Aibu Retiring at 55 - 30 years of idleness?

I’ve never understood why people think that a job is the only thing that makes someone interesting. I’ve always found it incredibly dull to be with people who (for whatever reason, including time) have nothing to talk about other than work. One of my friends did what the OP describes- went from an incredibly full on professional job to early retirement in his early 50s. I can assure you that he is a new man. He’s discovered all sorts of new interests and has gone from someone who was renowned for boring on about some corporate deal he was working on to being quite a figure of interest for the teens in my life, as he’s always been somewhere “cool” or exotic.

I think everyone needs to weigh up when to retire and what income you need. The reality is the state pension is not massive, but not bad if you own a property outright. If you rent and only have state pension I think you would qualify for housing benefits. But I think this thread is thinking people who have a property mortgage free in their 50’s.

i think you have to think about the fact it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Hubby and I are mid fifties and both working in office based jobs, hybrid office and home. We have old pensions from previous jobs when younger and are thinking of claiming then now for the lump sums and extra income. I have reduced hours already. But we will stay in some work for a while. We get good annual leave of over 6 weeks and can purchase up to 2 extra weeks a year so we want the cash to enjoy travelling both as a couple and with kids and grandkids.

I'm 58. I'm retiring at 62 and counting down the months. Do I enjoy work? Yes mostly. Does it define me? No. Frankly I have had enough and one of my parents never made state pension age.
I think it's possible to create a busy post retirement life, if that's your thing.
I've have 40 years of being busy, raising 3 kids and working and now having sole responsibility for my elderly Mum.

I haven’t worked since 32. I don’t think I’m boring or pointless because I don’t work. You have a very narrow view of life.

I am lucky in that my background in finance and corporate governance means getting trustee jobs is fairly easy and I do 2 of those. I can also work 1-2 days week for old employer so I am semi retired. Else I enjoy just playing games or pottering around. Seeing my 80 year old parents as much as possible. Doing an online courses with dad )I also did a second degree and he is nearing the end of an open university course)
I may do a third degree in a few years

its far easier for professional people to retire early and still be what the op calls productive. I shall consider magistrate roles later but i get the impression they don’t want white middle class 50+ women as they have tons of those already.

My husband was a widower when we met. He'd lost his wife to cancer when they were both 38. It certainly focused his mind on what was important. I'm now 60, he's 64. We each retired at 55. We are having a wonderful time. A job is a job. If you dropped dead tomorrow there would be a period of shock ( very short i suspect) for your employers/ fellow employees followed by a period of reorganisation and a new person doing your precious job. Give it 6 months and 50% of the people in the office would have changed and the new people would have no idea you ever even existed. On their death bed very few people's wish is that they'd had one more day at work,one more meeting to go to.

Some people love to be permanently busy, others are happy to chill. I find that with people of all ages.

There are a lot of wealthy middle aged people near me who don’t seem to go to work. They seem to spend a lot of time washing their cars. I think I’d rather watch Bargain Hunt.

My mum didn’t get much of a retirement. She was a WASPI but ended up going slightly early due to a heart condition then shortly after that was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. I’m recovering from an aggressive breast cancer now in my 40s so DH and I are now trying to bring retirement forward a bit as we do worry we won’t get any healthy retirement time together. We will spend it pissing about, we’re ultimately quite lazy people.

But they are 20 years older! Are you saying that if they had retired later they would have escaped the inevitable decline caused by ageing?

My aunt and uncle retired 30 years ago in their mid fifties(with an inheritance) and have thoroughly enjoyed their retirement, they are busy almost every day socialising, travelling, church, volunteering for stuff. They have no regrets at all. However it was due to a substantial inheritance that enabled this.

Nothing is permanent, maybe they’ll start volunteering / part time job / childcare in a few years when they get bored.

whats wrong with wanting to enjoy some free time while they’re fit and young, you never know whats round the corner.

Maybe they’re burnt out from juggling work / kids / health for years and want a rest.

Im much younger than them but I’ve reduced my hours by 50% because I’m burnt out and I’d rather have less money and more free time and preserve my physical and mental health.

It I inherited enough money I’d stop working fully and start to enjoy all the hobbies I’ve not had time to do as a single working parent.

I think it’s fabulous to retire in your 50s if you can! Obviously out of reach for so many people, but it’s early enough to have real second stage to life. And to take a few years to find what that is. Some will take on voluntary work, or take up a second career of some sort based on their passion rather than the need to make money. Some will find a passion for gardening, dog agility, art, sport ect. And some will find that they simply enjoy a slower pace of life with time for friends and family. All enjoyed when healthy and active. I can see regretting it if you’re really short of money as that would restrict some of those choices, but not otherwise.

Retired aged 54, living abroad for a 7 month period.£1.2m in savings and pension, not touched the pension yet. Definitely not bored, seeing the world, experiencing a new culture. Will return to the UK in the summer and then make further plans to travel, volunteer, help parents, just enjoy myself with no time pressures or work.

And i bet your body is in the best shape it’s ever been. I can’t think of a better way to spend retirement but I’d add in tennis too.

I’d absolutely be with them if I could. I’d retire in a heartbeat if I could financially. Life is for living and in my book that’s easier if you’re not stuck in an office 40 hours a week.

My dad took voluntary redundancy from a very stressful job at 52. He did consultancy work until 56. He died of cancer aged 64. This affects my mindset regarding retirement, its not guaranteed any of us will live until 80s.

I retired at 49. I'm now 54 and absolutely love my life. Completely stress free is very underrated! Reading, gardening, long walks, gym, learning new languages, volunteering (one day a week at the local library). There are plenty of things to occupy your day.

@Strumpetpumpet

Same for me. I also have the lovely bonus of having to do permanent nightshift because I need the money. I cannot envisage ever retiring and will be working until I drop.

I was lucky enough to be able to retire at 58, voluntary early exit scheme and yes, an inheritance meant applying for the scheme was a no brainer, together with the fact I’d had some physical and mental health issues and my job was disappearing because of a restructure. I’m nearly 65 now and still absolutely loving it. No regrets. I just love having the time and the mind space to look around and take things in.

I retired from a desk job at 55. I now walk a min of 12000 steps a day around lovely countryside, deal with elderly parents without time stress, cook nice meals, volunteer, visit places, travel. The best part? I CHOOSE what I want to do.

Poster mentioned many had inherited recently. They have plenty of money so can

I retired last year at 56 and my husband 4 years ago at 55.

I bloody hope I have another 30 years to read, go on holidays, eat out, walk the dogs, do the garden, have an afternoon nap if I feel like it. I’m really not going to worry if that makes me less interesting to others.

Quite a judgemental post, OP. Seems clear to me that your sense of worth comes from being seen to be busy, useful and successful. I wonder where that comes from?

I know a couple of people who feel they retired too early, it’s definitely possible especially if you’re bothered by how people perceive your status or you’re driven by a need for achievement. Not everyone is.

I would prefer to talk about gardening, tennis, holidays and reading with my friends than work. much more interesting conversation and not boring at all imo.

For many people perhaps, good for them. For the majority work is something that pays the ever increasing bills. Looking down on people that do want to retire and implying they will have 30 years of idleness is just disingenuous and rude.
Most people working in lower paid (often manual jobs) in more deprived areas will be lucky if they get 3-5 years of retirement.

I’m 58, hoping to retire at 60, and I’m definitely ready to finish. I’m slightly wary of the loss of identity that comes with retirement, but I’m also exhausted from working, running around after a teenager and uni student, as well as helping my elderly Mum. I’m just so so tired, and my to-do list is never ending. I can feel my multitasking abilities diminishing.