Do things really change when you retire? (1 Viewer)

[iandsm]

I used to carry a heavy briefcase to the office and stand around the tea point for a while talking absolute drivel.

Now one of my duties is to lug a heavy tiddle-tank around and stand around the blue lagoon talking absolute drivel.

Going back to an earlier life, we are parked up behind @emo at cite Europe and, having had our vans closely examined by illegals earlier on, it's now "stag on" in case they come back. I miss my pickaxe handle and useless green torch though.

Motorhoming is meant to be relaxing. I may as well go back to work!

It is relaxing, you just parked at the wrong place thats all.

 

[gus-lopez]

I can easily spend £2k building a model boat

But why would you ?

 

[David and Sally]

What's a tiddle tank? 'Scuse my higgorance.

Edit.........a toilet cassette?

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[Garfields]

"Do things really change when you retire?"
I'm needing a exit plan so I can find out the answer
The ducks are starting to get lined up in a year or two though

 

[Speve]

I retired early five year's ago, I intended to get a part time job in the winter months thinking I would be bored .My misuse said I would be back at work within a couple of month's .Well I proved her wrong. It is the best thing I did retiring. Always find something to do.My mindset has changed so much.If I feel like doing nothing then I don't feel guilty anymore, Before I always felt I should be doing something

That’s the way to do it, I’m now in year seven and loving it I did find it hard to adjust for the first year but soon settled in to it.

 

[Robert Clark]

I HATED working full time
I HATED being retired
I quite enjoy being semi retired

It’s the best/worst of both worlds

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[Techno]

But why would you ?

If I like it I build it, cost is no object. Only my ability limits the end product.

 

[AXO66]

As long as my body can keep the appointments my head has made.

 

[Binky]

Hi again Did you sit up all night in case they came back? Must admit didn’t sleep as well as normal ,had my squirt bleach Bottle and detergent to hit between their eyes if they came looking under the Mo Ho again.
Did hear the police claxons a couple of times.We went around 6.30 still dark never saw any thing

Hi again - hope you got home ok? The mad Scotsman went out on a recce patrol through the woods late evening and we maintained our observation post until the lights went out, but there was no sign of anybody. The miscreants worst enemy, police constable Peeingdownwithrain, came on duty later on so we thought there would be nobody around and went to bed. As you said, the police sirens went off a couple of times at about 0400hrs and woke us up. Like good soldiers, we "stood-to" ready for the dawn attack, but nothing happend. After all the excitement earlier it was a bit disappointing.

We've stayed there a lot - 8 times this year alone, and we've never witnessed anything like this before. Certainly hasn't put us off staying there again.

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[emo]

Hi
Yes thank you we got home ok although the M20 was a nightmare Hope you got home ok as well Yes it turned out a interesting evening,it hasn’t put us off staying there although it was only our second time everyone who has used it says the same it is usually fine.Any way why should some ******** spoil it for every one regards
Dave &Pat

 

[Flook]

When I was young, I never really thought I would get old. My father used to tell me to save more for when I retired, but hey I was was young and never ever going to get old.
After some time I became self employed, I put some money away in a pension, kept up my stamps, even when I was made redundant many years before going Self employed. Made provision for her indoors as well.
Now I look back and some words enter my mined "I wish and if only I had put more money away when I was younger and when I could". Now I find the income I have except that from the state will stay to same each and every month until I pass away.

I do not have the disposable income I want, but I make do with what I have, which it seems compared with quite a few of my compatriots here, I am financially poor. But do I worry, well not too much, I cannot miss what I never had. I have a decent motorhome, I enjoy driving it, and camping up etc, meeting new people, and old friend's whom I have made from past visit's.

I was advised to tack the whole 25% of my pension I was due before tax, and invest it somewhere, so far this has paid off.

So If you are reading this so far, and you are still working, take out extra pensions if you can afford, pay extra into your stamps so HMG will pay you more on your state pension, and take out what you can up to 25% of your pension tax free.

I am not nor ever was a Financial adviser, but if you want an easy life when you are retired, seek advice, and pay that bit extra.

