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Original poster

Do you look forward to retirement?

104 replies

JustJam4Tea · 10/01/2022 13:10

I can't wait to give up work. I'm 52 and have been planning what to do with retirement since I started work really. I don't hate what I do, and have had some great jobs.

But...there's so much more of the world I want to see than can be managed in annual leave, I want to garden, read books, do more exercise. I'm well paid, in a secure interesting job.

My husband on the other hand can't even imagine what he'll do when he retires, his identity was for years tied up in his job, not so much now in a new job, but working is still integral to his sense of self.

OP posts:
CaptainChannel · 10/01/2022 16:10

Yes. Only about 30 years to go 😂
I work and always have but I just don't like it, whatever I do I don't like the job.

Limegreentangerine · 10/01/2022 16:12

I'm 28 and spend approximately 3 hours a day thinking about retirement .. ONLY 40 years to go ....

BiddyPop · 10/01/2022 16:35

I have so many ideas of things I want to do that I have not yet settled on exactly what retirement would look like, but yes, I look forward to that freedom.

DH plans to be done in 10 years when he hits 60. But he could keep going to 67 and increase his pension pot a bit more.

I have another 17 years before I have earned my full pension, and could stay another 2-3 years past that point if I wanted to just for the love of work.

But I think I will be gone pretty much as soon as I have earned the whole lot, if not a bit before that (our non-pension savings are fairly strong already).

I want to go sailing, which requires some physical stamina. And decent travelling (lots of hiking and swimming and snorkelling etc) - maybe not proper rock-climbing (too strenuous) or scuba diving (asthmatic lungs so not allowed), but a certain amount of adventure while I still can.

I also want to do a lot of crafting, decent gardening (as in finally getting a good kitchen garden going) and maybe have a few chickens etc as well. Visiting friends. Cultural events like theatre trips, going to galleries in other countries not just my own city, etc. And just being able to do things on a whim, because I can.

Blanketpolicy · 10/01/2022 16:43

I'm 53, it feels like I am wishing my life away but I can't wait to retire. I have a reasonably paid, enjoyable (at times) job, but I have been working 34 years now and I am not as enthusiastic as I should be at the new project (these will be world leading new systems 🙄), or reorganisation (we can make massive steps forward if we decentralise, centralise, decentralise, repeat every 7-8 years 🥱).

They should really let us that want too retire at 50 on a full pension and let the young'uns get on with it!

I need to get ds through 5 years of uni then he is launched whether he likes it or not! My dream is I get made redundant when I am around 60, by then I'll have around 16 years service in my current company and a package that combined with savings will hopefully last a couple of years and I can then start claiming my private pension around 63ish, again propped up by savings until I get my government pension at 68.

This is all assuming I live until 68!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Waxonwaxoff0 · 10/01/2022 16:44

Not yet, I'm 31 and don't want to wish my life away. I don't love my job but I don't want to be 60+ yet!

catmania · 10/01/2022 16:51

I'm 60 this year and cant wait to retire. 12 hour shifts are a bit much at my time of life. I would never get bored.

converseandjeans · 10/01/2022 16:52

I'm 49 and it seems years away. I get tired out and I think 11 years sounds ok - except it's now another 7 years on top 🙄

I am envious of women who can work very little, or even not work & can potter, do fitness & not have the daily grind. Lucky things!

I also can't get my head round some of my parents friends who were retiring at 55!? Then doing some part time work on top - so getting a really good income.

CounsellorTroi · 10/01/2022 17:32

I took voluntary early retirement two and a half years ago shortly before my 58th birthday. Best thing ever. No regrets.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 10/01/2022 18:03

I'm 31 and I would retire now if I could

FindingMeno · 10/01/2022 18:09

I will work in one form or another as long as possible for the income.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 10/01/2022 18:09

Tbf it's a rainy Monday in January. Anyone NOT looking forward to retirement right now has got to be some kind of a fucking lizard Grin

TwoBrownSugars · 10/01/2022 18:10

I can't wait...but need to still work for 10-12 years more I expect to help get in a good situation for supporting the kids (I did not have that support myself, even though my parents were wonderful amazing!)

