Anyone else slightly obsessed with retirement?

[LittleBoost]

I've got about 10 years left until I take early retirement.

I can scale down in those 10 years moving to doing the absolute bare minimum for the last few years (still full-time though).

I'm conscious to not wish my life away but I'm also ever so slightly obsessed with retirement, and very very much looking forward to it.

I track finances each month and model different scenarios. I have plans for my retirement including just doing absolutely nothing.

DP's also excited about retirement but not quite as obsessed as I am, so I try not to wang on about it too much to him 😂

Anyone else slightly obsessed with retirement? Please help me feel less alone in this!

I’m 53 and forecast to have a good pension but also I have a great career which I enjoy very much. I don’t want to spend the next decade counting down the days to retirement when I think I may have another promotion in me yet.

No.
At 66 I work part time and get my state pension. I'm not ready to retire yet.

DH doesn't enjoy doing much so we wouldn't be visiting lots of places or going on lots of holidays, so I would be filling my time by upping my volunteering and joining U3A. I might as well continue doing something I enjoy and get paid for it. I need the income anyway as I am guarantor for DD.

I don't dislike my job at all.

I'd just much prefer to have total control over my time without any obligations whatsoever. And I'm looking forward to being email-free 😅

Have a look at WIRE and plan and retire early.

i do think you have to start retirement planning at least 20 years before you want to retire, so carry on

I am definitely overly interested in this too. It is exciting to look forward to no longer having to earn money to live and instead being able to choose how to spend your time.

Do you have a retirement income figure in mind?

No. I’ve never thought about it. Or my pension.

Do you mean FIRE movement?

Totally with you OP.

My job is easy for me now and I wfh so am basically fitting my job around my other interests . There is no chance of promotion and so I consider as long as I continue to be good at my job and do it well that’s fair enough. I won’t be moving jobs unless pushed and then would probably climb off the ladder and go and work in the garden centre.

No. I dont want to get old.

I’m 52, single(well divorced) and worked FT for almost all my working life. I think my pension will be ok, but I can’t imagine stopping completely. I might be ready to drop to PT by 60, but in all honesty I don’t think I could cope with retirement.

DH is 54 and was offered a ridiculous enhanced voluntarily redundancy about 8 weeks ago and jumped at it. He can take his pension in December.

He finishing a second degree and writing a book for the next 12 months. He will never ever go back to ‘work’.

I’m 52 and going to 4 days a week from this September. I will do 3 more years and if I am ok at 55 I aim to drop to 3 days a week, else I will drop down earlier.

I want to garden, read and knit and we both want to travel. I can’t wait.

Have been since I was about 18.

I'm 51 and am absolutely pension obsessed, but also trying not to wish my life away. Hoping to reduce hours to 4 days a week by 55 and retire at 59. Can't wait.

I am fortunate I have a very very good pension. I aim to pull it early. Fortunately or unfortunately I have an autoimmune disease and a few minor health issues which will get worse with each coming year - I have an eye condition and arthritis already so I aim for go and travel and do what I can why I am young and able enough to do so. My job will enable me to go early as you have to be fit and healthy - I think in order to do it properly. Work have already shown to be receptive to me going down to 4 days or 3 days to keep me for as long as possible

No I’m currently off for the summer( education role) and I’m a bit bored. I’m 54. I miss not speaking to many people on a daily basis.

@itsnearlyyes, I mean FIRE.
Financial Independence, Retire Early
Brilliant way to live. And will enable us to retire eight years early and five years early. To as good as some of the hard core FIRE people, but good enough for us.

I used to think I'd work to 70, but I got the sack in March. I'm 53 and working again. People are pleasant but I'm bored most of the time with little to do. Makes me feel my whole working life has been a pointless sham. Now planning to retire at 60. I did used to enjoy work more.

Oh goodness yes. It was spurred on by getting cancer in 2021. Totally changed my mindset.Went down to 4 days from my fulltime teaching job.

We paid the mortgage off last year and moved, used some of the equity to update the bathroom, new kitchen and landscaped the garden.

I retired from my teaching job 3 weeks ago. I get my lump sum in September and first pension payment in October. I'm 56.

i have a colleague who is but we know that we cannot get our state pension until 67
our nhs pension can be taken at 60
but it is Just NOT enough!
it is very frustrating working with colleagues who mention it all the time

I think that’s lovely. I’m lucky enough to be part time and plan on working until I’m 75 as I love my job, so whilst I can’t relate I do think it’s fab that you’re so excited about it.

im obsessed - I’m 47 years old in a v. stressful
job. Will take early retirement at 55. Done the sums and can just about manage with DB pension taken early, SIPP and savings/investments.

in reality I will take some ad hoc work to supplement lifestyle if required but have some shares in a company that might pay up well in which case might just call it a day.

I’m a proper tightarse nowadays.

Yes! You are me. I like my job but I’m still obsessed with my pension and retirement. I think about it on a daily basis.

i am sorry for the negativity.
you are very welcome to obsess @LittleBoost

@LittleBoost I've found my people!
When I was in my 20s, 30s & 40s I was really motivated by my work & I enjoyed it. Then perimenopause hit & I've really struggled with work and I think some of it was due to waking up every morning at 3-4am and having to go to work & the pressure in that job increased over the last few years. I really started to look at my pension then & when I could take it, I'm 53 now. I changed jobs last year thinking this would sort things out - it hasn't. I'm now bored & really can't be bothered with work. I've found I've got very little tolerance for colleagues who are petty or chaotic and it's a struggle going to work.
I know if I was retired I would keep busy. I love my own company & have stacks of books to read & podcasts to listen to. I like visiting other towns & cities on my own.
If I could retire I would. I keep checking my pension forecast & work out how much it would be reduced by if I took it earlier (too much is the answer). I've recently worked alongside someone in the NHS who has just retired at 72! I can't physically or mentally imagine being sharp or able enough to work for another 20 years. I'm counting down the next 7 years already! I think part of my problem is that I wanted to retire at 55 and I can't. It's a strange phase of life to be in as I look towards the end of my career.

Yes! Hoping to go at 60. I've got some savings which will do me for about 3 years, then I'm aiming to take pension. I'm putting a bit extra into it in the meantime. I don't hate my job but I love pleasing myself, always have done. Work for me is a means to an end, not an end in itself.