Warning: this post may cause a little envy… but only a tiny bit 😏

[Flowerofdestiny]

Does anyone in their 50s actually exist who does nothing all day?

I feel a bit silly asking this, but I’ve been wondering…

Does anyone in their 50s exist whose kids are grown, who doesn’t work full-time, and literally has days completely free of obligations?

I’m genuinely curious: is it as boring as it sounds, or actually a little paradise?

I feel a bit nosy for asking, but I’d love honest answers 😅

We moved over 300 miles to the borders of Scotland . Still kept our house down south as wasn't convinced we'd get on ok.
Dh had a well paid job , and we jointly decided there was no rush for me to work .
It took about two years before we felt settled enough to sell our house and buy up here .
During that time , I lived a very old style housewife life . Did lots of baking , housework but also having days out by myself , did a lot of reading , took over doing all the gardening in our rented place .

It was ok , I was at times a bit bored , and if I'm honest , bored .

I'm 59. I love the work I do, it makes a difference. I'd like to go less than full time now but there is little opportunity for that.

If I did though I'd fill my days with voluntary work, so what's the point 🤔

I might still be working in 70s if health isn't an issue because I love my work. I also currently look at least a decade younger than I am so no one would know that I was 70+, lol!

Once I retire I plan to downsize and holiday a lot. I might even live on a boat or buy a small piece of land and site a static on it to keep my costs down 😜

Newly retired. Worked all my life since I was 16 . I’m now 53. No stress of work anymore, can do what I like when I like. Finding out I have a rare serious health condition has completely changed my perspective on life.

There are people at my church like this. They spend a huge amount of time and energy volunteering in the community. They bring high level skills from their time in the business world. Absolute gems.

This is me exactly. And it's a lovely life. As kids are grown and gone housework and cooking is far less which is great. But l am busy but only doing things l love particularly exercise/ meeting friends/ volunteering and catching up with kids and extended family. I have a good pension which l contributed to all my working life so happy out now.

Same here.

I feel obliged to retire because DH has just retired and has had quite the wake up call recently, requiring major heart surgery. I already volunteer with a charity, and will up my volunteering when I retire. I will probably join local U3A groups and other activities as well. Sadly, we won't be able to holiday as extensively as everyone else I know who has retired, but it is what it is.

Having a life with no obligations or purpose at all would be pretty pointless for me.

I can't think of anything worse than feeling that - free of the need to work - one can't make a contribution to society.

With imagination surely, totally free, one can contribute more than ever?

Sounds wonderful!

I think I like the idea mainly because I’m so over busy most of the time though.

"Having a life with no obligations or purpose at all would be pretty pointless for me." 100%

"Having freedom from all responsibilities including the need to earn money, would free me up to find a real purpose that is as important as any job." Also 100%

I don’t have this all the time, but I’m getting there.

I’m 43 and I only work part-time. I have one child who is heading to university soon. I work a couple of days a week.

Today is an example of a free day. I had a lie in while everyone else got up to go out. I have had a coffee and walked my little old dogs. I am just waiting for the veg box to be delivered so I can put it away and go out. I’m going to a museum exhibit and hopefully catching up with a friend for lunch.

I try to have a day or 2 to myself every week.

In the 1970s approximately 70% of people left school at 16 (your 60 somethings of today) In the late 80s and early 90s approximately 30% went on to higher education (your 50s somethings of today) suggesting that 70% were at 18 either working, on work training schemes or job seekers.

It depends on the person and I think age too. My partner had this idea he'd retire in his very early 40s and was retired for just over a year. It didn't suit him well at all. He still worked on side projects and in the end went back the workforce just a more relaxed role. Previously it was very high stress. Personally I think if he was a decade older or more, he'd have enjoyed it. I'm interested to see the many people's opinions here because it feels so far away but we all know a decade flies by.

But what if your other half was making millions and paying loads tax ?

That would be fantastic! The economy wouldn't be so up the shitter. Hardly anyone earns millions though.

@5128gap those stats don't say anything about how many worked full time or how long people worked?

I usually contract. So I work a couple of years, save in that time, then take most of the next year off. I don't work roughly a third to half of the time. Started in my mid/late 30s, mid 40s now. And I didn't start "proper" work until late 20s - was travelling, and technically working but at the kind of jobs that are low stress, fun and barely qualify as work (to me!) as they're enjoyable - teaching English abroad, teaching water sports and adventure sports in exotic locations etc.

