Aibu Retiring at 55 - 30 years of idleness?

[Scotsknowbest]

So this is the thing: so many local friends have given up working in the last few years in their early to mid 50s, aibu to think what on earth are you going to do to stay interested and interesting?
I thought perhaps they would shut the house up and set off on a big trip but holidays have been more like 2 weeks in Greece instead of one.
I thought perhaps they would volunteer but that seems too restrictive for them.
I thought some might use their professional skills to join executive boards as NEDs or in advisory roles. But no.
Some have upped their golf or tennis, some are focusing on the garden (what, every day?) some walk the dog, read the paper.
I just think they will become so boring!
In contrast I caught up with 3 old school friends this evening who I see about once or twice a year. I asked them when they thought they would retire and each thought mid 60s.
Many of my friends have inherited recently and I think this has been the nudge. I have also inherited but I don't feel any different!
Just for context I am 57, work in 2 roles, one executive, board level, one professional but different area (social work) which takes me to about 4 days a week but I also run 4 properties as a landlord and have an aging dad who lives a mile away who I help with admin, appointments, organising stuff. I also have 2 grown kids the youngest at uni, 1st year. So, not as busy as when I worked and had little kids, but pretty busy in a good way. Personally I can't imagine stopping working so aibu, is 50to55 simply too young to be retiring even if the catalyst has been a windfall inheritance?

I burned out from a toxic workplace at 54. I decided to take my pension early and top up with some agency type work. I stopped doing that too at 59. I didn’t rely on work to make me interesting, that was my hobbies which I now do more of - singing, playing an instrument, reading. I’ve started to learn embroidery. I volunteer walking dogs at a shelter. I’m in a book club. I go to the theatre and on holidays - mostly short, some alone, some with friends. It’s great. I actually enjoyed my job, but I don’t miss it at all.

There’s a difference between having a sit down and sitting down in the same place almost all day, every day. That sounds like a limited and unhealthy existence. Most mid-70s people I know are very active- exercising, travelling etc.

It's very tragic if the only thing that makes you and your friends interesting is work. My condolences.

My parents retired early and I’m so grateful they did as my mum developed dementia at 67 and my dad is her full time caregiver. They had 10 years of lovely holidays etc. Non of us are promised old age. They knew from their own parents that not everyone makes it to retirement age.

Ive thought for years that if I could afford to retire from my "proper" (stressful high paid) job in my mid/late 50s I'd like to do things like:

• be a magistrate (ive got a professional background that would make me a decent candidate for this)
• try and get elected to the local county council
• volunteer at local primary schools to either hear kids read
• offer to run (for free) afterschool music groups such a school string group or choir (ive got relevant skills & dbs checks & experience as a registered chaperone for child performers).

-volunteer with citizen advice bureau (again ive got professional expertise that would be really valuable in that capacity)

For me retirement didnt mean giving up work. It was more about not being responsible to an employer and being able to organize my own day and time as I saw fit.
I feel like this about it

I also hope I'll be able to help with any grandchildren who come along

My dad passed away at 61 whilst still doing a very physically active job. My mum is 63 and has had to give up work due to health reasons and is now under palliative care through the local hospice. Both have worked their whole lives and neither have been able to enjoy any form of retirement. If I could afford to I would retire tomorrow and live my life with some form of freedom while I still could.

I retired at 59. I am on my second degree since retirement. I am a trustee of two local charities and volunteer once a week at three other activities. And I have a number of hobbies too. I barely have time to turn round. I retired early after a health scare and decided there was more to life than working for a boss I did not respect. Being retired doesn't mean you need to sit on the sofa all day watching television, though if that's what you want to do crack on.

You are being judgemental. Maybe you get your worth from working all the time. Some people get anxious when they are not doing anything, maybe you are one of them.
It seems to me that you think you are superior to your retired friends.

Great idea. What would you like to study? Can I suggest something interesting?

