Retirement, is it a good thing? (1 Viewer)

[Franck]

Is it a good thing? For us yes definitely! Everyone needs to make their own mind up what is right for them.

15 years ago I decided I had had enough. I worked for the government and had designed some pretty good stuff for them, sat on a national design group and had an input into legislation. But I was working my guts out for people who were ticking boxes on their own agendas, they probably won't even remember my name now. I realised there were other people out there just as qualified as me to have an input. I wanted a better life FOR ME.

I went to work for a charity and was home by 3pm most days and felt I made a difference to people's lives.

Five years after that my other half said they had had enough and we both quit to go travelling. We did miss the social side of work, so we did seasonal work for a few summers but now we spend about half the year away and the other half at home with the family.

 

[bladerunner]

Retired at 57 from very busy job as Nhs surgeon.

Don't regret it at all, though as some have said you do miss the banter and intellectual challenges.

My decision (18 months ago) was based on 2'things.

Firstly the pension was likely to be less if I worked longer for a number of daft reasons,

And secondly I realised retirement was made of 2'parts, the first where you were of good health and did what you always wanted, and the second where you waited for the clinic ambulance or dribbled into cold tea. Retiring later made the first shorter and not the second.


Oh add being on call still one night in four, getting out of bed frequently to drive to do a stressful operation after a full day's work and before a full days work, and the stress of micromanagement.

Pleased to say that funds are holding out, walking the dogs and sitting watching a sunset are remarkably cheap!

 

[Barclaybasher]

'Life' is my 'job', my family is my life......... I have been self employed for most of my life, and still am at 70.

Once I looked forward to 'retiring early'.............. it never happened .....I still enjoy my 'life'............... my 'job' has never been a 'job'.............. my job is 'life'.... it doesn't (hasn't) change at 65........ for me

Retirement?.............. for me? ........the day I die

.........but each to his own.......

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[Bart]

Man 4 pages or reading all you lucky people
I'm 46 and already got health problems so there is no way ill be working until retirement age.
Both myself and the Missus live for retirement so the sooner that comes the better.
Heck i think ill just go and retire now and live in the MH and eat grass from the fields cheap or what ><
P.S not jealous of all you lucky people..............Honestly
Health to enjoy

 

[Tanya_and_Mick]

Four years, then hope to be out of 'Dodge' at 56 - if I can keep Senior Management out of the shops....

 

[Zains Pops]

I started the retirement job about 3.5 years ago........best job I ever had, good hours, low stress, good money.....beats the hell out of working. To do the 'job' properly you need health and money, best to use your previous career path to accumulate both.

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[Vick]

I retired at 58 (six years ago), at first I was a bit uncertain but by lunch time I got the hang of it!

Chris

 

[Chockswahay]

I tried it 3 years ago.......... we bought a new van ......... toured around a LOT of Europe........... back to work now

We have decided to spend a few more years topping up the coffers ready for the next 'proper' retirement

However, what does help is that I love my job and I have started a new position in a company where I get every weekend off and no more night shifts (I used to really really hate night shifts).

For us it is now a balance ........ work hard........ play hard

 

[mitzimad]

if we have to retire the van would unfortunatley be one of the things that had to go only option is die in the saddle

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[Ivory55]

I guess it's a lot to do with if you enjoy your job or not, or it just somewhere you go between the weekends .

 

[Viennese]

I love it!!!

 

[gus-lopez]

I stopped work some 14 years ago. I don't say retirement as for that an income is needed. Last few years I've been bored out of my mind & wouldn't mind something to do to provide an income. The wife started working again in 2012 having given up on the birth of our first daughter in 1980.
Retirement probably works if you have interests/ hobbies . As I've never had any/don't enjoy anything it will always be a struggle. With hindsight what I should have done was relocated abroad & continued working.

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[CathR]

I decided to take early retirement 10 years ago and I've never looked back. It can feel a bit scary at first with no structure but think of the opportunities to do new things. I do have a rule not to watch day time telly - it's total bilge anyway, and I don't drink at home on my own - can be a disastrous combination. Exception to day time telly rule for Olympics, Wimbledon etc.

 

[kip]

No !!@/##,!keep working, us olden's need tax payers to keep us in the luxurious life style we're used to.

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

There used to be a saying, 'You should get a job as a lollypop man, you don't start work 'till you're 65'!.
I've noticed lately a lot of 'young looking' 65 year olds!

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[laird of Dunstan]

Sitting outside of my motorhome at one of my favourite campsites looking out at the Derbyshire peak district ,there's a guy here who I met 4 years ago and he's living the retired life and loving it ,he walks and cycles for his hobbies,im feeling a tad envious ,once again I find myself mulling over the financials , its getting closer ,done the stressful jobs ,paid for three kids through uni ,do I want to jack it all in and spend my evenings like this as opposed to some back stabbing political little scrote trying to make me unhappy, you bet I do

 

[Anthea M]

I tried it 3 years ago.......... we bought a new van ......... toured around a LOT of Europe........... back to work now

We have decided to spend a few more years topping up the coffers ready for the next 'proper' retirement

However, what does help is that I love my job and I have started a new position in a company where I get every weekend off and no more night shifts (I used to really really hate night shifts).

