Offered a great job at nearly 60 and unsure whether to retire or take it, please come and tell me what you'd do, especially if you're in your 50s!

[Strawberriesandcaviar]

I'd love to know how others have handled this and would very much welcome some perspectives, so please post even if you disagree with me or have another POV, thank you.

I've been working for years and I'm good at my job but don't love it. Neither do I hate it and most days I enjoy it. I'm well paid and work remotely.

I'm 60 next year and my dilemma is this:

I've just been offered a well paid job and I'm torn between

1. Accepting it and working another few years, 5 maybe and
2. Saying "life's too short" and turning it down

If I turn it down I will stay up late, get up late, read loads, see films, spend more time with friends, visit my adult children who live a few hours away, maybe travel a bit. In other words, relax for the first time in 40+ years.

DH would be working though so I'd do it alone. We would also have a lot less money but we could cut back though and it would be fine.

If I turn it down I'll be unlikely to get another job (at 60+) so that will be it.

What did you feel about work in your late 50s?
What would you / did you do?
Did it work out?
Do you wish you'd retired earlier?

One friend said "you'd be a moron to turn it down" as it is loads of money and I like the people. So it's a WWYD.

Thanks for any and all views.

I’d take it and see how you feel. You don’t have to stay at it for another 5 years. You could do 1 year. Hell, you could do 1 month.

But at least if you take it and give it a go you’ll never wonder what if…

I'd take it but give yourself permission to resign at any time. Why the need to work another 5 years? Take each year as it comes, enjoying the additional money you are gaining.

Fwiw, I'm retired and dh works. It isn't much fun really as I feel guilty enjoying myself whilst dh is still slogging away.

I'm 59, my current job dropped into my lap when I was 55. It brought with it a major uplift in salary, much better benefits, fewer outgoings (fully remote).

In my previous role I was plodding along and hoping I would be able to afford to retire at 67. My current job gave me a new lease of professional life and I'm enjoying it.

Now I am looking forward to retiring in 3 years time (at 63). DH is retiring this year which we wouldnt have been able to afford if I had stayed in my old job.

I enjoy my job but I am also looking forward to retirement. We have hobbies and now DGC. We arent planning a luxury retirement, no big travel plans. The mortgage will be paid off and we will have enough to indulge our hobbies.

In your shoes I would take the job, set yourself decision points where you can see whether it is working for you.

I feel that I retired too early. I had a huge falling out with my boss, who was a bully, and I decided life was too short. Friends also encouraged me to retire talking about meet ups etc. My DH was already retired and I thought it meant we could do lots together. What I’ve found is that DH has his own hobbies which I’m not interested in. There are only so many books you can read, museums you can visit and friends available for coffee. I am bored stupid. For reasons I won’t go into, I currently can’t do a voluntary job or my lonesome hobby, and days out will become limited due to being busy because of the school holidays. Retire when you are ready, to me it sounds like you’re not.

I retired from employed work at 60 and became self retired. Im 81 now and still working although gradually winding down one of my businesses now. I would take the job and see how it works out in say 6 months. You are not beholden to anyone and dont need a reference or to impress anyone. You can afford to keep hands off from the tiresome office politics which so may of us see and juvenile and just concentrate on the work.

I retired at 63, meant to last another couple of years but COVID ate my job.

It meant I had to use up money I had saved earlier than planned. It meant my pension contributions stopped earlier. It wasn’t easy to spend much more time with friends because many are a bit younger than me or worked longer, so still working.

The working ones have more money than me and don’t want the cheap seats, the budget outings as often as I need them to be.

I also think it depends how you view your job, I loved my work, it was exhausting in many ways but also was part of who I was, gave me interest and challenge and new stuff.

So, it all dependd on you or your situation. I would be flattered to be offered a big job!

This is a good point! If you end up with more than enough, that is an easy “problem” to solve.

It certainly is very uncertain times just now so being a bit more fiscally cautious is a good idea. And you might love it!

I haven’t RTFT, sorry. My experience, fwiw:

I retired at 59, went travelling for a year, came back and was bored witless within 3 months (despite an active family, social, volunteering & travel life).

I went back to work in a new-to-me, interesting and challenging field, having negotiated a few must-haves including - long before Covid - mainly WFH, and a salary at the top of the scale. I worked FT until I was 64, then switched to PT.

