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DH surprising me with possible (very) early retirement

409 replies

Aggyagro · 11/11/2025 18:15

Ok so I know this is his decision, but it will definitely affect us both. We are both early fifties and I am in the situation where due to taking time out of pension contributions and doing freelance work when the 3 DCs were young I know I’ll need to work to retirement age.
We go halves on bills, he is the bigger wage earner and I pay the mortgage whereas he does loads of other things. All ok. But now he has started saying that with the DCs all moved out and nearly independent he’ll be looking to take early retirement in the next few years. He’s been paying into his pension and doing all the sums. He says it will mean a sacrifice but it’s ‘doable’. It just means that we will have to do fewer things like takeaways and cut back a bit. Call me mad but I’m struggling to see the advantage to this. When I ask what he plans to do with his time he says ‘nothing,’ with a grin…
Then he says maybe travel more, but then I point out that I’ll still be working and that we’ll have less money, which doesn’t seem to work logically. I can see a few problems ahead, or am I just being selfish?

OP posts:
Zoraflora · 11/11/2025 18:22

Is reducing his working week an option?

WonderlandWasAllAHoax · 11/11/2025 18:20

LoveSandbanks · 11/11/2025 18:18

Why do you go halves on bills when he is the larger wage earner and your salary and pension has been cut due to taking time out to take care of both of your children?

Your work is directly subsidising his early retirement!

Yep. He sounds very sneaky.

cestlavielife · 11/11/2025 18:20

So hw much exactly will his pension be per month? As in What % Against mortgage and bills?
Can he cover 50% ?
If so why not?
Could he retire then work part time if necessary? If the budget turns out too tight
Why wasnt he or was he covering your pension while you presumably provided childcare?

Goldwren1923 · 11/11/2025 18:20

Why are you going halves when you earn less??

so you took a hit in your earnings for a family. now earn less. Still go halves even though proportionate sharing relative to earnings would be more fair.

and now you have to subsidise his early retirement?

is he planning to share his pension with you given that you allowed him to build bigger nest egg due to above?

TooBored1 · 11/11/2025 18:19

This IS a joint decision - your pension was affected by taking time out to raise children, so you should both work until you can both retire. He is being selfish, not you.

AchillesAndPatroclus · 11/11/2025 18:19

LoveSandbanks · 11/11/2025 18:18

Why do you go halves on bills when he is the larger wage earner and your salary and pension has been cut due to taking time out to take care of both of your children?

Your work is directly subsidising his early retirement!

This!

LoveSandbanks · 11/11/2025 18:18

Why do you go halves on bills when he is the larger wage earner and your salary and pension has been cut due to taking time out to take care of both of your children?

Your work is directly subsidising his early retirement!

Newpudding · 11/11/2025 18:18

Nope. You are a team. He shouldn't get to take unilateral decisions that will affect you both.

Mayflower282 · 11/11/2025 18:18

I know a man who did this, ended up leaving his wife and going travelling with a woman 20 years younger 😬