Have you retired while most people you know are still working.

[Overcover]

I'm 55 next year.

I'm single and have worked really hard all my life in jobs I've mostly enjoyed, been good at, have paid well and given me a certain level of status.

I have a good standard of living but a simple "core" lifestyle. I.e. I do have holidays and meals etc out but my necessary costs are low.

DC are adults and I have some money put by to help them with house deposits if that's what I decide to do.

I have some good pensions and savings. Financially I could retire next year, and I'm finding I don't enjoy work these days. I changed my job and now work PT, but that hasn't helped, if anything I feel even less engaged. I also have some hobbies/projects I'd like to develop while I'm still young and fit.

So I'm thinking about retirement, but no friends my age will be thinking about that for at least 5 years. I'm not worried about company, I'll be absolutely fine filling my time while friends are at work, but I wonder if it will change relationships - "it's OK for those who don't need to work" bitterness. A bit like a lottery win might?

I’m thinking of retiring next year. I will be 50. I doubt jealousy from friends will be an issue, although I must admit it hadn’t actually crossed my mind.

My dh took early retirement after forty plus years in the same job and the envy was awful ( from a few quarters anyway)
He is still working part time , the comments ranged from ' his so lucky' to ' why doesn't he carry on' ? it's almost as though people can't be happy for anyone even though he isn't fully retired ( just had enough of the place after so long)
Many people have lots of different jobs and move around and have better pensions or homes , but I'm never jealous of people because they have had different lives and careers and some places don't offer early retirement anymore, which is sad , but why suck the joy out of it for other people who can.

If they're true friends they'll probably admit some jealousy but also be happy for you!

I would just not tell my friends I retired. People get jealous

I plan to retire at 50 in a few years. I do get some jealous comments but I do argue back given I pay a lot into my pension and have done since I was 20.

Good for you! I retired at the 'normal' age, but look younger. I do get envious and snippy comments from people, but I ignore these. Tbh, I've never looked back and am having a good time doing what I want when I want.

Enjoy!

I think the jealousy arises from your financial position rather than your freedom. A close friend was very concerned that my retiring early would put me in a difficult financial position. But being debt free with a mortgage of less than 20k ( which I could pay off tomorrow but would incur a penalty) and living in a small house with tiny energy bills and maintenance costs means that we have a disposable income of 2-3k a month ( that is after paying for food, bills and mortgage). I don’t advertise this in real life and was a little offended when my friend asked if I could afford our current lifestyle, which is far from flashy.

As I said earlier, we have DS to support through Uni, but my one day a week is more than sufficient to cover his costs. And he has a flexible job that he can pick up during holidays that can pay up to £700 a week so he is not costing us a huge amount.

We put DS through private school so we are enjoying the benefits of not paying out 20k a year in school fees. Uni costs are considerably less and our household bills will reduce when I’m not feeding a 6’3” rugby player.

I have had to open a pension account to dump money into to try and avoid paying higher rate tax. The plan is to draw this down when I stop working to top up my pension until I qualify for state pension.

When I look back at my working life, high stress and hard work, I can’t believe that I am being paid so much to do nothing.

My DSis, who is 18 mnth younger and has also worked in the same profession from age 23 retired last year on her 58th birthday. Like me she has had a health problem and over lockdown lost her best friend to cancer. So we were both strongly motivated by the fact that we may not benefit fully from the pension we have been building up if we continued to work. Changes in the NHS pension scheme mean that we can continue to work and pay into the newer scheme which will add a small benefit at 67.

I have to admit, that after my friends reaction, I don’t freely advertise the fact I’m retired. A lot of friends have been SAHMs and are only just realising the implications of having no robust retirement plans. Many have not even checked to see if they are entitled to a state pension. They have not been involved in family financial planning. I think my DH’s stroke at 60 has rattled a few cages amongst our friends. I know that one friend, whose DH is very high risk for stroke/heart disease, has had a major meltdown on me after realising that they have no plans. They are very wealthy, on paper, but if her DH dropped down dead she has no idea about the business or the household financial side. She is an intelligent woman who left her career for motherhood and has left everything to her DH.