I've never had the least thoughts of it being "boring" when not working. I learn new things, practice hobbies or take up new ones, visit places, hang out with friends, go to the gym and play sport more.
Far more boring to be working, when I have to spend time doing something someone else wants me to do, not what I want to do. Although it's intellectually interesting, which is the saving grace, and usually nice colleagues.

I fully intend to be able to retire fully by 50, whether I in fact do or not.

I know lots of people like this.
Most of them are on benefits but don’t work and have older or no children.

I obviously don’t know how they truly feel but I’d say most of them have depression, which is why they can’t work but IMO not having a purpose causes depression (it definitely does for me).

Most of these women were mothers and didn’t work, then as their kids got older they didn’t want to/lost confidence to go to work and lost their purpose in life.

Having money would definitely make things easier as you won’t have the stress of bills etc.

If I was ever in this position, I would take a couple of years off to travel and just enjoy life at a slower pace.
And then I would create a routine for myself by having a PT job or volunteering etc and do lots of clubs and hobbies.

I know the lockdowns weren’t great for everyone but I really noticed a huge difference to my body, sleep and stress levels when I was going at a slower pace.

Over the past 40 years, the UK has seen an almost continual rise in the proportion of women in employment. The employment rate among women of ‘prime working age’ (aged 25-54) is up from 57% in 1975 to a record high of 78% in 2017.

This predominantly reflects an increase in full-time employment, from 29% in 1985 (when data on hours of work began) to 44% in 2017.

So that's a huge proportion that didn't work full time...

@Mrsnothingthanks but as a family they may be net contributors, if one partner is bringing in substantial income, there will be tax on that, VAT on expensive goods they can afford, private healthcare, private schools, tax on investments. Whereas a couple who both work on low salaries, unlikely to be net contributors, claim UC due to low wages, use NHS and state education.

Many partners who can afford to stay at home will be contributing to society in other ways, usually volunteering, caring for other family members.

Me 52 retired. No partner, no kids (thus no grandkids) so no babysitting duties.

You'll be amazed at how you change when you are no longer in a rush all the time.

So an average day for me

Get up by 9am usually
Take dog out
Spend morning sipping tea and latte whilst reading news, checking investments, reading mumsnet, doing any admin stuff ie ordering a food shop, booking an appt. (Dogs plays with his interactive toys/treats then has a snooze)
Have bath or shower just before lunch

Take dog out before lunch
Have lunch and watch something on youtube normally everything from pension stuff to psychology stuff to funny dogs
The afternoon varies this is when I take dog to vet or groomers or I go to hairdressers or the garden centre or collect shopping or visit a gallery. A walk on the beach or a visit to a castle/historic interest. If there is nothing planned i might do some housework. If I'm feeling tired and nothing to do then I might laze on the sofa and watch a film but I normally keep tv watching for evenings.

Late Afternoon - another walk for the dog. Then dinner for us both. Then I might watch a film or a couple episodes of something.
8-9 ish Dog goes out again for his last walk and then home for supper.
Head to bed at 9pm cos I like to read. Aim for books but if my concentration does not permit it might be reddit, houses for sale, my favourite artist etc
Go to sleep about 1am.

For some people this would be really boring but for me after a particularly tough 5 years working I was exhausted. Prior to this worked mostly full time.

Don't get any benefits. Living on savings till first pension available at 55.

At some point I will begin to be more sociable again. I also want to move house in the future so I need to sort house out and get a couple of tradesmen in.

For just now this suits me.

Not yet but my ambition is to have our mortgage paid off by 50 and work part time so this thread is very inspiring to me! I started my first Saturday job when I was 12 and I’ve spent my adult life working long hours in stressful jobs - I want to enjoy the fruits of my labour before I’m really old.

I can't wait for the day I don't have to get up and sit in traffic and I can do whatever I want to do alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll day.

My mum op. She retired to Spain at 53 and she's now 68 and is loving life.

She has a pretty shit start to her life, was thrown into a laundry/convent at 10 years old, came out at 16 got pregnant then married. Left my dad when she was 33 and she is happy.

I could've done without her running off with my best friends dad mind.

I’d rather not say. I’m happy with the path life took me down and ultimately that door was never open to me.

I kind of live this life, but not quite.

I'm 56. I look after dogs for a job (in my home). Once they are fed and walked, there's not much else to do.

My kids left home 10 years ago.

DH still works, but has about 22 months till retirement, at which point I will be taking every winter off work and we will spend it travelling.

Feels pretty perfect tbh.

Yes, my SIL. Was always supported by my MIL and FIL then inherited millions after they passed away. She tried working after university but it never suited her.