Then that's fine, you keep on working if you can't imagine filling your life with anything other than work & stop judging others for what they choose to fill their lives with. Working doesn't make you more interesting.

There may be valid reasons for it. Declining health or maybe some people in their family didn't have great longevity and they want to enjoy retirement whilst they can.

I’m 55 and retired. I am midway through a philosophy degree, I volunteer quite heavily for the Samaritans and my DH and I travel.

Your parents sound healthy, that's good.
My mum had a stroke at 64, got gradually worse for the next 6 years and died at 70.
Nothing is guaranteed in life.
I wish my mum relaxed more, had a little more fun tbh

If you were visiting someone in a care home, then most 76 year olds you know, would be living in a residential setting and need care. If you lived in Glasgow or Blackpool, they'd be dead already. So perhaps we need to leave elderly people to decide how they spend their time. The cleaning that she is doing might be tiring her out.

My Dad retired from paid work at 63. He took himself back to university for a masters in a VERY obscure subject of particular interest to him. Academic staff enjoyed teaching him and he has effectively started a third career. He’s currently working harder than I do and surprised his stamina isn’t holding up as well as 20/30/40 years ago. He is planning to retire again aged 76 and not sure what to do. His very few hobbies (he never had time) are struggling because mates of a similar age have unfortunately died.

i think he has hugely benefited from mixing with a younger crowd and would try and do something similar. My mother has always run the house and I see her world shrinking, with no obvious retirement and increasing concern about entertaining etc.

Everyone’s different. Obviously. Some people are genuinely happy pottering about doing gardening and walks or whatever. I don’t work and am a similar age to you but wouldn’t want to only to potter about although I do love walking and gardening.
I have quite a few hobbies that I get masses of enjoyment from. I also do a lot of sport and travel. We travel long distance a couple of times a year and go on short haul holidays regularly too. I also hang out with my adult kids and help out with their houses. I get on with my Mum really well and I love the fact I can spend time with her.

I know I’d enjoy working if I had the right job but if you have enough money and good enough health then you should be able to find a way to enjoy not working too.

You’re what I aspire to be at 81 😆 I don’t know if I’m going to make it that far, but you make it sound like a fabulous ride from retirement to there. Kudos to you. My grandmother was the biggest part of my life and my best friend and she was so active; I miss her every day.

It seems really early to me; I can imagine that opting out at that age could actually age you. By the time you're 70, you've been out of the cut and thrust of the world for 15 years. Personally, I don't think that that's good for ye olde neurons. When you're at work, you're around people of all ages and you learn new things.

There are also studies that say people are no happier five years after retirement than they were before.

I love my career and don't especially like to travel apart from the occasional holiday, so I have no desire to retire early. In an ideal world, I'd keep working until my early seventies. Just got to hope that my health holds out. I'd be more than happy if I had ten healthy years of retirement. If you retire in your early fifties and live to your early eighties or nineties, that's 30 or 40 years of doing either nothing or low-level boring volunteer work and not being part of anything. That holds no appeal for me whatsoever.

Still, we are all different, so live and let live. But I do wonder if people who retire that early might regret it. Someone I know retired at 54 from the police after 28 years, and he ended up so bored he got further jobs doing this and that.

I would retire tomorrow at 35 if I could! My job doesnt keep me "interested and interesting" it just pays my ever increasing bills and drains me of joy and energy. Work is by far the least interesting thing about me and most people I know. If they can fund their life without working, why not just enjoy it instead of rushing around like a blue arsed fly all the time. Smell the roses!

If they choose to work, they can work. If they choose to volunteer, they can volunteer. If they choose to travel, they can travel. If they choose to do nothing, they can do nothing.

I think the point you are missing is that their retirement has given them freedom of choice and that is what they value above all else.

May I ask what you do? It sounds really good!

Can I ask how you managed retirement by 54? That's impressive!

I wish I had talent in the visual arts and in crafts. That must give you a lot to do.

Take up gin