at 35 I want to retire

[Oranges836]

Changed name for this post.

35 and sick of working dont want to do it for another nearly 40 years.
Changed job and hate working in any job
dont want to do any job im happy doing nothing

thats it thats the thread

I have cracked on to nearly 65 without much need to work since my mid 30s. I had a 7 year break when the children were tinies and it was fabulous but by the time dd was settled in reception I needed something more than the PTA, tennis, domesticity and my book group.

Reaching nearly 65 and having decided to reduce my hours next year with a view to easing into retirement is as scary as starting mat leave was all those years ago.

I'm very grateful that I'll have an excellent pension. I'm not sure I know what I'll do: See more of my very elderly mother which will be a duty, a day a week in the garden, tidy drawers and cupboards. Hopefully seeing friends more, more travelling and time in France, if we are lucky getting some grandchildren.

DH thinks I should stand for the Council!

Totally get you we all want to retire & become a drain on the state; living on benefits & food banks; stop being a lazy arse & buck your ideas up we all have to fucking work to survive why should the rest of us pay taxes to keep you lazy fuck ups in luxury

Exactly this, my partner and I could have sunk a fortune into saving for retirement but we loved travelling and wouldn't swap seeing the world and meeting people, if you put it all on hold until you eventually retire and get a diseases diagnosis or something, you've then wasted all the years where you could have been doing something.

Due to a relationship breakdown I will have a mortgage until I am 75 . I hate the job I do which I was transferred to when my department relocated . I also have a second job to give us a bit of quality of life. My colleague offered her resignation this week and I must admit I was a bit emotional as I am “trapped” . I have looked for other jobs but they don’t compare financially and I think age will be against me . My social life and my family save me !

People also need to remember that to pack in working at a young age means you won't be paying national insurance and will get a very poor state pension.

At the end of the day think how much money you need a year to keep a roof over your head, bills paid, expensive food shopping, are you expecting to own pets because that's added cost, running a car? Think about everything you would want in life and then think where the hell are you going to get that money from for maybe 60 plus years! I can't compute why anyone would want a life of boredom, begging for money, not being able to do anything fulfilling or nice! Where do you think you end up living with barely any money to live on? It doesn't bare thinking about to me.

Where did you get a mortgage until you’re 75? I’m struggling a bit now because I was forced to take one until I was 67 which is putting quite a lot of pressure on

I wouldn't want a life on benefits anyway, I wouldn't swap where I live and all my travelling to be on a council estate somewhere with not much money to do anything with in life.

You can choose to give up working and claim benefits anyway.

The problem isn't thinking of stuff to do, it's retiring at such a young age that you have to live have to live hand to mouth because the funds won't stretch. This ladies husband wanting to retire at 50, he might live until he's 100 as plenty do now! How do you make funds stretch that far and have anything spare for fun or hobbies.
At 50, none of his mates etc will be retired so what's he going to do everyday! Watch day time TV whilst his poor wife has to work two jobs!

Hell is other people. That's why I hate work.

I was a teacher for 20 years and it broke me physically and mentally. Now in admin job that is WFH and I hate it with a passion and the thought of the next 25 years doing this makes me sad. I don’t know what to do with myself. I don’t know what jobs to apply for.

I think if I got a job with some office attendance I would be better.
my colleagues are lovely but I’ve no clue what I’m doing and nobody to help me train.

there is no office near me to access on a regular basis.

Well yes, in their situation I did say it sounded like they weren't in a position to for him to retire.

Can I DM you please, just to ask you what the work is? I'm on sick leave at the moment, but am considering other working options.

I was made redundant at the age of 43. Had worked at the company since I was 16. I decided to do dog boarding in my home. It's been a huge success, and I earn a great salary from it. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to work from home. I make well over £100 a day doing this, often more.

Of course! 💖

Then do it. WFH is not for everyone - nor is Hybrid. Some people do want to work in the office and that's 100% OK. But it isn't an option where you are, so you need to move jobs. There is nothing to say that you won't find lovely colleagues elsewhere - that is more likely than finding a building full of horrors. Don't cling on to having nice colleagues, believing that you won't be so fortunate elsewhere. This isn't an impossible dream.

Teachers so often stick with their school because they know the challenges they face will be exactly the same if they go elsewhere. My exDH must have been at his school now, through ups and downs, for nearly 20 years. But that isn't how regular jobs work - if you aren't happy, you move. You'll get a different set of challenges in each organisation, but this sounds like a really big one that you cannot overcome and sitting at home miserable is.....miserable.

The only thing I'll say is don't go somewhere that has mandated working in the office and kicked out Hybrid and WFH for spurious reasons. Unless there is a purely practical reason needing people to be on site, the sorts of bosses insisting on getting everyone back in are not the sorts of bosses who sit on top of positive organisational cultures. Their organisational culture cannot accurately include "trust", which automatically throws out things like "authenticity" and "fairness". Go somewhere that working in the office is an option, not a directive.

So how do you envisage funding your life of leisure?

Given the cost of living I'm surprised more people dont feel this way. I honestly think the rest of the country wont be far behind you soon. Feel proud, youre not brainwashed into believing what we do (working for someone elses livelihood) is normal. It's not normal.
Every year inflation means we work for less and less out of our income.
What motivation is there if the income barely covers the essentials let alone any enjoyment? The government only have themselves to blame.

And before anyone says "get a higher paid job"... I have spoken to people on quite good income and even they are struggling now.

How will you support yourself financially?

Who is going to keep you and pay your bills? If you think you'll live on benefits, tell me why I should work and pay taxes/ NI contributions so that you can live in idleness?

Well get paying extra into your pension so you can retire early. I’m 50 & retired. I’ve never been happier or fitter.

I don’t know why some people associate retirement with doing nothing. I swim, travel, ski, belong to sports clubs, am learning a language & musical instrument. I don’t get bored!

Lots of people aren't struggling, it depends on what decisions you make in life whether you build a career, whether you've two career incomes coming into a household, whether you want kids or not, and if you want kids, how many you have! Not everyone is skint but it's how you plan your life that can make a big difference.

Not many people can retire at 50, I'm 45 and my partner is 51, we have a nice house and travel extensively and intend to disappear overseas long term when we eventually retire. So yes I agree with an active retirement but that comes at financial cost , everything you listed costs money to do and most people haven't got the extraordinary wealth to retire at 50 and be able to do lots of things. For most people to have the money for active retirements, it means working for long enough to make sure the money is there.

There used to be pride in just providing the basics for your family that is missing

the man down the pit didn’t enjoy the work but he was proud to be able to put food on the table

that pride , satisfaction in being able to look after you and yours makes things better

I worked until 58- 36 years with a 4 job/ career changes. For the most part work did not agree with me but I persevered ( family commitments) going part time since 2004 ) 3 days a week) . Resigned 2 years after losing dad and it’s the best decision I ever made. Accessed my pension early and manage nicely on half my salary. May take part time work if need to do something but right now - Pilates training and running - never been fitter; knitting 🧶 - my mental health never been better. My advice to you- go part time; work with great colleagues focus on future - so invest in a pension; don’t waste money save and aim to be debt free. 20 years soon flies by. Did I wish I had left work / career changes sooner - it’s all work at the end of the day - so no. I have a great pension and whilst working I did great things to enjoy. It’s life - what can I add.

It sounds like you have found the perfect balance, and one that allows you to have a clean, uncluttered home without the annoyance factor!