Retirement

Congratulations Jane, it will take time to sink in especially when you wake up on Monday and realise you don't have to get up and go out in the cold but can lie there for as long as you want.
Just enjoy your party and look forward to lazy days doing what you want, when you want.

Congratulations ! Now enjoy your freedom. Join the U3A. Travel, sleep all morning. Lounge around in your dressing gown all day.

congrats Jane. I retired in July and I'm loving the freedom of choice that it brings. So I am doing all of the above and also doing some part time paid work.

Retirement is bliss.

Congratulations, Jane! I'm new to this too, having retired 2 months ago. It came out of the blue via an unexpected offer of redundancy, so hasn't really sunk in yet. I'm giving myself a few months to settle before I decide whether I need to sign up for part-time work/volunteering/the U3A etc. At the moment I'm just luxuriating in doing what the heck I like when the heck I like. The money's rubbish, but the perks are fantastic!

I hope you enjoy your retirement jane10 I can go in 2016 but am thinking about staying until 2018 to boost my very small pension. There's only about £10 week difference but £40 month may make a big difference if money is tight.I think about it a lot just lately weighing up the pros and cons Im looking forward to you letting us know how things go. I think your right it is the start of a brand new life

I do hope you enjoy your new life as much as I do Jane10 !

Jane10, I retired nearly 5 years ago, and at the very beginning I felt a bit lost! Pleasantly so, though! No need to work to someone else's directions or standards (as was the law, of course ) and no need to put up with fools gladly, either. (Should my precious friend and one-time colleague be reading this, you know I don't mean you)!
After a few weeks things started to fall into place. Every day now is full of 'doing' things. Even if it's just a case of being there to help with family stuff, or just walking for as long as I want and when I want.
I volunteer at a Heritage Centre once a week and love it. I read and read into the night, if I want to.
You can do anything you like! Congratulations on this new phase of your life.

I was apprehensive re retirement. How did this child of the '60s become 60? I have also been retired for 5 years now and I wouldn't go back to work for the world. I worked from the age of 16 to 60, with just two years off when I had my daughter. I meet up with ex colleagues for lunch now and then and the horror stories I hear about how things are now in my old workplace (a government establishment) make me pleased to be out of it.

Congratulations jane10 it will take a little while to adjust but you will and then find a lot more exciting things to do than go to work

Congratulation. Enjoy every minute! I can only echo what others have posted. I retired two years ago and am busier than ever!
I actually feel guilty if I spend an afternoon lazing about. The bliss of not getting up at 6 am is still the main advantage, coupled with being able to travel out of school holiday times. Enjoy. X

I "retired" in 1992 when I took voluntary redundancy, at the age of 49. I worked in a factory canteen, and they were going over to outside caterers, and we were being deployed to various parts of the factory. I didn`t want to do that, so took the redundancy offer. I said at the time that it would mean I had the time to do things that I neglected through being at work, or had to spend my weekends doing, but guess what? I still don`t do all that I should do, and enjoy being lazy, well, as lazy as an on call slave is allowed to be! Enjoy your retirement Jane10!

Marvellous Jane10 and well done.
I retired from Nursing in June after many months of soul searching, and the weight of responsibility weighing heavily on me.
I didn't want to do nothing, so I took a three hour a morning cleaning job with my DH.
It is perfect. I have all the rest of the day to do with as I choose.
I hope you soon settle into retirement. It is a good life!

I retired when I was 59, after 40 years at work. I, like you Jane10 faced the winter and although I enjoyed staying in bed instead of scraping ice of my car, I needed something else. I was approached by somebody sitting at another dinner table who heard a few of us talking and before I knew it I had an interview the following Monday!

I was also approached by 2 people at my ex work and I started to do ad hoc reports for them, getting out and about. I may still be doing it if I had not broken my ankle and that stopped me gadding around. I was able to save money which came in useful because my house needed a fair bit doing to it.

Now I love being my own boss and can do zilch if I fancy. Unbelievably I rarely have time to read newspapers nowadays.

Good luck, you will not be disappointed.

I'm busier now I've retired than I was at work! I've set up projects and am really enjoying the challenges they bring. Have fun Jane10 its a whole new wonderful ball game

I haven`t been entirely idle, over the years, I`ve looked after 5 of my grandchildren whilst their parents worked.

I don't know how I would have time for work! Look after my baby grandson 2 days a week and another during school hols (the other 2 are teenagers but I see them regularly), walk the dog as much as possible hoping we both stay fit. I can read till late, write my book (an eternal project). Money is tight but enough, and my (London) freedom pass enables me to go wherever I want. Got a few health problems and spend a bit of time keeping hospital appointments, but hopefully they will eventually get sorted. I want to start some voluntary work on top of babysitting, but will have to wait. But life is great. Enjoy!

You all sound like you`re having a great time. I`ve already got stuff organised to do two days a week (but no early starts!). The U3A locally sent their brochure and its like a box of chocs. I don't know which to go for. On a gloomier note I`ll have to join a gym. I`ll have to get this flab moving. Anyway thanks everyone for your motivating comments I feel like I`m joining an elite!

Save the gym money Jane10 and go walking instead. I expect your U3A has a walking group and as well as it being a very cheap form of exercise it gets you out in the fresh air and you will have friends to chat with. And not a square inch of lycra in sight ! Have you tried swimming ? I only learnt to swim 2 years ago at an 'Over 50's' learn to swim class and as well as the excercise have made another set of friends.
A very warm welcome to our 'elite' club !!

I'd agree about the walking. There's always the Gransnet 10,000 steps club on this site, which I'm in, and there's lots of support on there, though I must admit I rarely reach the daily target! Also, I've taken up yogalates - at home, so on the cheap. I have invested in a couple of Louise Solomon dvds, around £3 each on Amazon, and since I retired I've done a half hour work out at least 4 mornings a week as soon as I get up. It really gets you in the mood for the day and is a great way to tone up.

Congrats Jane10 I retired almost five years ago and the shine hasn't started to wear off for me. I loved my job, but I love retirement more. Three more grandchildren born since I stopped work and there's always plenty to do if I want to - sometimes, I just fancy doing zilch! Great to have all that choice!

How very exciting - enjoy this wonderful new phase of your life!

I've become a member of my local council leisure centre; for £19 a month I can use the gym [which has just been refurbished with very good equipment], the pool and the sauna. I love going there. On ladies only mornings I do a workout and then have a sauna; we all sit around chatting as we dry off. They also have walking groups that meet up once a week to do either short of long walks.

Anyone want to briefly explain a U3A. I have googled a little, but dont quite understand them.
[I am probably not old enough to join yet]
And have never heard of them where I live.

I retired from full time 20 years ago. Because I'm sedentary as im disabled and widowed there's not much I can do.
GN is a godsend!
U3A in our area don't do anything that appeals.