54, had enough of the daily slog so I'm not going to do it anymore....

[erikbloodaxe]

Well I have plan at least.

1. Sell this house
2. Buy little house
3. Give notice at current job.
4. Find remote PT job
5. Earn enough to cover outgoings (no mortgage thankfully)
6. Spend my time doing what makes me happy.

I'm not spending what time I have left bloody working full time. The time between now and retirement will just be wasted years.

Wish me luck! Adventures here I come

Could you do locum/contract work- lots of flexibility. You could take on a contract for a set time, save up for the next adventure then not work again for x amount of time. IME part-time roles can still be stressful and tie you down, as often expectations are high for the hours you do and you'll still have the rigidity of asking for A/L etc. Sounds amazing- good luck!

I am nearly 54 and at a bit of a cross roads too. I don't feel the need to urgently do something drastic because I spent 29-46 living and working abroad, and before that I lived and worked abroad when I was 18/19. My DC are still teens, and not left home yet.

I have a P/T job which is stressy when they're (customer facing) but I never have to do a minutes work before or after my shift. It's low paid, but my work colleagues are ace and it is such a laugh with good benefits. Sometimes I think I should get a better job and get my head down till I retire and stash some cash but then my non working days are fabulous. I work 3 days a week and spend the other 4 down the gym, having lunch, coffee and getting necessary chores done.

My main focus now is getting as fit as I can because quite a few of my friends and colleagues are not able to do physical things now, even in their 50's and I want to be able to hike the 3 peaks in my 60's and 70's.

Good for you!

I'm 51 and I actually really love my job but would also like to make more time for proper travel, plus my husband is 10 years older than me so I feel we have less time. In a few years I am considering asking work for a 9 or 10 month a year contract and having the summer completely free. I think they may agree to it and we could probably afford it.

I'd do more research before chucking it all in, especially around the job. The danger is that you'll just exchange one sort of stress and hassle for another.

How lovely OP! Very happy for you.

I’m 28 and work full time aswell as having young DC. I have a really great job but I am so exhausted!

You are however giving me a lot of motivation to get the mortgage paid off 😂

Also, my mum died just before her 60th birthday and her retirement. She used to say "when I retire I am going to do X, Y and Z" and she used to laugh that when she got her free bus pass she was going here, there and everywhere. She died, and months later we got her bus pass thru the post. My aunt died at 55 and my SIL died at 58.

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans”

Honestly, I know so many people my age and younger who are struggling with their health and fitness. Waiting for 67 to be the green light to be given to do stuff is a really bad idea. Our generation have had a poor diet, longer working hours and commutes, and loads more stress.

Who cares what Jeremy *unt thinks. We owe our woeful political parties nothing.

good on you for the wild camping ambition/plan - some folks think it so undecorous beyond a certain age unless they can call it glamping and take their front room with them. It's amazing where you can bed down for the night once you free your mind/look at places anew/closely. How do you plan to travel/get around when on wild-camping trips?

Do it, do it, do it. My dad worked full time from the age of 15. He did retire in his early 60s and started to really enjoy life and then less than a year later was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I really wish he'd been able to have more fun and fewer responsibilities while he was well.

My only caveat with that is make sure the broadband in your little remote house is sufficient for a part time remote job (and also be aware that little remote houses can be VERY expensive).

Congratulations. I have a similar plan, both my mortgage and qualifying for full NI yrs for state pension complete as I turn 53. My plan is to cut down to 3 day working week to fund my lifestyle. However I am aware a lot can happen between now and then so we shall see when the time comes.

I already work a 4.5 day week and loving it.

Brilliant, op. Enjoy and hope it all works out!

I’ve just done this OP. I had a plan, took a little longer to get there than I thought, but finished work a few weeks ago and have started to do all the things I’ve been wanting to do but could never fit in as was too tired or busy. I’m currently sat out on the patio eating breakfast in the sun 🌞

Some very selfish poster here. Won't someone think of the economy ?

On a serious note, isn't this what we were all urged to aspire to 40 fucking years ago ? The one grain of Thatcherism that we were sold as a balance to the wasteland that was the 80s economic adjustment ?

First person half my age who tries to tell me I need to work till I drop is getting a punch up the bracket, to coin a phrase.

(Screen becomes hazy as newsreel footage plays of the 1980s upheaval) Brian Cox (not that one) sonorous tones intone the message

"You weren't there. You don't know what it was like."

Go for it, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 56, you never know what's round the corner. Wishing you well for your next chapter in life 😀

You will be like Nomadland and why not! I would suggest you think about your pension though, keep your place to rent out or something so you won’t be skint in old age.

do you need help with the cats?

The crazy thing about urging people who've put in 40 years to work another decade is that there are young people who can't find a job because vacancies are filled by resentful older ones. How are the workers of tomorrow supposed to gain skills, experience and work ethic if they don't get a chance to practice these things? Let me sit on my arse playing games now, while they get to experience a hopefully fulfilling and productive young adulthood to middle age. It should be a social aspiration to retire while you're still young enough to enjoy it, not to carry on until you keel over. Mainly I think it's about employers being disinclined to train new people up.

Absolutely awesome, go for it!

I'm jealous. How fantastic. A couple of decades off that myself. Enjoy

I love this!

A friend of mine who's not married and doesn't have children (and has no intention to have either) took this view when she hit her mid-40s. She has a house that she's comfortable in, no need or desire to buy anything bigger, knows what her outgoings are and realised she didn't need to be slogging away at a full time, stressful job.

She's now got a permanent part time job which covers the bills and does some freelancing on the side. It gives her time to volunteer for a couple of charities that are particularly close to her heart, so she lives a very happy and fulfilled life.

I must say I'm rather jealous of it! I'm a good number of years away from being able to do the same, but I am most definitely not planning on working full time until my retirement.

How are the workers of tomorrow supposed to gain skills, experience and work ethic if they don't get a chance to practice these things?

That question presumes the preceding one that starts with "Why" has been answered satisfactorily.

Why work in the rat race ?

A much harder question to answer when all you can show for it is increasing retirement ages, declining prosperity and a planet that is coughing up blood.

And while it's a hard question, it's the easiest to precis :

"Why ?"

Go for it @erikbloodaxe. I got ill at 55 and haven't really worked since. I am loads better now but partly that's due to not doing an uber stressful job. And deciding life is way too short to waste on work. I volunteer, do a bit of odd jobbing, and enjoy my life. I'm active in my local community and hope to make a difference that way. I've not much money but it's definitely possible to adjust and even enjoy it. I like the challenge. It's been hard at times though.
So from my experience you won't regret it. Enjoy the last lap of your life 😁

@erikbloodaxe this is so lovely to read. You sound so positive and happy.
Enjoy Canada, it is a beautiful country

This is what we are contemplating, DH was against early retirement but three of our friends have died in the last five years from age 41 to 54 and another who has survived cancer has an 80% chance of surviving the next five years. I have already retired, I’m 56 and have 35 years NI and 30 years paid in to a work pension. I have chronic health issues having survived a could have died illness and my workplace gave me ill health retirement which I am extremely grateful for.

But I await DH retiring, he is 3 years younger than me and because he took time out to do a PhD is short of contributions for his state pension. You have prompted me to chat to him and we are going to have our own state of the nation discussion with spreadsheets this weekend.

I am 42 and do 2 days a week (in a job I love)

absolute game changer. I enjoy life so much more than when full time. So so so much more

when you say “adult children”… how old?