[Help] Retirement

[Mr Bridger]

Spot on. A retired friend of mine says beer o'clock gets earlier and earlier so be careful, unless that's what you want of course

Just have the usual one a day

 

[pearl]

I never want to be your friend

That's a patio ...... I mean pity!

 

[pearl]

I retired at the end of May. I don’t miss work at all but I like to keep in touch with a couple of former colleagues to stay informed. People say that fully adapting to retirement can take as long as six months. I sometimes feel that I no longer have a purpose and, like Oxy, resent the fact that whenever we got out during the day in midweek we are invariably the youngest people. Amongst my peers I am the first to retire and look forward to the retirement of other friends.

One aspect that has taken me by surprise is that I’ve never slept so badly since I retired. Before retirement I seemed to be able to block out everything and get a good night’s sleep. I’m now constantly waking through the night and lying awake for hours. As a consequence I’m tending to lie in longer than I used to.

I echo the previous advice about keeping the brain active and also having activities to occupy yourself.

Biggest bonus is not worrying about how much I have to drink on any day!

Maybe you need less sleep now you're retired?

 

[East Staffs Gull]

Maybe you need less sleep now you're retired?

I think that’s a very valid point. For the first two months I was out in Austria, cycling almost every day and not having problems sleeping. Since being back in the UK I’ve not cycled and have generally been quite lazy, so maybe my body has needed less sleep. I’ve tried to counter the sleeplessness, without success, by going to bed later, but maybe I’ll take Tim Over Whelmed’s advice of forcing myself to get up earlier.

 

[£1.99]

On the wider subject of retirement, I'm 50 and I can't see me retiring for many years, as me pension provision is nowhere near where it needs to be. Sad, but true.

10 years older then you but with the same story. Not sure i will ever be able to retire.

 

[LamieRobertson]

That's a patio ...... I mean pity!

Only because you said you keep losing them

 

[Beach Hut]

I have handed in my notice to leave in January but plan to semi-retire and do some part-time work.

Company as asked me if I will stay and at what price so have advised and doubt they will meet it so things look promising.

 

[dazzer6666]

On the wider subject of retirement, I'm 50 and I can't see me retiring for many years, as me pension provision is nowhere near where it needs to be. Sad, but true.

Really difficult to work out what it needs to be...........expenditure vs lifestyle vs investment returns vs inflation vs lifespan

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Took VR and then early retirement, so haven’t worked for 9 years. After 37 years with the same company and the corporate world getting more and more strangulating retirement came at the right time and I am fortunate that I could afford to. It’s great that I can follow all the hobbies I want and never had time for. Family tree, art, carpentry, gardening, DIY, reading, daytime TV and radio, cooking have all been great but significantly a lot of time and ability to support ageing parents - now just mum and MIL. Life can be a round of doctor and hospital appointments but it’s good to be able to give something back. Don’t commit too much time to looking after grandchildren or you will end up working for free and remember to find time for your other half - you can have holidays when you want and there are plenty of perks with bus passes and discounts like Picturehouse etc.
Whilst I haven’t missed work a bit I would recommend making an effort to keep in touch with those workmates who really mean something to you.

 

[Surf's Up]

A typical day:
Wake up at 8 am, get breakfast ready for my beautiful work from home wife
Shower and ablutions
Cycle to tennis club for 2 hours tennis
After tennis cycle to gym for a Pilates class with sexy Sandy
Light lunch at gym
Cycle home
Shower/change
Go to supermarket to buy victuals for dinner
Home, then a short walk for my 4 pm Spanish lesson
Prep and serve dinner
Take a well deserved rest while the trouble does the washing up
Its a tough life

 

[WATFORD zero]

It had always been an ambition of mine to retire early as I had a fairly stressful job. Luckily, I got the opportunity 8 years ago when I was 50. The first 18 months were good as I decorated the house inside and out, spent time on my garden, took a lot of holidays and did all the things that I'd been meaning to do for years, but had never had the time due to a very demanding job and 2 kids.

After that, I started getting bored and it's very easy to start cooking dinner (always loved cooking) and open a bottle of wine mid afternoon. Not a good habit and I really felt that I had to do something, so I started teaching what I believe Ben Elton famously termed 'young adults'. (Completely different to what I had done previously). At first I taught 5 days a week but only maybe 5 or 6 hours a day. In the last last few years, I've reduced to about 4-5 hrs a day, 3 or 4 days a week.

