Retirement

I could have retired at 63,I am now 68 and still working part time in a care home and I absolutely love it. If I were to retire I would probably just become a couch potato and eat and eat and eat.....?‍♀️

When you do retire you should have some sort of plan. You will have time on your hands to do what you want, hobbies, volunteering, travel, visit friends, family etc. Of course all this starts with your finances. Maybe there are some online retirement planning courses you could check out? It's as well to have a plan, whether you choose to go this year or not.

Me too. I always said that I would not let the government make me work until I was 66, so I'm thinking of going at the end of this year when I'd be 65 and 4 months. I haven't enjoyed my job in social care management since Covid came along and I don't think I want to go through another full winter. On the other hand if I stay til next August there will be a bit extra in the pension pot and I will get my state pension, which is better than most as I have some SERPS and SSP to come.
I'm probably going to do some freelance work on a self employed basis for a few hours a week and spend more time with the dog and at the gym, more travel and all the usual stuff. DH is semi retired and works 2 days a week, that seems to be a good working pattern, especially if you enjoy what you do.

I suspect from what you’ve posted that you wouldn’t enjoy it Grannyrebel - I had acquaintances of a similar mindset who were appalled at my decision to retire four years ago, well before I get my SP at the end of this year!

However my closest friends, who knew me well, agreed with me that I’d never been bored in my life and would find stuff to do to keep body and brain busy!

They were right and COVID notwithstanding my retirement life has been delightful.

Only you know your interests, hobbies and ambitions so add them up and see how fulfilled you might be.

I loved my job too, and I did work an extra 18 months after I could have retired. Now( pre-pandemic anyway) I am one of those people who wondered how they had time to work. Well that is not strictly true of course. The truth is that when I worked I had little time to do anything else. Now I have time for family, hobbies, voluntary work, church, three choirs, days out... and to do nothing if I choose.

Same here, have worked in supermarket for the last 4 yrs, I can retire in October this year. But doubt if I will.

Not sure how SP and still working will effect me financially
as I don't earn enough to pay tax at the moment.

I retired from teaching at 60. I loved teaching, it was the passion of my life for many years but I did not miss it. I planned to downsize when I retired so having a project was good. At first I struggled with not rushing about but now, two and a half years on, I enjoy taking my time. I took up art and other crafts and have enjoyed those too. It also helped that my first grandchild was born six months into my retirement so he has kept me busy. I was ready to retire though, and that made the difference. If you aren't ready, then keep working. Good luck whatever you decide.

grannyrebel7 I was happy to retire to begin with but it was a bit too early for me chronologically and personally. I have found that I needed a meaty voluntary role to plug the gap. I would look out for something now.

I retired 7 years ago and I love it. No regrets. I really enjoyed my job but it was demanding and exhausting. I love having more time for hobbies and seeing friends and family

I was made redundant just before I was 60. My DH is 9 years older than me and had already been retired a few years. I chose not to look for another job and retired. I only have a small pension, but luckily my DH has a good one and I also have a rental property for a bit of income.
Being retired has been great. When not locked down, we visit our DS and family in NZ for several months a year. When at home I go cycling 3 times a week (with others), meet up with friends, do gardening, decorating...
It also means that I can be there for the grandchildren and for older relatives when they need me. I haven't regretted it once.

If you enjoy work you don't need to retire yet. We are all different.
I was keen to retire as I was stressed and exhausted. Even so, I did feel a little nervous about having no job after so many years. I loved retirement. I used to feel bored quite often at work but am never bored at home. I was always busy. Covid means much less to do but I am happy reading, going online and pottering about at home.

Family business, so I can’t see a time when either of us will fully retire.

We are aware that most of the innovation and ideas come from younger family members now, and we’re never really going to keep up with technology, but we’re happy to be doing what we do, and although I would like to get a day off now. I wouldn’t want to retire yet.

I'm 71. I retired at 60. I didn't have a plan. It just sort of happened. My husband retired the year after me. I've never regretted it for one minute.
I don't really have hobbies but we do as we please. It's great.

Everyone is different. There is no set age that you should retire, so retire when you think it is right. Don't think that you retire and then do nothing. I retired early but I am busier now than when I was working.

can’t wait for retirement fuck yeah

I retired six and a half years ago at 60y and got my SP last summer. We have a small apartment here and another in Spain and wanted to be able to flit between the two whoever the fancy took us. Absolutely no regrets about retirement. And yet, I loved my job at the hospital where I’d worked for over 30 years!

I think to retire you have to be a motivated person. My husband retired very young it has been a disaster for him. He has gone downhill, very badly. Now his memory is badly affected and general cognitive behaviour. He is not someone who would do much left to his own devices though. But it has been vastly to his detriment. I consider the word retirement a ten letter swear word.

do I regret retiring? Hell no!
I get that some people really love their jobs but i think if your job (or any one thing really, including partner or family) is your WHOLE life then this is not a good idea. Jobs change or vanish, partners die, families move away because they need to. Everybody needs some resilience and ability to be independent. I say this from experience, My husband died shortly after he retired. I coped but barely. It would have been much harder if I hadn't had other things in my life as well as him.

I am so glad you posted this - I am in exactly the same position. My dh is retiring and we have bought a motorhome in the hope that we can travel. However for the most part I love my job but as it is in a school the holidays are a problem.
I am also worried that if I dont do it know will I live to regret the fact - there comes a time when you might not be able to do lots of the things you want to due to health etc. Lots of thinking to be done

Ydoc

I think to retire you have to be a motivated person. My husband retired very young it has been a disaster for him. He has gone downhill, very badly. Now his memory is badly affected and general cognitive behaviour. He is not someone who would do much left to his own devices though. But it has been vastly to his detriment. I consider the word retirement a ten letter swear word.

Speaking professionally, it might not (indeed is unlikely to be) that his cognitive decline is because he retired. It may be that he needed to retire because he wasn't coping at work? has he had any kind of medical assessment?

I retired two and a bit years ago aged 67. I have no regrets as my job was beginning to exhaust me. DH retired 6 months after me and is also happy not to be working. We were both leading busy lives pre-covid and had lots of plans to travel, take up new hobbies etc etc which of course are now on hold. Have I any regrets? No, absolutely none whatsoever.

I retired from a full time stressful job in December 2014, went into retail 16 hours a week, never worked in a customer facing role, found I loved it and was quite good at it. Now work as a GP receptionist (started just before covid) and enjoy that. Lucky enough not to need the money, do it for companionship, to feel useful and get away from my husband occassionally!!

I absolutely love retirement! I have never had a days regret and I am now 71 (having retired at 58). There is so much to do out there (I live in London so it is probably easy for me to find things but my sister who lives in a rural area also keeps herself busy). Having time to yourself is wonderful and you can do what you want. It may take a bit of adjustment but I hope you take to it as well as I have.

I describe myself as old, as I have often said. I retired, if that's what it is, ages ago. I am 61. I wonder how I ever found time to go to work.