Best and worst things about retirement

Best

Freedom each and every day to do nothing at all or to do enjoyable things I haven't been able to do because of work.

Going out during the week when there aren't lots of people about and enjoying hassle-free weekends at home.
Having lunch in the garden when the weather is good. Enjoying the garden without the guilt of jobs left undone, and twilights in the garden for G&T, and not worrying about work the next day. Bliss.
Seeing more of my friends and family.
Self-inflicted lack of structure in my life.

Worst

No state pension yet. WASPI woman.
Noticing more odd aches and pains (perhaps because I have more time to think about them!)
Smaller income, so budgeting, still.
Self-inflicted lack of structure in my life (But that's stupid guilt because of a strong work ethic.)

Best....Being able to drive down to our apartment in southern Spain via Jersey and France and taking as much time as we like. Just like we’re doing right now.
Answering to no one but myself.

Worst...can’t think of anything.

What Oldandverygrey said too!!

I retired 4 years ago at 67,OH totally, took over my time,,nearly from that day,nothis fault,three heart attacks,then lung cancer,then told it was terminal.In and out of hospital for eighteen months.In hospital since last Friday,a fractured clavicle ,right side and a fractured rib,left side,spontaneous fractures from turning over in bed. The result of 20 radiotherapy and continual chemotherapy.Visiting again today,for discharge Monday.Another summer gone.

If you have the funds I would invest in true call. I have been phone pest free for several years now. It works well without the subscription.

Grannyrebel

I feel the same, i can’t imagine someone else doing all the things that I do, changing my systems, maybe not doing it properly, and I know I’d miss the interaction with my colleagues.

On the other hand, I’ve been getting up every morning at 5.45 for as long as I can remember, and just fall asleep every evening, so it would be nice to get some balance there, and nice to keep on top of things at home, oh, I don’t know, deal with it when it happens I guess!

I retired ten years ago at 50yrs.

Best
My bus pass - I love being able to jump on a bus and go wherever, whenever I feel like it.
being able to go to the gym when I want and to stay as long as I want.
Not getting out of bed until 9am (or later if I feel like)!
Going for long walks on lovely warm sunny days
Sitting in my garden in the sunshine for as long as I want to.
Not having to stick to a routine - I can do what I want when I want (in theory anyway).
Not having to drive in heavy traffic at peak times

worst
All day every day with very clingy OH, he's like a damn limpet, won't go anywhere without me.
Other people's demands on my time - childminding, decorating, dog minding etc.
Less money coming in and no state pension for another 6-7yrs.
Loss of identity and occasionally feeling invisible.

Best: Everything. Gardening, genealogy, cooking, binge watching Netflix, reading, babysitting grandchildren for weeks at a time during school holidays, impulsively going out for the day, etc, etc..
Worst: Nothing. I have a call blocker phone so don't get nuisance calls.

Not having to bother with time scale apart from making sure I turn up for doc /dentist or any appointments on time.

Another WASPI woman here. Due to retire in just under 2 yrs. Not sure how I feel about it at the mo. Mixed feelings, one minute I think work keeps me young and I want to keep going and then I think it must be nice not to have to go. Anyone else feel/felt like that prior to retirement?

Best: Freedom
Worse: Being patronised because I’m now looking old!

Best being able to do what I want within reason, no alarm wake up calls, spending more time with family grandchildren: Worst. Less money and also won’t get any pension for a few years due to them moving the goalposts n health probs

I too fall into the waspi trap, but I wouldn’t have retired anyway.

Oddly enough, just had a conversation with a friend, and decided I’m not good with leisure time, hopefully by the time I retire, I’ll have learnt that it’s alright to slow down.

Best-not having to get up early and having time to do things in own time without pressure.
Chance to meet friends and join U3A activities.
Worst - widowed 11 years ago so no retirement time at all with DH.Having no-one to do anything spur of the moment with .eg. meal out ,trip to countryside ,holiday. Everything has to be pre planned on own or with friends. Loneliness when back at home with no-one to share things with or talk to.

They say education is wasted on the young, and I sometimes feel retirement is wasted on the old..we could have done so much with all this free time when we were younger and fitter.

The only other downside is a bit of guilt at having the best of it, when my daughters point out how much longer they are going to have to work before they can retire.

Leisurely breakfasts with excellent coffee, and toast or croissants, where DH and I discuss the day ahead, politics, family, everything.
No commuting into the city, ever again!
Sometimes I miss the very bright and lively colleagues from every corner of the globe that I worked with. But they are mostly retired now too, probably. (I certainly don't miss the arseholes who clambered over everyone else to get to the top of the heap. I'm not bitter, can!t you tell? )

WASPI stands for Women Against State Pension Inequality. It is a pressure group trying to mitigate the effects of the State Pension age increases.

WASPI is the best known, and has become the default term, but other, more inclusive groups are also available .

My wife and I have been retired since May last year and we haven’t looked back. Yes there is less income but we live (live, not survive) on a specific monthly income. We don’t get state pensions until 2023 and 2028. Love not knowing what day it is sometimes and not getting up to an alarm. Our time is ours to do what we want. There are demands on our time as people know you’re available but we do say ‘No’ as babysitting and running errands are not reasons why we retired.

Best: not having to get up until I am ready to, always been a 'night person'.

Worst, loneliness.

I have become disabled and am mostly housebound now. Yes I have family but they are busy people, I speak to DD daily on the phone, one son lives a distance, other son works long shifts for NHS.
Must stop feeling sorry for myself.

And that's put not out

Best
Lovely freedom
Don't have to listen to line manager who was a real *#@%¥
Don't have to fit in with everybody else for holidays
Can't have lie ins as have a dog, but wake early anyway.

Worst
Can't think of a single one. Only just squeezed in before state pension was out back - dreadful - unlike some of my poor friends

Whats a WASPI please?

Sounds nasty, does fly spray work?

Oh and best - having dogs to walk on beach every morning

Retired 4yrs ago after 42 years full-time
Best
1 or 2 days a week with DGD - will so miss this when she starts primary school.
Time for crafts that I'd picked up over the years, and starting new ones.
Worst
Worrying about money for new coat, garage bills, even a meal out. (What a shame we have the lowest state pension in W Europe, I genuinely wonder how other countries manage this, and yet we can't)

Like some others on this thread . I am beginning to wonder if I will ever find out ? I have had my retirement moved to 67+ .

Talk about wishing your life away . Those who were able to retire at 60 ( and in some cases earlier) are very very lucky indeed .