Aibu Retiring at 55 - 30 years of idleness?

@Bournetilly Three of my friends had died by the time I reached 54, I had known two since school. One was my closest friend from the age of 12 who was a nurse practitioner in a walk in centre, we had gone to an open day together when 16 about nursing. Giggled about boys and got told off together at school. We lived our childhood dream together though I did leave the NHS mid twenties and change careers. That was the moment I thought I’m going so I left at 54. I had already lived through my DD dying and was jaded by life, One of DH friends died when they were 38 and she left two very young children and a devastated DH. It’s very crystallising and sharpens the mind as to what really matters.

HRTFT but I feel quite often that if I did all the things I want to do (including sleeping as much as I would like) I wouldn’t have time to go to work. I’m in the fortunate position of loving the different aspects of my working life, but for sure th element of having to do some things means I don’t get to do other things (the more creative things) because there isn’t enough time.

I certainly don’t think I would be bored or boring if I stopped working.

I'm so sorry.

Good on you really do admire folk who save for their retirement from such a young age.
You enjoy your retirement.

I plan to downsize the house and retire as early as is feasible. While it’s lovely to be optimistic, and I guess if you’ve had very long lived relatives you feel that’s the norm, lots of people have very different realities. Every single member of my family has died before 72. All grandparents, aunts, uncles and parents. The absolute oldest was 71. 80% of them died of a cancer of some sort. So while in theory I COULD live to 85, I’m not expecting it in the slightest. So like hell will I still be working at 68 or whatever.

With the amount of people I've known of through work who have died soon after retirement due to cancer, I would retire at the earliest opportunity if I could. You never know how long you have.

I had a senior (CFO) job which I got sacked from. Now in a none mngt role. I no longer enjoy work, and realise lots of people probably never have. If I stopped tomorrow I wouldn't have a backwards glance

I retired at 50 with a decent lump sum and monthly pension, 33 years in Civil Service from 17.

I hear of so many people that die within a year or 2 of retirement at 65, or who die before they get to that age. So if I can I want to retire in my 50s and try to have a long and peaceful retirement.

I enjoy volunteering, I always wanted to work for a charity but the pay just wasn’t good enough, so I’m doing that. I have taken quite a few classes
t’ai chi, Pilates, watercolours and belly dancing since I retired. they are hobbies I have done before but didn’t have time for. We have bought a Motorhome since DH joined me and have so far managed 2 months away. We are also both polishing up our French and DH is also improving his Spanish and German in anticipation of travelling next year. We hope to go to Asia and America and possibly Australia for a few months over the next 3 years.

DH is still running some international research committee that’s also involves giving an award to the best young scientist in his field every year and doing the odd bit of work as a visiting academic. He has also catalogued my 1,500 book collection which I’m planning on selling this coming winter. Both of us but especially him keeps an eye on markets to maximise our returns.

I have a lot of friends who have retired early, many do voluntary work. From teaching adults to read to giving free legal advice to a National charity. Maybe we are all just do gooders but many of us worked in teaching or higher education so like helping others. I planned my retirement from 21.

I retired a month ago at 49.

of the people I was at uni with one is dead of sepsis and one retired last week (cancer),

I’m medically retired.
I do have a boring and small life, but that’s how it is when your body stops working.

the incidence of cancer, heart attack etc really starts to ramp up during your 50s. If you make it to 67 totally healthy you are already quite lucky.

my dad got cancer a year after he retired.

My aunt died suddenly at 66, she was in good health and still working.

I think 55 is early to retire but no one knows how long they will live and it’s sad to have no retirement.

I retired at 58 and now in my mid sixties am so busy I think work was easier. I have 6 grandchild I do regular care. I'm thinking of buying a derelict house at auction I provide care for both sets of parents. We go to museums and art galleries recently took up watercolors I run knitting classes and workshops. I go to the gym 4 times a week and workout with friends. Have a massive garden with a veg plot and together we do all our own DIY we recently laid a drive (he did most of it it was too cold for me if I'm being honest) The demands on my time are constant and recently I've started designating Sat as a 'day off'. I've worked since I was 12 and if you think I'm boring that's fine with me. I'll surround myself with my friends who all think feel and enjoy life as much as I do.

I think your life sounds boring OP.

DH and I are semi retired. Both early 50s.

I am self employed and pick up and drop work to fit in with life and DH has just finished a 30yr career with a military pension. He’s picked up a little part time job so we can help with uni fees and go on lots of holidays (not all big ones). We also want to keep his pension free so we can be frivolous with meals and holidays if we want.

