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

[rosalan]

In my case I was lucky enough to retire at 56 and for the last 20 years life has been wonderful but I know others who get bored with no structured work pattern and sit at home watching the TV. Their wives also can find their husbands getting under their feet. Am I one of the lucky few, who love every second of their freedom from work. In no way are we well off financially but feel rich as a king with my free lifestyle and ability to travel whenever we want to.
Alan

 

[Khizzie]

Love every moment of my retirement 11 years ago....

 

[busby]

15 years retired,,love it mainly because we are away in the van for 6 months of the year in the sun. BUSBY...

 

[Cyclewalkbob]

What's formal work? Retirement is for doing what YOU want- it's great!

 

[Badknee]

I finished work last July due to redundancy/ill health but struggled to come to terms with it for quite a while if I'm honest. Mrs Badknee is still at work for the next 16 months but have now got a routine going which is making me feel better about myself.

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[davidbaldam]

Retired December 2010 and love every mintue if it especially since I started receiving my state pension last December.

 

[Nirvanauk]

Best thing I ever did just wish I could have done it years ago.

 

[Forestboy]

Retired at 53 it's 10 years in September best decision I ever made.

 

[magicsurfbus]

I took early retirement from my my main job at 55 and now do three other jobs. One is mainly a spring/summer job, the other is busiest in the autumn, and the third is used as a filler for when the other two are demanding less of me. I consider myself semi-retired rather than retired as I'm only 57, I'd like to keep earning money while I still can, and prefer to be occupied. We have two three week MH trips a year and the occasional weekend jaunt. It's fair to say that I'm a lot happier than when I was in my old job, because most of the time I'm my own boss. However working from home listing and selling stuff on eBay can get a bit routine at times - I sometimes have to motivate myself to get started on it and I don't like being in the house for days on end. I worked on an hourly timetable for over 30 years - each September I knew who I'd be working with and what I'd be doing every working hour until the following July. I can understand the difficulty some might have with an unstructured day as it takes a while to adapt. It's taken me the best part of two years to adjust to a very different annual working pattern, but I think I'm getting there. For starters I'm much more subject to the weather than I used to be, whereas before it had little part in the shape of my day. The plan is for both of us to keep working at our respective jobs until health, state pension age, or common sense suggest otherwise, then we'll look at longer MH trips.

 

[BMStewart2004]

Hmmm - thinking of retiring at the end of this year at 60 but the boss is a few years younger and not ready for it yet. Decisions, decisions, not sure if I can be a "kept man"

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[Puddleduck]

We both retired early, me due to a combination of redundancy and ill-heath, Martin because he could (although he had a heart problem two days before he did retire and was in hospital on "the day") Best thing we ever did. I started a small business but it takes very little time and fits in to our life style.

We'd saved hard and planned for the early retirement although my situation affected our expected income a bit - as did the change in state pension age but we'll manage If we have to we can always do a stint as site wardens or something - or sell the house and downsize

No time to be bored as we are both busy all the time - we have to keep a diary now and our children have to make appointments in advance to see us or to get jobs done.

 

[abforfun]

Best thing we have done just a pity it was not earlier

 

[Cat53]

Ha! No retirement for me...I'm a wife!

 

[rich g]

Retired Dec 2013,i thought i could cope having spent the last 4years working at a school,so plenty of holidays and i was never bored,so retired at 65 bought a motorhome so with and without motorhome plenty of holidays+enjoy gardening and socialising,life is to short get out and enjoy it .

 

[Emmit]

I refer the assembled masses to one of my Signatures, (below)

Retirement; Twice the Fun on half the money.

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[Kim H]

I took early retirement at 54. Best thing I ever did. Can't believe I wasted all those years working

 

[WynandJean]

Best job I've ever had!

Wyn

 

[rangi]

Yep! it is good to be retired, must admit tho at first I did miss the site banter, the Sheep Shagger/Pomme Bastard/Convict repartee.

In 2000 by now retired and here in the UK, I went back to work, I wasn't earning the same dosh here in the UK as in Aus but the banter was there but this time Cornish/Emmet/Incomer.

2005 I left, only to be asked could I just give 2 days a week to help out, during the school summer holidays, it went on and on and on, in the end I had to tell them bye bye, by then of course we had the M/H

 

[MillieMoocher]

I was lucky enough to be able to retire at 54, last July, and have to say it was the best thing I ever did.

I came from a high pressure job, and I was probably suffering from what used to be called "executive burn out". I woke up one morning and it dawned on me that I just didn't want to do my job any more.

Was meant to give 12 months notice, but managed to agree with the business that only 6 months was needed, sweet...

Literally back this afternoon from a 4 week tour around North Wales, Somrset, Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Warwicksire, Shropshire.

We'd only been home 10 days from a 2 week trip to France and Belgium before left for Wales.

It's like I'd exists for 36 years at work but suddenly I'm actually living!

I've not been bored once since stopping, still have the occasional work related nightmare though.....normally involving travel to meetings that for some reason I can't get to.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Was due to retire @55 but govt changed the rules so I continued for nearly another 4 years, retiring in May.
Those extra years made the sums work so I can now relax and be really busy being lazy...
[if only ]

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[Clickem]

The good thing about being retired is that you can do nothing , and then rest afterwards

 

[Chris]

I've not been bored once since stopping, still have the occasional work related nightmare though.....normally involving travel to meetings that for some reason I can't get to.

I am still working but I have recurring dreams too.

I am sitting in an exam hall and everyone around me is writing like hell but I haven't done any revision and can't write anything.

I am sure there is some meaning there somewhere but I wish my recurring dreams involved Kelly Brook

As for retirement I think it's about 6 years away, sooner if I can

 

[Kevan]

My wife tells me I retired the day we got married, little unfair I thought, Put the Kettle on love and make a cuppa

 

[landscaper]

Never looked back - retirement (if you have good health) is absolutely great!

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

I would love to answer your question but as I am busy at work you will have to wait a while for the verdict (about 15 years or so)

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[DuxDeluxe]

Yep! it is good to be retired, must admit tho at first I did miss the site banter, the Sheep Shagger/Pomme Bastard/Convict repartee.

That isn't banter........ they were watching!!

On the OP, retirement was a bit unexpected but glad I quit working early.

 

[Adrian1]

Both retired 7 weeks ago wife from civil service and me from owning my own retail carpet shop (sold it) at 55 and 54 people said too early do we miss work NO, how did we find time to go to work now can plan the trips we want to do and enjoy Cornwall as having to work weekends for me having days of together difficult to get .Maybe we should be like Switzerland and shut shop sundays so families could spend time together has not hurt there economy.
LIFE IS TOO SHORT IF YOU HAVE GOT IT SPEND IT.

 

[Munchie]

It is not easy! We are bearing up well under the immense pressure thougj!

 

[appydaze]

I am still working but I have recurring dreams too.

I am sitting in an exam hall and everyone around me is writing like hell but I haven't done any revision and can't write anything.

I am sure there is some meaning there somewhere but I wish my recurring dreams involved Kelly Brook

As for retirement I think it's about 6 years away, sooner if I can

I'm sure she will get round to you soon Chris the way she performs,
(after me of course) but you knew that was coming

 

[Puddleduck]

still have the occasional work related nightmare though.....normally involving travel to meetings that for some reason I can't get to.

I still have work related nightmares as well. Usually that I haven't done, or forgotten to do, something and there will be dire consequences.

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