Has anyone retired early and regretted it?

[50andup]

I'm in my 50s, have always saved into pensions/ISAs and am now in the very fortunate position of being able to afford to stop work if I want to.

I know lots of people would think - that's brilliant and be off! But I'm wondering if I'll regret retiring early? After all, if I live to 100 , that's 45ish years of effectively being on holiday!

I've got loads of friends, already volunteer and have interests I could invest more time into, but is that enough? No desire to travel the world (done that already) or any very significant plans, so wondering if I'll get bored after a bit...

Has anyone else retired early and then regretted it later?

Oh yes and whatever you do avoid becoming the default woman caring for other people's children or your elderly relatives - unless to an extent that you will find rewarding.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

But how does people. ‘wobbling’ make them mentally older?

The exact same thing happened to my brother, he suddenly slipped into depression about 20 months into retirement. But it didn’t make him ‘mentally older’ it made him mentally unwell.

Age and illness are being confused here. Just because someone older may slip into a depression doesn’t make them mentally older.

It just means they are x amount of years with a diagnosis of reactive depression.

I’ve had reactive depression all my life. If l get it now does it suddenly make me ‘mentally older?’

Semantics, really isn't it?

Retirement is a transition that needs to be managed. It can have a material negative effect on people - particularly those who followed the 'rote' - good grades, university, steady job or business, mortgage, school fees, etc. Then suddenly it all changes. Their raison-d'etre has gone overnight. This is a danger zone. Being mentally unwell leaves scars in the mind and soul and heart. Scars can make you older.

Becoming mellow is a good process and a handy tool.

No! Been retired 3 years (mid 50s) and although I’m disabled I don’t have enough hours in the day. I’ve just published my first book!

It’s not semantics, it’s ageism.

Depressed older person = mentally older.
Depressed younger person =???

My mum retired early. She briefly mentioned maybe a part time job if she gets bored… 6 years on she has no regrets and won’t work again. She loves it. Her partner on the other hand retired early and is SO bored. He gets grumpy when bored and it’s no good for his mental health. He recently had an injury effecting his mobility so he can’t even get out even if he wanted to. Once he is recovered he will start doing odd jobs.

Everyone is different

I think I would prefer my job much more if I didn't have the pressure of having to keep it to survive. I think I would keep working part time and use the money for amazing treats. And it's nice to have that connection to people too.

I think the key is having a passion - something that gives life meaning and something to live for. If that something for you is work then retirement is obviously very risky. For my grandmother her passion was making art - she painted every day up to the day before she died age 98, and I'm sure it kept her young. Meaning could be found through volunteering or through another hobby but it needs to be present I think for the best outcome.

I haven't worked for 15 years😁 I'm 46. why would anyone work if they don't have to?

I think it's really sad that people think you will get bored or be boring. People have been brainwashed into thinking we should work until 70.

No. Retired early aged 57. NHS. Then pandemic, so I went back, but two days a week only and I'm stopping again I hope at the end of the year now 59. So looking forward to it!

I wouldn't say I'm retired, but it's unlikely I'll be working again. I'm 24 next week, last worked aged 19. I get bored but have a house to keep up with and husband to clean up after. I have my own hobbies, have a very small business I work on sometimes and I have time to babysit my nieces and nephews. So far, I'm not bored.

There will always be a way for you to work again if you need or want to. Even if it's a part time job at somewhere with shit pay but good work. If you can, why not make the most of your life?

I flexibly retired in the middle of lockdown #2 last year

I love my job so don’t want to stop completely so I went back on the same terms and conditions for 2 days a week

I am also a new grandmother and absolutely loving spending time with the baby

@amillionmenonmars

It's been a year since I stopped work. I have not been bored at all - though I have to admit it was easier in the Spring/ Summer months. Covid really hasn't helped and I think that once life becomes less restricted I will enjoy my freedom even more.

My job was very full. I never had any time for me, my family or my hobbies. Now I can make plans at the drop of a hat. Go out walking if it's sunny, stay in and watch Judge Judy all day if I want. I don't feel sick all weekend at the thought of work on Monday. I don't have to put up with office politics and general nastiness.

I do what I want, when I want. I bloody love it.

Ah, fabulous! That sounds like the sort of retirement I had hoped for too. I'd love to be able to do things spontaneously, go away for short breaks when we feel like it, spend whole days out walking, start a new sewing project or just binge watch an entire TV series.

