Retirement in September

I can't really comment on whether your income is sufficient - it depends on how you want or need to spend it!

However, as for filling your time, there will probably be plenty of opportunities. We have become involved in all sorts of things that interest us, many of them community based and, as people often say, we don't know how we had time to go to work. There are village coffee mornings, church events, the local archaeology group as well as our individual interests to keep us occupied.

I suggest that you start by looking around for groups and organisations that are linked to your interests and join one or two. If you don't enjoy them, leave and try something else! I think it's important that you get out and meet people somehow - are there local coffee mornings, for example? Just being outside is good, so gardening is a good way of doing that and , if you don't have a garden yourself, there might be a local group that runs a community garden or something of the sort. If you don't have a dog, do you know anyone who does and needs it walked? Dog walkers talk to each other! Volunteering in charity shops, schools etc is another way to fill some of your time.

I'm sure there will be plenty to do. Don't be afraid to try something and then decide it's not for you. You'll find ht eright things in time. Good luck.

Thank you Septimia. I have simple tastes and don’t go on expensive holidays so hope my income will be enough. My dear 92 year old mother lives on £1,000 a month and has a big house to run! I have a dog and know how social that is and also a garden which I love. Thinking of getting more involved with church and might also join a choir. I’ll definitely need to have some sort of routine.

With modest tastes your income is quite sufficient. I am presuming you also have some savings for "unexpected needs" for house repairs etc.

I found it helpful not to have too many expectations of retirement. Take it slowly. Don't rush into filling your days - you may find you really appreciate doing absolutely nothing for a few months (I also retired from NHS admin!!). But it is good to start thinking it through as you are clearly doing.

I live on less than that. But it depends on circumstances really.
Volunteering is a good way to fill your days, but don't rush into anything for a while. Retirement can be lovely.

I meet two separate lots of GNs for coffee or lunch on a regular basis and we have a very enjoyable time.

There should be one near you I would have thought.

I also retired in September but that was in 2002. I should have had more planned for that winter but I did not so keep that in mind-cold weather and short days. After 6 months at home, I found myself 3 part-time jobs which I carried on with until I broke my ankle in 2009 and had surgery.

Many on GN are living on a state pension only which cannot be easy so you should be okay. A lot depends on where you live.

Once away from full-time work with luck, your mental health problems will improve.

Good luck.

I think you will be surprised at how your expenses drop away once you are not at work: transport, shopping and cooking when you are tired/ in a rush; social expenses like meals and birthdays and never-ending collections, wear and tear on clothes and footwear. Heating has to be watched as you are in the house more, but you can use off peak times for washing and cooking etc.
There are many activities available out there, and the time to try them. Life goes by at a slower pace ; I was looking forward to doing chores in daylight (!) but soon found I was too busy, and of course there is always tomorrow.
Many of my friends of all ages are in choirs, and really enjoy them; they seem to be extremely social, and there is always the next performance to work towards. I studied with the OU and really enjoyed it, but it is expensive.
I am sure you will be happy in your retirement as you will have time for doing things you enjoy, and you already have links to activities with dog walking, gardening and the church.
Enjoy.

I'd say it is probably enough but it is just as well you have simple tastes! By now your house will be furnished as you want it, you won't have the expenses of working (travel to and from work, parking fees, suitable clothes, buying lunch and tea/coffee, and so on) Holidays can cost as much or as little as you can afford.
Sit down and make a list of what you have spent in the past year. Then separate the essentials of home, food and regular and inescapable bills from the extras. You are left with your basic expenses in one list and optional extras in another. If the essentials are more than your income, look at which bills could be trimmed down a bit. If they are less than your income, that is your cushion for the unexpected - or for treats if you are lucky.

Thank you all. My biggest excess expense has been wine and I’m going to give that up and save myself £200 a month. Shocking! I do have a tendency to lie around in bed if I’m not working and am worried I’d do that everyday so must be strict on getting up. What time do most of you rise?

You could take up making your own wine 😂

LaCrepescule

Thank you all. My biggest excess expense has been wine and I’m going to give that up and save myself £200 a month. Shocking! I do have a tendency to lie around in bed if I’m not working and am worried I’d do that everyday so must be strict on getting up. What time do most of you rise?

I wouldn’t worry too much about getting up, because your dog will get you out of bed early. I take mine for a walk first thing, as that means he’s calmer all day. Also, you then have time to come home for a nice breakfast and enjoy it that way, it’s a good start to the day.

U3A have a lot of sociable groups.

My routine as well Casdon no chance of a lie in for me.

Don't worry too much about your retirement Lacrepescule it's surprising how life takes over and you will wonder how you found time to work. Don't rush into anything at first, take time out for yourself, coffee with friends, browse round shops, galleries etc generally enjoy your freedom from work. So many charities looking for volunteers, hospices etc looking for helpers. Good luck and enjoy your retirement.

