What age did you start feeling life was finally sorted?

Early 40s were a positive time financially but I was exhausted with young kids. When they started school i had retrained and just started a new job when covid hit. 6 years on i never lost the massive weight gain of covid so that it a factor. But otherwise at 48 life is good. Kids are somewhat self sufficient coming and going, eldest drives now so no more constant lifts and I'm still busy running a house and with meal prep. Eldest had a lot of issues when younger and it was constant stress but it all seems to have settled now. My job is still PT but I love it and have gained seniority, I have a deep satisfaction I never had in previous positions. Dh earns a lot so we have 3 or 4 holidays per year. I don't really think about money at all. I'm naturally frugal and don't want much stuff but when I do I don't think about the cost. That is a rare and extremely privileged position to be in. I like my neighbours and my house and I see my friends much more often than I did when younger. I also have the nicest colleagues. Family is geographically all over the place which is sad sometimes but they are good people and undemanding and that's more than most people have.

Around the age of 43 for me.

It really depends on how you define “settled.”

I’m married, both 30, homeowners in a lovely area, with a young child and a very supportive relationship. We both have stable, well-paying jobs, own our cars outright, and can comfortably afford a couple of UK breaks each year along with a holiday abroad. Overall, we’re genuinely content with where we are in life.

That said, I wouldn’t say we feel completely “finished” or static. We both have ambitions for career progression, and we’re still in the process of improving and renovating our home and trying finding time together is a challenge.

61, still waiting. Life throws curved balls till the end. I always imagined going with my Dad to his ( five years older) brother's funeral.. However my Dad , always the fitter healthier brother died at 86 last year and his older brother is still going strong at 92. Some things have become easier ie children grown up and I am better off financially, but Im not as fit as I was and get tired more easily. I have had decades of relative peace followed by a decade of turmoil. So I have stopped thinking in terms of ' finally sorted' as you not 'finally sorted' till you dead. What a cheerful sausage I am!

45 and I’m just starting to feel like I’m getting on top of life now. Getting on top of my finances and giving up alcohol have been the two main drivers for this over recent months.

About 70, sons both married, financially ok and some long standing health problems have stabilised for me.
DH is now in good health having nearly died twice.

Feel like I can just relax a bit. Only issue is that we seem to go to more funerals than we would wish.

48
What age did things come unstuck? 49

The journey continues..

It's a myth. Life is never sorted.

@researchers3 Yes, I’ve been so busy ticking boxes I feel like I haven’t taken the time to enjoy what I have when I have it. I spend a lot of time reminiscing or future planning, trying to learn how to live in the moment.

As if something clicked overnight.
Interesting. 😊

Just about getting there after retiring last year. Needing to sort out my sock drawer next, and that will take me a little further in the right direction.

Mid to late forties.

When kids older and easier and could be left at home alone

Interesting post and just goes to show that 'being sorted', whatever that means, is probably overrated and I would have thought a western/capitalist concept too.

I'm not knocking financial security at all but after an extremely traumatic time I'd just settle for good health for my children and me and some peace.

The notion that we get to a point in life and then everything is settled/static is crazy. Life has a habit of chucking massive spanners in the works.

I can’t imagine ever feeling like this, nor would I want to.

‘Life is daring adventure or nothing at all’

Not counting my chickens or tempting fate but finding early 50s awesome so far. DC away at uni and time for myself after over 20 years of putting myself last. Long may it last!!

Each decade has improved for me, my teens were horrific, twenties were a mess, thirties it sort of started coming together. I am 40 in a couple of weeks and I feel like I am winning, I am happy, content and got my shit nailed down.

And me!

I’m starting to get it in order: ask me in a couple of year. I’m 59. If I’m lucky I’ll have about 5-10 years to enjoy it and then I’ll cark it. It sucks.

52 and still waiting.
I was quite happy and settled in my 30s, then I decided I wanted a kid. Big mistake!

same, I’m 46 and since turning 40 my life has been chaos

It's not about life being settled, it's about feeling more used to life happening.

I may be misunderstanding what you mean, but I’ve felt like that my whole life.
Each stage of my life has been how I planned and expected it to be. I know this is extremely lucky!

Around 50. I'm 56 now. My 40s were full of drama, male related drama! Swore off men at 50 and have never been happier 😁 It's the biggest change I've made to protect my peace. I also realised that its nice to just focus on yourself and what makes you happy. My adult DC are pretty sorted. I have a great work/life balance. Not rich but have "enough". Life is good.

Oh and just to say I think the scariest thing about feeling settled is that unnerving feeling like you’re waiting for something to cause chaos. I’m becoming a bit anxious about health and the like now, terrified of cancer, traffic accidents. Very acutely aware we could be one moment away from everything changing.

But the other opposite thought (sorry OP I’ve thought about this a lot recently, probably as I’m approaching 40!) what I find weird about this stage of life is the predictability of it, your teens and 20s wondering what your life will look like, and now I feel like I can see my life mapped out ahead of me for decades (barring the above!)

I’ve always been close to my parents and had a lot of help from in laws so I’ve pretty much always been fine and felt like everything was going to be okay. Some pretty bad stuff has happened especially from 17-19 but I’ve always had the overwhelming confidence that everything will be fine. I was very poor in childhood so as soon as I wasn’t living on a council estate I thought I was living the high life. As long as I have food, a roof, and we can afford the heating on I don’t care. I know it will be very hard when my mum and dad pass but I’m close to my in laws and close to my siblings, very close to 3/5. I have been very unlucky in some ways but overall I think I’m actually pretty blessed.