For me, retirement hasn't turned out that way and is different from how I expected. Now that I'm no longer working, I find myself in greater demand for babysitting and helping out and I often cancel or postpone activities that I'd intended to do.

I guess it was inevitable that my retirement life would not be entirely mine to do with as I wish. I have adult DCs and grandchildren and they need me to help them out from time to time - and going out for a walk, going for a pub lunch, doing a keep fit workout, gardening, sewing, knitting, reading etc seem like trivial reasons to decline a call for help.

@turkeyboots

My inlaws retired at 50. They had a fun few years, and then ended up as unpaid childcare for both SiLs. As they "nothing else to do" accordingto SiL1. I felt they got very old very quickly compared to my parents. In laws won't use computers, got reluctant to do new things and generally behave more like 70 year old. It's sad to see how fast their world became very small.

Mine are the same. They were active people who just ground to a halt and it was alarming.

I reckon retiring early is feasible so long as you have a firm plan/goals of what you’ll do.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

They seem the same until 18-months/two years after retirement when they begin to mentally get much older

More rubbish. I’m going to 2 gigs next month and have got 2 children (older) still at home.

But I’m mentally so much older and am going to start doing ‘older person things.
I will become more narrow minded every day.

What a load of bollocks.

It isn't about going to gigs or turning into a feeble person, it is about having mental challenges and keeping the brain active and many retired early people don't have that. Maybe you are different, but it's what I have witnessed time and time again. They soon seem about 10 years older than they are.

Dh and I have both stopped working before we hit 50 as do not need to work financially.

3 children still in senior school which keeps us buy as well as volunteering and both do lots of exercise/socialising etc.

My life is so much nicer than when I worked!

I'm 30 and I would happily retire today if I could!😁 There are a million things I would want to do if I didnt need to work, wouldn't be a problem at all.

It's beside the point but it's so depressing that many people reading this thread won't have anything like this luxury.

I would do it in your shoes, OP, don't get me wrong. If you have character you won't be bored or boring, despite what a PP suggests.

I think there may be some truth to early retirement often taking more of a toll on men, because they often have more of their identity tied up in work. My parents retired aged 56 (dad) and 54 (mum) and 9 years on mum is loving life and having a very full and busy retirement - my dad has gone back to work in various capacities for various lengths of time four times! He says he really is now retired for good after finishing an 18 month consultancy contract in June, but I'll believe that when I see it. He always worked such long hours that he really struggles to know what to do with himself without work. My mum, on the other hand, seems to have had a very long list of things she'd like to do and is nowhere near finishing working her way through them!

I'm 57 and retired three months ago.
Husband retired two years ago.

It's bliss!

How do people get to retire in their 50's? I am 48, still renting (where I live you need 2 incomes to buy a decent property, hence I am still saving for that), I am single with one dog. I don't see myself being able to retire until my late 60's. I really envy all of you who have been fortunate to retire earlier.

@IjustbelieveinMe from what I have seen people retire early because of large inheritances. Those who don't get this usually have to keep on working until state retirement age.

@IjustbelieveinMe

How do people get to retire in their 50's? I am 48, still renting (where I live you need 2 incomes to buy a decent property, hence I am still saving for that), I am single with one dog. I don't see myself being able to retire until my late 60's. I really envy all of you who have been fortunate to retire earlier.

Paying off my mortgage early will help me retire in my 50’s. I’m also lucky to have a very good local government pension & have invested money each month to fund the gap between retiring early & collecting my pensions.

I could retire but I wouldn't because my job gives me energy and purpose. And money!

I think the concept of retirement is flawed. We need new concepts like: changing focus, new pace etc which allows for leaving or changing jobs as older but still recognises life needs a focus.

Of course you can decide your new focus is going to be relaxing,. Hobbies, friendship, grandchildren, but it's a shift not an end.

I also think many retired people can become insular which makes them seem older more quickly. But that's up to them, it's a choice.

How do people get to retire in their 50's

Luck
2x good salaries
Staying in the same house for 25 years even though could have afforded a bigger one
Kids left home
Small inheritances (loss of much loved relatives, would rather they were still here)
NHS special circumstances pension allows retirement at 55 with no loss of benefits (no longer available). I was just old enough to qualify
Luck

Lots of people who get inheritances use them to bridge the years between retirement and pension. A large inheritance of £100k could fund 5 years until you get a private pension for example.
But IME people always underplay the role of inheritance.