Don’t forget you’ll also get a tax free lump sum on your retirement and I assume you’ve some savings. However, I think you’ll be surprised at how your outgoings decrease when you stop working. £200 a month on wine - blimey - either you have expensive tastes or go beyond the recommended units?
I’m not sure of when your DWP will kick in, but that’ll add a decent chunk to your income too.
I guess the main thing is to find activities to tax yourself, both mentally and physically? There’s a lot of decluttering going on, judging by GN posts, plus walking and gardening which are free and you could consider getting a bus pass, either free or at a reduced price.
I hope you will enjoy your retirement.

I retired from full time work and got my state pension a few years ago. I still work 1.5 days a week and volunteer one morning. I’m active in my local church and belong to a knitting group. It still leaves time for to read or walk or just sit. Take your time to make your new routine and good luck

I’m sure that will be ample to live on. I’m single mortgage free but do like my trips away and days out but they can be done on a budget as I can be flexible. I have a bucket list I’m working through and don’t have big private pension. I get up around 8.30 but I am a night owl and don’t go to bed before 12. I don’t lay in anyway I am abit of a get up get on with the day person I love being retired and relish every minute.

I retired a year earlier than intended due to health reasons I don't regret it for a minute I look after grandchildren 2 days do a couple of school pick ups go out for coffee lunch with friends it took me a good few months to actually settle in to a new routine but I love it now and my health has improved I have enough money to live and enjoy living a simpler life now than when I was working full time

Dogs are wonderful, they force us out of bed very early. Walking all round, for dogs many daily poos is great exercise. Enjoy!

My local council Hackney has good free exercise classes for over 50’s; a variety so it’s easy to find at least one to suit. Then you meet regulars and that’s satisfying. It also has other regular and occasional groups for sociability. Check out your council’s website.

Absolutely don’t rush into things to fill your time. Work was my life and my identity so thought that I would be really lost. I am not! I love being retired and have never missed my working life (although I and my friends really thought I would) I do meet up with former colleagues occasionally though.
I learned to be wary from a slightly older colleague. She filled her retirement days, then found it almost impossible to get out of things later on. Once folks thought I was available I was “headhunted” by loads of voluntary organisations, the local WI, various societies… everyone!! I told them I was having a belated gap-year . I did things I thought I might like but refused to sign up for anything that lasted more than a day or two (single days, not every week!). I helped clear gardens for elderly friends, helped bake for parties, decorated the community centre or sourced specific items for weddings, when friends parents passed on or moved into care homes or just moved I packed and unpacked boxes or cleaned. I went to any event I was invited to for an evening, helped with local community one off things … all sorts but nothing permanent. If it looked like being an every week thing in that first year, I left rapidly.
After a couple of years people got the message and stopped trying to persuade me to do everything, but would still mention things or ask if I was interested. I settled into a rhythm of things I really wanted to do. I’m really happy with what I do and just love being retired.

Sorry- no idea where the paragraphs went in that post! They were there once 🤷🏻‍♀️

Chardy mentioned U3A and I too would recommend this organisation. For a mere £15 a year members of my local u3a have a choice of over 30 interest groups from which to choose, ranging from art appreciation to Anglo Saxon badminton to bridge, crafts to choir, play-reading to philosophy, walking for health to learning Welsh, and many more besides! You can even learn to play the ukelele! The groups, which all meet during the day, are all very friendly and it is a lovely way to meet like-minded people.

My DH and I live in state pension just over £800 each. We have caravan holiday. I was full of trepidation but now I go to the gym 3 times a week. We go out walking . I enjoy gardening , knitting and fashion. It did take a while though. Good luck

I retired six weeks after my 66th birthday last summer and there is nothing that would tempt me back to work! I can help with my grandchildren as needed, help friends in the village with their animals as needed, I can go for long dog-walks and explore new routes, I can get up at dawn or lie in, blissfully free of an employer’s timetable!

I’m also single and mortgage-free. With full state pension and currently £280/month from one private pension, I have a bit more coming in than I was earning in part time work. Downside is that it’s too much to qualify for Pension Credit, and all the extra benefits that would bring, and of course I no longer get Working Tax Credits, just the single person reduction in Council Tax.

I’m debt free, run an old car and can afford to feed myself and my pets without watching pennies too carefully.

Remember to apply online for your State Pension when you get the letter from HMRC. You can ring them to ask for it to be paid weekly if you prefer - they don’t offer it as an option when you apply, but it suits some people better. Otherwise it’s paid 4-weekly, the weekday depends on your National Insurance number, so you get 13 payments a year. This year my “double month is August, which is a bit different from the monthly pay I’d been used to for so long!

You might be interested in the
NHS Retirement Fellowship :https://nhsrf.org.uk/. I never joined myself as had other things to do but many colleagues enjoy it