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 😅

Sounds like a great life!

No, they don't. What they show us that people in their 50s and 60s were in the majority doing something in the adult world by the age of 16/18. Some will have had career breaks to raise children during the proceeding 40/50 years. Some will have had periods of sickness and unemployment. Some will have had periods of being carers.
The wider point is that the majority of people in their 50s and 60s entered the world of work, and have been doing paid work, or something else that may be equally taxing since their teens, and some are now tired. If they can afford to keep themselves without working, fair play to them.

I’m 50, work part time compressed hours, so x2 12 hour shifts per week. My kids are now teenagers, and generally doing their own thing. The last couple of days I literally lit the fire and read books while it poured with rain outside 😊
I am however asking for more hours at work, and my parents are beginning to need some support, so this won’t last for long-I’m enjoying it while I can.

I’m not 50 yet - not far off! I work part time. The children are adults now. I spend my four days off walking, crafting, baking, relaxing with some marking and lesson planning. For me personally it’s a lovely life. I don’t have the money others have but I am very content with what I do have. Some of the best decisions I made was having my children young and not stretching myself on the mortgage. My health isn’t great (I have a life long condition) and menopause has not been kind so I am grateful to have a slower pace of life.

Worked as a health care professional for over 30 years. Retired last year aged 58. No regrets. I’ve had a career in service to others which was rewarding but exhausting so it’s my turn now. Also got a long term condition myself and my own health is variable. I still do some stuff related to my previous profession, some voluntary and some paid. I also have an elderly parent who I support.
Otherwise I travel with my partner, I’m learning a language and an instrument, and see friends much more regularly. Love it!

Any of my friends who had children were free of them by the time they were in their 50s

Have to agree with having the children young and not stretching on mortgage. Its what allows me to only work 10 months or slightly less each year and travel the rest of the time

I am in my fifties and have no paid employment that takes me away from the nice things I like doing. I volunteer for a couple of organisations and give a lot of time and energy.

Not huge amounts of money but no mortgage to worry about so life is probably as good as it can get without a lottery win to buy a dream house and get some goats.

I started full time work as a legal Secretary in London at age 16 and worked right up until I was 60. No children so no maternity breaks.

DH is 9 years older than me. He did the figures and worked out we could both give up work at the same time which we did. I was having a really difficult time at work, ever increasing workload and a bi-polar boss who made life extremely difficult. It was a hard time so I took advantage of the fact that I could give up. It took a good 6-8 months before I felt like I was anywhere near back to normality and had got over the stress of my job.

That was 3 years ago. We enjoy time together. We holiday, have days out, I do dance classes and various activities. My mum needs more care now so one day a week is taken up with her. I am looking at doing some voluntary work in our village but really I'm just enjoying getting up in the morning and no longer have that sinking bout of fear every time I turn on the computer and seeing screaming emails headed 'DO THIS NOW' or 'PHONE ME IMMEDIATELY - SO URGENT IT HURTS ', or hearing my mobile go at 8am and answering calls from my hysterical boss. My life might not be for some, but it suits me at the moment.

But surely that's not the point of the OP where she says about people doing nothing all day. Sounds like you are doing plenty

@5128gap you have just assumed things. That's not how statistics work...

I’m sort of doing the opposite. I’m in my 50s back working full time and having an amazing career resurgence which I’m loving. I was a SAHP in my 30s (which I also loved). I’ll be financially able to retire comfortably at 60 but if I’m still enjoying work as much I might not. DH who wasn’t a SAHP is able to take his foot off the gas a bit now as I’m filling the gap he filled when the kids were younger which really lovely for him as he’s had enough of working all the time.

@NeedWineNow I am a millennial who had a paid paper round at 14, I can't extrapolate that to everyone in my generation.

I tried being a SAHM for a year and HATED it. I know it isn't exactly the same and with kids in school there isn't a lot to do. I couldn't feel that I was contributing or valuable by doing nothing all day.

I wanted more purpose than to do nothing but chores and hanging out. I went back to work and love it.

The grass isn't always greener. I think you may be looking at this through rose tinted glasses.

I can't think of anything worse than having no purpose and making no contribution to society or the tax system

I can. Working 😂

@RubySquid I don’t think OP meant sitting on your arse all day literally doing nothing. They mentioned having no obligations, so no work commitments, school runs etc.

Its actually exactly how statistics work. They show us patterns from which we make assumptions about unknowns. For example, statistics on road accidents allow us to make assumptions about which drivers pose the greater risk.

56 here, and will work until retirement age unfortunately.

I could easily do nothing, watch TV, do puzzles etc, go out for lunch, hit the charity shops. That's my kind of life.

I have a friend that took early retirement at 62, thinking they would get a little local part time job after working for a huge company for along time, and start new hobbies etc.

Turns out they get up late, have a leisurely breakfast, do loads of online puzzles and scrolling, maybe do a bit of shopping, but are home for when programmes like tipping point start.

They know they should be doing ' more' , but they say it's a difficult habit to get out of.

That's precisely what I aspire to do.
People seem to enjoy suffering these days
But if you can get out of the rat race and live in peace
Why not?
You can keep yourself busy writing or something if ur bored

@5128gap so when looking at statistics of female full time employment how does one come to the assumption that the majority of people have worked full time since their teens until their 50s/60s? They haven't.

I retired at 42. I don’t do much tbh. Lots of cooking, growing veg, dog walking, gym and travelling. I’m heading to Malaga next week where it’s still lovely and warm. We don’t have tons of money so live very frugally. I absolutely love it

Work isn’t the only way to give yourself purpose. I find hobbies and volunteering manage that very nicely for me. We all contribute to tax through VAT, but as it happens I pay tax anyway as my work pension (even taken early wit( actuarial reduction) takes me over the threshold. I wound down in my 50s and when I hit 60 last year I stopped all work. It’s brilliant. I don’t ’do nothing’ though. I’m really, really busy - but it’s all things I’ve chosen to do. Retirement is the best job I’ve ever had.

For example, statistics on road accidents allow us to make assumptions about which drivers pose the greater risk.

Statistics on road accidents will tell us who pose the greater risk because they are in more accidents. It's not an assumption that young male drivers are more likely to be in a RTA...

I have over 40 years of contributions, started full time work at 16 and now, a few years before state pension, I have my days free. I get up when I want and answer to no one. I’ve worked and I’ve brought up children (well) so I savour every minute that I can call my own. I’m never bored even when I’m not doing anything 😁

You would have to ask some one who had come to that conclusion. Because that isn't what I said, if you read my post. I said that the majority of middle aged people will have been working or doing something in lieu of work since their teens when they left school. People didn't leave school at 16 and sit around doing nothing. They worked until something happened that meant they couldnt such as sickness, or they had to do another type of activity such as raising children.