Enjoying Retirement

[V12GT]

Bonefish Blues said:

craig1912 said:

Sheepshanks said:

Sorting out our mobile phones has been trying - wife particularly wanted to keep her number. Company kept paying for them for 18mths then suddenly decided they didn t want to any more. Got lost in a minefield of offers - just how much data does one need? And then uncertainty about porting the numbers. Some cheap deals apparently don t do things like Wi-Fi calling which we need.

Ended up with company s supplier putting us on contracts but they re making a right palava of it and it s still not sorted.

For years we ve had new iPhones every two years and passed the old ones to our kids , after having new batteries fitted. Wife expects this to carry on.

Lebara. We both had company mobiles, bought new phones just before we retired and transferred contacts we needed to keep. Keep our phones until the battery is no longer viable- last time I just got a new battery. Can t see the point in changing as aside from the camera there is nothing to be gained. Youngest son still has an XS!

We own all our phones and use ID Mobile - no interest in having the latest phone every year.

Most suppliers allow you to port the number to a new provider. I moved from Vodafone to Smarty when I retired a few years ago and the process was very easy.

Also one of those who gets a new phone when the software updates stop working on the old one - current one has been going for 5 years. Does the job.

[Car bon]

I'm similar - new phones when something stops working or breaks.

SIM only deals with ID mobile - so cheap these days.

I'm close to completing the circle and taking my kids old ones where they upgrade

[Magooagain]

I m very close to having no mobile phone. I have a second hand one from my wife as she insists I have one in the car when out.
I m enjoying the absolute freedom retirement has given me and that includes an odd morning working for a neighbour when I feel like it.
Most of my life is spent outside in the French countryside walking my dog, in the garden/workshop or in my small woodland. I just love it.
I have some money/ pensions but not a great deal, but I don t need much.

[RichB]

Sheepshanks said:

Sorting out our mobile phones has been trying - wife particularly wanted to keep her number. <clip>

I believe it's a legal requirement that you should get a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC).

[Sheepshanks]

RichB said:

Ditto, changing phones it pointless. Just ignore the constant barrage of adverts telling you the new Hokey Cokey 2000 is better than anything that went before. As for data, I just got an all inclusive contract for £40 or something but binned international cheap calling because I no longer spend half my time on planes, yippee.

It's not so much for our own sake, but as mentioned, it's become routine to pass them on to our kids, and now they're at an age where they're passing their phone to their own children - so by the time the phones get to them, they are pretty out of date.

This was all easy when our phones were free - company even paid for the batteries to be changed - becomes a different kettle of fish when two new phones are be 2 grand.

[Sheepshanks]

V12GT said:

Most suppliers allow you to port the number to a new provider. I moved from Vodafone to Smarty when I retired a few years ago and the process was very easy.

Apparently the porting will fail if the account details don't match - so you can't easily move a number that's on a company account to your own personal account.

I don't think it would bother me too much. My wife would deal with it if hers changed, but nevertheless I'd get a lot of grief about it.

[Bonefish Blues]

RichB said:

Sheepshanks said:

Sorting out our mobile phones has been trying - wife particularly wanted to keep her number. <clip>

I believe it's a legal requirement that you should get a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC).

It's a really slick process these days

[alscar]

Sheepshanks said:

Sorting out our mobile phones has been trying - wife particularly wanted to keep her number. Company kept paying for them for 18mths then suddenly decided they didn t want to any more. Got lost in a minefield of offers - just how much data does one need? And then uncertainty about porting the numbers. Some cheap deals apparently don t do things like Wi-Fi calling which we need.

Ended up with company s supplier putting us on contracts but they re making a right palava of it and it s still not sorted.

For years we ve had new iPhones every two years and passed the old ones to our kids , after having new batteries fitted. Wife expects this to carry on.

My previous employers company happily allowed me to retain the same number and supplied the phone.
I’m still happy with the iPhone 6SE 4 years on and the battery health still seems ok at 91%.

[a340driver]

I got a last minute call from a mate who lives 40 minutes away that Jaz Delorean (Tankus the Henge) would be playing at the pub that is 30m from my mate's front door.

I checked my calendar and realised that I was utterly available for day drinking followed by restaurant and gig in a pub.

Life is good.

[craig1912]

RichB said:

I believe it's a legal requirement that you should get a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC).

Difficult from a company account. I wanted a different number as I didn’t want “business calls” when I retired.

[Palmela]

Magooagain said:

I m very close to having no mobile phone. I have a second hand one from my wife as she insists I have one in the car when out.
I m enjoying the absolute freedom retirement has given me and that includes an odd morning working for a neighbour when I feel like it.
Most of my life is spent outside in the French countryside walking my dog, in the garden/workshop or in my small woodland. I just love it.
I have some money/ pensions but not a great deal, but I don t need much.

That sounds like a very pleasant sort-of retired life indeed. Are you after a sort-of retired apprentice?

[JeremyH5]

craig1912 said:

RichB said:

I believe it's a legal requirement that you should get a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC).

