When is the right time to retire

NannaAnna ..Hi.. if you don't enjoy your job then you probably would be happier if you were to retire, I think its all about quality of life especially at our age, you could leave the job you have a get a different one.. The good news is you have til September to decide x

movedalot I like the idea of "retiring to" something! I retired when I was 61 (67 tomorrow!) and DH, who retired a few months later said "What I think you need when you retire is a job that isn't a job." And really, that's what happened. We are both involved with organisations in which you can do little or a lot, and have been happily busy when we choose to be - well, mostly when we choose!

The slight downsize (lost a bedroom, gained a double garage!) to move down to Devon has put the icing on the cake.

Anyway, before I started babbling on, all I meant to say was that it was exactly the right time. I remember getting into my car on the last day, driving home and never shedding a tear. It was a job I had absolutely loved, and I thought I would miss it dreadfully. Oh no!

NannaAnna; think we must be exactly the same age and pretty much in the same position. I'd pretty much decided on retirement in September as I'm so sick of getting up every morning, but there's the fear that once I'm out I'm out for good. I do have an option to work half the week [with, I assume, an option to do extra hours if they're short staffed] which I may take up. But work just keeps throwing more and more at me and I feel too old to cope with it all. I also worry that, if my income goes totally I have no way of helping my children if ever they need it. Had I stayed married they would have had a massive amount of support from us and, even though I wasn't the one who left I'm the one that feels the need to 'be there' for them [the ex does help in a lot of ways, I must say]. It's not practical to downsize; I've a second size up house; one size down would be a very tiny property but without gaining much money [certainly after estate agents bills etc]. I'm so thankful that I gained a small pension when I divorced; something that, at the time didn't seem very important but now makes all the difference..but it isn't enough to live on. I have no mortgage, thankfully. It must be awful for nightowl and phoenix being in that predicament .

If I were to sell the house and downsize, there would not be enough money left after paying off the mortgage to even amount to a reasonable deposit!

I'm 68 and still working. I don't know how I'll manage when I have to retire. I'll be sooooooooo bored?

Nooooooooooooooooooooo you wouldn't jeni - only boring people are bored so that's leaves you out!

Bored? I wonder how I had time to do everything when I worked. I don't have a minute (except for a lie in occasionally ;)) I love being retired and am so pleased we took the plunge even though it was a big decision.

Exactly- bored? When on earth would I have time to be bored? So much to do, so many things to learn. Mind you I still do quite a bit of private teaching- French and German to the local Expats, and English for the locals. I enjoy having youngsters visit and I really enjoy teaching

Ariadne I think your father must have been demobbed a few months before mine as we are the same age! I could go on and on ad nauseum about how great it is to be retired but don't want to bore you all. Suffice it to say that we do have enough money to live on at the moment, we do own our own house and we do love each other so that is enough got us to be going on with. Times may change and we will change with them if we need to but as long as we enjoy each other's company we don't need much else.

Crimson perhaps the tiredness is nothing to do with age? It is more likely to be because you are so unhappy in your job and that if you were able to leave you would find you have much more energy. We are a great deal more energetic since leaving work and doing our own thing. It is very liberating to only use the alarm clock when you want to and to do things on impulse just because you feel like it.

Those of you with no choice about carrying on working do have my sympathy.

I was 'forced' into retirement at age 60 years, months before the EEC directive of not being able to force retirement - I worked as a Medical Secretary for a large medical practice in my area. They had written into their Practice Rules that all members of staff retire at 60. I understood that rule for the GPs as they are pretty burnt out by 60 - but not in my job. Also I still had a few years on my mortage to pay and as a divorced person I had no other means other then work to pay for it - even with the State and work pensions I received. I almost got on my knees to the Practice Manager to approach the Partners on my behalf but 'rules is rules' and I was turned down. Where was I going to get a decent job at 60, one where I could use my brain?
It was very depressing and for a few months I was quite despairing. Anyway in the end I bit the bullet and approached my local supermarket - a well known high end supermarket - not ASDA or Tesco too proud for that I'm afraid. To their credit they took me on, on a part time basis as a cashier on the tills. Which I loathed but did my best. Nice company to work for with great staff. I was very lucky and rather insistent but when our Home Delivery section started I nagged to be part of it and at first had the odd session.Now I'm in that department all the time and am the longest serving member of the team. I love the job. Have no thought to retire even though my children would like me to as it is a very physical job. I like being with the younger members of the team, also have a couple of drivers my age to chat to - most important I still feel part of society. I have a friend who retired 3 years ago and her outlook now seems very narrow and we have less and less in common.
My GP said work until you drop if it suits you - well not really - but as long as I can, do carry on - also it keeps the weight down which is not good for you.

dorset I am glad that you are enjoying the job but please don't think that those of us who are retired are not 'part of society'. In my experience when one is at work one only speaks to the same limited number of people each day. Once retired you can meet so many more and new people and be part of a much larger society or several small ones. Yes, youg people too! I'm only saying this so that anyone who is scared of retirement can see that some of us have opened our lives much wider and are having a great time since we stopped being 'wage slaves' .

