I am a pensioner

Well, just don't do any more sinning, jeni, and you'll be all right!

Timor mortis conturbit me!

No, 'seniors' is just as bad to my mind, Nonu! Perhaps 'Wise Ones'?

Still think what ever any one else says that pensioner is a horrible term , surely in this day and age of baby boomers we deserve something a little more flattering ie , seniors as face it like it or not thats what we are , we are rapidly getting to the age we know not many folk older than ourselves x

I'm 63 this week and still wondering what I'll do when I grow up! I left my last job 2 years ago because I couldn't stand in that shop and do nothing for one second more. I didn't consider it retirement though, as I would take another job if it paid really well, I only had to go in when I felt like it, I could have my lunch breaks when I was hungry, leave early to catch the bus home etc, etc. Funny, there aren't many of that kind of job around!

So am I Printmiss and happy I made it. Really enjoying life, not much money but I save my extra pension of 25p a week until I've got a £1 then buy a Lottery ticket who know's I might yet make a Millionaire before I pop my clog's.
25p a week whoopie

Well I am now 80 and don't feel a day over 79! My husband and I are enjoying life with not a great deal of money but good friends. We are all told that thinking young is good for us, and fortunately most of our 'new' friends are younger than we are, but it is 'old' friends whose company we most enjoy.

Oh its certainly all in the mind, can remember my darling Garndma breaking her hip at 76 (she recovered beautifully) but she was sat up in bed talking in hushed tones about going home soon and getting away from 'all these old fogies'. Bless her she lasted till well into her eighties and had the perfect death (she had worried about going ga-ga). One day she just settled down for a little post lunch snooze in her favourite chair, having heard that my second baby had been born safely that morning and never woke up. Perfect.

For some unaccountable reason, my pension is more than my husband's even though he has worked without a break since university and I have never worked, except for him on a part-time basis, since I had children. Though I have a huge amount of child responsibility years (don't think that is what it's called!)

I deferred mine and took the lump sum when my husband got to 65.

Yes, it annoys my own DH that my state pension forecast is more than his, although I don't know why - I've worked for longer than he has! (He took early retirement.)

ana have a look at this: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/pensionsandretirementplanning/statepension/statepensiondeferral/dg_10027570

I am a Radio 4 addict and listen to all their money advice and they seem to think it is a 'no brainer'.

It really annoys DH that I get a bigger state pension than him even though I don't qualify for a full one!

(I meant about the deferral, of course, not the unsuitable clothes! )

Hmm..you may be right, Alison - will think about that! Thanks.

I'm with Jenny J although purple is not my colour. Sometimes DH asks me why I do something and I say 'because I can'. I now only mix with those I want to (easy round here as everyone is so nice) and do the things I want to do when I want to do them. If I plan housework or gardening and I get a better offer, off I go. The freedom to be 'old' is brilliant, wish I'd done it years ago.

I'm off to buy myself some unsuitable clothes later today!

Ana it might be worth defferring as it grows by about 10% pa and you can't get that amount anywhere else. I did so and when I started to claim it had grown a lot and now that is the amount I get an increase on each year. I think you have to plan to live for about 10 years to make it worthwhile. I plan to live a lot longer than that!

I am wearing a purple top with socks to match right now.

'When I Am Old, I Shall Wear Purple' by Jenny Joseph. I agree, vampirequeen - very funny poem and sums up a brilliant attitude to ageing.

Noooo!

*ana8 depends on the shade...not a rinse but deep purple!

I'm not having purple hair! S*d that for a game of soldiers!

My mum is 78 and she forgets she is a pensioner. She talks about the old people she knows then suddenly remembers that some of them are younger than she is?

Personally I have no intention of being old. I'm going to be a purple haired lady who rattles my cane on the railings and complains I have no money for butter (very poor precise of very funny poem).

I did not mean to defer but we were in the middle of building works and everywhere was chaos and I forgot! I have my work pension and I do a bit of sporadic consultancy & DH works almost f/t so we could manage without at the moment!

It's not a very flattering description, is it? I'll be claiming my pension at the end of this month, but as I'm still working I'll have to pay tax on it!
I didn't want to defer taking it - who knows what lies around the corner?

I know what you mean kitty in the news when they say 'a pensioner....' & I think oh poor old dear...& now it's me!!

johanna I'd lose weight too..bonus