So back to topic, I have now been retired six years, the first two weeks I sat on my backside and done absolutely nothing, I wound myself down, quite possibly to much. t mad a change from getting up early in the Mornings, driving to my first job of the day to repair either a cooker, range oven, dishwasher, washing machine and so on. Customers complaining, about anything and everything. Me having to move stuff off the top of the fridges or freezers to be able to get at the rear, and then find cats had left a calling shard. Removing built in ovens, cookers, washing machines, that looked nice when the installers had fitted them, but left no room in case they failed, for any service guy to remove them without some cause or any incident.

So, like I said, I took two weeks to wind down.

Now, life can be enjoyed to what it should be, also a bonus, I like to ride my BMW F800ST motorbike, when I can. Winter is coming on, so I have to find things to do in the garage, like clean up the bike from road grime, and a few other things.

Sorry for going on, but I have a thing about pensions, and I should have taken notice of my father when I was younger. Hey, I never ever thought I would get old, what do I know huh.


Flook.

 

[SuperMike]

Retirement is a state of mind and takes time to get
into fully. For the first year, Management tells me I was a complete arse, but early retirement was her idea.

Since I have settled down, she tells me I’m only half an arse. We love our time away in our RV managing 13 weeks last year. Being together in a confined space, it’s only 10m with slide outs, has taught us both to be happy together and cut out some of the possessions crap.

Even so I really enjoy my self time where I take myself off to any local market, drink coffee and just wander around. Management tells me that each time I come back a different person and am for a while, only one quarter of an arse.

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[Odd job]

I did enjoy being retired this summer. A whole 4 months off but I foolishly agreed to go back to work for the winter, only 3 days a week so not too bad. Also I'm not so sure about having no work at all in the winter when it's not so easy to go away or even walk the dogs. I have a fixed sum pension which should be enough but by working 3 days per week for 8 months of the year I don't have to draw it, so it will be that much better when I do need it. I have about 3 years to go on my gas registration and it is very unlikely that I will renew it. So I will have to stop working then. I may take an extra month off next summer as well. I will see how stressed I get over the winter

 

[Techno]

I did enjoy being retired this summer. A whole 4 months off but I foolishly agreed to go back to work for the winter, only 3 days a week so not too bad. Also I'm not so sure about having no work at all in the winter when it's not so easy to go away or even walk the dogs. I have a fixed sum pension which should be enough but by working 3 days per week for 8 months of the year I don't have to draw it, so it will be that much better when I do need it. I have about 3 years to go on my gas registration and it is very unlikely that I will renew it. So I will have to stop working then. I may take an extra month off next summer as well. I will see how stressed I get over the winter

Similar position and my JIB CSCS card expired last month. I work now in an off site factory where I get paid the same but do not need the card anymore
3 days is plenty and I pick the ones I want

 

[gus-lopez]

If I like it I build it, cost is no object. Only my ability limits the end product.

Yes ,I understand that but I still don't get it ?

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[Techno]

That’s fine I don’t expect you to

 

[Candapack]

I retired in 2011. The first 2 years were fantastic, then Mrs C retired.
Still pretty good though.

 

[Hilewaychile]

Binky , When you retire you can sometimes become a non person by which I mean people pretend that you don't exist especially in shops ,but I have learned that a smile works wonders, when you walk around in city centres people look and sometimes smile back .When they manage to look up from their mobile phones .

Here in Valencia, Spain I am constantly - very pleasantly surprised - at the respect and concern that I get, as a balding, grey-to-silver grizzelled raver.

After far too long walking about the city in 35C heat with a couple of visitors from UK - OK for them - half my age - I staggered out of the supermarket with a couple of bags full. One of them dispensed its contents on the ground. A woman whizzed up to me and asked me if I needed any help. She said this in Spanish but I was so hot and tired I thought she said something about helping her, with a donation or something. I was a bit brusque in my response.

But as I was struggling with this stuff on the ground a young guy in his 20's came up with another bag and helped me load it with my bits. By then I'd worked out what the woman had asked me and was duly mortified at the response I'd given her. She must have gone off thinking, "Ungrateful, rude Anglo."

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[emo]

All I can say on behalf of my husband and I It’s the best job I’ve ever had10 years down the line What’s boredom!!!