It’s great having the leverage that not needing to work brings, so in your shoes, before deciding I’d consider what - besides the pay - would make this job really worth taking (condensed hours? WFH? additional, even if unpaid, leave?) and see if you can get most of it.

But broadly, yes, I’d take the job.

And, obviously, you don’t have to work five more years. If, in two or three years, you want to retire, you just hand in your notice.

Well I retired in my 50s. If you need the money go for it. If not take the time. Age catches up with you quicker than you think.

Neither of my parents made it to retirement.

I had a year out of work at 52 - I was made redundant. I loved it. I was fitter, as I had time for daytime exercises. They also gave me some routine, as did my evening classes (which happened before and after the jobless period.) I didn't do regular volunteering, as I did need to be available for interviews/work if they came up, but I would have. But it wasn't financially sustainable and I am working again. I'm not expecting to retire before 67, but then neither parent made it past 62, so who knows.

A friend retired at 54, due to good pensions and inheritances. She's always at exercise classes, long walks, crafting, craft classes or volunteering. Or on holiday, practising newly learnt language skills.

• I think if you need the money for a comfortable retirement, then work.
• If you don't need the money and are not sure and think it will be an interesting job, take thr job, but review every few months.
• If your heart sinks on a Sunday evening and you don't think the new job would change that, then retire.

If there are any known health issues which could affect any if this, I'd probably look at retiring sooner than later.

Take the job and do it for a few years! It can be your last soirée before retiring!!

Take it. You can always quit if you change your mind?
you could negotiate extra holiday and /or part time hours as part of a transition to retirement?

How much more moolah are we talking about?

See if you can do the job part time and stay for a few more years. Enjoy yourself during the extra time it gives you.

At 65, your energy will be less - so, enjoy your time between 60 and 65.

I’d take it, you can always leave after a couple of years.

Take the job. See how it goes for a year or so.

Im 59 gave up my career and now work as a lollypop lady its only 2 hours. Life it too short to spend it at work

One friend said "you'd be a moron to turn it down" as it is loads of money and I like the people. So it's a WWYD.

You could try it out for a 6 month period to see what you think - if you don't like it then leave and go to bed lae get up late, read, travel etc

I’d take it. Complete no brainer. Do it for a few years then see how you feel. I’m similar age to you.

I'm 52, I work full-time. If you are fit and well I would take the job and see how you go for a couple of years, saving aggressively. I'm on my own however so I have to be more cautious about money. When does DH retire?

Wow, what a lot of lovely, helpful and thoughtful replies, thank you so much everyone! I really appreciate it, thank you. To answer some of the questions:

I am in good health (AFAIK)
My kids don't depend on us financially at all and they are working
I don't have many retired friends, most are still working
It's a lot of money, a good six figures, excellent benefits & holiday
It's not that hard and will be mostly remote with some travel, I'm ok with that
Whilst my pension isn't great, dh's is and we have loads of equity in our house
When we're both retired the idea is to downsize and release that
I know the people and really like them (I work in an associated field)

We have savings and cash and we already spend our earnings on lovely things and do plenty of things we enjoy.

I think I'm not ready to give up a) my standard of living, I like a cashmere pashmina and dinner in expensive restaurants b) using my experience and brain c) the ego - sorry - that comes with having a big job - I enjoy doing something I'm good at, where I get to use my experience and people are appreciative of it.

I think everyone who said if I retire I won't fill up my time enough is probably right, I'm not ready yet and also, as many people have pointed out, I can leave it I don't like it! I will be working because I want to, not because I am forced to.

This thread has been so helpful, thank you everyone.

Also, if I do it for a couple of years there might be the option to go part time so it would be well paid part time work, that's something to aim for I think. There's no way it would be right now, given the role but it could be in a couple of years.

is there any way you can do consulting? Im not after knowing what your job entails but sounds like your in a position of knowledge

thus being your own boss and working part time but instead of doing 3/4 days a week, actually work for a couple of months and have a month off or working 3/4 weeks and having 2/3 weeks of down time doing other things you enjoy

Absolutely I’d take it. You can always leave after a year if it doesn’t gel but I’d certainly regret not having a go. But I might never retire ; )

I would take it. See how it goes and in a year if you decide you’d actually really like to retire then leave.