At what age did you retire from work ..? For me it was at 59

Retired at the end of last year, 66 and 6 months.
I absolutely love it, no getting up at the crack of Dawn . I feel totally at peace, although I help with childcare for for my grandson, I can do just as I like.
Housework No longer has to be crammed into the weekend , I do it whenever.
I do still have a houseful though. 2 AC and grandson. If it was just me and Dh, I might think differently. ?

What an interesting thread! I retired at 66. This was unusual as I worked in local govt. The Director gave me permission to work on at 66 but I was in charge of a team that had the Union Coordinator in it. She told me that the Union was not happy about workers staying on as it set a precedent and I would be stopping someone from getting my job. I was not going to fight them so I retired. She emailed me after a week because I had not been replaced and they were missing me!
I really loved hearing the rain pouring down on cold mornings and cuddling into my duvet thinking I don’t have to go to work.
I was pleased in the end because my husband and I went on holidays with 4 friends from up,North. We did great Rail journeys and cruises. My husband always said we were investing in memories. Sadly that was all so true because he had melanoma and died 13 years ago now. I still miss him dreadfully and all my affection now goes to my two very old dogs who I adopted after a friend died as they had nobody to take them. I spend my time trying to get Shelter dogs good homes and mucking around with my Firesticks and trying to learn more technology. I loved reading your stories!

I am 71 and I am still working part time but I do get school holidays. Intend to retire next year as we are planning to move nearer my daughter. My husband retired at the age of 65. He went down to 4 days a week the last year as he had had had enough. It does been he gets less pension as a result.

I was being bullied at work, and made plans to retire and move out the area, stop work and start living. That happened a year ago when I was 60, quit my job, moved house, got a little part time job to tide me over, and I am so much happier. Lots of bit life changes but life is good.

I retired at 58, I had some health issues & sadly at that time my late DH was diagnosed with cancer so the time was right. No regrets at all, we made the most of our time together, went away while we could (pre-Covid) We spent quality time together & with our family & friends & just did what we fancied. I’d say if you can get by financially go for it & enjoy your retirement because you just never know what’s around so the corner, it’s never the same once you are left on your own.

UserNamesAreOverrated- Enjoy -not long to go!
I am stopping work when my Partner retires in 18months - I am tired all the time. Juggling working 5 days a week (till 3:30 4 days and one day to 5.15) with zooming up the m4 (hours journey each way ) twice a week to help support my dear elderly, In poor health Parents (my dear Sisters help too and my Parents have a small care package).
I work with little toddlers and am having trouble with my knee replacements and now we are looking to retire in 18months - he wants to move another 30/40mins away from my Parents - if I win the lottery I’m running away (but will look after Parents)!

52 for me DH at 55 within two months of each other.Enjoyed 23 years of wonderful holidays before he died..Never regretted a moment.

I’m due to retire in 74 days and I can’t wait. I’m 63 years old and intended retiring at 55 but getting divorced and splitting equity put a stop to that.
Money maybe tight but it’s my time to sit back and a enjoy the day instead of sitting behind a desk

I’m 63 and still working, I have another 2 1/2 years left. Yes I feel work is actually making me ill mentally but I have no option, I’m single and can’t afford not to work

Still working at 71…..my husband stopped work at 50 …..

55 from full time but I’ve worked part time since now aged 68.

Retired in the grounds of ill health at 57, now 75 and never felt better

I went part time at 60, as I could claim my work pension, I'm hoping to retire next year when I'll be 65, my office is closing then and I've no intention of moving on.

Awesomegranny - I don’t think that’s quite correct. There was a sliding scale for retirement, between 60 and 66, for women born in the early 1950s. I was born just after the limit (June 55), so I had to wait until I was 66. My husband also had his state pension deferred by 6 months. He was born in Feb. 54.
I actually retired at 58 on a small teacher’s pension and managed to survive on a budget until my pay rise in 2021. I’ve never enjoyed any of my paid jobs, so I was glad to go. I’ve since found Hospice volunteering to be very rewarding though. Unfortunately this had to stop in March 2020, but I’m hoping to return to it soon.

60, after full time ( with the exception of two stints of Maternity leave ) for 45 years in local government and NHS, so I was able to retire on a good pension. I get my State Pension this September too, so can keep a decent standard of living, plus DH still works, he’s 10 years younger than me.

No intention of stopping.
I tried but missed it too much.

61 from paid work and 65 from voluntary work driving patients to and from hospice day care. Been caring for my aged mother til she died 3 years ago and two grandchildren born after I retired. Now we are walking our granddogs 3/4 times a week and a few school runs. Family help never disappears.

62, I couldn’t take the pressure any longer, so lived off savings for four years. I may not have much of a pension, but having good health is more important than working yourself into an early grave. It’s so wrong my generation have to wait till 66 whereas those born a couple years earlier could get their oap pension at 60

In 2.5 months time, age almost 60. At the beginning of the pandemic, I told DH that by the time I have to return to the office, it will be time for me to retire and that turned out to be true.
DH is much older than me and I feel the time is right for me to retire. I am so thankful that I no longer have to do the daily long commute anymore especially in the winter months.
We have an online website selling collectibles, we are trying to sell our remaining stock, which will keep me busy during retirement.

52, 18 years ago. DH and I both worked for large corporations and were offered enhanced redundancy packages at the same time. We'd been throwing the maximum amount into my company pension for a few years, so were able to live off that and DH's pension until SP started. Best decision ever.

67.
I worked on past my contracted retirement age (65) to defer and build up my state pension.
I cut my hours/days until I was being paid what I would take home with my state and work pension so I could adjust to what I would be getting.
I really enjoyed my job (as a CAD technician with a local authority) but at the end there were so many financial constraints any civil engineering was cut back to essential repairs so there was no interesting projects to work on.
I did dream that I was still working for the first year or so but not any more.

Like a few others here I retired at 55. I was in a university admin job and was exhausted from doing the work of four people whilst the managenent dithered about when to replace the people who had gone.
Absolutely no regrets, though I didn't have much occupational pension as I'd not been there many years.
Fortunately my state pension was delayed for less than two years, we cashed in our house and were fine financially. We've now downsized to a lovely flat with a balcony by the river and are both very happy.
I'm sad to hear that some here are missing work, so many people suffer ill health later so you need to make the most of the life you have now.

I worked full time till I was 63 then worked part time until I was 68. By that time I had 3 grandchildren and helped with a fourth until they were all at school. Now I have 2 West Highland Terriers (terrors.) At 81 I still knit, Cook and Bake. I have a built in need to keep myself busy.

68 but still keep busy with volunteering, committee work and other stuff. Just an unpaid extension to work really

I left full time employment at 53. Then did consultancy contracts til I was 63. DH not in the best of health so it was the right decision. Now 72 Am studying with the OU to keep grey cells working!