Pack in the job, rent out the house, get in the camper van, fuck off

No, she says those who destroy other people´s properties are scumbags. I say that as someone who rents. And it´s thanks to those scumbags that more people don´t rent out their properties or that more and more difficult conditions have to be met to do so.

Careful financial planning and decision making is not ‘alarmist’ and is what most sensible people do in the later stages of their career.

Some really over-dramatic and over-anxious posts on this thread...

The OP is not planning to 'throw away everything'.

They are planning to take some time off to travel before they are too old to do so and while they still have their health.

They are planning to rent their home to cover their mortgage while they travel and then sell it when they return to downsize to release some capital.

It really is not that outrageous...

Mumsnet seems to be a bizarre alternative world where everyone has a minimum of £200,000 in savings, a gold plated pension, a glittering career, and partners who bring in 6 figure salaries.

Meanwhile in the real world many of us try to balance living with in less privileged financial situations and still aim to find enjoyment in life before we end up old and frail.

It does not have to be as black and white and extreme as to think that if you do something a bit different for a year you will end up destitute.

It really is an odd, alarmist way to think.

I have an amazing life, we are lucky to travel around the world and have some great adventures.

I wouldn’t throw away everything I have for a caravan trip - no. What I have - and I suspect op does too - is proper security, and it’s worth its weight in gold regardless of the January blues.

Of course you did because you’re right at the risk averse end of the spectrum. I suspect your glass is always half empty too. It works for you but I couldn’t live like that nor could many other people. There’s more than one way to live.

I found it slightly alarming at the gung ho posts, telling op to do it and not worry about the consequences. This is someone’s real life. There is no financial recovery time for poor decisions at this age.

Some considered and measured posts have been added since with serious reasoning and urging some caution. I am so glad for them.

It's very common indeed to get wanderlust in your early 50s, or a 'midlife crisis'.
That's fine, as long as the money is there to allow it and not impact on old age.

Being old and in ill health is crap. Being old, in ill health and poor is the worst of all.

I agree with every word of this. The repercussions could be enormous and unexpected if op isn’t able to secure employment at all on her return, which wouldn’t be unusual at her age, or her dh plan doesn’t work out.

A life time of diligence, financial planning, savings and security could be lost for an extended holiday in a caravan. I have known people in their 50s to be made redundant and not recover financially. It’s not uncommon.

Op sounds well placed to enjoy her retirement in comfort and with security. I think she should have an adventure but one that does not risk her overall well being and hard work. She doesn’t have a big enough safety net to absorb the potential net losses.

It's the loss of at least £60K income and maybe more. Considering they 'only' have a low 5-figure sum saved up in their early 50s, and a mortgage, they are not exactly rolling in money.

Your attitude seems to be 'Live for today and forget about tomorrow'.
That's the same as advising someone never to save, spend all their money, don't worry about what may lie ahead.'

It's not good advice.

There is a massive difference between 'doing this' and retiring a year early.

Have you overlooked the fact they may not be able to replicate their income again?

Op's H hasn't looked into a sabbatical or whatever. Schools struggle to get staff and how hard might it be to replace him with a teacher who only wants a 1 year contract?

OP can't take a sabbatical so who knows what role she could get on their return? I guess she's admin or similar at uni, or a support role.

It's patronising and judgy to say people who save and plan live 'little lives'.

If the OP had £250K in savings, decent pensions and guaranteed work for when they came back, fine. But they've not.

Tomorrow I’m going to have a lovely day.

a dear, lifelong friend of mine, passed away before Christmas, no one saw it coming, heart attack, dead within minutes.

They were 53years old!

They were hoping to follow this dream, pay off mortgage, lease it to local council, travel to exotic places like the North Pole and Portugal.

sadly for her this will never happen.

if you are both ready to do it, do it, because the health starts fading now, you go to the hospitals and crematoria that often after 50, you don’t need to ask where the toilets are!

Good luck with your choice of van, I personally like a fixed 2 berth with a lovely walk in shower and an outside shower. Would like an oven, added with a three ring stove would be wonderful. I would like a fridge/freezer and a 3kg zanussi washing machine, candy do one too.

a small clothes airer, two lounge chairs for outside under the awning, heaven!

Do it OP!

Life is so up and down and unpredictable. If you can make it work now, just go for it.

I'm very jealous, it's my dream too!

If you don't do it now you'll regret it

Even though you have been told off the record it’s unlikely it also depends on what others do. They were shocked when DH applied, he was head of dept but as most of his colleagues were quite young, well under 55, not enough others applied so they reluctantly accepted his application. His dept had to shed X posts and save X amount and they had to make those savings.

Some people have very little to lose and will encourage you to go. Others that are further down the line might tell you to proceed with caution.
None of us know your financial position in detail so we can’t really speculate what is best.

Op you need to calculate how you will manage if you can’t find a decent job when you return. Your pensions need to be adjusted and you need a large financial safety net for unforeseen circumstances. If you can make it work, then go, or just book an amazing extended holiday.

Everyone knows that but taking one year out of a working life of 40+ years isn’t going to result in an old age of abject poverty. We’re pretty comfortable in retirement and both of us had enforced time out of work between contracts.

The real world is pretty shit living in abject poverty in old age. Most people know this. If it was so simple op would have resigned by now.

Given she said there is no chance of returning to work.

You just made that up. Along with most of the rest of that post. The real world doesn’t have to mean pounding the treadmill for 40+ years.

Therefore delaying her actual retirement considerably doing a job she likes a lot less than the one now.

Umm just finding a job isn’t that easy pushing sixty!! Fgs I feel like some people really do not have the first idea what the real world is like.

If op has built up a secure life for many decades, a financially viable future of comfort and travel, a good pension - a lovely house. A good set of friends and a secure future she would be misguided to throw it all away for an extended holiday in a caravan. That’s all we are saying. Given she said there is no chance of returning to work.

I think you should objectively assess your pensions first. Not saying don't go travelling, just ensure you won't increase your retirement age.

No she doesn’t. She says she may have to leave her job - which she doesn’t like anyway. Maybe she’d come back and find one she likes better. Downsizing to buy outright was also mentioned. If you want to do something enough in this life you can almost always find a way to make it work.

How does she pay the bills when she returns? She said her career will be over….