To want to retire aged 46?

[imprincesspearl]

I’m not going to before anybody comes at me … but jeez, the thought of another fourteen years working does depress me a bit.

I am a teacher (secondary) and I think I’ve just been doing it for far too long (started in 2002) - I’ve lost motivation and interest. I can’t even really look at different schools as they are all much of a muchness.

I honestly would retire tomorrow if it was possible.

I’m the same age and feel the same. I have a well paid full time job right now, my plan is to keep going until I’m 50 and then find something part time and more relaxing.

@Mischance i casually mentioned it. If I ever seriously look into it that might be relevant but since most of my post is explaining why I can’t train as anything it’s a bit exasperating when someone tells you all the reasons why you shouldn’t. Think of it. Someone says ‘I’d like a holiday but I can’t afford one. If I could I might look at Spain’ and someone tells them why Spain is so terrible. It doesn’t matter as they aren’t going to Spain. Please give over

@SuzyFandango I am already part time! Which doesn’t help the pension situation of course.

@luckylavender literally the first line of my post establishes I’m a teacher and the state pension isn’t my main source of income. Indeed on mn it is a pittance and an irrelevance; I’m not sure I agree but it isn’t as much as my private pension would be. In any case 60 is the earliest, probably more like 64.

@3luckystars it isn’t that simple sadly. What I want most of all is to do nothing but I can’t!

Nah... I'm part of the FIRE community. The number of blokes who define themselves as retired early while their wife works full-time is mind boggling. A woman would generally call herself a SAHM but these blokes egos can't hack that and have to stroke their own egos saying they are FIREd.
(Financially Independent, Retired Early).

Anyway, I started full-time work at 17. I'm 50 now and ready to hang up my boots, and have been since about 26. Sadly, I keep inflating my lifestyle so can't afford to retire yet in th lifestyle to which I've become accustomed. I've had three very distinct careers and haven't found long lasting job satisfaction yet. I'm aiming to retire at 55 or 56. If my husband is still working I'll just call myself a lady of leisure instead of retired.

YANBU ! Another public sector worker here, feel exactly the same as you and would retire tomorrow if i could. I have another 24 years before i can think about taking a reduced pension and i have NOT got 24 years in me.

My vague plan is:

Downsize in 15 years to release equity for a chunk of cash.

Currenlty put a small amount into an ISA which i’m hoping will build up.

Take pension with reduction fee at 60 so hoping my chunks from above plus no debt/mortgage will give enough to cover my living costs and trips away. (Thinking 5 years)

Rationale, i’ve seen too many people pass before they even reach pension age.

Life is for living

I will happily sit skint if needs be in my 70’s if i have enjoyed the time where i am definitely fit and active.

OP, I feel your pain. I was v unhappy in my previous role (not teaching). I was able to change direction within the same field, so I didn't have to start as a NQ or take a significant drop in salary. I love what I do now

Might this be an option for you eg could you transfer into adult education, or move to a special school etc?

i casually mentioned it. If I ever seriously look into it that might be relevant but since most of my post is explaining why I can’t train as anything it’s a bit exasperating when someone tells you all the reasons why you shouldn’t. Think of it. Someone says ‘I’d like a holiday but I can’t afford one. If I could I might look at Spain’ and someone tells them why Spain is so terrible. It doesn’t matter as they aren’t going to Spain. Please give over

Gosh - you are really feeling fed up! Strangers on a site like this have no idea whether the things you mention are done so "casually" - they can only take them at face value as you brought it up and try to help accordingly. Rejectin g that help in such an abrasive way is a bit odd.

You say you can't train - but I explained how I managed this around existing job and family and how it had a happy outcome for me. The ideas were offered in a positive spirit to try and help and it is a shame they are being received so negatively.

I wish you luck with whatever you decide.

Been living here years. Calm and peaceful today we’ve just been asked to work from home this week.

I am fed up, yes. I’m sorry if I jumped down your throat a bit but even if I did decide to retrain the absolute earliest I would be able to do this would be when my DD is eleven and she isn’t even three until August!

I am quite honestly sick to death of teaching in any capacity at all, to be honest!

Bit of a weird question. YANBU to want to!

I doubt many of us would choose to keep working if we had the option to stop.

This is a really common attitude among teachers. They hate their jobs, could earm much more money elsewhere (in their minds) but won't do anyhting about it.

Obviously some do leave, and many teachers are brilliant and committed, but there are too many who should have left years ago. It's very frustrating when they're your colleagues.

I’m 40 and feel the same, having to work for another potential two decades doesn’t feel good. I used to love my job, but now it’s just a massive chore. I have preschool age children also, and wonder if it’s just the overall exhaustion of juggling work and young children and having little downtime. I definitely fantasise about retiring early!

Question to those who did it - how much pension did you need, how much savings? To give us something to aim to!

And yes to the FIRE stuff, I have read that. But realistically with a £5k childcare bill each month, we have (a lot of) debt rather than savings 😩

I don’t know who you have been talking to but I don’t think for a moment I could earn more money elsewhere - that’s one of the problems; you earn too much!

Surely there are loads of roles you could go to that wouldn't need retraining. I have a friend who moved to tutoring home ed kids o zoom - still teaching but work from home and she is in control of her schedule. Or aren't there roles in local authorities, ofstead, exam boards etc etc that aren't front line but still are based on teaching?

So you work part time, get all school holidays off and will retire at 60?

Cry me a river, I work full time, don’t get school holidays off and have to work until I’m 68.

Surely your state retirement age will be 67, 68 or older ?

That is 20+ years to go until state retirement

Start looking fir part time work or change career

It’s neither unreasonable nor unheard of. I retired at 54 from a job I loved, but I had/have other things in life that I loved more. Every job/position is just that, it’s what you do, not who you are.

@Dragonflytamer thats still teaching. It’s also quite poorly paid - I did look into it a year or so ago.

At the moment even working in a different school isn’t a simple or straightforward thing to do because I’m so tied to children and their schedules. I’m on my own in the week with them and DS’s school has got very limited options with regard to wraparound and DD is in nursery (in another direction!) on the days I work.

So I am a bit stuck and in any case I don’t want to work in another school; it’s still kids, teaching, lessons, marking. I’m just done with it I think. But have to soldier on for another two decades 😩

Lord above is anyone reading anything 😂

I don’t GAF what my state pension is, I’m not teaching until I am 68.

If it’s what you really want, start making your exit plan. The biggest challenge is finances…when can you afford retire, and what can you do to bring that date in.

Pay off any debt you might have…get your pensions documented and start tracking them…build a financial bridge between your aspired retirement date and the date current finances will allow.

Not my problem. Start your own thread, and hopefully people will be a bit pleasanter than you were to me.

That’s so much harder than teaching! Why don’t you look for safeguarding lead of pastoral roles if you’re into social work stuff

So don’t?

Part time and all the school holidays? Have you worked out how many days per year you work?

it’ll be significantly less than the majority of people. Plus you can retire at 60 🤷🏻‍♀️

It’s not about teaching being hard. It’s about it being boring, quite honestly. I’ve tried to explain this - I’ve been teaching the same texts, lessons, kids for twenty four years now. (Obviously not literally the same kids but it’s all blurred into one!)

I’m sure. And that would be relevant if my days off and school holidays were an oasis of contentment and peace but at the moment that is manifestly not the case.