Difficult from a company account. I wanted a different number as I didn t want business calls when I retired.

No different from a company account, I did it easily.

[Zingari]

I took my work number with me when I retired nearly 8yrs ago. I had no issues at all. I'd had the number since 2000 so didn't want to lose it as I also used it for personal calls and paid for them when I got the monthly bill. When I left we were still on BlackBerry so I missed the switch to iPhone but decided to buy an iPhone when I left. XS then an 8 which I kept the longest and went through a battery replacement before buying a 14 Pro giving in to the Face ID access. I buy them all secondhand with 100% battery and ideally still with Apple Cover.

The Pro is a game changer as I can zoom in on the BBC News App and [just about] read all sections of the front pages of the newspapers. Phone cameras are just getting better all the time and it takes great pictures.

I'm on the look out for a 16 Pro and whilst I personally hate mobile phones (a curse of being on call for nearly 20yrs) I like the idea of having up to date kit, longer battery life and I can afford it, so why not. In the 7+yrs I've been retired I've only taken one work related call around a year after I'd gone - called by mistake. Very few people ring me, I don't use it much and my WhatsApp is set to silent so I choose when I want to read a message. On holidays I leave it in the room along with my watch.

iD Mobile £8pm on a monthly contract with free calls/text and 30Gb which rolls over up to 3-months. So now I've got roughly 80Gb left at the end of each month.

We've ditched the landline but since I'm with Virgin its a cheaper deal to keep it 'live' it's just that there's nothing plugged in. I give the landline number for all web based purchases and contracts. They can call and get a ring tone, but nobody will answer leaving me to deal with anything by email in my own time

[mikeiow]

Well, since this is now a phone helpline….I also kept my work phone/number, & indeed treated myself to an iPhone 12 Pro, 512GB (an accidental pricing error by IDMobile to my benefit!).
Moved to Lebara 8 months ago on a ludicrous £1.99 50GB MSE-spotted deal. Uses Vodafone in the UK which is fine (except around Latitude festival ).
Now back to £9.99pcm. Might change when Black Friday deals are out, although it does include Oz & NZ, & we are loosely planning an excursion down there next Oct, so I may just pay the tenner a month for that benefit ahead - not many roaming deals include Down Under, AFAIK.

OH, & *zero* accidental work calls when I left - shows how important I really was
Now considering an upgrade, mostly for a better camera. 16 Pro looks a possibility.


On the enjoying retirement front….had a week with pals in Reeth, helping them decorate and gardening, plus of course walking and drinking. Stopped with another very good friend and Harrogate on the way back: plotted and planned a 4 day Round the Island walk for next summer with him.

Flexibility is everything: a lazy day today, will get out to fill the garden bin this afternoon!

[alscar]

Phone helpline...
And pensions and computer and cars and holidays and insurances don't forget -its all about the enjoyment.
Currently engaged on getting quotes for new oak doors to be installed , various tree surgeon work required , looking around for some new furniture , renewing car warranties and booking car services and a recall.
And a visit to Costco tomorrow apparently.

[mikeiow]

alscar said:

Phone helpline...
And pensions and computer and cars and holidays and insurances don't forget -its all about the enjoyment.
Currently engaged on getting quotes for new oak doors to be installed , various tree surgeon work required , looking around for some new furniture , renewing car warranties and booking car services and a recall.
And a visit to Costco tomorrow apparently.

Heh heh!
True. Just taken down a plum tree that has been useless for years in the corner: a lawn full of stuff to bundle into the XC60 to take to the tip next!
& Costco tomorrow? Snap! After 2 hours of pickleball, of course. Coffee bags on offer this week: pretty decent, for a fast coffee

[Somebody]

Costco during half term week? No, thanks

[mikeiow]

Somebody said:

Costco during half term week? No, thanks

Ah, half term in Leicester was last week
MrsMikeIOW has snuffles, so I’ll be pickling and (gasp) shopping alone. Wish me luck

[Magooagain]

Palmela said:

Magooagain said:

I m very close to having no mobile phone. I have a second hand one from my wife as she insists I have one in the car when out.
I m enjoying the absolute freedom retirement has given me and that includes an odd morning working for a neighbour when I feel like it.
Most of my life is spent outside in the French countryside walking my dog, in the garden/workshop or in my small woodland. I just love it.
I have some money/ pensions but not a great deal, but I don t need much.

That sounds like a very pleasant sort-of retired life indeed. Are you after a sort-of retired apprentice?

One of my old apprentices comes out for a visit most years, he just loves it here and says he would move here but his wife wouldn’t. But he would stick out like a sore thumb here full time. He a very sociable chap and loves his daily pint and pub life which would be impossible round these parts.
Many move here thinking of the good life etc but they then realise just how hooked on shopping, fast food and everything at their finger tip.
Fortunately it’s nothing like that where I am.
Tranquil like!

[bomb]

When retired Gentlemen meet for a relaxed coffee, or two.