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 day. But then I remember I’m in my 30s and poor. 😭

I'm 50 next year and so far away from being able to afford retiring, I'll probably be working till my 70s at this rate 😟

All the best to those of you who can afford it, enjoy it!

This thread has actually inspired me. I've lost the will to live at work. Am actively trying to get me redundant, but if it doesn't happen in the next 12 months I'm retiring at 56. I've done the sums and it's doable.

👏Good for you @Floofydawg

Every damn day!!!! I'm nearly 48 and well paid to do not very much but dislike my manager and the corporate bs, however at the minute financially I have to carry on. We have loans for house renovations on top of the mortgage which will be gone in 3 years which happily coincides with our next mortgage break and DD finishing university. In the meantime manager is mid-60's and hopefully retiring soon plus I dream of redunancy (15 year service would mean the loans definitely would be paid off and chunk of the mortgage as well!)

The plan is then to stash as much money in pensions for 5 years and retire mortgage-free by the time I'm 60 (DH will be 65 then).

Ooh good thread

I'm inspired by this thread too. Been thinking about it for a while but after a particularly nasty run and mis communication with a parent on Thursday I've decided I've definitely had enough.

Going to retire next July at the end of the academic year. I'll have been teaching 29 years.

Pension will be ok but may need to little part time job to top it up a bit for the luxuries instead of dipping into my savings.

Will tell my head teacher after Christmas.

• run in

@BG2015 I agree a no stress part time job is the way to go. I've been looking at exam invigilating but would welcome other ideas.

She took ill health retirement. Different rules.

Yes, I did ....
So I did ...
And I'm ever so glad that I did !

@Floofydawg I've been looking at NHS Bank admin jobs, apparently you can register and pick up bits of work.

I'm hoping doing this may turn into an actual job.

Never done office type work though but I'm sure I'd pick it up

It is so interesting, scary and instructive to read all this, particularly in the light of government panic about retired 50+ and 60+ people leaving a hole in the workforce (ie, tax-paying force).

Mostly, the reasons driving 'early' retirement decisions seem to come down to toxic workplaces (some of which became suddenly toxic) and employers with absolutely no sense of shame, loyalty or duty, or even common sense.

People can only be squeezed so far.

If the working day were officially capped at 8 hrs, with a discretionary capped 10hrs overtime per week, would it help to cure the problem?

I did; I worked till I was 62 after finding out I could not retire at 60 grrr One day I thought; if I cash in all my pensions and don't pay, tax, Ni, commuting costs,clothes for the office, the gardener and the dog walker I could live on my savings and works pension till I'm 66. I just felt why should I pay the goverment another penny when they stole 6 years worth of state pension from me without any notification or choice. So I retired and it was the best decision I made because I got to be at home with my precious pups all day every day for the rest of their lives. I wasnt rich but I had a life while I was fit enough to enjoy it. I worked from 14yrs old sometimes 3 jobs so I could retire and do things I never got the chance to do while working If you work to 67 soon to be 70 you might not have the health to enjoy retirment and the goverment will take everything either in care home fees or death taxes . So my advice retire live on egg and chips if you must but get out and enjoy it. I would just add that had I retired at 60 I could have spent the time with my husband before he passed away.

'@Sandwichgen
It is so interesting, scary and instructive to read all this, particularly in the light of government panic about retired 50+ and 60+ people leaving a hole in the workforce (ie, tax-paying force). Mostly, the reasons driving 'early' retirement decisions seem to come down to toxic workplaces (some of which became suddenly toxic) and employers with absolutely no sense of shame, loyalty or duty, or even common sense.'

Exactly, there is so much ageism as well from employers.

So until the government tries to address ageism and legislate to give employees in general better employment rights then people will continue to retire early or find alternatives to full time employment (consulting, freelancing, part-time working...).

I also find that the UK employers are really quite behind in adopting new ways of working that can benefit older people: home working, flexible hours, job shares...

Most employers can't seem to think beyond the rigid model of working long hours stuck at an office desk full time.

As a disabled, 54 year old I can no longer cope with full time office work but I am perfectly able to WFH in a more flexible way.

For me it's more about how the culture of the organisation I work for has changed, and not in a good way. I cap my own working week, and I manage my own hours. What doesn't get done simply waits until the next week. But quite frankly I'm done with it all.

My employer was flexible and allowed staff to downsize to 4 and then 3 day working weeks within 2 years of retiring. It was fellow colleagues that were insufferable. comments such as '' If you did a full weeks work things would be a lot easier I don't know why you don't just leave'' She was a perta timer lol 10am to 3pm. I did feel I was being pushed out so that and my disgust that my pension age was changed to 66 I just threw the towel in and left

Oh I've been allowed to drop down to 4 days but with the same workload, and for 20% less pay! I'm a bargain for them. And my boss wants to know 'where I see myself career-wise in 5 years time.' Retired, you utter doofus. Some of us don't want to climb the ladder any more. He just doesn't get it.

Got increasingly pissed off with red tape and office politics, got a pension forecast and realised I could retire.
But the actual “fuck it” moment came post covid, when I realised I would soon have to go back to the office, even if only for a couple of days per week.
Nope.

I’m early 60s and yes, had enough of full time office work….enough of sitting on my arse and staring at a computer screen for 8 hours a day! The thought of another 5-6 years of this is mind numbing. Both me and dh still have 3 year’s mortgage to go so this kind of drives the whole issue of retirement. his 90 year old dad died end last year leaving a fairly sizeable inheritance but this will be split between other siblings and grandkids, but it’s taking forever to sort out and should be enough to pay mortgage off and enough to do all the stuff needed to house. both of us have health issues, manageable, but always in back of minds. We want to retire or at least semi. We have pretty modest pensions but we’re not big spenders so should be able to cope until SP kicks in. So at the moment is just like treading water until all the probate gets sorted, but I’ve heard horror stories of this taking years if there’s lots to sort.
i had thought about going part time, but as others here have mentioned, know all to well that all that will mean is cramming 5 days into 3 or 4, getting more stressed but being paid less. NO THANKS
no doubt when I come to finally break into my pension/savings the bastards will move the goalposts again, or help themselves to my modest funds. Anyone get the feeling youre damned if you do….damned if you don’t.

That's how I felt I actually liked my job and look forward to Mondays, weirdo I know. The thought of working an extra 4 yrs till I was 66 and knowing they could move the goal post again just made me mad so I downsized everything and retired.

Well I've only been and requested reduced hours!

YES!! Good luck

@MrsMoastyToasty let's hope it's agreed.

When I went down to 4 days it was a game changer to my mental health

Good luck! Just make sure you don’t get lumbered with the same amount of work.