Is retirement all it's cracked up to be?

[madroid]

If you have actually retired, are you enjoying it?

All things being equal, without, for example, health problems are you actually enjoying your free time? What do you do? What does your day look like?

I imagine there's a 'honeymoon' period where you relish not having to get up to go to work, catch up with all sorts of things... but then what? What have you got into?

My mum retired ten years ago. Loves it.

She looks after the house and garden, plans and goes on holidays, sees her friends.

My dad is partly retired, he can pick and choose his time off so they vacation a lot. And because he works part time he's out of the house a lot, so they get a break from each other.

I retired in my mid sixties, ten years ago. By coincidence the timing coincided with the birth of my first DGD so I spent a lot of the first year happily spending time with my DD whist she was on mat leave. I then offered to take on some of the childcare when she went back to work. Now, with the arrival of four more DGC over the past ten years, I look after some combination or other of them on most weekdays. I love being so involved in their lives and am very grateful that I retired when I did.

I retired aged 56 when we moved 200 miles away just prior to lockdown. I couldn’t get a job then and just got used to not working. I keep busy with walking daily, exercising, house stuff, house admin, seeing friends, I volunteer one morning a week too.
DH is leaving his full time job in 3 months time, I’m not sure in his plans yet, I think he’ll look for something part time, maybe a couple of days a week, so semi retirement for him. He’ll need to keep busy though, I can’t be doing with him hanging around the house all day 😂
We’ll be able to help out with our grand children a bit more during school holidays and hopefully we’ll be in a position to travel a bit more and see more of the county we live in.

Retired at 57, thought I'd hate it. Then daughter had first grand child. Spent a lot of time helping her out. She needed to go back for financial reasons sooner than expected so covered that. Then swimming when I got my free pass, met up same crowd. Round charity shops. Haven't done as many day trips as planned but now have free bus pass so going to remedy that this year.

My parents play lawn bowls and go on railway holidays. My mum is an amateur watercolour artist, and treasurer of the local WI. My dad is quite infirm these days, but he used to maintain the bowling green. He mainly potters around the house or garden now, or visits my brother who doesn't live far.

When I retire I have a romantic idea to buy a campervan or caravan and go travelling. I just need to pass my driving test first....I also want to do a degree, in what I don't know, but I want to do OU.

My parents both retired quite young (Mum before she was 50, Dad in his early 60s) and they both took to retirement like ducks to water. Mum became the village busybody, writing for the local newspaper, getting her finger in all sorts of pies, and playing and coaching a sport. Dad pottered around. They both enjoyed holidays abroad while they were fit and insurable.

I retired over a year ago from a career that typically becomes a big part of people's identity, but I'd already prepared myself psychologically for leaving that "me" behind. I haven't had a moment's regret. Having been all about other people for decades, I don't do anything very useful now, and certainly nothing that involves giving up my time on anything other than a one-off basis. I'm enjoying not being tired or stressed, exercising and reading when it suits me, having proper cooked meals every day, and spending a bit more time with my parents and adult children.

DH is a little younger than me and had a career break when the DC were teenagers so he hasn't retired yet, but we've decided that we can afford for him to spring the trap within the next year and when he does we'll do a lot more low-cost exploring while we're still in good health.

And if I get bored and want a job while I still have transferable skills, I'll go out and find one.

Definitely this!

Thank you everyone for your responses, this has been really interesting and got me thinking a bit more deeply about what I'll do.

I think I might start trying to wind down a bit first (just put a toe in the retirement water) and see how that goes. Otherwise I think it would be a massive shock for me as I still do long hours in a sometimes high stress job, although I mostly enjoy it. However I think I need time to adjust to a less intense lifestyle.

Oh God yes! I was medically retired in 2020, but had actually been misdiagnosed and am perfectly well now.

Monday - house clean and supermarket
Tuesday - counselling and volunteering
Wednesday - see a friend
Thursday - Pilates and weekly social event
Friday - prepare for weekend, go for a drink
Weekend - whatever DH and I decide to do, separately or together. I wanted to go to a breathwork session yesterday, but I'll go to the next one if I'm not busy - I've been at a big event in our city instead.

