Retiring today
Discussion
I've got just under 2 hours to go until I voluntarily terminate my working life on a permanent basis.
I should be euphoric, but I'm finding it all very daunting! Pensions etc are all looking good, but the thought of jumping into the next (last!) phase of life, and having to make sure that pot of money lasts, is, frankly, a little unnerving! I'm 59, 60 next week.
Anyone else?
I should be euphoric, but I'm finding it all very daunting! Pensions etc are all looking good, but the thought of jumping into the next (last!) phase of life, and having to make sure that pot of money lasts, is, frankly, a little unnerving! I'm 59, 60 next week.
Anyone else?
d.Jasandjules said:
Surely you can find something else to do to keep your eye in? Part time, contract etc?
Yes, I've had a couple of offers already, so I'm fairly confident that if I find myself twiddling my thumbs too much then I'll have other options. Despite my OP, the main plan at the moment is to just take some me time, catch up on jobs around the house etc, and see how it goes.I know I'm very fortunate to be able to do this, it's just getting my head round how it will really be!
I retired/gave up work, at 56, I'm now almost 59.
Best thing I ever did. I now have no spare time to work for The Man.
Since I retired, I've taken up all grain brewing, built a home pub, joined a band (ok I was in one before but this is a better one!) and much improved my drumming, driven my kit car a lot more, done a fair bit of home improvement, and increased the cycling I do.
Retirement can be the end of your life or the beginning, for me it was definitely the beginning.
Good luck and have fun
Best thing I ever did. I now have no spare time to work for The Man.
Since I retired, I've taken up all grain brewing, built a home pub, joined a band (ok I was in one before but this is a better one!) and much improved my drumming, driven my kit car a lot more, done a fair bit of home improvement, and increased the cycling I do.
Retirement can be the end of your life or the beginning, for me it was definitely the beginning.
Good luck and have fun
Good luck to you. Hope it all works out. 
My Dad 'retired' 5 years ago aged 65 when he sold his business.
He lasted a few months before starting a new company and is now busier than ever
He enjoys working, enjoys business and finds making money far more exciting than spending it, so I suppose he's doing what makes him happy.
I've tried to convince him to spend more time relaxing and to buy things that he's always wanted, but to no avail.
As long as he's happy then I'm happy.
My Dad 'retired' 5 years ago aged 65 when he sold his business.
He lasted a few months before starting a new company and is now busier than ever
He enjoys working, enjoys business and finds making money far more exciting than spending it, so I suppose he's doing what makes him happy.I've tried to convince him to spend more time relaxing and to buy things that he's always wanted, but to no avail.
As long as he's happy then I'm happy.
More often than not I find myself thinking about retirement and wishing I'd made better provision when I was younger. I'm looking at working into my early sixties and would be much happier if I were retired now, early fifties.
Settle back and enjoy it. You're free to do what you want. That's liberating.
Settle back and enjoy it. You're free to do what you want. That's liberating.
MrsMiggins said:
More often than not I find myself thinking about retirement and wishing I'd made better provision when I was younger. I'm looking at working into my early sixties and would be much happier if I were retired now, early fifties.
Pensions are generally not crossing your mind when you’re in your 20s/30s, although they should be. I’ve got 4 years of pension from a job I had in my early 20s but I forgot about it till I was recently clearing out paperwork. Must chase that up! I’m early 50s too and the sooner I can retire the better, already looking into how to make it work.
Enjoy your retirement CAPPO. An exciting new chapter in life!
I retired 6 months ago aged 56.
The COVID madness has put paid to travel and holiday plans for the foreseeable future. Playing golf most days now. Not much else to do - no other real hobbies or interests - but it can take me all day to do not a lot, at a pace I am becoming very comfortable with.
On another thread, in pre-retirement, I had pondered what to do in the way of hobbies / interests. Never did get very far with that. But it hasn't mattered too much: I am much happier than when I was working.
The impending winter fills me with some dread - but not to the point where going back to work seems a more attractive option. I expect I will cope, but I am not looking forward to 3 or 4 months of doing nothing.
COVID has screwed up my post-retirement finances - in a good way. I've nothing to spend money on these days, so it is difficult to judge exactly how I am handling the mental switch from saving for retirement to actually spending those savings. In theory, I should have more disposable income in retirement than I had when working. I don't want to become a miser, but I think it might take a while to be comfortable spending larger amounts from the savings pot when I can't just earn it back quickly. I'll postpone thinking about that one until travel becomes possible again.
