What Are You Hoping To Do In Retirement?

[lovestea]

Ok, there will be financial constraints, some really serious ones for some of us. But, what are you hoping for and what is realistic when you give up work?
A lot of people work well beyond retirement age now for a better lifestyle or for essentials. How do you see yours panning out? Off at 60? 65? Beyond?
Do you have a passion that you soooooo want to follow in retirement? Can you afford to do it?
Love to know what others think and want.

I want to be able to travel and relax with OH. We are just starting our baby yrs in pur mid 30's and mid 40's so think we will need to work at least some for the next 20yrs though we live in hope to drop to pt sooner.
We both really enjoy our jobs so I can see us continuing or for longer than needed.

We've no idea what we will be able to afford just saving what we can (recently cleared the mortgage though so that's a start). Suppose we should actually do some research into this!

Probably divorce dh and go to the states for a while.
Retire at 60 with loads of money.
Take lovers.
Have fun.

I think I hope for like now, but with less of what I do for a living and more of all the other stuff. I imagine I'd still like to do some work-like stuff, at least if/while my health is reasonable. That might be bits of consultancy from my old job or it might be some form of voluntary work. And then I'd like to do a lot more gardening and cooking and music. And maybe some grandchild-care, if I have any, but not on an 'every Monday' kind of basis because that's so tying. And plenty of European travel by train, if I can afford it. Maybe more social life. Become a rambler? And more going to London in the evenings for Culture.

I'm really looking forward to more time with DP - just talking (one of our best things) or doing things together. I get so little time with him at the moment when we're not both knackered. I hope I'll also want to spend time with the kids and any partners or significant others they have, but I'm not banking on that because they might choose people I don't like being around.

I think it's very likely I won't retire til 67 at the earliest (I'm 43 at the moment) because that's what my occupational pension currently says. I might want to go on longer than that, if I'm enjoying my job and my health is good. But I can also imagine lots of circumstances in which I might want to stop sooner, if I can afford it, like health problems in my immediate family or grandchildren who need me for some particular reason.

Really interesting questions, thank you!

We are going to buy a canal boat and literally sail away... The 8 (yes 8) will have to track us down.. It's going to happen when we're 60... 8 more yrs and counting.

Travel and walk.

I'm starting to think about this a lot now.

DC finish secondary in 7 years time. Hoping to be able to retire then or soon after.

Want to cycle round the world. Stuff like that.

Maybe cycle for 2-3 months at a time?

I don't really know how we'll fill our time. Spent so little time with DH since we had DC.

I'll certainly need a big project to keep me happy. Hope I can find one.

I can't wait to retire but probably have to work for a few more years yet :eye roll:

I will

See more art / photography
See more of the world
Read more
Spend more time with friends

I've always been very keen that we don't get to the day the children leave and go 'who are you?'

So Dh and I have always done our best to spend time togther amidst the child rearing and getting on with life stuff. It's really important I think.

Marilynsbigsister, I met someone at a party recently who has spent the last ten years saying around the world with her husband, she's loved it

Go to the USA and tour round the Southern states going to bars, doing line dancing and hearing live country music!
Well that's the current plan, need to get a lot more into the pension for the next 20 years.

Work full time until I'm 68 or until I have a stroke, whichever comes first.

Care for dh. And I really, really hope I don't have to care for ds too. I think if he makes it to 30 without getting really ill, I can breathe out.

Great thread.

I want to do a walking trek along the Great Wall of China. DC don't, but DH happy to join me so that's on our list for when they've flown the nest.

I have a fantasy of retiring to India and opening a European coffee shop as Dh has worked there and says they don't have a café culture yet, and I imagine it would go down brilliantly there. But DH doesn't want to, so I guess that will stay on hold.

We'll get a dog to keep us out the house and physical.

DH wants to see all the paintings Vermeer ever painted, so we'll go around the world to visit the galleries they are in.

To do all this we'll have to sell up and down size. Which is fine, except I want to move back to London and unless prices crash we'll have no cash left.

Survive, seriously. We aren't s long lived family and I have an uncomfortable feeling I won't live long enough to retire!

I'm going to retire at 60 in the April then immediately I am going to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain straight after. I'll take my time over 6 weeks or so and then will come back and wait for dh to retire and then we'll just enjoy the space, I think.

I have been saving for a motorhome (yes a motorhome not a campervan!!) for several years now....it will be ££££££s though ...Am planning to retire at 60 (thats only 2 years , Yay!!) as long as my public sector job doesnt make me redundant because of t govcuts before then and then we will take to the road.. Europe mostly in our own van, but also planning a couple of long trips ... NZ and Canada perhaps ..

I don't think I'll make it tbh so try not to think of having a retirement.

In 3 years I can access ex's pension and that will let me give up my job and do whatever I want.
So will travel ..not quite first class but in style.

Well I've just retired at 57 although I haven't worked full time since, DC. DH retired 8 years ago. DC 2 still at school.
We are financially secure, but I have some recent but permanent health problems which none of you have mentioned.
I don't know what to do.
Need something to interest me and fill my time. Not voluntary work either. Been there and done that.

Oh yes, I'd like a dog too!

Move to the coast. Get a dog. Walk miles and miles every day (as long as health allows). Read lots.

I am retiring at Christmas, aged 63, after 38 years in the same job. I only took 4 months maternity leave when my twins were born, so what I am REALLY looking forward to doing, is spending time at home just pottering about without worrying about not having time to do things. That, to me, will be sheer luxury.
After a few months, I hope to volunteer for a couple of things to broaden my horizons.

I’d like to do a degree in Russian language and literature when I retire.

I’m 50 and don’t work any more, dh has his own company and unfortunately loves what he does so much that I can’t see him retiring any time soon but hopefully when he does, I’d like us to travel the world, coming back regularly to spend time with my future grandchildren!

I was going to retire in December but really enjoyed my role. With cuts that role has gone. So I didn't want to go back to Earlies, Lates and nights. So retirement is back on the agenda.
All I really need is a year off to get fit, lose weight and train a dog.
I'll be ready to do a part-time job in the tourist industry instead of been stressed out nutter.
As an older Mum, I can spend some time with my teenager before he flies the nest. Not hang out together just be around more. I regret going full-time when he was 6 years old.

This subject is on my mind more and more...I'm 53 in December, have a SIPP which I can draw from at 55, planning to use some to pay off a lump sum from the mortgage then overpay and hopefully be mortgage free by 58. Then I'd like to start winding down my ft job working for someone else, and start to do something else to generate some income - maybe an online business of some sort. As I get more into retirement years (60+) I'd like to travel more, get a dog, hopefully have a grandchild to help look after, volunteer, learn, read more, dance, go to the gym etc. I may downsize once ds leaves home, then again I might not. It's exciting planning and thinking about it!