I enjoy winding up my younger friends by pointing our my freedom to them!

I thought that I would never want to retire and that I would be carried out of the door kicking and screaming at them to let me stay. However there came a time when I knew that I had had enough. The job was demanding and I was weary. I was giving the same messages and getting the same stonewalling responses that I had been giving and getting for years. Like gracesmum I was disillusioned by the system.
It took me a while to understand what I wanted and then I moved house to be nearer the family. I retired at 63, that was 7 years ago. I am fitter, healthier, in spite of a hip replacement and breast cancer during this time, and happier than I have been for years.
I made an effort to meet people. I joined the U3A, the WI and slimming world.
I swim, play golf and spend time in the garden and greenhouse. My only regret about retirement is that I did not do it earlier, but I do believe you know when the time is right.
I love the lie ins and not commuting every day.
BTW I am never bored.
Go for it if you can.

I retired when I was 53 because my husband was a lot older than me and I wanted to spend more time with him. When he died ten years later I was so glad that I had. Obviously, financially it wasn't the best option, but I don't regret it.

Since his death I have learned a new life. I'm addicted to walking and gossiping with my walking companion. Economically, I manage.

I took the decision to retire early after a health scare when I was 50 and after having the all clear (2nd time in 10 yrs) we decided to do what we had always wanted to do and relocate to another country,the family had all flown the nest and whilst we would miss them where ever we where based the DCs said that would be their home.
We enjoyed nearly 10yrs away and after being there for just over 2yrs we somehow aquired a business we ran the bar/restaurant for 8yrs very successfully and only decided to come back to UK when both DSs made it clear that they did not want to take over the business from us,we where very very lucky to sell both business and apartment before the bottom fell out of the Spanish market or it would have been another story.
Now after enjoying retirement I find myself doing part-time outside catering and really really enjoy it.I don't know how long I will continue to do this but as long as I am getting pleasure and it is not affecting my family life I am happy to continue.

movedalot Yes, they didn't waste much time, did they?!

No moved; I work 12 hour days sometimes and I just can't do it any more. A few years ago I always had a small nap in the afternoon but I've realised that I've been working longer hours more and more [it's sort of crept up on me]. I drop everything and cover for people at short notice and I'm not going to do it any more because no one notices that I do it and, on the rare occasion that I need someone to cover for me no one does. I've never ben a morning person and getting up at 7 4 mornings a week for nearly 19 years is getting me down. All I crave these days is to wake up and not have to get up straight away.

movedalot apologies I wasn't saying that all retired people have dropped out, just this particular friend. She hasn't taken on any hobbies or interests. Our local library is always having a function such as a discussion group or lecture, there are courses to go, volunteering etc. She doesn't have a garden or grandchildren either.
She's slipping into the 'if it's Tuesday I'm having my hair done or if it's Wednesday I always meet so and so' mode. Her outlook on modern life and young people in particular is always very critical .
Whereas another friend of mine is a dynamo! Retired before me and is on the go all the time - so she's fun and interesting.
When the time comes I intend to look forward to retiring fully - I don't work full time no where near it, so on the days I don't work I
always have something to look forward to.

I feel very lucky to have been in the position I was in and be able to make a decision to retire when I wanted to.

If I had still been in a school I think I might have found it harder to decide to retire but LA work , though interesting, did not have the same emotional pull as working with the children.
crimson It is a great pleasure after many years of being in work at 7:15 to be in bed at that time!

Blimey, nanaej I read that wrong - I thought you meant you were in bed by 7.15 p.m.!

I take my hat off to you, glammanana I ran my own catering business for seven years when I was in my forties and it was rewarding but exhausting. I couldn't do it now. I just wouldn't have the energy. I sold the business but kept the premises which I leased out to another catering company. They moved on two years ago so we are now wondering what to do with the building. I rather fancy converting it into guest accommodation as it already has planning permission (albeit lapsed) for a holiday cottage. Since we have downsized I've been thinking up ways of accommodating the family when they visit so this might be the answer. If we can afford it

no,no,no Ana in the morning!

I retired at christmas at 64 and had to train the two people they took on to do my job! no wonder I am still so tired and doze off every time I sit down! Am looking forward to getting fit, walking and doing something in the charity line as have lots of contacts from work. It will just have to wait for a week or two. Lovely not to get up at 6.00am every day. Go for it while you can if possible

Oh tangle I do agree! We used to get up at 5.15 and be on the road by 6.00. Mornings are bliss now. (when I haven't been awake all night!)

Did a bit of consultancy last term which meant I had to leave home at 6:15 on 2 days a week...it was awful having got used to a more leisurely style of living! Will be more careful about the work i do in the future...mind it paid for all the new plants in the garden!

Oh the garden am soooo looking forward to doing flowers and veg this year, just have not had time the last few years. Can it be spring soon please although do see huge buds on our magnolia tree so am very hopeful that its only just around the corner.