For us it is now a balance ........ work hard........ play hard

Do you not want a van now for weekends and holidays?

 

[Jasz]

As a self employed person I have been winding down for the last 2 years. Finally packed it in when we got the van earlier this year at 58, although I have to wait another couple of months to get an old company pension. I still find it hard to say no to old customers, but find we never seem to have time to do all we want anyway (like many other people, we have elderly parents to consider).
It can be remarkably reasonable to spend decent periods away in the van and I'm so glad that I haven't waited any longer, as you can never be sure how long good health will last.

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[Chockswahay]

Do you not want a van now for weekends and holidays?

Funny you should say that Anthea, we do find ourselves 'looking' at VW T5 vans with a view to converting one for weekend getaways etc. It would of course be much smaller than our Globecar was but really we would not want anything bigger for weekending. My 'commute' to work is only 1.5 miles and will be even less once we buy our (new to us) house so I cycle there so the car can go. I always felt that the bigger van was a bit of a 'bus' for shorter journeys.

 

[Pjstingray]

Drove to work one day at age 55 went round the roundabout and came home again. Best roundabout ever. 59 this year. Have spent the last few years touring Spain, France and UK on the bike, played a lot of golf and have now added a MH to the activities. Never looked back, just hope the money lasts

 

[Anthea M]

Funny you should say that Anthea, we do find ourselves 'looking' at VW T5 vans with a view to converting one for weekend getaways etc. It would of course be much smaller than our Globecar was but really we would not want anything bigger for weekending. My 'commute' to work is only 1.5 miles and will be even less once we buy our (new to us) house so I cycle there so the car can go. I always felt that the bigger van was a bit of a 'bus' for shorter journeys.

Yay back into MH !! Hope to see you on the forum again! Loved your blogs and bread piccies!!

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[Barney23]

I retired last week at the tender age of 52 (although I'm 53 today)
Wife doing 3 days a week which she enjoys, we plan on spending more time in van & I intend to take more motorbike trips, life is good.

 

[MR. FUSION]

Retirement means you can avoid the madhouse of August campering in Europe

 

[Tykes]

We retired last August 55 &52 haven't looked back been in the van ever since apart from 2nights !! Working on Monday for one day apparently I promised then assistant stuards for 2 wke on a c&cc rally life's good best thing we have done for a long to!e

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[lorger]

Have always looked at retiring between 50 and 55 and although a few things have changed I'm still hopeful. I'm currently 48 (49 in November) and work shifts which I don't enjoy as much as I did, the main reason for doing shifts was our company policy was if you did shifts for more than 25 years and reached the age of 50 you could go with permission on full pension. If you didn't get permission then you could go at 55 without company permission, well come 1st of January they're stopping out final salary pension and changing the over 50 rule to over 55 so I'm missing out by 11 months. I probably wouldn't have gone at 50 as Sophie is at uni so more like 52 but now it has to be 55 unless I'm made redundant then I can get full pension if I'm over 50. So let's hope I don't get made redundant before next November.
Lorraine is a couple of years younger (I know you'll find that hard to believe) so if I get to 55 she will be 53. We won't have loads of money but we have no debts and live a simple life and in my opinion your health dictates how wealthy you are.

 

[gus-lopez]

Retirement means you can avoid the madhouse of August campering in Europe

As opposed to the normal nose to tail 20mph all year around down here in the south ??

 

[The Dudess]

I retired last week at the tender age of 52 (although I'm 53 today)
Wife doing 3 days a week which she enjoys, we plan on spending more time in van & I intend to take more motorbike trips, life is good.

Happy birthday and happy trucking.

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[PeteH]

I had my "Damascus" on the A303. I woke up heading for the Armco at 60mph!!. After a week or two off work. I decided that 16hr days should stop, especially when driving for 8 of them. Made a complete nuscience of myself for a couple of years, refused to relocate to Wales!!. And eventually they said Ok, you can have your pension early. Now bugger off!. Went back to Gods Country. Spent 2years building a house. Very thereputic!!. Got bored and went agency HGV. Now fully retired. We try and use the m-h as much as we can. No regrets over going early. I have had many years of r-v img in the USA. Done several winters in espania. An now with the dolls house Rapido. We are looking to go forward again.
Lost a good mate last year to cancer who was still grafting. And another aged 40 about 25 years ago, stung by A bee and succumbed to anafalactic shock. Concentrates the mind a bit!.

Pete