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 .

Every fucking day.

But I'm only 35 so can't.

Yes I did exactly that at 58. Had three months off and then set myself up as a consultant and it’s all going swimmingly. I’d just had enough of being managed by morons.

I had that moment about 9 months ago. Not fully gone yet but down to much reduced hours. Feels so much better already. Once the youngest has finished university, I'll go. Don't care about any of it. I'm just saying the right things to the right people. Don't feel a word of it anymore.

No dependents, other than the dog, and if it didn't work out I could have gone backwards (which I've never done in life but accept that it's always an option) but it all worked out for the best!

?
I’m the same age as you & expecting SP to kick in at 66

Yes, I did. I was a secondary school teacher for almost 14 years. I was 57 and one morning I knew the exam board was changing the specification again but I saw the changes and they were not minor ones. I just thought I'm not doing this yet again.

Yes 6 weeks ago . My company decided to change our jobs and I just thought ' fuck it '
It wasn't for me and I gave my notice in. They were stunned that someone would do such a thing . I am 59

Actually, I’ve just checked and see it starts to go up from age 66 as from May 2026. So I’ll get it when I am 66 & 3 months!

Yes, I was made redundant at 57, thought I work till 60. We’ve always wanted a dog so that’s the first thing we did. I really didn’t want to start again in a new job, but thought I would need to do something, but I haven’t. Due to health reasons, my DH also retired at 63.

Yes.

I'm 56 in February and have been teaching for 28 years. I've hit a wall. So fed up of education, parents and the stupid, pointless stuff we have to do. Ofsted looming and senior leaders down our necks.

I dropped to 4 days last December and love my Friday at home meeting friends for lunch or coffee.

No mortgage but pension not amazing, probably £17k if I left next summer. I'd have a lump sum and I've got savings. I've considered getting a job two days a week just to boost the pension for a bit.

I hate my job now.

61 here and so fed up working.

My advisor says my money will hold out to age 85. I'm pretty sure I won't live that long but afraid to risk it. Hate my job, though it's very well paid. Sigh.

Yes and I remember the exact moment. I was almost 57, a teacher for 35 years. my job at the time, which I liked, was small group literacy and numeracy SEN teaching in an academy secondary school. Then one morning in June 2017 I opened an email from a member of SLT to tell me that, from the following September, I was being moved to mainstream Maths. (I found out that lots of maths teachers had handed in their notice.)
I sent back a "No thanks," email and went to see HR.
The Bursar was fabulous and sorted everything so that I was able to draw down my (not large) pension in the September.

No regrets ever.

Yes, it was being redeployed to covid ICU that did it

Yes! I just walked out. I knew I wasn't going back so I decided to let them sort out the unholy mess they had made. Had the best Christmas.

But what do you all do on endless rainy days like these? Day after day, week after week.

Surely the answer is “whatever the fuck they like”? Work on your PB in the pool, take the dog for a damp stomp, read something or lots of something, do your piano practice, go to choir, plan what to do in the garden when it stops raining, go out for lunch when it’s quiet, plot a holiday to spend next September abroad…

I’m not quite 40 so a long way off for me!

I'm middle-management, early 50s, and I've just had mine after a lot of extra work was dumped on me with no extra pay. My reaction after the meeting was literally "Fuck 'em all."

I have 1.5 years until I can draw my pension and I'll stick at the job until then but I'll be "quiet quitting" (aka "working to rule").

Yes. Initially aimed to go at 60, mortgage would be paid off at 58 and stash a load for 2 years then go. Then covid hit and after 2 years on ICU. I looked at the numbers, saw it only made around £70 a month difference and went at 55.
Best decision I ever made.
Travelling loads, enjoying my hobbies,seeing my grandkids and no more pit of the stomach dread when Monday comes around.

Very, very close to having one! Trying to keep sensible head on and have a more comfortable retirement.

Yes a year ago. Was becoming more run down and peed off. Wasn't worth it.
I miss the money but don't miss work x

Yes and I did.

I knew we could afford it though.

Yes , I was 54. Best thing I ever did. No we can't afford fancy holidays and cars , but love my life now.

Yes, I was just sick to the back teeth of toxic colleagues, endless pointless 'bull shit bingo' meetings and all the back stabbing and brown nosing that went on...

I left and have never looked back.

I did, sadly. I loved my job, my team was great. But the commute? Three hours a day on a bad day, and most days were bad - bus, train and tram. It was rare for them all to be on time.

After a serious health issue that saw me on sick leave for six months, I knew I could no longer do that commute.

It was a good decision. I had 10 years of fairly good health before age caught up with me.

If I had advice for someone, I'd advise retiring as soon as you can afford it.

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