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 😅

Nearly 58 here. Not retired but only working two days a week.
However I have the grandchildren two days a week as well... baby and 4 year old, so not exactly relaxing!
However I get wednesdays and weekends to do as I please... allotment, gym, walking my dog learning a language. I'd love to stop work entirely but it wouldn't be fair while dh is still working long hours.
Three kids are away living their adult lives (hence the grandkids!) one has autism and will always live with us but he's a sweet gentle man and it's fine. The only thing we can't do really is go on holidays without him and we can't imagine that anyway!

@unsync I think that poster was perhaps referring to people who have never worked rather than retired people?

Good observation! No I don’t have caring responsibilities. My parents were much older than average and died when I was still a teenager, and I chose not to have children.

Both things could be seen as sad. I can’t see it that way. Given their ages I was lucky to have loving parents until I was old enough to know and remember them and go out into the world (I went to university) alone, and I never wanted children so I’m grateful every day that I don’t.

Both those things also had financial consequences that meant I could resign from my job at 30 and become a ‘trailing spouse’ to my new DH - we travelled Europe and the USA with his work for 15 years and then moved here to the Highlands of Scotland in 2015, and I think we’re settled.

I suppose I could work now but we’re deep in the country and after 25 years out of the workforce I don’t think I’d take too well to it even if someone would have me! - and I’m no entrepreneur so my hobbies stay hobbies. If others want to judge the way I live it doesn’t matter to me.

@BankfieldForever Do you ever feel that your qualifications were wasted? You said you went to uni but then stopped working at 30 so not many years of earning really.

I retired twice - once at 48, after my husband died, and then again at 52 😂 In between those years Covid happened and I was offered a very well paid job when I was 50 and thought, well, there’s nothing else to do at the moment and I have no husband, so why not. I soon realised why not and 18 months later went back to the original plan.

I split my time between the UK and a little place in France, and I travel. If I’m in the UK then my time is further split between being in London or down on the coast, and is spent planning the next holiday, catching up with friends and family over coffee, lunch or dinner, going to the theatre or gigs, sailing and walking. I do a few things for my parents in law, and a couple of local groups for whom my alleged expertise is useful. I enjoy admiring the garden, but not so much doing gardening… I’ll see my parents every 3 or 4 weeks, but they are completely independent and also travel so don’t need regular ‘support’. and other family members at a similar frequencies. My husband and I didn’t have children. If I’m in France it’s broadly the same, but no sailing and more visitors. On the holiday front, if we take October then I have just spent 5 days in Spain and a week in Italy. I’m in the process of selling the place in France and moving to Italy. September was mostly spent in the far east.

On the contributing front, I still pay plenty of tax…too much really, and this tax year will be the last I’m resident in the UK for tax purposes for a while. I feel no shame about that - I’ve paid plenty of tax over the years both when working and when retired.

I hate my job so I went down to 2 days at the start of the yr after discussing it extensively with DH. It means I have 3 days off in the week. I can do most of what is required with young DC/house etc. Despite hating work, a part of me looks forward to going in as it's a break from what can sometimes become monotonous home stuff/life admin. I feel more balance basically.

I’m 53 and I have two jobs (by choice). One is 4d a week and pays the bills - I’ll be doing this till I pay my mortgage off at 70.

The other is 2d a week and, while it pays very little, it’s my dream job. It’s what I’d do if I won the lottery.

I could do the main job 5d a week and retire earlier, but I’d miss the 2nd job too much. I honestly feel really lucky to have found my passion and purpose.

Besides, I’m rubbish at doing nothing. After a week off, the itch to be productive kicks in.

horses for courses and all that! The world would be a dull place if we were all the same.

Perhaps she hasn’t worked since her early 30’s because she had an anxiety disorder from that time? Lack of work hasn’t necessarily made her like that. Maybe her anxiety came first.

Even if you've never worked because you have the funds to not do so, you still pay taxes. Income from trust funds are taxed. You would still be subject to all those other taxes too. There's an assumption that if you are wealthy, you don't contribute. If you are resident for tax purposes in the UK, you will be paying income tax, alongside all the other taxes. The wealthy are net contributors. For most people on here, this is an uncomfortable truth.

I’m a bit older but still in good shape and perfectly capable of working. I no longer NEED to work to live and certainly don’t want to live to work.

My purpose is to live a life full of things I enjoy like playing piano, napping during the day, projects around my house, meeting friends for a coffee, etc. I’m never bored and I quite enjoy my life, far more than I did while working.

