Full timing and picking up work

Bedspring

Free Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2017
Posts
64
Likes collected
23
Funster No
50,278
I am 56, and now hate my job :-(. I have also had tow TIAs (mini strokes). I have a wad of money, enough to retire?, well I do not know when I am going to die, do I, but too much to sit doing a job I have come to hate :-)
Anyway I am jacking work and we think we are going to buy a Campervan.
After reading the full timer costs thread, it sounds like we would not need to work.
However I am thinking that 56 is a bit young to be just wandering around drinking wine, rock climbing and visiting museums. Therefore I think that working in foreign parts for the odd month or three could be good for the mind, and top up our funds.
How easy is it to find work abroad, do people generally work cash in hand, only speakee Eeeenglishhh, so I can see that would be a problem, but maybe an opportunity
 
Suppose it depends on what work you do but should be possible.
I'm sure you won't regret you decision.
 
Just a tip for a more lengthy retirement do the wine drinking after the rock climbing not the other way around!!!!!!

We have just retired at 58 and 57 I just work one day a week doing a job I'm interested in. I think there must be jobs like that around but probably not very well paid you need to think of the long term our financial planner went to age 100 to see if we had enough inlation will be a big concern as unless you have a final salary pension a small amount of inflation above the interest you can achieve will cause a big shortfall later.
 
financial planner went to age 100 to see if we had enough inlation will be a big concern as unless you have a final salary pension a small amount of inflation above the interest you can achieve will cause a big shortfall later.

Good advice, like I said not sure I can afford to retire, but what I do know 100% is that life is too precious to waste doing a job and being in a place you hate (strong word that).
My mantra being if what you are doing is not working, try something different. The fact is we can have some fun for a year or 4 and if we have to start doing some work, hey ho, at least it will not be a job I hate.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
you could work on a campsite, Brit owned campsites in France probably your best bet .. it's a fairly short season, April to End of Aug or Sep. leaving you the winter to tour.. there are also several websites for working abroad..

if you stay longer than 90 days in one country, I believe you also have to register .. check out the ex pat forums

however.. after we leave the EU.. things could change ..
 
Just a reminder you may need specialist travel insurance if you have had TIAs.
 
A lot of the campsites seems to want you to work for a free pitch in France so not much chance of getting cash there. May be try an expat forum for gardening etc.
 
How about teaching English as a foreign language on your travels?

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Depends where you live but there might also be a possibility of renting out your house as an income while you are away
 
Depends where you live but there might also be a possibility of renting out your house as an income while you are away
TBH thats not something we fancy.
However our children have left home and are renting, so we may ask one of them if they want to move back and use the house but pay the bills. The advantage of this is it would be easier from an insuarnce point of view, we would not be paying the fixed costs of the house and it would help our children. The disadvantage being is that its flaming hard to get rid of your children in the first place, so not sure I want the back ;)
 
There's the option to change jobs to one less hateful or one that you'd enjoy. Maybe part-time, casual, freelance and then take as much time off to travel as you need, can get, or can afford. Broader interests/activities than rock climbing, drinking wine and visiting museums would be a bonus ;)
It all depends what skills you have.
If thinking of foreign touring/working bear in mind that in Europe you may need a work permit 'quite soon'.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Last edited:
Don’t you need an olive picker jj ?? Lol
@ianthebuilder , i wasnt going to mention this thread but seeing you have been on it, do you see the difference between these posters finances and yours? they are around your age but have money behind them so can consider retireing , this is what you are lacking.
 
If you wanted work on the move in this country to spend abroad. There are firms like SEP who run the parking at events like silver stone f1 etc. You camp there for free and get paid for the parking/road marshalling. You could choose what events you want to work.
 
I retired at 54 and now have 3 part time jobs in our villa.

Pool cleaner
Dog walker
Moving wine from fridge to her glass.
 
@ianthebuilder , i wasnt going to mention this thread but seeing you have been on it, do you see the difference between these posters finances and yours? they are around your age but have money behind them so can consider retireing , this is what you are lacking.

Tell me something I don’t know!!

How does that comment help?
 
Tell me something I don’t know!!

How does that comment help?
because with just a year or less on the site and you will be in the same position

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
We both retired fifteen years ago when I was 55 and I know I really wouldn't have been able to find the time to do any work and still couldn't. Ask me what I spend all my time doing and I really couldn't tell you but I do everything in a much more leisurely way. It turns out we are spending much less money than I budgeted for and our investments managed by myself are doing far better than I budgeted for. And we don't seem to lack for anything. But we don't have expensive holidays because we don't need them because life is a constant holiday. Our biggest expense is fuel for the Motorhome.
Everybody is different, but I really can't understand how people retire and go toes up within six months from boredom.
Do your sums and if it looks right then go for it. Your health will probably improve as a result.
Best of luck,
Steve
 
Last edited:
You could try being a rent boy.

You would probably be kept busy in France.

And England come to think of it.(y)

Just give it a go ( retirement I mean) - good luck(y)
 
Just my story for what it is worth.

I fancied retiring early and at 45 years in 1987 I bought a boat and sailed off leaving no house in UK I had £118,500 to my name.

Stock Market collapsed in Nov that year.

I realised I did not have enough capital to live on and high-tailed it back to UK.

I have good qualifications and walked into a well-paid job. I did that job for 2-3 seasons. I then spent a lot of time on the boat in Greece.

I then realised that I enjoyed a mix of different well-paid work, which paid for me to buy a house in SW London, and cruising around Greece.

I progressed to very casual low-paid work, driving, but then came to Poland for romantic reasons.

With pensions and a good rent from the house I feel rich(am rich), after a mixed 30 years



Take what you will from this synopsis, but the lessons I learnt are

When the first plan looks as it is not working, go back to work.

Low capital is OK if you have good qualifications to fall back on.

Do not live on capital


I enjoyed the years of mixed work and sailing in Greece. Only swapped for MH to see more of inside Europe.

Geoff
 
............but what I do know 100% is that life is too precious to waste doing a job and being in a place you hate........

Couldn't agree more (y)

Plan well and go for it as you don't get much opportunity to travel when you're 6-feet under.

All the best,

Andrew

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
@ianthebuilder , i wasnt going to mention this thread but seeing you have been on it, do you see the difference between these posters finances and yours? they are around your age but have money behind them so can consider retireing , this is what you are lacking.

Tell me something I don’t know!!

How does that comment help?

because with just a year or less on the site and you will be in the same position
I'm trying to work out what exactly you're trying to say chaser ... please explain. o_O
 
I'm trying to work out what exactly you're trying to say chaser ... please explain. o_O
i am trying to say that some people are saying spend as if tomorrow will never come but they have loads of money , property, pensions , good jobs behind them ian has none of these
 
i am trying to say that some people are saying spend as if tomorrow will never come but they have loads of money , property, pensions , good jobs behind them ian has none of these
... I'm sure Ian already knows that though ... but he's a happy chappy and seems content with his life.

Seriously though, I think what you are really getting at is that it's okay for those who have dosh, and regular income without having to work for it, to say 'just do it' but if those who are wanting to do so don't have some financial reserve to fall back on it could all end in tears if not handled correctly or realistically ... is that better?

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top