Sadly, this has been my experience also with the retired people I know. I know multiple people (including my own parents) who put off doing things they wanted to do until they retired and then they died before ever being able to do them. Theres definately a lesson in there for the rest of us.

Totally agree. Assuming relative good health, I can't think of anything worse than retiring at 55.

This would not suit me even if I could afford to retire
My job keeps my brain totally active, I am constatly problem solving
I will not be giving up or giving in for as long as possibe

@YukoandHiro , I can't think of anything worse than retiring at 55.
Curious why? Are you one of those rare lucky people who loves their job and lives to work?
I posted in detail upthread so won't repeat it. Just to add that both DC who were at primary school when DH retired are very keen to do the same. They are in their 20s and both have SIPPs set up aiming to be able to retire before occupational and state pensions kick in.

*constantly

FFS

I sort of retired at 46. Went down to 1 day a week at work and did a second degree. Then a masters. Now another professional qualification.

I may go up to 2 days a week when passed exams )end of this year) but i may not. So pretty much retired at 50.

I spend my time playing games / binging Netflix. I may become a magistrate when exams over.

Partner works for himself. At home so we have plenty of time together. Can visit our parents lots (good as they are all alive but all in 70s now)

If I get bored I'd work more. Look into trustee roles perhaps.

We had visions of lots of holidays but DH has serious health issues which are under control but only gets 4 weeks medication at a time and has regular check ups with the consultant.

So I spent time with the girls when they were pregnant which was enjoyable. After the grandchildren were born we took on regular child care for them so they could go back to work. We both love having the grandchildren around.

Other than family commitments we both volunteer. We have an allotment which takes up time. OH likes working on old cars. We go for drives and I've gotten my motorbike.

I have some short breaks abroad and OH has this thing about visiting all the seaside piers and proms around the UK so we get lots of short trips around about.

@Ambertonix ah that's ideal!!

We're mid 50's and retired at Easter after being part time for the last few years.
Loving it so far. We've got lots of holidays, trips and days out planned. We've bought new motorcycles and have a campervan. We volunteer at a dog rescue, go to the gym, swimming, yoga, both have hobbies, NT membership, railcards etc. We also take dc/dgc out every week.
I can only imagine it getting better actually because we've always been active and now we have more time.

I don't fancy the idea of several long holidays a year. For me the attraction of going on holiday is that it's a break from work and the everyday routine. After 10 days, I'm ready to return to work and routine!

And Pilates, dog walking, coffee with friends etc are what you fit into your regular week/weekends - I don't want to give up work to devote every day to that.

I might well change my mind though!

One of the best things is not having to set the alarm, I get up when I feel like it.

This thread is going to end up like the 'earn 100k' threads. It's the ones enjoying retirement that will likely answer.

I retire from teaching this summer at 55 and can't wait. It feels so surreal at the moment! But I/we have so many plans, starting off with a September cruise! I've loved my career but it's time to step away now and make more time for myself and my family. I can't imagine ever being bored.

Everyone I know who is retired tell me they are far busier than when they had a paid job. I'm about to semi-retire in three months, and I can't wait. I've had periods of not working, and I seem to always be out and about - in contrast to my job where I sit being bored rigid for four hours every day.

I like not having a routine. I go to bed when I'm tired and get up when I like. I have irregular sessional work and fortnightly coven but that's about it for appointments.

As well as the van holidays and lunches, I am enjoying actually spending time in my house, instead of leaving early in the morning and returning late, too knackered to do anything.
I like pottering among all my bits and pieces, doing crafts, the books, a bit of gardening, decorating or cooking, playing music, listening to the radio or podcasts. So the winter is OK for me, plus these things don't cost a bomb.

The best things about retirement are not having to interact with people I wouldn’t choose to be around, and my precious time is now my own.

We're very busy. Still doing school runs so not a huge amount of time in between but we're really enjoying our shared hobbies, plus lots of gardening, dog walking and museum/art gallery visits. And we go out or have friends over for lunch. The time time up to school pick up zooms by.