I really enjoy it, there is no real pressure and it gives me structure and something to do. As a result I really appreciate the time I have 'off' more and can see me doing this (gradually reducing hours) for a good few years yet.

Nice perk - going shopping and for lunch midweek

*edit* Interesting what East Staffs Gull said about sleep. When I worked full time, I would often wake up in the night, not be able to sleep and be up for a few hours thinking about work. Ever since I've retired (or semi as it is) I sleep really well and for longer than I've ever done.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

what's work ?
regards
DR

 

[Weststander]

I have boredom and lack of purpose at work, one of the reasons I want out

You’re absolutely doing the right thing. I’ve lost a much loved cousin to the BigC just turned 50, and now his brother has months to go also BigC. Their message to us was don’t work longer than you have to, life’s too short.

All the best with the retirement.

My advice is to take up a hobby or two, of things you truly like or always wanted to learn. Could be a course in further education, yoga, fitness, dancing, singing, gardening. Not all at the same time!

 

[Eric Potts]

I retired last April age 55 from a very stressful NHS job . The only keeping me there for the last few years was the ability to take full pension at that age.
I'd always heard tales of people leaving similar jobs , stopping work completely, and dropping dead within the first year . Thinking ,that's not for me , I was on the look out for a 2 day a week post . I found one which I've been doing for the last year. It's almost stress free and I'm still using skills I've built up over many years.
As a bonus I'm bringing home more money than when I was working full time .
I'm only planning to do this for a few years , then will probably stop paid work , and do a little voluntary work.
My point being : don't just stop the 9-5 after many decades without any structure in place .That way brings the regular 3.00pm bottle of wine on a weekday afternoon , and a short and unfulfilled retirement.

 

[timbha]

I’m grateful when people remind me about things like team meetings, appraisals, blue sky thinking meetings, 121s , etc that remind me why I’m glad I’m out.

 

[portslade seagull]

I asked my Father in Law the same question a few years ago. He says his days are full and he's always busy. He farts around in the garden, taking the dog out on long walks, going to the gym (he's 74 !!) plus he has a very regimented daily routine (up, breakfast, dog, check shares, mid morning cuppa, garden, lunch, etc etc)

Basically this ,keep yourself busy. It doesn't always cost money

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I read that twice and both times to the tune of “ Israelites “ by Desmond Dekker

 

[AmexRuislip]

Personally for me I'm looking forward to retiring, whenever I can afford to.
In total, I've been doing shift work since 1984.
It's taken it's toll on myself, in the way of lately, I've been getting more and more tired.
It does suit my way of life, given I do get a lot of time off, with the stand down days in between, where I only have to put holiday in for the shifts I actually work.
My wife, my father in law and dad all retired early, and all keep active and busy respectively.
With 52 years fast approaching, it'll be time to do some planning on what to do with when I do retire.
Plans are afoot, but this all depends on selling up here, moving back down south and what value our combined pensions will accrue.
So we shall see what ensues............

 

[Vicar!]

60 rolls up in November, in preparation I managed to negoicaite a four day week. (Thursdays off, TGIW.) Plan to keep on working for at least another couple of years. Enjoy what I do, though the corporate bull drives me nuts though I far Brexit may delay things.

Thanks for a very useful thread. Yes I am concerned about what to do in retirement, boredom, etc. Like a lot of people on here a number of friends have passed already, and the generation below that have moved to cheaper parts of the country.

Now starting to consider the next big plan, maybe two or three days a week volunteering or using my skill set to earn a modest income.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I will retire in 2019 and boredom is a real fear for me.
I need to quit my job as I just can't handle the shift work anymore, so working on a while is not an option.
I am considering selling my flat in the centre of Brighton and moving back to Worthing so I can get a big garden, and maybe a house that needs doing up. Then, a couple of dogs, an allotment, learning to cook the stuff I've grown, home brewing, learn Spanish, a lot more Albion matches once free from shift work. Maybe a part time job .......

I don't think you'll have a problem. My wife retired at the end of August, and I retired from the more structured of my tow part-time jobs in July - by structured I mean the one where I had to "go on" two days a week - the other half is work from home and much more flexible.

We are currently enjoying sorting things out, getting financial matters straight and doing things we want to do. 'er indoors is deliberately not volunteering for anything straight away, but will take her time to find something that really interests her. Other than that, we are seeing people we haven't seen for a while, planning a few trips, thinking about future holidays, and doing things during the week that we could not do before except at weekends.