To give up working at 52?

[caniquitwork]

I am a teacher, but I've had enough.
I have a small teacher's pension- small because only paid in 15 years and even then mostly only part time. Have some other private pensions which will eventually pay out about £1000 a month, but not till I'm 60. Would not touch teacher's pension until then either.
So here's the aibu part - I have a house I own outright so no mortgage, but to live on until 60 I have about £250000 I inherited. Would obviously invest but don't think interest would be enough to live on, so would also just withdraw from the pot iyswim.
Would that work? Would it be selfish- should I keep this money safe for my children?
No dh in the picture. Keep
going round in circles. Wouldn't mind working in another job to supplement but worried if I could even find anything.

The average life expectancy of a UK female is 82.9. The very tragic cases of people dying in their 50s/60s are the exception.

It's somewhat of an exaggeration to say working past 52 is working until you die. Although I absolutely agree doing something different and less stressful is a great idea if OP can still pay her bills in her early 60s before state pension kicks in.

I think op needs to clarify how much pension she'll get at 55.

Yes, there’s a lot more to renting than people realise, it’s certainly not an easy way to make money. Tenants are not always respectful of the home, some don’t pay rent, and when they’re eventually evicted after an expensive long journey of trying to get them out they have no assets so landlord can’t get the outstanding rent they owe, that’s after the landlord has paid cost of taking tenant to court and bailiffs attending. Then there’s the cost of bringing the property back up to standard after the tenants finally leave, which can be colossal if they’ve trashed it. Renting out property is a massive risk and can be a nightmare!

OP, I highly recommend posting your situation on the pensions board of the Money Savings Expert forum. They have a lot of experienced people who will provide advice without the judgement you have seen on here.

That is an excellent suggestion @Tearsofthemushroom

@Oh2beatsea Our financial advisor gets a set percentage of the amount invested in a fund we have him manage (DH’s private pension). So a few hundred quid a year, but he also looks at our overall portfolio in the annual meeting and makes sure we are on track. I think it is good value.

Yes, but the healthy life expectancy (average number of years a person is in good health) is in England for males in 2021 to 2023 61.5 years, and 61.9 years for females.

here is the government page about it. It is interesting reading.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mortality-insights-from-gad-december-2024/mortality-insights-from-gad-december-2024#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20most%20recent,change%20in%20the%20same%20proportions.

So, you can live till your 80s, but health problems start in early 60s. That’s why if you want to travel etc, do it sooner than later.

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle

Yes! Its the final 10/20 years before you croak

Not the second half of your life

No wonder our country os fucked

Half the population dont work due to "retirement" in their 50.
S

Sod that! Why would anyone work any longer than they have to? I'm 49 and I was made redundant in September last year and haven't started looking for work yet and believe me if I didn't have to find another job later this year I wouldn't.

Yes let's all grovel at the door of capitalism while the rich get richer.

ONE LIFE. Literally one life is all you get.

As I heard someone say, 4000 weeks. Don't waste them

My job gives me money, a sense of worth, I feel important. I have friends and a social life based around my work. I like that it keeps my mind and body active. I like the lifestyle that it affords me.
I like the challenges and creativity that comes with it. I like that I set a positive example to my children, that they see I have a good work ethic. I like that I'm not bored. I like that I have stories to tell when I come home. I like that I have an identity other than "mum" or "wife".

I also enjoy my days off and holidays. It's called a work-life balance. If that balance was tipped I'd be a mess. I'm
Early 50's and NO WAY am I ready to give up my work. I've have so much more to offer

You're lucky with your job, you do realise that, don't you?

Not everyone feels like that. Some people are absolutely exhausted, stressed, and unhappy at work.

That was how I was towards the end of my last job. I was ready to hand in my notice without another job to go to as I couldn't cope any more. Luckily I found out I was going to be made redundant which has given me the opportunity to have some time off.

You don't stop "offering" once you retire. For many of us, we offer much more - doing far more productive things for society than we ever did in our capitalist company roles.

Sorry, missed this earlier, but no I didn't retrain. However, I did have prior experience in a similar field to the one I work in now, from before I went into teaching. Still a big jump though, and I feel very lucky that my current company were prepared to take a punt on me.

I took early retirement from teaching at 55 and I never regretted it. Too many people keep working in stressful jobs until they are ready to drop and lots of people die shortly after retirement. You will love the sense of freedom from timetables, stress and responsibilities. Do it for yourself. You deserve it!

Thank you - it's kind of scary but I think it's because I'm on half term currently so all doesn't feel so bad, but by next week I'm sure my determination to quit or at least reduce will be back with a vengeance

Whether you regret early retirement depends a lot on finances. OP doesn’t really have the funds.

I retired on less. Now I'm older I have a number of health issues. Thank goodness I did all that travelling and making memories with my late husband while I could.

@Sillysoggysheep in response to Mirabai's assessment would be interesting what your financial situation was after retirement?

If someone won £250k on a quiz show it would be described as life changing!

Oh sorry only just saw that you responded already @Sillysoggysheep

OP I think you need to check your teachers pension carefully. If you are able to get £7000 from age 55, check what you would get from 60 as it might be quite a lot more. Then work out what you need per year. Once you have done the sums it should be easier to make a proper decision.

How much do you have to live on now?

Life changing and enough to live on for 30+ years is not the same thing.