The COVID madness has put paid to travel and holiday plans for the foreseeable future. Playing golf most days now. Not much else to do - no other real hobbies or interests - but it can take me all day to do not a lot, at a pace I am becoming very comfortable with.
On another thread, in pre-retirement, I had pondered what to do in the way of hobbies / interests. Never did get very far with that. But it hasn't mattered too much: I am much happier than when I was working.
The impending winter fills me with some dread - but not to the point where going back to work seems a more attractive option. I expect I will cope, but I am not looking forward to 3 or 4 months of doing nothing.
COVID has screwed up my post-retirement finances - in a good way. I've nothing to spend money on these days, so it is difficult to judge exactly how I am handling the mental switch from saving for retirement to actually spending those savings. In theory, I should have more disposable income in retirement than I had when working. I don't want to become a miser, but I think it might take a while to be comfortable spending larger amounts from the savings pot when I can't just earn it back quickly. I'll postpone thinking about that one until travel becomes possible again.
Congratulations CAPP0!!! You've worked hard, now its time to do what you want to do.
Hopefully you are in good health, so do what you can to stay that way. Think carefully about taking on commitments. There will be plenty of people ready to 'steal' your time. You also never know what is waiting around the corner, so if you've always wanted to do something, do it (ok, so travel opportunities are limited right now...).
I did hear of a chap who took early retirement, whose wife continued to work. He dressed for work and left the house at the usual time each morning, only to creep back in after the wife had gone. He knew that if he told her he had retired, she would, firstly, line up lots of jobs to be done, and secondly, want to give up work herself!
Hopefully you are in good health, so do what you can to stay that way. Think carefully about taking on commitments. There will be plenty of people ready to 'steal' your time. You also never know what is waiting around the corner, so if you've always wanted to do something, do it (ok, so travel opportunities are limited right now...).
I did hear of a chap who took early retirement, whose wife continued to work. He dressed for work and left the house at the usual time each morning, only to creep back in after the wife had gone. He knew that if he told her he had retired, she would, firstly, line up lots of jobs to be done, and secondly, want to give up work herself!
Thanks everyone for those very kind words, really heartwarming!
@1: (how did you get that username?!) I completely get what you’re saying about making the switch to spending your pension savings! I’ve been over and over my figures for about the past 9 months and I know that subject to even Just a very modest growth level, I’ve got enough to be able to live at the same level as when I was (!) working, for a very decent amount of time, but it’s still a leap of faith to step into that arrangement.
Genuinely though, thanks everyone for the encouraging words, really good to read.
@1: (how did you get that username?!) I completely get what you’re saying about making the switch to spending your pension savings! I’ve been over and over my figures for about the past 9 months and I know that subject to even Just a very modest growth level, I’ve got enough to be able to live at the same level as when I was (!) working, for a very decent amount of time, but it’s still a leap of faith to step into that arrangement.
Genuinely though, thanks everyone for the encouraging words, really good to read.
CAPP0 said:
Thanks everyone for those very kind words, really heartwarming!
@1: (how did you get that username?!) I completely get what you’re saying about making the switch to spending your pension savings! I’ve been over and over my figures for about the past 9 months and I know that subject to even Just a very modest growth level, I’ve got enough to be able to live at the same level as when I was (!) working, for a very decent amount of time, but it’s still a leap of faith to step into that arrangement.
Genuinely though, thanks everyone for the encouraging words, really good to read.
Good luck OP. I don't envy you retiring just before winter. But I have realised a lot of my dread is due to a lifetime of winters: getting up in the dark, driving to work in the dark, leaving work in the dark, driving home in the dark - never seeing daylight for days or weeks on end. Now that I have worked that out, I reckon winter in retirement might not be quite so bad as I was fearing. We'll see.@1: (how did you get that username?!) I completely get what you’re saying about making the switch to spending your pension savings! I’ve been over and over my figures for about the past 9 months and I know that subject to even Just a very modest growth level, I’ve got enough to be able to live at the same level as when I was (!) working, for a very decent amount of time, but it’s still a leap of faith to step into that arrangement.
Genuinely though, thanks everyone for the encouraging words, really good to read.
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