Help wishing my life away looking forward to retirement

[RosieLeaLovesTea]

Help. I am finding myself increasingly envious of people who are retiring and looking forward to my own retirement at only 43yrs old!

I am in social work for a local authority. I have been working full time for 20years. I have two primary school aged children. I keep thinking if I can last out at least another 10years I will have a decent 30 year pension.

I am also looking forward to having the mortgage paid off around that time which will be great relief.

I get lots of satisfaction from the job itself. I am managing a team and really enjoy supporting them to do a good job for residents of our city.

But I am really tired of constant restructure after restructure, increasing demands and having to do more less. Political leaders and very senior managers making decisions that can be very detrimental.

I think this is probably the same issue in a lot of public services. Anyone else feel the same?

I’m in the public sector and can hopefully retire in 2 years. I can’t wait. Some of my friends have already retired and I am so envious of them going off in their campers, cycling and generally enjoying life. My job like yours has suffered immensely from cuts and the politics involved are a nightmare as is the bureaucracy.
I’m literally counting down the days.
My mortgage won’t be paid so will have to do something but will hopefully choose something less demanding

Remember that life dissatisfaction is a bit of a bell curve and you are at the mid life peak. Most people are happier by their fifties. I was you. I am currently wondering whether I will actually want to retire in 6 years at 55 when we have planned for, because life is more rewarding. And I am still working in the NHS! I would happily have retired at 43.

Although I can imagine that I will be desperate to go like pp when it actually happens! On a practical note, what can you start doing to live more? Little things and bigger goals. Developing interests and skills, connecting to people. Doing you things.

I feel exactly the same at 48, worked for 31 years.

If I can get to 50 and then get made redundant, I can leave on a full pension. If I get made redundant sooner, will need to work til I’m nearer 60. I’m just trying to get there. Mortgage paid off this month, youngest DC should go to Uni around my 50th & I have a savings account ready to support that so don’t need to continue earning for that. Our lives would be less luxurious than now but I’m ready.

Not helpful, but you’re not alone!

I used to feel like that. But retirement is a luxury for lots of people. I am unlikely to reach retirement age and that has focused the mind somewhat.

I feel similar & I’m late 40’s. Mortgage will be paid off at 50 & I’ll be retiring at 55. I do quite like my job, but it’s testing my patience lately. There are so many things I want to do when I'm no longer working-can’t wait!

@GoWalkabout

Remember that life dissatisfaction is a bit of a bell curve and you are at the mid life peak. Most people are happier by their fifties. I was you. I am currently wondering whether I will actually want to retire in 6 years at 55 when we have planned for, because life is more rewarding. And I am still working in the NHS! I would happily have retired at 43.

I agree. I am now 1 year beyond where I thought I would retire and still working, partly due to the pandemic but partly because it suddenly seems like such a big step...

I am retiring from teaching in two weeks, aged 56. Lockdown/blended learning has killed me.

I'm 56 on Friday so will have 4 years until I can leave the civil service. My mortgage will be paid off next year. I have a pension at 60, not enough to live on so will need to earn something until the second pension comes in at 65.
I am currently making lots of plans, sorting house things out whilst I'm still earning.
Like you, when I was in my late 30s, I was sick of the constant restructurinf, unturns, anti public sector rhertoric. At the time I didnt have children so has more options - I took redundancy, went travelling, back to university to do an MA, worked in the voluntary sector for a few years, went back into the civil service when I decided to adopt, purely for the terms and conditions and salary.
My job at the moment is is OK, I like the people I work with, it hasnt always been the case over the last 10 years.
There are times when I've found myself wishing the time away. i think what's helped is having goals outside work, some short term, some longer term. We got an allotment 5 years ago, its been been hard work to get it up and running, but so very satisfying. Its where I will spend a lot of time when I'm properly retired.
I think its good to have an idea of how your retirement will look, realistically, and start planning towards that, I will have enough to live on, but won't be swanning off on luxury holidays, hence investing in my allotment.

I’m late 40’s and feel the same. I’m NHS, my job is relentless and exhausting and I have had a enough.

I look at my pension and it isn’t amazing and I won’t get it until 67, I’ll be dead by then if I keep working like this! I can’t help but resent those that qualified earlier than me and got excellent pensions at 55 however my husband has benefited from a great pension so I really can’t complain.

My husband is older and has an excellent final salary pension which I would benefit from on his death so I won’t be working until 67.

Our mortgage is paid off and we save a lot each month currently. Our plan is to get both dses through university and then reduce my hours and look at retirement about 60. Dses are off to university this year and next so probably 5 years of expense before things tail off a bit.

What do you do outside of work? Anything at all? If you could afford it, I would go down to four days and actually start working on your life outside work.

To go from working flat out to not a lot will be a massive shock. My Dad couldn't wait to retire at 56 but aged very quickly. He didn't have any real hobbies or many friends. He did go back to work in a different field but I think he thought he would get a 'little job' which turned out to be stressful in other ways. His job really was his identity and he lost his way a bit when he retired which he never really recovered from.

But I am really tired of constant restructure after restructure, increasing demands and having to do more less. Political leaders and very senior managers making decisions that can be very detrimental.

So true. This is what has pushed me over the edge and made the decision for me to retire soon. It's so hard to just go to work and do your job nowadays.

NHS. Exhausted. Demoralised and bureaucracy is killing me. I feel pretty desperate to leave. Thinking of a career change rather than retirement

I retired last year and it is brilliant, we have no mortgage and whilst we have a limited income it is enough to be comfortable. I thoroughly recommend it.

At 49 I’m older than you OP but I agree completely. I’m also public sector with a lovely team & a hardworking but out-of-touch senior management team which makes questionable decisions.

I plan to pay off my mortgage in the next 24 months and retire at 54/55.

I'm in my early 60's. My job is okay and DD has three years left in uni and DS has one year left. I'm in the US so it's four years and very expensive. We're paying for it all so they'll have no student loans.

We paid our mortgage off years ago and DH has made some very good investments over the years, so we're in pretty good shape. I'm still going to wait until DD finishes uni to retire.