I love gardening. If I could I would do it every day. You can as there’s always so much to do. DH had an expensive, time consuming hobby so spends a lot of time planning and training. To be honest, we would both like to give up work all together.

I retired at 66, now 71, I couldnt wait to retire, though was very apprehensive about it at the time. I hated my job so left in 2nd covid lockdown. Used to get up at 4am for work and didnt get home till 6pm. Did all housework washing and ironing at the weekends and was exhausted when I retired.
My hubby is 8 years younger than me and is still working but he can't wait til he retires.
I love being at home and not having anyone boss me about and watching the clock all the time. There is simply not enough hours in the day and can't believe how, when I worked, I manage everything.
If you can afford to retire early do so, you never know how long you will live. So make the most of your life

I'd retire tomorrow. But I was a sahm for 8yrs, before going to work in a school office job for 9yrs to see my DC through private school.

However given that I had so much time at home for so long in my 30s, it would feel like an extention of that rather than retirement.

That said I've got absolutely no idea what I would do with my time once the DC leave home in a year or two other than some nice holidays!. I used to be busy all the time when DC were little and I was at home......Now I've spent several of the school holiday days in and out of bed having a nap as I've very little to do and I'm bloody knackered.

Physically, when I was 40 I was running 5miles twice a week. Now, at 48, I am limited to weights, walking and swimming. I can't even ride a bike. Work feels so much harder and I have no stamina.

So yes I'd retire now. There's some travel I'd like to do before my physical health gets even worse. Despite eating a fecking marvellous diet and doing as much exercise as I possibly can.

What jobs did your friends do, @Scotsknowbest do that makes you think that shifting their focus to gardening etc will drain them of interest? Before they retired, did you spend all your time with them swapping exciting anecdotes about day-to-day office life?

Is your own work the only thing that gives you a sense of meaning in life? If so, you are either very lucky to have an exciting/rewarding job or very unlucky to have no other reservoirs of meaning.

And why would ten years make such a difference? If you can't think of how to have a satisfying retirement as 55, why would you think that things would be any different at 65, or 75. Perhaps you need to begin cultivating other parts of yourself in preparation.

I admire anyone who has the balls to retire early and if they can afford it why not.
It is up to each individual what they choose to during their retirement even if that means taking their time to do things and even doing nothing. They have no one to answer to and don’t feel they have to prove themselves.
So good luck to them I say and for anyone that thinks different I can only imagine a bit of jealousy is what it’s all about.

Exercising really doesn't cost much, a pair of trainers maybe.

I think it’s a very personal choice. we all know someone who has worked until 70+ then died shortly after retirement, we also probably know people who died too early before retirement.

You also need money to retire early. Those of us on lower wages can’t stash loads of money just for retirement. I save but currently for house refurb and life. I have an NHS pension but can’t get that early. Also im a lower band so while i’m grateful for the generous scheme it isn’t the gold plated mega pension people think it is. There’s no inheritance .

When the mortgage is done in a few years i’ll be able to save more so i can go part time and maybe fully retire a little earlier than 67. I’ll likely be knackered after possibly 35+ years in healthcare and maybe won’t want to do much!
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It’s being optimistic. That’s all. Unlike being judgmental.

You are clearly a very driven person who is defined by achievement. That's great but not everyone is made the same way

I really couldn't be arsed dealing with all the stress and politics of work anymore as I had started to find it soul destroying. I'd rather have fun.

Working doesn’t make anyone more interesting.

I’m in a stressful executive position (like yours OP maybe) and I’d love to retire now (I’m 52). It would certainly not be boring and I would spend the time doing things I love. I just don’t care enough about my career anymore. I’m over it. I honestly want to laugh when I read half the crap I see on LinkedIn. There’s no joy in performative corporate excellence like there is in art, playing music or your garden.
You do you OP. They can live their lives too. I’m pretty sure your life doesn’t make you more interesting than them.

YABU, I “retired” at 57. The reality is, my job was really stressful, I was looking after elderlies and couldn’t manage both, voluntary redundancy reared its head and I grabbed it with both hands.

I do volunteer, but I started that a year before I gave up my job, I still spend a significant number of hours looking after the elderlies and running them to endless medical appointments, I also walk adult DCs dog and have their DGC one day a week.

Many people imagine retirement is lunching with friends, hours on the golf course, pottering round garden centres. The reality is, for many of us, it’s the same daily grind, just unpaid!