Im glad that in my relationship that I was the financial savvy one and that DH contributed a significant amount of his salary to pensions. We have always lived off my income and used his for savings.

I have been criticised for years for allowing him to live off me ( usually SAHM ) but as a result we are now probably better off than when we were working.

Retired at 51, 8 1/2 years ago. Every day I think how lovely it is not to be in the office and to have the freedom to do as I wish. I have taken on some voluntary roles, so I'm continuing to meet new people and learn new things as well as trying to make a useful contribution to society. I have French lessons and read a lot to keep my brain sharp. I'm thinking of doing a part time further degree. I have hobbies I enjoy and spend more time with friends and family than I was able to when working. Lots of my friends still work and I have never had any horrible comments: in any event it's my life and I don't care what anyone else thinks about my having retired.

My DM retired at 55 she is now 60 and does the odd bank shift now and then. She had me and Dsis in her teens and raised us as a single parent. She slogged it out as a nurse until her mid 30s then climbed the clinical ladder and has done really well for herself. There were funds put by for us which me and Dsis refused so she went travelling around the world for 6 months and had the best time. She helps us out now and then which is lovely but we are so proud she can now live her life now as it was very difficult for her. No resentment at all from any friends or family as they remember the dark days.

I retired from the public services in 2013. Friends weren't the issue. Family were. The whole 'it's so unfair' 'who do you think you are?' lines. Interesting but not entirely unexpected.
Had a few months out the did some work, on my terms, and now have my own business that I run part time. It's enjoyable, mine and gives me a real interest while also having free time. It's also been good fun learning about the business world outside my old job
Totally 'get' where you're coming from but it's your life. Live it your way and don't overthink it.

100% I don't. Difficult family background from childhood, who seem more interested in alcohol and moaning about everyone and everything and taking responsibility for nothing. Went low contact years ago, then no contact until the death of my parents pulled me back in to the drama for a while each time.
I've never been so glad about a life decision made that protects my little family.

I’m going to tag into the camp of ‘some may genuinely enjoy their work!’ and not be jealous.

I’m way off retirement, but see myself working at least part-time until they don’t want me or I can’t do the job. I have a stimulating career and can’t see why I’d turn down easy money! Financially, I think we have quite a high joint household income (so it’s not about the money). I was also a stay at home mum for over 4 years so reallyyyyyy love being paid properly now haha!

So perhaps you’d assume I’d be jealous of you if I was your friend, but I’d be thinking you’ll get bored and are throwing away such easy money that could reshape your retirement or children’s inheritance!

I retired early at 51.

Was a bit hesitant at first but absolutely love it.

It's their problem, not hers.

Are they actually friends if they begrudge you something just because they don't have it too?

But the OP posts are only asking if there might be bitterness, not that there actually is or would be.

No bitterness or jealous about friends retiring early in this household. That's not how you feel about friends. OP you live your life how you decide, your friends will be fine.

I don't think jt matters because you will make new friends in retirement.

I will retire at 60 all being well. This is because of some of the choices I have made eg trying to set my children up financially. I know you have said you have money for yours as well. For me to do what I want to do I need to work until I am 60 and I won't be mortgage free until then.

Am I jealous of people that retire at 55? Well I think that's nice and if money was no object then I would do the same (there is an option to retire at 55 in my job but the lump sum is smaller so wouldn't pay off my mortgage so would only work if I didn't do what I had planned for my children.) I would rather keep working than not do what I have planned.

So if I kept the money I had for my children I could be mortgage free and retire at 55 but that's not what I have chosen.

So I think people won't necessarily be jealous as they have made their choices so that can't then be a shock that they can't afford to retire at 55. I do like my job but I wouldn't do it if I didn't need to financially.

Enjoy the retirement.