I dream of retiring and....

[LaurieFairyCake]

Reading all of Austen

Walking 15000 steps a day, specifically around London

Going out to every decent pub and cake shop in London

Doing an hour of yoga every morning

Joining: choir/dance/badminton/am dram/going on a climbing wall/taking up archery (all of these activities are within half a mile of my house)

Write my novel

Paint 🎨

So so many things ....

2 years ago I got a great annuity. The rates shot up. I paid £34k and I'll get £467 ACM for life. There is also a Guarantee you will get all money back. You do have to pay tax on it though.

It's impossible to assess whether that is a good deal without knowing your age and state of health...

Leaving this cold, damp country and living somewhere where the sun shines every day and I can see the sea.

Curse Brexit.

I do so daily @Nepmarthiturn.

Admittedly if climate change gets any worse I may be able to see the sea from central Hertfordshire...

I live near the French alps. I want to get a dog( maybe two, rescues) and spend lots of time walking. I want to learn how to tile, to keep my veggie patch properly, to use a sewing machine. I want to help my neighbor with her animal charity( already do, but time is so short ). Go to Cinque Terra in the first week of September.
One year to go. Simple enough aspirations - thought I agree with better time management, a fair few of these could be happening already.

I dream of retiring alone. No children to drive anywhere, no dogs to walk, no meals to cook for anyone.

I've already decided I'm not cooking once my children go to University. I've cooked all but about 3 evening meals for the last 15 years.

I used to live in London so I love the idea of your retirement plans OP 😊

🤣 There is that. Fortunately I made sure I purchased a house at a high elevation but if the Greenland ice sheet collapses I may well end up a 5 min drive from the beach rather than 30 mins. Combined with more "heatwaves", at least it may be possible to make up for that small bit of the havoc Brexit has caused...

Moving to a little two up two down with a. Little manageable garden on the Dorset coast with dh and the Dogs. Walking the south coast path in bits and at our leisure.

I am retired and, for various reasons, I'm doing none of the things I had dreamed/hoped/planned to do.
All I'm actually reliably doing is getting older! 🤣

My advice to those who are dreaming of doing this, that or the other when they retire - if there's something you want to do, do it now!

My DH retires in 8 years and I'm kind of already retired as I can't work due to illness. We are currently squirreling away bits of money towards a little motor home and to top up his pension. We are very lucky that we own a small 2 bed ground floor flat that is retirement ready with a wet room etc. So the plan is to rent one room out to cover the bills and then use his pension to travel. Looking at 2-6 weeks at a time to start but trying to get around as much of europe as we can. We want to see museums and national parks and take our 3 grandsons away as well.

I retired at 53 and we rented our UK house out, and bought a house in France with our savings and moved here 2 years ago.

It is bloody fantastic, not having to work, not having to deal with people promoted for ass kissing and not having to point out the blatantly bloody obvious to people who should know better. And not having to audit anyone.

Waking lots, living in a city flat visiting coffee shops and nice pubs and going to shows .
Going swimming , having time to cook healthily.
Mostly having a clear mind , I'm a primary school headteacher and it's such an all encompassing job.
I turn 50 next year and have plans for a change in direction ,not retirement but a plan that involves all of the above.
I can't do this for next five years never mind next 15 !!

Various retirement plans (around 6 years away). Working on current pensions, inheritances etc working out fine and being in good health (I will be 54 and Dh 51)

first year we are going to take "gap year" and mosey around Europe, Australia, far east and maybe a few other places. That's if there is any world left to see by then

volunteering as a local national trust type place playing the piano

buying a harpsichord and playing it

learning an Orchestral instrument, probably flute as I can already play a bit and joining a band/orchestra

getting involved in local music festival and international piano concerto competition that takes place in our town (Hastings)

swimming and playing tennis with BF who will retired around the same time as me

maybe restarting my cake business that I had to stop when elderly parents' medical situation meant something had to give.

I cannot wait to no longer have to listen to endless schemes, changes, twat management.
or deal with the public anymore (public sector)

I mean.. I've watched the TV adaptations of all the novels but sitting down to read them... not so much

(And my first degree was in Eng Lit)

@LaurieFairyCake Me too! I can't think of anything worse!

Oh and hopefully supporting Dd who wants to go to a conservatoire so fingers crossed she will get in then I can go to all manner of lovely musical events

Learning more languages (I teach 3!). I've dabbled in learning Japanese, but I'd like to do it properly and visit Japan.

Yy to an hour of yoga per day.

Do lots more knitting, crochet and spinning than I currently have time for.

Read more.

Lots of long walks.

@AllProperTeaIsTheft what do you teach now ? I'm learning Italian, did French and German at school and have been enjoying my new duolingo membership.
hoepfulky all this brain activity will stave off dementia !

And Japan is amazing, you will love it

A retired friend is working his way around London pubs and combining it with his love of rail journeys - underground, Docklands light etc. About once a month he has a day trip, sometimes with his son. His wife doesn’t share this enthusiasm but sometimes benefits from his discoveries. For example, they go to a jazz bar that’s on a boat, that he discovered.

I dream of trips away outside of school hols.

London gallery days

Craft projects

How, with no access yet to pension savings and young children to raise and a full time job?

I was going to put this, but could not have written it any better than you! The lack of office politics is fabulous.

we did the same, at the same age, but moved to Cornwall. Now rather tempted by France but I expect we won't move

@StiffyByngsDogBartholomew I teach French, German and Spanish and I can speak a bit of Italian and read it well. My degree was in French and German. I taught myself Spanish in my 40s and got myself to A Level standard, largely because German is disappearing from schools. I loved learning a new language again!

I think the PP was giving advice to those nearing retirement or can afford it but are hesitant or just putting it off, go for it and live the life you dream of living before it is too late.
Obviously if you can't afford it, too young, dependents etc then keep seeing it as a goal to work towards.

I always said to myself that I was going to retire at 60 and it all seemed to be on target until the chance to go 3-years earlier (with very little financial penalty) came along and I snatched it.
No regrets.