I'm 59 and I've been retired for 4 years. I took early retirement on ill health grounds and being ill has filled quite a lot of my time - I've had 6 operations in the last 5 years. Now things are more stable for me I do quite enjoy retirement and I have plenty to occupy my time. Obviously there's the dull stuff like housework and cooking (we eat far better than when I was working mind you!) and I've got pets to care for and some caring responsibilities for elderly relatives too. But I do go out quite frequently just to do things that interest me. Today I went to a new exhibition at a local museum which was much quieter than it will be at the weekend. Quite a few of my friends are either retired or work part time so I see them fairly often, and weather and health permitting I go for a walk or bike ride most days. I visit my adult DC regularly and I also volunteer. My volunteering takes up a lot of time in the Summer months - it's almost a full time job for part of the year - but over the Winter it's only once a week. I do sometimes get a bit bored in the Winter months when I've got less to do and the weather is poor so that I can't get outdoors as much. But overall it's ok and whilst it's not the route to retirement I would have chosen I don't miss working anywhere near as much as I thought I would. It was tough at first but a lot of that was due to the involuntary nature of my retirement. But once I accepted things I found plenty of positives. I'm looking forward to DH retiring too but he'll probably work for another 3-5 years I'd think.
Oh, and not working doesn't necessarily mean not contributing to the public purse. I'm still a higher rate tax payer so have zero guilt about using public services.

There was a career I’d have liked (one that is almost impossible to get into) - I tried but it wasn’t on the cards for me even if I hadn’t stopped work at 30 - at that point I was working in a shop.

I use my education (a degree in design technology specialising in textiles and fashion) every day in private research and practical hobbies and its wonderful.

Not many years of earning… no. Not a problem and won’t be in the future.

So no - no regrets.

@unsync I fail to see how you can pay taxes if you have never worked to earn an income?
Unless you mean inherited income?

My mum has always done this since I moved out at 18 and my brother three years later at 19. We both moved back for a brief period each in our 20s so I’ll count from after that, so a good 15 years, since she was 52. She is someone who let her husband handle all the money and financial matters and apart from a couple of school based jobs has been a lady of leisure most of the time.
She spends her days pottering, walking, listening to the radio, going out for coffees with my dad and drinks with her friends.
She doesn’t see much of us considering they live in the same village and they don’t see much of my DD (only grandchild) apart from 2 hours a week. They always told me after raising their kids they want to enjoy their lives while they are still healthy.
Sounds boring to me but they are perfectly happy.

I’m wondering… do you think it’s possible to have a decent, happy, free life without a lot of money? Or is it more about having enough but managing it well?

I’m curious what a woman between 50 and 70 really needs to feel secure and be able to treat themselves occasionally. After 70, just being healthy would be priceless, but in those “not too young, not too old” years, what do you imagine you couldn’t live without?

@Flowerofdestiny I'll still be privately renting at 50 plus so will still need quite a lot of money! 😆
I'm 45 now and definitely happy, despite not being well-off.

Many people who have a passive income still contribute income tax at higher rate but do not actively have a job.

Typically, those who rely on benefits to get by are the ones who don't pay taxes.

Someone who isn't working and doesn't use benefits can still contribute to taxes. I'm not currently working, but I still pay taxes. I also know others who aren't employed yet earn income in various ways and pay taxes. During my working years, I made significant contributions through my efforts. It's worth noting that pensioners also pay taxes.

By the time I turn 50, I hope I'll still be doing what I love most in life, just as I am now as a SAHM, ten years before that milestone. I've been a SAHM for quite a while. What do my days look like when I'm alone? Browsing the internet, watching documentaries, TV series, and films, enjoying YouTube videos, listening to music, learning new things, researching, gaming, going out when I feel like it, tackling house chores, and managing my sources of passive income. I also focus on minimizing the taxes on these sources of income as much as possible.

Posters who aren't working

Do you fear judgement if others know? At the moment it's known that I've been unwell, but I'm constantly being asked when I'm going back to work. And also I'm asked if I'm bored. No, I'm not bored. I have to limit what I do to avoid becoming ill again. But even then, I'm not bored.

I have never claimed benefits by the way

@ThisTicklishFatball You must have earned incredibly well to still be living off your earnings if you gave up work so long ago?

This.

People are mad.

I completely object to a system that enables this wealth, but I absolutely support anyone that takes advantage of it. Fair play.

Dont fear judgement.

Your opinion matters more when it comes to you.

If you need the time take the time x

I think ‘enough’ is a very varied and individual thing.

Im 39 my son is 23 has his own life.
I live a lone have a job and i love my free time i really do.
Come home just me coffee pjs book mn bliss.
Weekends doing nothing holidays do what i want with them.
Do i get bored nope not one bit.

Had all the hussle and bustle years ago school runs teen years partys chit chat to school mums talking to teachers.
Doing this doing that.
Cooking cleaning washing, up and down, baths and showers, being mum working homework etc.
Now it just me and i love it.
Im not well off i dont have a bank full but im bloody happy with what i have and i value my peace and quiet and lone time.

Im quite the introvert i dont need a crowd to feel needed.

If I decide not to go back to work though
There will be a lot of resentment, I imagine

People will assume I can pay for their lunch and stuff! But also, there'll be a lot of resentment among people having a hard time. It just doesn't seem to be normal to retire in 50s anymore.

One of my siblings suggested lying about it - I can see why.