Warning: this post may cause a little envy… but only a tiny bit 😏

Why is it not?

They seem to think that everyone is below them, to be honest.

@HoskinsChoice you seem very disparaging of volunteers. Our society depends on volunteers, or are you saying you would only deign to be a volunteer if you need a first class degree and have been a CEO of a major company to take on the role. What about volunteers who help in schools (readers, PTA, governors), people who help in food banks, toddler groups, citizens advice, meals on wheels etc for the elderly, scouting groups and similar, people who help with charities for the disabled, elderly, homeless. Are all these options beneath you, do you not think people involved in these roles contribute to society?

I can't think of any voluntary jobs that don't require a brain. Can you give some examples?

I'm a trustee of a local charity. Our volunteers who do the actual work definitely need brains.

58 single Mum, own house and no mortgage. Not working currently but might do some p/t work in the future. I don't feel guilty at all. I had one afternoon off after exams at 16 then started f/t work til DS born when I was 41. Then worked p/t til 7 yrs ago.
I don't get bored, far from it. I study to gain qualifications and keep my brain active, go to the gym, walk my dog, potter in the house and garden. True, I don't have a lot of money so am not a 'lady that lunches' or always on holiday. It's not the life I saw for myself but circumstances and ill health left me with no choices.

I was a parish councillor and chaired the local neighbourhood plan group (all voluntarily) for four years and it definitely required a brain and a great deal of strategy.

Slightly different age but my mum is early 70s but hasn’t worked at all for 10 years and for the ten years before that she into days a week.

always says she’s busy but don’t see how or what doing.

her house is tidy but certainly not clean like you would expect.

she’s always been very disorganised with her time and struggled a lot with even working two days a week but she’s just the same now that she doesn’t work at all.

if ever I pop over she’s always always sat down watching tv

she doesnt do any village group stuff or have any sort of routines going out for a walk to get a coffee or anything.

she has an electric bike but she’s been on it once.

she’s been saying she will be painting the garden fence for 8 years and never has and it’s now gone to wrack and ruin

my sister is exactly the same.

Im Mid forties and currently work in my own business too bloody many hours a week to count but am planning on doing less days but compressing hours so I can wind down and start having some me time with no constant clock watching or dashing around constantly.

I definitely wouldn’t be bored and no I wouldn’t be worried about no longer paying into the tax system. Like many I’ve been paying into it all my working life and a lot more since having a business

@DysonLover1 "You pay tax on anything from a pension over £12,570
You can take 25% of your pension pot tax free to a maximum of £268k. So imagine taking your full tax free cash between 55 and 67 (state pension age)."

I thought the second bit conflicted with the first bit. But I'll get it sorted before claiming pension time. I haven't got anything like that much in my pension though

@Newsenmum I don't understand it either but I think that poster has also said that volunteering doesn't require brains. It certainly did when I did it! In fact, having done my share of volunteering, I'm not sure I would do any more because it's just unpaid work

what next, we should all keep moving house so we pay stamp duty into the taxation pot as well?

I'm happy to help elderly neighbours and so on but I don't think I would do official volunteering again.

Average life expectancy is 83 - so that's a good 30 years of not working. Not that many less years than spent working for most 50 year olds. Given how quickly the world is changing i think you'd become quite out of touch - the 70 year olds I know that stopped working at 50 are a lot older seeming and slower going than those still working or recently stopped.

These threads always fascinate me. The whole ‘contributing to society’ so would working for a cigarette company until youre in youre dropping dead be better then retiring early and volunteering at a cancer charity because it’s ’contributing to society’? Makes no sense. Also do you really live to serve others? It makes no sense.

Really? If youve worked most of your life
you dont think you could retire in your 50s if you could afford to? Would you genuinely want to work until you die?

My mil but honestly I don’t know if it’s been good for her. She does very little and what she does do has reduced over time. Her health isnt the best. I think it can worl but you need to have structure and things to live for.

Nothing to be mystified by surely?
You pay tax on anything from a pension over £12,570
You can take 25% of your pension pot tax free to a maximum of £268k. So imagine taking your full tax free cash between 55 and 67 (state pension age). That’s 12 years, or £22k a year tax free.
If you have money in ISA you can withdraw this also tax free to top up the £12,570 and £22K.
Read up on FIRE - Financially Independent Retire Early.
Get an IFA if you struggle to understand this

I’m 54. DH has just retired from a long service job. Kids are at uni. We are leaving to live by the sea and live an outdoor life. I love my garden and DH has an outdoors hobby he loves.

DH has been on the frontline for over 30 years and he nearly died a few times in war and policing so I think he’s contributed his fair share (to the poster who said they couldn’t face not contributing to society).

I’ve been retired since I was 55 . I do whatever I want , which is mainly painting. I do pay tax on passive income.

You don't pay tax on voluntary work! I also can think of very few voluntary jobs that carry any true degree of strategy or a requirement for a brain. The exception are NED/Trustees but you need to have a decent career to step into those roles.

I am mystified by this

It depends what your salary is, but you have to pay tax on your pension after a certain point, which is very low

Don't you?

I am not that age yet, so I suppose it doesn't matter

Tibby - At last someone with some common sense who understands how to play the retirement tax system. I was beginning to worry about the Mumsnet population

I forgot to add I volunteer in the EBay department for a local cancer charity one full day a week.

I dont do paid work, I'm comfortable and dont need too. No rent or mortgage.
I love my life. Never bored.

Don't be daft.
You could do something voluntary work.

@WhitePudding sorry to hear of your troubles. 💐

I noticed a few posters have commented that they're in the countryside and in turn know others who are not working in 50s. That's interesting. A couple of the friends I would be really concerned about their opinion, are looking at never being able to retire - whilst also spending money on things I would never dream of spending on. That's not a criticism. It's just part of the things that make people unable to see another point of view.

Then you get into the next problem .. I do feel very boring. Not because I'm not working but because I only seem to know people who always want to go out, to see shows, to go for dinners etc. wearing expensive clothes. I do feel a bit too young for things like local craft circles.

I did used to have a lot of stuff attached to my working life. The only time I came closer to having FOMO was last week when a colleague went to the Springsteen film premiere. But I know the reality is I don't want to get dressed up and scmooze. I'm a real homebody and I'm happy with it.

I’m 57. ‘Retired’ following ghastly complications from a gallbladder op. Live in the countryside, no mortgage and no debt whatsoever. It can be boring in the winter. But my home is the tidiest it’s ever been. My husband still works full time in a full on job.

This thread has been a real eye opener. I don't know why I have so much guilt about the idea of giving up completely. There's also the risk. I think I can afford it, but it's quite hard to run the numbers when you don't feel able to talk to anyone about it. So there's uncertainty there for me as well.

I think perhaps it's the current economic and political climate but if you have any sort of inheritance, people are angry about that as well. One man said to me that some people lose their parents and don't get any money after all that horrible upset. I know. But it makes me quite concerned that people are so jealous now One issue with living in a small town, people know your business. And I hate that they can look up house prices! But I'm old enough to remember when people couldn't just look up the price of your property.

I possibly need to work on my confidence, but I've been thinking about it today and generally, I think it's hard to say to people if you're not working. But I would also find it really hard to lie. At the moment I just tell people I'll go back next year.