Retire early or travel while we can?

Yes do it . We haven't regretted it at all . Husband decided after having a knee replacement and I went to . He was 61 and I was 57 . We did the maths and although we stick to a budget and aren't extravagant we have managed to enjoy trips here in the UK and abroad .
We'd seen so many older family members struggle with health issues that didn't get to enjoy their retirement sadly .
Every passing year the aches and pains increase so do it while you are able and well .The only downside for us is that the years fly past way too quickly because our weeks are so full . Life is short , time to enjoy it while you can .
Good luck , enjoy your travels 👍

Slot? 🤣 Much of course

Definitely go for it, take the trips whilst you know you can. Not being pessimistic but practical, knowing too many people who kept putting it off worrying about care home bills, by which time chances are you won't know slot about it, or what seemed a massive amount of savings will disappear in a flash!

I retired from my NHS job after 36 years at 55 , my OH retired the year before me , again NHS at 55. We are mortgage free, have bought ourselves a wee campervan and enjoy travelling around Scotland when the notion takes us.If you do the numbers and can afford it , then I would definitely recommend it.Life is far too short and I have seen so many friends pass away at a young age. I still work on the nurse bank a couple of times a month to keep my registration and it gives me the chance to catch up with my colleagues ( I work in dialysis).

Yes just go for it ! I waited until 62, partly because my DH didn’t want to retire - but I worked part time and he was self employed so we did plenty of the things we loved . We had a few good years post retirement the. COVID and endless bouts of ill health ! Dont hesitate

Go for the travel option. I left my main job at 52 after a nervous breakdown but worked at several other jobs till I was 70. I have been lucky enough to travel quite a bit, lately with my family, and enjoyed ever minute.

I think it will keep you both young and very happy !

I latterly worked o a 'relief' basis by doing this I would book 3 nights away to Prague on one occasion, to Jersey on another occasion, we went off to Rome then another time to Venice, all the time with the security of my job. I found myself frequently working 7 days a week, when I eventually decided my health wasn't keeping up with me at 67, I decided to retire, a workmate told me to say I only want 2 days I week - he was a bit shocked when I said I had already asked for that. Now at 80, I'm so glad I had the chance of those little trips, cause there is little chance now.

I agree with everyone. Go for it. I have been on river cruises on the rivers of Europe. Smallish boats so you are not surrounded by thousands of others like on ocean cruises, and there are excursions from the boat to some really interesting places. One of my favourite trips organised through a university with a history professor was the Roman sites of Southern France. Mesmerising.

I had to retire early for health reasons.

There's no pockets in shrouds - go for it.

Primrose 53 I feel for you, my husband had a first stoke 12 years ago but had a 2nd stroke in November taking the use of both left and right side now.They also found an incurable brain tumour on his scan and now only has months to live.He is only 60 years old and we are both devastated, he is now in a care home, life really is too short 😢

Forgot to check for typos! I help with financial education and bills.

We did it and have never regretted it. Now my DH has been diagnosed with a couple of serious conditions in the past year which will impact our ability to go long haul, I’m even more glad we did it. We live comfortably and downsized which released cash too.
If you can make it work, do it. You never know what’s around the corner, as we and others on here know only too well.

Go for it if it works for you financially. Best years of our life - fit, healthy and travelling the world. Now from the perspective of old, old age we have wonderful memories of those life-enhancing travels and experiences in our late 50s and 60s.
Seize the moment...

We retired 10 years ago. I was 60. Himself 62. No regrets. We weren’t eligible for out state pensions so we worked out our sums on the back of an envelope. Divvied up our ‘lump sums’ into monthly allowances to last us the 6y to state pensions kicking in.

My NHS pension is tiny (I didn’t join it for years, silly me). Himself had to forfeit 7% of his private pension for each year he retired early so that was 21% less of a lump sum and then the annual amount. It would have given us a better income but less ‘time’ but we have enough for our needs and have absolutely no regrets. Especially so as he is now on palliative chemotherapy treatment.

What suits one couple may well not suit another. Decisions have to be made after talking things over. We jotted down every possible outgoing - even dentist, hygienist, car service * MOT, petrol (we knew we couldn’t afford another and ours is an 18 year old Peugeot), birthday and Christmas presents, utilities. All I can suggest is look at all the financial ramifications of retiring early, struggling would bring its own stress and you can’t buy peace of mind. Then, after careful consideration if you feel you can live well enough, I wouldn’t hesitate.

