Did anyone else have a "fuck it, I'm retiring" moment?

[MrsMoastyToasty]

I'm in my late 50s, mortgage paid off, have worked since the age of 18. I'm so close to jacking my job my job in .

Yep, 62, got made redundant by a company that values AI over people last October, so they can stick employment where the sun don't shine! Worked from age 17 and truly believe that experience, expertise.... no longer valued, just the bottom line. Loving it.

I'm 53. Just been made redundant (sacked). Been looking for a job for 6 weeks, not getting anywhere. Fortunately mortgage paid off. DD off to Uni. Seriously thinking of working out what we 'need' to live off, and then just working enough between us to earn that much..

I’m at this point now, 57 and worked ft since I was 16, Saturday jobs since 13. I’m just sooo sick and tired of it all! Stressful job where I’m ’on call’ permanently as service runs 24/365. I’m looking for something less stressful for the last couple of years to go at 60 but I’ve got pension forecasts today for 58, periods in local authority and 8 years in NHS. We still have a mortgage but are overpaying, my lump sum would easily clear the balance with some left over…..

AND I did my degree with OU while working full time and only had 16 weeks maternity leave - I’m just done.

I think once you start thinking about retirement and you start to look at what you could actually live on, that little voice just keeps banging on!

Im counting the days down to 17th July when I finish.

@BG2015exciting! How old will you be?

I'll be 56 and 6 months.
Retiring from teaching but not from work. Need to get a part time job doing something.

@BG2015 sounds similar, I’m 57. I wouldn’t mind doing something part time or where I could just do my work, leave, and not have to think about it until I go back. Hope it goes well for you

I won't be able to retire before I die.
Not enough money to do so.
If I live to be 80, I'll be still working.

I retired 18 months ago. Previously I had loved my job but 12 months of changes and more to come, my mum had passed away and I discovered there was more money left from my parents’ estate than I had expected, enough to bridge the gap between my small workplace pension and the date I would get my state pension. I was on holiday when I discovered this. As soon as I returned to work I handed my notice in. No regrets whatsoever.

DH was made redundant at 59.
Decent package. We worked out that if I finished work we would be able to manage
financially until SP kicked in.
Within 2 weeks of finishing Mil broke her hip. Mum was diagnosed with dementia.
So the first couple of years were hard but glad we were able to help care for them both until the end of their lives.
DH received his SP last year and I get mine in a few months.
Best thing we could have done.

@ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSeasorry for your loss, but it must have felt great to hand your notice in on return from holiday!

28 working days left for me and I have to say, each one is feeling like an eternity.

My husband did. His draw down pension has done really well so we are doing it at age 59, 1 year early. I’m quite nervous about it actually

It’s interesting not one person appears to have regretted their decision!

I’m having it now but unfortunately just can’t afford it 😭😭😭
Really feel like I can’t go on any longer (58) sadly can’t even afford to go part time. Nine more years 😬

Thank you.

Hopefully your last month will pass quickly - make sure you take any holiday owing to you! One thing that I enjoyed was not having to attend any more training sessions/briefings as they would no longer apply to me.

@ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea- oh yes, I’ve got a few mandatory trainings that I shan’t be bothering with! I’m hoping I can dodge the dreary department off-site as well.

Yep. I just got fed up of it all, no one particular thing, but the whole. I had paid off my mortgage so decided to stop working at 62 after working in some capacity since I was 16, cashed in an ISA and have been living off that as well as turning a hobby into a money spinner (in a small way) I've been so much happier, if on the broke side for the time being. I get my state, work and private pension later this year.

@BeLilacWriter I guess the ultimate trade off, unhappy at work but with money or retired but much less money. We went down 40k as a couple but no regrets at all

Had this moment just before Xmas. Posting this so the general audience can see why experienced teachers are leaving in droves
(Teaching 39 years - highly qualified STEM teacher so in that key shortage group)
Loved my job for most of those years but may be not the last 10.
Final straws.
New HOD said he " struggled to communicate with colleagues of his mother's generation"
Head teacher - loves the exam grades I get for him but still tries to insist I do extra revision classes after school and in holidays. Won't pay my normal outside hours tutoring rate per hour so fk off
Senior Leader I/c of SEN. - I was sworn at for quietly asking a 15 year old girl to write on both sides of the paper in her exercise book. He said " I am not going to give her any sanction because the mum says that's mean."
No resilience? Child has no specific SEN needs.
Have been retired 6 months now. Haven't missed teaching at all.

@CurlyKoalieDo you have exit interview on leaving? As I would have had to have recommended to the HT that the HOD who struggles to communicate with colleagues of his mother’s generation has a little bit more training around this, or a demotion until he gains a bit more maturity. Actually, upon leaving I would probably have said it to his face!

It’s amazing isn’t it when you’ve felt such a lot of responsibility and gone ‘over and above’ so many times in your working life that you come to a point and just think ‘sod it’. I’ve been retired 18 months now and whenever I meet up with my ex colleagues who are still working, I am reminded again that I made the right decision to go. I wasn’t a teacher, by the way, but I think your sentiments translate to many other workplaces .

I would opt for being poorer and having greater mental health every single time 👌🏻👌🏻

@CurlyKoalieIm a teacher in primary and I have 15 days to go! I keep panicking that I'm doing the right thing but then I spend another day at school and I'm sooooo glad I'm going. Got my pension figures on Friday and it's totally doable and if I want to top up my pension I can get a part time job or do a bit of supply.

@ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea you are so right about having had responsibility for years (decades!) and then getting to a ‘sod it’ point! That’s exactly where I was. I finished work at the end of April, am living off savings at the moment and then planning to take two DB pensions early (at 60 in December) and use my DC pension to a greater degree before state pension age and then less once I’ve got my SP. I know I will have to do some part time work on my way to SP age to pay for ‘extras’, and I am on a steep learning curve managing on a tight budget for the first time but I am loving the freedom!

The Head asked if I wanted an exit interview, but I had already outlined all my grievances. He tried to get me to go part time until the end of the year to which I responded "you're not really listening are you. Then he tried the emotional blackmail approach "for the children....."
Got my own back though. LEA school so I contacted them for an exit interview as an employee and outlined some reasons that they really ought to visit the school in question.