Would you choose to retire early if you could?

[FlappertyFlippers]

Aibu to ask if you would choose to retire early if financially it was an option?

Dh has always planned to retire early as he has type 1 diabetes and is aware that he'll probably suffer from its effects before he's 65. Therefore he has spent the past 15 years working extremely hard, saving/investing his spare cash, etc to fund his early retirement. He's now in his early 40s and once the mortgage is payed off (in 14 months) he could afford to have a decent standard of living without working.

I am 10 years younger than dh, I work very part time (16 hours a week term time only) and the money I earn is not great but its mine and I have good job satisfaction.

This weekend dh was discussing his retirement and he'd automatically assumed that I would 'retire' when he does. However I feel way to young to stop working. So I guess what I'm really asking is 'retiring' in your early 30s unreasonable?

I must be odd...... retired at 50 six years ago and still not bored! Got a dog and an allotment and it's fantastic to wake each day and decide what I want to do rather than what I have to do IFSWIM.

(Could only do it though because of final salary pension and did 33 years, so pension of £800pm and lump sum £46k which used as huge deposit on house).

Hmmm, wonder how happy DH will be at the end of school hols after DCs 24/7.

How happy will you be with DH as companion every day. Surely you'll have run out of interesting conversation by day 3.

I know people who have retired early and happily but they seem to have addictive pastimes like golf.

If still with small DCs your opportunities are limited as far as travel etc.

I part time job sounds ideal to me, he can take on the cooking and cleaning with all that spare time

I wouldn't even have to think once about it, never mind twice! I don't hate my job, but can think of much better things to do with my time than working! The thought of another 30+ years of working makes me depressed as hell.

My in laws are still working like dogs in their 60s and its taking its toll.

I did! I retired at 50 although it was, in part, due to illness. Not having the stress of going to work each day is fabulous. Dh is older than I am and still works part time. We are not rolling in it but have enough to get by. Nothing is worth making yourself ill for.

I think, if I had a 16 hour term time job that gave me great satisfaction I would stick with it though.

I would love to retire from full time set hour employment as soon as possible. I think commuting, office politics, and being stuck in an office 9-5 really gets you down after a while. If I did get to retire early though I would definitely want to do something else with my time, but something a bit more fluid and less restrictive, that would allow me plenty of time to relax, pursue other interests, spend time with family etc.

We aim to retire early in our mid 50's. I think that's early enough.
What would you live on though? Our pensions don't pay out until 55.
Our mortgage is tiny and we have other savings and investments, but still to live off it all now even would be very tight (mid 40's).
I think you would have to be very wealthy to have an enjoyable retirement so young.

I'm in my mid 50s and would retire now in a heartbeat if I could afford to. I wouldn't have felt like this even 10 years ago, but am definitely beginning to feel my years, both is a physical sense (long hours. long commute) and also in that I can think of loads of stuff I would rather be doing than this.

Sadly, a career in the not for profit sector means I have no appreciable pension and not enough savings yet.

I think if you enjoy your job then you shouldn't retire yet. Often when people retire they have plans as a couple that would need both of them to be available, like travelling, relocation or a major lifestyle change. You have primary aged children though and it sounds as though their lives will be essentially unaffected by your DH's retirement, so it's not that he needs you to have free time to commit to something or relocate.

I would worry that he wants you to retire because he will rely on you for companionship and to fill his days, you would become his entertainments manager. Does he have any plans for his retirement? He will need to do something to amuse himself and fill his time, and you will still need your own interests separate from him whether you retire or not. Perhaps if you decide not to retire now but agree to review it once he has been retired for at least a couple of years then both you and he will have a clearer idea of what your lives would be like with either choice.