have a reasonable (even if vague!) idea how you will spend your time than knowing the money is there to the Nth degree.
I didn't want to leave until our offspring were starting on their post-Uni careers, so even if money had meant I could have stepped away earlier, it wouldn't have felt right....

Some folk love their jobs & work environment - I have a couple of good friends who almost certainly have way more money available than me, but *love* their jobs. Some will own their businesses - maybe many here - & that might make leaving harder.

[V12GT]

Silver Hammer said:

I am happy to say that I will be joining the ranks enjoying retirement tomorrow. Returning computer and phone and that will be it. “What are you going to do?” - “Whatever I want!” I certainly don’t have a grand plan, just intend to enjoy the summer and try to work out the new dynamic of no more 9 to 5 after 40 years with the same company.
I think it will be a bit strange not having the comfort of a monthly salary, but my calculations indicate everything should work out OK and when I get my state pension in 2 years time I will be fine.

Maxwell

Congratulations and welcome to the club!

Seventyseven7 said:

What’s the youngest someone has retired in here?

I’m considering retiring this year, from full time employment at least. Yet, I’m starting to think it may be too early and i may be too young to be doing it now.

I retired fully a month before my 50th, nearly two years ago.

Haven't regretted it at all, but am keeping myself busy with a mixture of voluntary work, travel and a 'honey do' list at home from my wife

I took the plunge when we are still healthy, our remaining parents don't need looking after and our kids don't have kids... carpe diem as they say.

[caiss4]

Seventyseven7 said:

What’s the youngest someone has retired in here?

I’m considering retiring this year, from full time employment at least. Yet, I’m starting to think it may be too early and i may be too young to be doing it now.

I was going to retire at 55 but my dear wife made it clear that either she retired as well (the sums didn't work in that scenario) or I got off my backside and find something to do. The latter prevailed and I finally retired at 61 along with my dearly beloved!

On reflection I think 55 would have been way too early but north of 60 has worked well for us and we've enjoyed the past few years particularly post-Covid doing whatever we want.

[Hereward]

Seventyseven7 said:

What’s the youngest someone has retired in here?

I’m considering retiring this year, from full time employment at least. Yet, I’m starting to think it may be too early and i may be too young to be doing it now.

46 for me.

You need to have hobbies and interests to jump in to. I also do a variety of voluntary work. YOU NEED TO FEEL FULFILLED.

I was concerned I would be lonely and the days would drag but in fact time seems to have sped up.

2 years on and I feel happier now than at any time in my life.

[NowWatchThisDrive]

Seventyseven7 said:

What’s the youngest someone has retired in here?

I’m considering retiring this year, from full time employment at least. Yet, I’m starting to think it may be too early and i may be too young to be doing it now.

I stopped working at quite an early age by most measures (42 in the end), and from experience I'd say it's less about age itself as opposed to whether your circumstances - financial obviously, but also familial obligations, spousal relationship dynamics and everything else - permit you to do what you want to do with your time.

[RichB]

alscar said:

Well enjoy that then.
I always felt slightly cheated as retired early during Covid wfh so never made it back to the office.
I always wanted to do the “ later losers “ from the Big Bang Theory.
As it was , closed the laptop at 4pm ( treated myself ) , went downstairs and said that’s it.
Chinese takeaway and a bottle of fizz was a good way to celebrate though.

Ditto, I felt the same. It was odd for 45 years to fizzle out like that...

[alscar]

NowWatchThisDrive said:

I stopped working at quite an early age by most measures (42 in the end), and from experience I'd say it's less about age itself as opposed to whether your circumstances - financial obviously, but also familial obligations, spousal relationship dynamics and everything else - permit you to do what you want to do with your time.

Agree with these thoughts entirely.
My wife hasn't worked as such for decades since the children were born and as she says women never seem to retire !
Fwiw I looked into in at 55 but the numbers didn't quite work and in hindsight delaying it until I was then 58 to start transferring a DB Pension into private control meant a near doubling of the pot.
I always said I wanted to keep the same lifestyle ( horses for my wife ,cars for me plus we didn't want to move from where we are ) so at 60 I closed the laptop for the last time having not made it back to the office since Covid wfh.
Just over 2 years later it still feels like a holiday, I still tend to think of the weekends as just that but its the freedom and flexibility to do things often on the spur of the moment that I still find a joy and novelty.
I was offered a number of Non Execs etc and some consultancy work but almost happily turned them down.