HotChoc10 · 10/01/2022 18:11

Those of you who love their jobs need to say what they do!

KohlaParasaurus · 10/01/2022 18:23

I went through a phase of being desperate to retire in my late 40s and early 50s, but a change in the nature of my role (specifically, only being responsible for my own workplace performance and not having to manage anyone else) and a reduction in the length of my working day made all the difference. Now in my late 50s I could afford to retire and am sure I won't be bored without a job but I'm in no great hurry.

Chewbecca · 10/01/2022 18:29

Yes, absolutely! I’m 49 and my pension is good enough to go now… except I am not entitled to it yet of course!

We paid our mortgage off recently which was a key step.

Itsagrandoldteam · 10/01/2022 18:33

My DH is going to retire later this year, he is 55. He has a really high pressured job in finance and he works ridiculously long hours, he can't wait to retire.
We will play lots of golf, go on lots of holidays and also enjoy doing nothing.
I gave up work many years ago, when I became a stay at home mom. I'm looking forward to my DH finally being able to help around the house.

Scottishflower65 · 10/01/2022 18:51

Yes, I’m another one who can’t wait for the freedom to do much more of the activities I enjoy. Just another few years to go. Currently maxing out contributions to private pension to supplement my public sector pension and smooth out my earnings til age 67.

Lanique · 10/01/2022 19:17

No way - I'm not wishing my life away, and I enjoy my work. It helps though that I'm part time - perhaps if I were on the full time hamster wheel I'd be looking forward to it more.

Someonemustknowtheanswer · 10/01/2022 19:53

Cannot fucking wait. I'm 28.

Scottishflower65 · 10/01/2022 20:39

I don’t think anyone is wishing their life away Lanique. I have a very full and interesting life. Enjoy it all except the work bit (and that’s ok, have great colleagues). Surely it’s only natural to want to swap ok parts of your life (work) for more enjoyable parts such as more physical exercise, travel, reading, gardening, time with grandchildren etc?

Waxonwaxoff0 · 10/01/2022 21:13

@Scottishflower65

I don’t think anyone is wishing their life away Lanique. I have a very full and interesting life. Enjoy it all except the work bit (and that’s ok, have great colleagues). Surely it’s only natural to want to swap ok parts of your life (work) for more enjoyable parts such as more physical exercise, travel, reading, gardening, time with grandchildren etc?
It is but I guess it depends on your situation. I would retire now, if I had the money, but there's no chance I'll be able to retire until state pension age, so looking at it realistically, I don't look forward to retirement because I'll probably be 70+ before I can retire - at 31 god knows what state pension age will be by the time it's my turn. And I don't wish to be that age yet.
damekindness · 10/01/2022 21:22

I'm 60 and could retire now with a 17K pension and a lump sum would pay the mortgage off. However I would be relatively poor and I've been poor before and it was rubbish even with youth on my side. So I need to continue to work full time and build more pension and wait to get the state pension.

Being permanently utterly exhausted to the point of feeling nauseous is the price I pay not to be old and poor 🤷🏻‍♀️

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 10/01/2022 21:26

I retired at 57. I was scared l would find it hard.

I must have been away with the fariesI love it, meet friends, make new ones, do crafts, walk. I’m so glad to be out.

SunscreenCentral · 10/01/2022 21:41

I'm 51 and whilst I have fairly decent pension I haven't been paying into it for long enough.
2022 is the year I start plowing money in to bump it up. We still have 7 years to go on the mortgage.
I do like my job and my colleagues but there're so many more enjoyable things to do.
In the meantime I'm working on my language skills so that I'll be able to communicate well and engage fully in the country I intend to spend 6 or 8 months of the year once im out!

Chewbecca · 10/01/2022 22:03

I do think I am wishing my life away to some extent to be honest. Mainly because I am exhausted by working. Mon - Fri, I rarely do anything in the evenings, too tired. On the weekend, I am more up for it but need to recuperate too. I don’t exercise at all, too tired.
Going PT (60% max, preferably 40 or 50%) would help a lot but the job wouldn’t accommodate it.