Is it the end or the beginning?

Madahhlia - it is something that I have to start thinking about but keep putting off. Interesting comments from you all and people I speak to all recommend it so why don't I do it?
The 1st thought is money -
I love to treat the Grandchildren - my Daughter says it's the time that you spend with them they enjoy - I call most nights after work so do see them alot.
At work I get -
A free meal every day - that saves me cooking at night
A warm office - saves on heat at home during the day
Use of a company mobile
Free health and travel insurance
I travel to Holland and Ireland for work which is like visiting friends
I feel I might be worse off.

If my outside work friends do something special or days out with th WI I always take the time off so as not to miss out. 4 times a year I have friends visit from Holland and also my Daughter-in-laws family visit every year from the Czech Rep. and I return a vist to them once a year. I still do all my own gardening and odd jobs. So I do live a rather busy life.

I originally intended to retire at 60 but the month before that my husband left and I had to take on a mortgage so had to stay on to pay that off. Then thought maybe when I am 65 - that came and went - then came the next big birthday and that came and went and here I am still thinking should I take the plunge.

Keep posting everyone Madahhlia and I need your thoughts!

 

I've always dreamed of retirement from the day I started work and could have left at 60 on full pension or at 50 with early retirement and amazingly I managed to wangle the latter and have never regretted it for one moment.

At my (early) retirement party I pronounced that although apparently most men thought about sex 19 times a day http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/h...st-19-times-a-day-nearly-as-much-as-food.html I thought about early retirement more than that.

It's helped a lot to have never taken on loads of debt, to have built up savings and paid off our mortgage early. As Mrs Scrungee also gave up work shortly afterwards we had a massive reduction in income, but applied our skills to overcoming this. Palustris sums
it up perfectly:

Jack's views on this seem about right to me (there's always a first). Mrs Scrungee used to help the children with reading (very rewarding), assisting with cooking (called 'Science' due to policically correct National Curriculum), lunchtime Gardening Club, school trips, and general dogsbody at all sorts of events.

And some more very sound advice here - do NOT start watching more daytime TV! Increased listening to Radio 4 is acceptable especially these days when listening to The Archers @ 14:00, when in the good old days (remember that) it started at 13:40 and you could listen to it in the staff car park and still 'clock in' without an infringement.

 

Och eye another thirty year old, asking us old codgers what retirement will be like in 35 years time

STOP winding us up :-)

Jack McH

 

Is it the end or the beginning?


I think Winston had it right.

 

He certainly had a way with words, but wasn't that particular speech a bit of a brain tax?

I think it was something like, "this is not the end, this is not even the beginning of the end, but just maybe, its the end of the beginning". Or, to put it more simply "this is the bit in the middle".

 

Already done that - fancy doing the Pan American Highway down to Tierra del Fuego? I've always wanted to do a serious road trip.

I've really enjoyed reading all your helpful words, peoples.
I've never worried too much about finding stuff to do, you mentioned lots of things that are already on the list, plus a few I'd forgotten about.

I guess right now, I'm seeing leaving work as a loss - which it undoubtedly is. Once I leave that kind of work I can't see it being replaced by anything offering the same sense of community and camaraderie - not in paid work, anyway, although other activities will provide something similar.

However, I know it will be replaced by a gain - all those wonderful experiences which you've reminded me about.

This afternoon I switched off the laptop (an achievement in itself, but that's for another thread) and spent a hour doing some yoga. I haven't done any at home for years. I was amazed at how focussed and peaceful it felt. I have spent the last few years running round, not quite having a direction, never feeling I have enough time for things (largely due to my appalling time management) and not appreciating the basic things of life - a good meal, smelling the flowers etc. I'm really hoping I can rediscover some of this when I don't have to worry about the stresses of a paid job any more.

Grannie Annie - I absolutely can't believe how old you seem to be saying you are - have you got a mirror in the attic??