What do you want in Retirement?

[Retirementvisions]

I have just been reading the thread on pension pots. Some people are saving big sums for their retirements. It has left me wondering what are your visions for retirement?
Do you plan on cruising the world full time?! Etc

My pension plan is a modest private pension to top up state pension. I will downsize the family home to a small manageable home and release the equity.

I want to live in a nice area within a vibrant community to dip in and out off. I want peace and nature. I'd like the NHS /care system to be running well. I'd like good healthy food at home and to eat out occasionally. I'd like to be able to go on walks and explore the UK. I will probably read more and do a few low key/cost hobbies. I don't foresee loads of world travel at that stage of life. I'd like enough money in the pot to pay for a decent care home should it come to it.

To those who are saving what are you saving for? 🤔 I'm a bit worried I'm missing something... or being totally boring and unimaginative!

This thread has really got me thinking and actually looking into how much each of my pension pots are.

I think I'd like to work less but not give up so a new aim of mine is to have 3 or 4 day weekends/working weeks as never enough hours to do All The Things in a two day weekend.

I’m 51 and have worked ft for 30 years, mostly as a higher rate tax payer. My mum died at 55 and I see elderly relations struggling. I’m in good health but the reality is that things could change. It’s a balancing act…. How long do I work and save vs have I got enough to hang up my boots?

Ive got a reasonable pension as has DH (ex forces - his is excellent). Aim to retire late 50s. Enjoy life and travel. Assume our travel costs will be less in later life. We are lucky have have a modest small house in Europe. I want to spend more time there (and can as I’m an eu citizen). We also live in London and my short term plan is to rent out London to travel and stay in our holiday home.

Aim to 'retire' mid 50s but don't envisage that means stopping work - just not doing 5 days a week 40-something weeks a year.

If we are still in good health (mid 40s now and run ultramarathons) we would like to work in a ski resort for a season, convert a van to a camper and travel initially in Europe and possibly put it on a boat to the US / Canada. International House swaps.

Envisage a mix of short term contract jobs / remote work between or during travels to allow us not to draw on pensions much in earlier years. We've always travelled on a shoestring and very content to keep doing so. A cruise is my idea of hell and I've never done posh hotels.

So basically living a 20-something lifestyle but with a mortgage paid off. Health obviously is not guaranteed but do what we can to make it more likely - cut out alcohol, lots of exercise, healthy diet etc.

I have friends who "retired" mid 50s (I presume when they paid off their mortgage) and they pick up work when they want it.
Admin with an agency mostly, but also one of the couple also enjoys working in a specialist shop which is happy to have them as and when they want to work (see - not all 'zero hours contract' are bad).

They have bought a camper van and use it frequently. They also spend time with each of their elderly mums, who can't get out and about without help anymore. They aren't jetsetting round the world, but they are certainly getting vfm out of their NT cards, and are really enjoying life in this way as they have done for the last 8 years of so. Sometimes they pick up a month or 6 week spell in one place and work "full time" as it were for a few weeks but without any of the pressure s of their old jobs. Sometimes they do 2 or 3 days a week . Sometimes they don't work that week. They were both spending a lot of time volunteering before they retired, but are now enjoying it a lot more. At least twice a week they go out for a decent walk somewhere relatively local, on top of the 'hour +' sort of walks they can now fit in every day, rather than meaning to and not getting round to it. They both feel so much less tired and do more of the things they enjoy like knitting for prem babies, and reading, which they say they didn't do much of when working as they fell asleep in front of the TV after working all the time.

I think retirement can take lots of different forms. I know several folk who work many many hour (virtually full time in one case) volunteering at Churches, at campsites, at building maintenance / caretaking for a Scout hut, at a Hospice, someone who does gardening for elderly folk - just because they like gardening! and so much more.

Yes health does help. It will be nice more free time. My friend minds grandkid 2 days. It leaves you tied.. so clear boundaries important too with family

Health and peace and quiet. Spent too many years in offices listening to rubbish.

I plan to retire at age 61 or shortly afterwards - my youngest will be 18 then and hopefully off to uni, or whatever they decide to do after school. I've had stints of being a sahm, mature student and working part-time over the years, so I'm used to filling my time without relying on work. I will definitely want to travel (not saving it for retirement but in practical terms there are some trips we won't be doing with the dc in tow). But not all the time, and I wouldn't want to live abroad unless I was making the decision to settle there (wouldn't want to split my time between places, it's too unsettling).

We live in London and I'd want to live either here or some other International city- with lots to keep me busy, good public transport and amenities within walking distance. I'd spend quite a bit of time doing recreational study (as I always have when I've not been working full-time) perhaps another degree, a PhD, but also creative subjects. And I'd like to make the most of the cultural opportunities here - theatre, dance, galleries. Stuff we did pre-dc but is on the back burner while they're young.

I'm not interested in gardening or spending lots of time at home. We'll definitely need to move from our 5 storey townhouse because eventually I won't manage all these stairs, although I'm not sure I'd be happy in a flat, and bungalows aren't really a thing around here.

Unfortunately we had children quite late in life so I don't know if I'll ever help out with childcare - I'd be willing to, but if my dc leave it as late as me I'll be too old to help much.