The good things about retirement

Not having the terror of OFSTED and management making me feel everything I did might be wrong even though my results indicated everything I did was right. It was was like living under Big Brother.

Now I do my own OFSTEDing and everything I do is 'satisfactory'. I no longer aim for 'outstanding' or even 'good' and with the pressure off everything in life is 'excellent', thank you.

The best thing about retirement for me is having time. Time with my dearly beloved husband, who I am lucky to have shared my life with. Time for my children to listen to them. Time for my grandchildren to give them my undivided attention. Time for friends and wider family to spend leisurely time with them.
Words are cheap but actions are what count and I now can be with the important people in my life.
My life has whizzed by so quickly and I am now so conscious of not wasting time with people who don't add anything to it, and making the most of what time that me and my darlings have got left.

I am not retired but if one of my days off is sunny I will take myself to lunch at the coast and enjoy coffee and cake and people watching in the afternoon. Lovely way to spend the day

Part of our retirement was taken up by bringing up our gd, she is now 17, although she still lives with us she is out and about with her friends now so we have time to ourselves. Both in our seventies but enjoy walks, trips and holidays on our own nice not to have to go in school holidays now she’s at 6th form college. Doesn’t want to go away with us so has
A holiday with our d, her aunt which works well.

One Sunday pm, looking at my week ahead, I just had one grandson to care for at half term and the weather was dire. So I went on line, packed a case ... and at 7am next day, him and I flew Gatwick to Milan and took a taxi up to Lake Como ! We had the most amazing week, taking the water bus daily to explore all the little villages around the lake. The bliss of retirement, total spontaneity !!

Well I am retired. I live by the sea and i do more now than I did while I was working .

The good things about retirement?....everything; just blooming everything.

The fact that I don't have to leave the house until after I've been to the loo.

Sitting in my Jin jams at 930 with a cup of coff, rain belting down outside and knowing that I don’t have to go anywhere until it stops.

That's very true Saggi. Nearest bus to me is about 3 miles. When I broke my wrist and couldn't drive, that was a bit problem. Something I bear in mind for if we ever move.

Like most of the rest of you: the freedom to do what I want, when I want and not having to worry about redundancy, problems at work, and waking up sometimes feeling that the end of term is a very, very long way off!

Fixed income has both its pros and cons, but we are reasonably comfortable moneywise, so everything in the metaphorical garden is lovely.

The real garden is a completely different kettle of fish!

GrammaH ..... ???? Going to the doctors anytime....try living here....phoned my surgery for an app on March 26....earliest app April 26....it’s true isn’t it ‘What don’t kill you, makes you stronger’ .... or maybe just iller?!

I take it from most of you GN posters that you all have cars....believe me living in the middle of the country and feeling like a ‘sea fix’ is akin to a military operation in my house. Buses.. trains...taxi’s . You need a car to be truly ‘spur of the moment’ unless you stay local!!

No politics. Coach trips often booked just a couple of days before heading off for a few days.

Going to the pictures any day, any time. Ditto hairdressers, doctors, dentist. Not getting up if I don't feel like it. Not having to pay a premium for gym membership to cover evenings & weekends as I go in the week between 9 and 5 when it's much cheaper. The list goes on....

I feel for me it's the best of both worlds, working 2 days a week in an office job I like. I feel I have my work/life balance OK with a 5 day weekend

I do consider giving it up at times, mainly because of the long drive. But often I come home and I've enjoyed it, mixing with all ages, stimulating, rewarding at times.

If I had grandchildren close or my parents, it would be different.

I do get a special pleasure occasionally having a lovely mid week long pub lunch on a glorious sunny day, and thinking of the poor souls all incarcerated in the office...

So sorry for those who can't retire yet but really want to.

I love retirement too . Being able to meet up with friends in the middle of the week is wonderful. Off peak cinema and theatre too - still feel "naughty" when we go to a matinee !

Sorry can't see not can

I can do all of those things on SOME days but still work part time for financial reasons ( I still love what I do and now work in a much nicer place than the one I left when working full time) I can see me leaving work completely any time soon couldn't manage on the state pension and 2 very tiny work pensions I have.

Luckily I love my job but can't officially retire for 9 years but depends on husbands health as I would leave work if he had to or maybe part time

Oh, this is just the kind of thing I am looking forward to! I was planning to retire next February, but am now being made redundant and finish at the end of May. Can't wait!!!

What everyone has already said.
Yesterday it was beautifully sunny and we took ourselves to the coast 15 minutes distant. We had a lovely walk along the promenade, then coffee and a delicious Apple and cinnamon scone.

It's wonderful to not worry about clock watching unless we want to. To stay awake late because we are reading a great book.
Instead of needing appointments to be early before work, now I can make them for later in the day and not rush.

Doing what I want to do instead of what I have to do. When I meet ex colleagues who are still at the place I used to work, they are still going through staff training, boring meetings, dealing with difficult colleagues/bosses, squeezing on to public transport in the rush hour. No thanks.

Been retired ten years now, if I had the chance to go back to work I would grab it with both hands, would even return unpaid, never liked retirement, despite being active.

If it wasn’t for being old it would be truly great!