If you are over 60, can you advise me ...

DH and I both retired at 60. Thus began a brilliant decade of freedom and self-indulgence, with good health and few responsibilities. When DH was working we didn't have much leisure time together and only short holidays. Once he retired we travelled a lot - at home (making good use of our newly acquired bus passes!) and abroad. I can honestly say my 60s were the best decade of my life.

Early retirement, moved to the coast and got a puppy.

We both took early retirement and moved house while we could be bothered to a place we had visited a lot.
Grandchildren came along and travelling to see them.
Talk a lot more to DH we used to be ships that passed in the night even at weekends. Took up new hobbies and made new friends.

Retired at59, now 79. Did 21 years voluntary work at the magistrates court twice a week, and did 1 day a week at the mental health unit, at the court I started at 8am so was glad to really retire 18 months ago

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Stop working for rip of employer

I retired at 61 as we decided to retire to my husband's family croft in the north of Scotland (not a working croft). We were going to travel, but just haven’t had time; we’ve reinstated the allotment sized veg patch, made numerous flower borders. Himself has been editing years of photos; I volunteer at our local museum and am proud to have helped pack up and move the whole museum to much bigger premises. I do some sewing and have plenty of time for family history research. The best bit is not having a routine!

At the age of 60 my husband and I were happily travelling round Europe by caravan having let our bungalow. Three years later my husband died. For the next two years I spent the winters in Spain and the summers on a site in the New Forest. As I couldn’t get a tenant for the bungalow I returned to it and spent three months renovating and repairing the damage. As I didn’t drive I took coach holidays and exchanged visits with friends met during our travels and going to see my son in California and niece in Barbados until I was in my eighties when I had to give up because of arthritis in my knees.

I love being retired. It’s different from anything that has come before. My time belongs to me not to an employer. I’ve completed an OU BA in History, spent much time being a proper gran and a Mum. I also have a number of hobbies and restoration projects on the go and of course, DH. Enjoy every minute, good luck. ?

I am 65. After I hit 50, I decided I was in the last 3rd of my life and what I did needed to count. I went back to school and changed my profession to something that I believe helps children and families. I went to places I had wanted to go- to Italy, to England and to Scotland. I felt like “what are you waiting for??” And I did things that I had wanted to do all my life like officially get my British citizenship. The past two years I went back to school again and am just completing my Masters degree. All these activities were life long hopes and dreams for me. I re-focused my commitment to God. 60’s have been good for me!

I am 67 and I do the same things I did when i was 57. Somethings have to change of course and I lost my husband 10 years ago which made a big difference, but I am the same person and I like the same stuff.

I dug a tunnel out of corporate life last April - just before my 60th birthday. Despite the current climate, DH and I absolutely love every day. We start the day with a two-hour walk in the local countryside, then do a quick tidy up of our little home, before sharing lunch and having an afternoon of hobbies. My hobbies include jewellery design, family and local history research, and many other crafts. It is the simple things in life that count.

Of course we miss being with our two DDs and family/friends. But there is so much to enjoy that costs nothing hence our feeling totally blessed.

I retired at 60 and am now able to go to regular fitness sessions in the mornings! We also have a house in France, and having been a lecturer, we can now go over outside of school holidays and stay for longer. I also do part time exam invigilation at a local school, go out for lunch with girlfriends, have one holiday a year with them too. Finally, I've written a book which is selling well on Amazon and receiving lots of 5-star reviews. Just get out there and live life to the full.

Wife and I retired early. Spend our time reading, doing puzzles, I like doing plastic model kits, walking, attending quizzes, gardening (growing flowers from seed), doing online free courses and going on staycations (subject to restrictions). Best thing about retirement is not being at the beck and call of an alarm clock! Not bored one bit. Would like to some voluntary work tho just to put something back into the community.

At 60 I was told I would have a first grandchild and at 61 was the proud grandma of a beautiful baby girl.
We started travelling a bit further afield every few years, to places most of my friends and family had already visited realising that it was then or never. I still feel the same as I did in my 60 s , but now a decade older and though the heart is still willing arthritis etc has crept in uninvited and Covid has stopped travel. So little time, so much to see.
So Hutchison seize the day, happy birthday and enjoy your 60s.

Totally agree as you never know what’s around the corner!

Sorry Hucho Not Hutchison as the iPad typed. Enjoy your birthday .

At the age of 59 just over a month before my 60th Birthday I had a cardiac arrest. Thank God for me I was in an ambulance at the time and they were able to bring me back.
The fact that I reached 60 was a gift to me. Every day I wake up is another gift I am so grateful to still be here. I am 66 in December so hopefully I will receive my pension and manage a few more years.

Getting divorced and now looking to retire this summer. Been a hard two years but loving my single life in my own new home ?

My brother gave me a year’s subscription to the T****ph crossword site & 11years on I still do it every day. Talk about addiction!

Having not ridden a bike since I was a child, I cycled (with a group) from Agra to Jaipur in India for charity. It was liberating and wonderful.

Happy birthday Hatcho! My main advice would be to go to all the countries you hoped to visit. I’m so glad that I did, because at the age of 75 long haul now fills me with horror, even if I was allowed. I hope funds allow it!

Go to your local library to check out what's going on for people of a certain age in your area. Most places have a U3A (University of the Third Age) and for a small sum payable annually, there are varied things to do that might interest you, from learning a language, to visiting local attractions with historic or cultural interests, to playing green bowls. Look online to see the details.

Many adult education centres have 'summer school' where for 6 weeks you can learn how to do something. I did a quilting one once where I learned how to do patch work. Again, once holidays abroad open up, it's always good for our image (us Brits are notoriously lazy at learning even a few words of our host's language - please, thank you, hello, etc) so do a basic language course. It's usually free or subsidised (depending on your council's generosity) and within a few months, you could be talking like a native. The important thing is not to stagnate.
Good luck.

I had a ball doing amateur dramatics and musicals - always playing roles much younger than my actual age (very good for your deportment!), story telling in assemblies and toddler groups and have written 3 adventure story books for 7-9 year olds and had agents interested in them (though not published so far - in case there are any agents on gransnet!). I'm SO missing amateur dramatics, but have just played a strong role in a play for local radio.... I mostly gave up paid work when I had the children (long story) and my husband worked incredibly long hours so I've always been used to finding interesting things to do!

I decided to do a flower arranging course to learn how to do it properly, after years of doing what I thought looked nice. Enjoyed it so much I enrolled in a floristry course, then two more levels to achieve an official qualification. So proud of myself and even do weddings and funerals.