Lack of choice brings its own stress. If you can only afford a cheese sandwich you’d yearn for a steak dinner but conversely, if you have the money for a steak dinner you don’t mind choosing a cheese sandwich! It’s when you can’t afford something you’d like problems occur.

Make sure your wants are less than your needs.

I was very lucky indeed to be able to take redundancy and an immediate occupational pension at age 50 so I had an (albeit reduced) income but a very chunky payout as I'd been with the same employer for over 25 years. (Rules have changed now, you have to be 55 to take your OP early, I think). DS was still at school so it was nice to be home for him in a way I hadn't been much before -- i had always worked as i loved my job.
I was a bit uncertain at first but quite honestly I've never looked back.
We have three or four holidays a year including a whole month in southern Spain in January just to escape the cold and dark British winter. We've travelled to Cuba, Hong Kong (twice) Japan and Vietnam as well as the US and several European countries. We've also had longer stays in France incorporating intensive language courses to improve our French and really explore an area.
We've also made a point of visiting British cities we hadn't been to before and made a pilgrimage back to our Alma Mater in the northwest of England, where we met.
Trips planned for the next year or so are to Italy, Provence, and northern Spain, for now. There maywell be more, especially while we can still travel independently and arrange it ourselves. Coach trips and tours are definitely not for us!
If you can afford it I would always say take the money and run. Not everyone likes to travel but you will have choice and freedom. Life is short.

I would retire when you can. I stayed till 66 and wondered why? I should have give earlier,

I knew I’d want to still keep active so I help people save on their hills and earn extra to travel, days out and lunches without having to worry and take it out of my pension. All as and when it suits me.

If DH and I had waited until he reached retirement age, he would never have fulfilled his dream of sailing on the canals and rivers of Europe for three years.

We retired early and bought a boat and off we went. Then bought this house.

We had no idea then that DH would die of an agressive cancer just three months after reaching the official retirement age of 67.

So please, don't wait. I trust things won't turn out as sadly for you two as for us, but at least towards the end we could look back happily at a fulfilled dream.

And while we were travelling we met looads of people who had wanted to do something similar, but had, as they said, "waited too long, and now it wasn not possible."

Go for it, whilst you are in good health! Enjoy every minute!

Yes, yes do it while you are young and healthy. I retired on a good pension at 49 as my husband was older than me and we didn’t know what was round the corner. We travelled extensively but I was hit with an auto immune disease at 55 and found walking etc very difficult. No one wanted to insure me. Fast forward 10 years and they found drugs to get me back on my feet and now I’m pain free…… then my husband got dementia and now no company will insure him but we still manage to get around the UK. You never know what is ahead of you so enjoy your adventures today!

Go for it.
DH retired in 2006 and we travelled (during school holiday time) as I only retired last year. Now he’s getting frailer, we’re still travelling but it’s harder work, so we’re glad we did it back then.

If everything you own is paid for, go. The UK is a mess. My sister and bil left for Turkey abt 10 years ago and never came back. They love it. Health issues forced them into doing this. They found a better life elsewhere. Life's too short. Best wishes. X

Do it!!

Also 59. I am autistic and menopausal and was in a high pressure job. New manager made my life a living hell and I felt it was time to get out. Having spent over 35 years in employment I'd reached the stage of either accepting a toxic and bullying culture or accept it for what it was, leave and focus on the next phase of my life. I chose to quit. It was the best decision ever. I wish I'd done it sooner. I have travelled more than I ever thought I would. I have met so many good, interesting people and seen some lovely places. I've had some scares and "adventures" but I feel more relaxed and alive than I have ever felt. I am single, so all financial worries stop with me but do you know what? My attitude is now "it will be ok". I've had such a confidence boost by solo travel. Only you know what's right for your situation but one thing is sure - time will not wait for you; don't "waste" years and then look back and think "I wish I had". No one knows what's round the corner, either in our personal zones or within the wider world. Seize the day !

I only wish I’d retired sooner I waited until I was 65, my DH retired from his job in 2016 and worked for 6 months a year transporting cabin crew between the airport and their hotels in Edinburgh. Missed so many opportunities to travel, we’re now trying to make up for lost time and heading to Croatia soon. It’s somewhere we’ve never been so excited. I’d say go for it no one knows what’s around the corner