To wish I could retire at 50?

[AnnieKenneyfanclub]

Im bored of working and I think could easily fill my days with voluntary work and pottering about.

There are lots of hobbies I’d like to devote more time to. The garden could look great and I could exercise more. I could write a novel and be more present for my kids.

I don’t have the best of health and don’t expect to be fit and able by the time I’m 67… AIBU to think that retirement will be wasted on me when I am old?

If only I had enough money WIBU to retire tomorrow? Clearly this is all hypothetical and I shall carry on working to pay the bills - whoopee!

49 here and would retire tomorrow if I could.

Finances currently don’t permit, and my kids are 12 & 14 so I’ve got a few years ahead of me! I’m hoping that maybe 56 would be doable, the kids will be done with school.

I’m 45 and like to think that I’m now semi-retired.
i was made redundant about 6 years ago, built a v small business but then needed human company so took a part time job - I have no mortgage, DC in school so no childcare fees. I have a pension pot built up from earlier in my career and am still overpaying into one now (professional career and p-t job so can easily do it).
why not - try to enjoy your life while you can x

I thought so too. A big reason why I’d have retired by now if I could is that I’m itching to put more time into a hobby I’m really passionate about. And just not to be having to battle against the clock all the time.

I am 58 and when I was 45 I thought I'd like to retire at this age.
Now, not so much! DH is retired so there's less slack to pick up at home and I've been working on really exciting projects at work. Definitely 5 more years worth.

OP started the post by saying she is bored with working life.

She has no option to retire early it would seem so the obvious answer is to find a less boring job. You can’t waste 17 years bored, just waiting for retirement.

My dad retired at 48… my mum had just been made redundant so she retired too. I just thought that’s what you did…
Oh it most certainly isn’t for us!
I can get my first bit of pension at 60 and my husband is a bit older than me so we’re hoping that will work for us both… we’ll see!

I'd just like to know that I will ever get to retire, I'm planning on working as long as I physically can out of necessity.

But yes, I'm late 40's, if I could retire at 50 I could definitely keep myself busy, I have a lot of hobbies and interests I could work on, things to research and study, new things to learn... maybe a few books to write.

I'm 48. Dropped to 30 hours/4 days a week at 44. Honestly the best thing I did. Having a 3 day weekend is bliss.
I already volunteer.
I honestly wouldn't know what to do with myself if I retired at 50.

I took voluntary redundancy at 42 and then worked up to six months a year as a better paid freelance - part time is also another option!

I'm 51. I'd love to retire early from my teaching job, but at the same time I feel too young to even be thinking about it.

Yes I’m bored at work, unfortunately I’ve had to give up a fulfilling job I have enjoyed for health reasons and am now a doing glorified admin - hence the boredom. I’ve already had a couple of careers and just feel that at almost 50 I can’t change direction yet again. It would be so much easier to just give it up work altogether …

I'm 52 and I love my job and the people I work with - albeit it's only 25h a week. But I was a sahm for 12 years and got awfully lonely. I'm hoping to keep going as long as I can.

I am 51 and feel I’ve got 2 more big jobs in me before I even begin to consider winding down. Absolutely no interest in retiring

No, I’m 50 with a small child. I plan to work until they’re finished school, at least. I quite like my job, luckily for me!

I’m 59 with disabilities. I too wish to retire at times and have a lovely sewing room/ art studio to play in. But at the same time I’m worried about giving up my work as it’s my way to socialise and I enjoy it. I also worry about how I will be able to live without my salary

I only have a tiny pension amount at 57 so have to keep working - !!!! Even either the state pension lucky to retire at 70!!

I’m 50, can’t imagine retiring, I leaned back into my career the last few years as my kids are older and still have so much I want to achieve! I would be bored retired, most people I am friends with my age have younger kids and no plans to retire for 10+ years. I do know some kid few people who retired early but their lives have been very different from
mine

I mean, wouldn't we all like to retire and be work?

I'm 57, DH is 60, we have property we rent out and substantial savings but we are both still working full time. I'm the more exhausted of the two of us because I get up at 5 and have a long commute while he WFH. He does a lot of international travel and has some health issues, I don't.

I've told him I'll retire in 3 years and he can please himself.

I know a couple, who both recently turned 80. He was a dental surgeon, she a nurse then at SAHM. They had their children in early mid twenties. He retired at 50. They are well off, and he was bored of his job. I guess he couldn't exactly chat much with his patients. They have a wonderful life, both exercise at least an hour a day, he cycles with a group 20 miles every weekend. They love cooking, entertaining, travelling and eating out. He is a great reader and I mean heavy books, The bible of Saint John was what I last heard he was reading, she is an avid bridge player. Loves reading too, but not as heavy. I have not noticed any cognitive decline. They have been lucky healthwise, they eat well and are not overweight. I hope I am in a position to do similar, but think it would be more 55. I think if you are able to do so financially and are fed up of working why not. As the lady always says to me when we have a treat like wine or something, we deserve it.

I'm 41 and would love to retire. However barring a lottery win....I have another 20 years of slog to go (at least). Its so depressing.

This is what I think the government are being unfair about. Increasing pension age to nearly 70! Hopefully everyone will be fit and well and can retire early. 60 was the age for DM and my Cousin. I have Cancer and have had Chemo. Most of the time tired after a day out! Yet younger people don't seem to want to work. Therefore less taxes paid .Increasing pension age

@take10yearsofmylife I know one person who retired at 50, he had been a corporate lawyer in America for years. He is though no figures available very wealthy. The others in mid fifties all have defined benefits pensions, except one. One of the ones with a defined benefits pensions also inherited a million. Four of them took the enhanced severance deals offered by the Universities they worked for in the last couple of years, that includes my DH. There are 9 of us in my friendship circle who have all retired by 57. I am in the shortest marriage at 25 years, everyone else except DH and I married in their twenties, none of the women or men were SAHP at any point.

I'm 48 and don't.think I'll be able to.retire until state pension age. I do love my job (20hrs per week) and am also building up a practice in another job I recently retrained for. Some weeks i do feel tired though. My parents both retired in their early 60s and have no regrets

I retired at 49 & absolutely love it. I’m learning languages & a musical instrument & do lots of my old hobbies. I’m doing a bit of volunteering now too which I enjoy. We travel a lot. I’m much fitter & healthier as I have time to exercise & eat well. No complaints here.