To ask if anyone else over 50 isn't desperate to retire

[LornaDuh]

I'm 61 now so have taken a look at the retirement board on here and various threads about pensions.

People stating that life is too short. They want to retire to spend time on their hobbies, and to travel and volunteer.

Anyone else not keen on the thought of retiring? I like my job, my colleagues, the structure work brings. Work makes me appreciate weekends, holidays. If I had endless leisure time I'd probably waste it on Mumsnet and napping rather than crafting and hiking in the Alps.

I'm 50. I've finally got my retirement head on and have been looking at my pension pots and seeing what's what. It looks like I will be able to afford to retire at 65 and that's what I will do. I think if the funds were there to do it at 60 I would have

I don't mind my job but hate getting up on Monday mornings, Hence procrastinating now!

Plan to retire in April 2026, I know I am very fortunate as I'm only going to be 52 but dp is older and we have substantial savings ready to cover the gap until he gets state pension and draws his workplace pension, I may work pt from time to time too as local pub as hours for me if i want them!

Me. I love my part time job. I have a great work life balance. I volunteer, I see friends, I have time to do my hobbies and I get paid to do something I enjoy.

My brain feels challenged and I like to keep my IT skills up to date.

Having had a child later in life means that I will have to financially support her through higher education (she can't work and study at that level due to health issues, and the masters she wants to do is very full time), so I might was well carry on earning.

@AppleCream

How much money you have is directly related to funds though, after tax, pension contributions and savings we living a great life on x so I've calculated what I need and adjusted for inflation, in addition likely to inherit £250k or more though obviously no guarantees due to care home cost potentially. We can still work once retired don't forget, just no more 9-5! Local pub already has offered me day shift hours

I am the same age as you OP and have no wish to retire whatsoever! I can't think what I'd do with all the free time as I'm a bit rubbish at being at home with nothing to do.

Other things that make me feel this way

• job is only 24 hours per week, some of the time wfh

• I have a child with 2 years to go still at University and we are giving him quite a bit of financial support

• our mortgage is nowhere near paid off

• my husband is younger than me and still working long hours in a stressful job and I wouldn't want to take the p

• there are plenty of things about working that I do like. I don't think of myself as old enough to retire!

I thought that I would miss FT work, but I do not at all !

I moved to a new location, to be nearer family
Met new friends
Travel, do hobbies, volunteer, carer, enjoy life more

I now wonder how I ever had time for FT work !

I too had friends & work colleagues sadly pass away before state retirement age

However, some of my friends are still working due to their circumstances

I adore my job but I've worked part time and flexibly since my twenties so have a had a wonderful work life balance with lots of time to enjoy myself, take long relaxing holidays, etc (no children). I'm happy for life to continue just the way it is for the time being (early fifities).

I've retired at 55- so far a fab decision. I did only last 8 weeks before volunteering though 😂Nurse from age 18 - my old colleagues still insist I MUST be missing it!

This is exactly how I feel.

I wonder if part of it is the legacy of COVID too - it's created a busy but lonely dynamic for me. I feel like I want to do something for charity and community based now too.

I'm not desperate to retire (57) but I have burn the process of winding down.
I've reduced my hours to provide the income I need, and changed my work pattern to compressed hours so that I have 5 days off one week, 6 days the next (our contracted hours are calculated on a 4 week basis).
I've structured pensions to begin kicking in at 60 so that I can reduce further with no financial implications.
I shall change my contract to Bank in due course so that I can take extended periods off work.
I'm not racing into retirement, rather pigeon-stepping.

Im just counting the hours til I can retire at 60! Also a nurse on a busy ward and TBH I doubt I could do this job when Im old (either physically, mentally or emotionally).
You rarely see an old nurse!!LOL😄

I love my job and have no plans to retire. I was a SAHM for quite a few years and only went back to full time work 6 years ago, so I don't feel at all burned out yet. Plus if I did retire, I'd volunteer, and I work for a charity anyway so might as well get paid. I would like to reduce hours at some point, although I don't know if that will be possible.

I wonder what people's experiences of volunteering are? What makes it " work" for you?

I'm 56 , and if you asked me before Christmas I would have said retirement is ridiculous, I'm nowhere near that point.

6 months later I would retire tomorrow if I could. I have no ambition left career wise and will just plod on trying to move with the times in my current job.

The only thing that would accelerate my retirement is if my parents pass away, leading to a large inheritance from house sales etc.

Honestly if I could afford it I would at least go part time, I don't feel the need to work for 'spiritual' or social reasons!

I retired at 43! I was fortunate to be able to. I did courses, pursued hobbies, saw friends and family. I was also able to spend time with my, then, baby niece, who stayed with me a lot, we are very close. I I am 60 now, most of my friends are retiring at 60, so looking forward to holidays and pursuits with them.

I volunteer looking after rescue dogs and I get so much joy from it.

I sometimes think I should be paying them!!!

Thats lovely. Something to get up for in the morning.

I'm 55 and work 30 hours a week but over 2-3 days a week. I have at least 4 days of leisure each week, which is more than enough to get a good work-life balance.

My job can be demanding and stressful but I enjoy it. I am not ready to quit work and plan on working for many more years. With my job, I have the option to reduce my hours further, if I need to and that is what I will probably do before I decide to retire.

I used to work in a field where it was normal to do work Mon to Fri. I hated it and felt like all I did was work, so I can understand why people who are still doing this in their 50s have had enough.

I'm a member of an organisation that fund raises for various different charities. We always fund raise for the local hospice, we have other nominated charities and always split any funds raised between local community charities as well, like food banks, dementia charities etc.

We do fun things like lunches, afternoon teas, fashion shows, beer festivals, Santa sleighs etc. Very occasionally we do bucket collections in response to natural disasters like earthquakes. We also find raise for equipment and supplies to Ukraine.

We also help out at local events.

There is a social side as well. It isn't just about fund raising.

I'm 59 and dreading it.

I have a well paid job and would definitely miss the monthly sum hitting my bank account.

But my husband retired 2 years ago and a recent heart attack has changed my outlook. I'll likely retire next year.

I'm still dreading it but accept that life is potentially short.

In my last year of teaching at 67, I trained for volunteer work during lockdown and now guide in a house museum. I wanted something that used my teaching skills but wasn't English. The exhibitions aren't static so I have to keep up with it. Very stimulating, with clever, interesting people to work with and the lovely public.

That sounds brilliant. Ive done a lot of " helping people" roles and its draining. Something like that might work better.

Work makes me appreciate weekends, holidays.

one of the most unexpectedly nice things about retirement I have found is that weekends do still feel like the weekend. But they are more relaxed because I’m not running around catching up on chores and doing all the stuff ready for the working week like food shopping, washing clothes and ironing. And Sunday evenings are bliss knowing I don’t have work the following day.

And holidays are much better having all the time in the world to get organised for them. I remember on my last day of work before a holiday being in a right flap trying to get everything done. If people knew I was going to be off they’d just dump on me. By the time I managed to put my out of office on and crawl out of the office I was shattered. We can go away whenever and for as long as we like. Coming home is nicer too without the thought of work looming up.

It is. It gets me into the centre of the city and the dress code means I get out all my lovely stuff that just doesn't fly for dog walking.

But that’s at birth. For a 65 year old woman it’s more like another ten years.

Thanks OP for this thread. Good to see some balance from the usual “can’t wait to retire from the corporate bollocks” as though we all reach our fifties and all career ambitions disappear overnight