 

[Techno]

One huge difference for me personally is the outlook.
Having to go to work is one thing. Needing to go to work is another.
I suffer neither and pick my days to suit me and the pay is all a welcome bonus to my pocket money.
We can live OK on Jac's pension and when we get our state pension too will be quite well off.

I contracted out of serps in about 1988 and made minimum contributions until they scrapped the plan and any further investment. I was wise enough not to follow all advice to contract back in. That would have been money down the drain. So I had my pension pot and cashed in enough to buy our house. Having no rent or mortgage is essential

 

[Glassman]

After reading some of that, I don’t know wether to laugh or cry

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[Howard H]

I retired 2 weeks ago had one week off then got a phone call could I come back as self employed for a few weeks as I felt a bit guilty not working I agreed and been asked if I could do a lot more ,I guess I am going to have to man up and say no but it is hard after 45 years of full time work . Is it just me or do others feel a bit guilty about not working ?

 

[gus-lopez]

Is it just me or do others feel a bit guilty about not working ?

Yes & no.
Yes in that I was brought up to believe that if you wanted anything you worked & if you needed more then you worked longer, harder , more jobs..
& no, having walked away 16 years ago & looking from the outside I can see that there is no point in it,nor was there ever any point & there still isn't , where anything other than a roof over your head & food is needed.
Anything else is superfluous.
It has just become instilled in to the majority that they need to work & the government want to keep it that way .

 

[Tony50]

We sold up and I retired at 59, never made a fortune but we go steady , small private pension OA pension, spending our savings to maintain a modest standard of living, but to us good health is everything, We had enough of working 10 to 12 hours a day , on call 24/7 me attending Truck breakdowns ,fixing them for Owners who expected you to repair them before they broke down!!! most were miserable sods, Although I apparently was one of the fastest attending breakdown companies according to Essex Renault Trucks.
When I locked the Garage for the last time I got in my car and did not look back in the mirror, I have enjoyed every minute of retirement , never been bored for 14 years, but, I do keep active even if it's just going for a walk up the seafront. The years have flown by I suppose we are lucky retirement suits us , but I if anybody continues to work when they could retire and they are happy that's the main thing.

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[wasp]

We retired, downsized to a smaller property paidcash for it and paid all outstanding debts alittle bit left over has gone in the bank, I job about foracouple ofdays aweek to make up what the pension doesn’t cover. I love it

 

[Odd job]

One huge difference for me personally is the outlook.
Having to go to work is one thing. Needing to go to work is another.
I suffer neither and pick my days to suit me and the pay is all a welcome bonus to my pocket money.
We can live OK on Jac's pension and when we get our state pension too will be quite well off.

I contracted out of serps in about 1988 and made minimum contributions until they scrapped the plan and any further investment. I was wise enough not to follow all advice to contract back in. That would have been money down the drain. So I had my pension pot and cashed in enough to buy our house. Having no rent or mortgage is essential

Like you I contracted out but did go back in at age 50 ish. This has given me a larger state pension and along with other contributions, a pension pot which is just about enough. Because I knew I was going back to work I have not drawn my private pension yet, so it should be a bit better when I do. Thank George Osborne for cash drawdown. If I had had to buy an anuity I would have had a poor retirement . The only regret is that because of the anuity rates I stopped paying in to my pension pot 20 years ago. Started again last year to avoid too much tax as I was working full-time and drawing my state pension as well.

 

[Techno]

I thought the state pension was pegged at £165 ?

My private pension was forecast to give me £4800 per year if I waited to 66
That was two years ago and I’m 60 now
I was already paying that in rent so bought the house effectively getting my pension early with money left over

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[Langtoftlad]

The biggest change for me was to believe that it was now okay to become a "spender" not a "saver".

 

[mushy]

Do things really change when you retire ?

I would bloody well hope so !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nasher]

Thank George Osborne for cash drawdown

Couldn't agree more. I had already retired when "Sir" George changed the pension pot rules. But it made a huge difference for me to be allowed to choose how I spend my pension.

Have you seen my Lamborghini

But seriously, it really depends on individual circumstances as to what to do with pensions. For me, especially as I will have to wait an extra year before my state pension kicks in, it's been a good thing.

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