Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Totally the other way around for me, I'm never not working

Even when I'm on holiday having a great old time I'll just get a thought pop into my head about something work related, I'll then retreat into my own mental world for a short while as I ponder it.

It's not a stressful thing, I'm not kept up at night worrying about it or anything like that. I just love what I do and there's no real distinction between work and not-work for me.

I often get "Why did you e-mail me about this idea at 15:30 on a Saturday?" type Q's from colleagues

[Couchy]

It's on my thoughts a lot recently having had my life fucked up again. I'm 55 so can assume I've got another 10-15 years at most doing what I want when I want. Could argue I'm lucky to still have my health now so what to do. Next year sometime I'll be in my own place with just day to day bills. My daughter will be 11 so that's 5 years staying local till she's off to uni or wherever. I'm happy living there though it's cheap and has cycling on my doorstep and peak district 30 mins away. Ignoring my head is fucked but assuming it won't be at some point I could kick the pension in next year. I'll have a decent income for 15-20 years then a more basic state pension plus a bit once I hit 70-75. I guess this begs the question why not ? My business is doing well so I'd be giving up that bit and not sure more money from it will provide me with anything more than I have or want now. I just don't have the desire for anything expensive or to travel the world. Quite happy with what I have and staying local or at most Europe. Fuck knows lets see how I feel in 6 months when everything is paid for

[Dodgy69]

Part-time is the answer, reduce your hours. Keeps you in the working loop but with more family/hobbie time, say 3 or 4 day's, whatever suit's.

Imo, it also depends where you live and what interests you have. In the uk it's harder in cold winters than 25° sun. I've had time out of work and in the summer it's great, outside all day tatting about, in the winter it's a lot different.

It's different for everyone, it's all about being as happy as you can be.

[Horse]

I don't feel ready to pack up work yet. Everyone I know who has seems to have known when the time was right, and I've not had that epiphany yet. My job isn't too shabby, despite my occasional moaning.

I think it's unrealistic to expect that every day at work is going to be wonderful, but in fairness most days for me are ok, so if I walked away today I'm sure I'd miss parts of it.

I reckon that unless you feel a real desire to pack it in and walk away, then quitting work might not be the dream decision.

From 2021, I was considering going part-time. But a tough project through 2021and a real @rsehole of a project in 2022 beat a lot of the enthusiasm out of me.

The arrangement now is that they offer me work that might suit me, if I agree then we go ahead. It won't involve the kind of responsibilities I had then.

However, I was never intending to do nothing in retirement. That's part of the reason for taking up the community first responder role. Plus plenty of other stuff too.

[gremlin]

Part-time is the answer, reduce your hours. Keeps you in the working loop but with more family/hobbie time, say 3 or 4 day's, whatever suit's.

That's the route I'll probably go down. Employers must, by law, give consideration to flexible working (read into 'consideration' what you will), and it's something a couple of lads at work have done. It keeps a bit of income coming in, along with the continued, albeit lesser, pension contributions, private healthcare (fuck, do I need that these days?!), Death in Service protection (12 x annual salary, it's a wonder Mrs. G hasn't pushed my down the stairs!), etc, etc/. Plus, it mentally prepares you for the huge lifestyle change that stopping working brings. I was speaking to an ex-colleague some years back and I remember her saying it took her a year or so to adjust to not working. I don't think anybody should underestimate how going from the 5-day-a-week grind to retirement can mess with your well-being.

[weeksy]

Death in Service protection (12 x annual salary, it's a wonder Mrs. G hasn't pushed my down the stairs!),

Wow... i thought 3X was good !!!

[Sunny]

[...]they've sacrificed having a family so they could have all the other stuff and it's a bad mistake to make, they'll spend their elder years without the blessing of grandkids or family, etc.

This bit doesn't work for me. I've never been interested in having kids/grandkids, and at 44 that's not going to change. I have Muz and we have a dog and a place we like living, and spare cash to spend on toys.

But I also never intentionally set out to have 'a career' - it kind of happened by accident. Hell, I was working in not much more than a call centre when I joined VD twenty-odd years ago. Now I actually have a career, and have had for a while, I'm finding the balance odd - my job is demanding and takes more of my time than a job ever has before, and it's noticeable - I've stayed away from home so much I'm a Titanium Marriott member (that's a minimum of 75 nights in a year).

But I'm also smashing through the mortgage, so figure I'll keep it up for now. Work/life balance has always been important to me though, so in another year or so, something needs to change. I like the idea of a four day week, but not sure about the practicalities of it, and I'd be pissed at the pay cut.

If I didn't do this job ever again, I don't think I'd really miss it, but I would miss the people.
So retirement, and doing something like Citizen's Advice appeals to me. Doing anything early massively hits the pocket though, and certainly isn't feasible right now.

[Taipan]

My wife has semi-retired and I asked about the possibility of dropping down to 4 days a week and it was approved (3/1 ratio of on site/wfh) but I haven't taken them up on it, yet. The wifes Mum is 92 and has dementia, hence the wife going part time. I think if i have more time at home i'll end up helping out and to be frank, i'd rather be working and I dont think i can help with that anyway, so might as well keep topping the retirement pot up.

Our retirement goals have changed, yet again! Having holidayed for a few days in Portugal last month, it brought home to me how much I dislike winters here. We'd planned to go touring southern europe in the campervan during winters when we retire, but having just rented a pool with a villa, we now think we'd like to get a similar place abroad, although probably Spain and not Portugal. We could get visitors then rather than keep returning home. My Daughter is really keen for us to do this and will manage it on AirBnB for summer rental income so it pays for its running costs etc and then keep it free for us in winter. The likelihood is our old folk will have passed away by the time we retire so that would free us up. I dont mean that as callously as it sounds, but i'm sure you get the gist.

[Count Steer]

From 2021, I was considering going part-time. But a tough project through 2021and a real @rsehole of a project in 2022 beat a lot of the enthusiasm out of me.

The arrangement now is that they offer me work that might suit me, if I agree then we go ahead. It won't involve the kind of responsibilities I had then.

However, I was never intending to do nothing in retirement. That's part of the reason for taking up the community first responder role. Plus plenty of other stuff too.

Similar. For a long time I really enjoyed what I did and worked within my area of expertise but, because I had a decent track record, they kept shoving me at knotty stuff that was outside it. 'Big Oil' was OK but Health was the final straw. If I could have kept to the stuff I knew inside out and upside down I would have carried on for a few more years. (I don't mind learning new stuff but I didn't see why clients should pay good money while I did it...and I no interest in the Health sector. So, I got the job up and running, handed over and quit).

I planned to freelance for a while - even got offered a contract consultancy job in.....Health!

Got involved doing all the things I always said I'd do, if only I had time, and never looked back. No regrets at all.

[gremlin]

I've never been interested in having kids

Smelly, noisy, inconsiderate money-sponges.

[Sunny]

I've never been interested in having kids

Smelly, noisy, inconsiderate money-sponges.

Yup

[Yorick]

My wife has semi-retired and I asked about the possibility of dropping down to 4 days a week and it was approved (3/1 ratio of on site/wfh) but I haven't taken them up on it, yet. The wifes Mum is 92 and has dementia, hence the wife going part time. I think if i have more time at home i'll end up helping out and to be frank, i'd rather be working and I dont think i can help with that anyway, so might as well keep topping the retirement pot up.

Our retirement goals have changed, yet again! Having holidayed for a few days in Portugal last month, it brought home to me how much I dislike winters here. We'd planned to go touring southern europe in the campervan during winters when we retire, but having just rented a pool with a villa, we now think we'd like to get a similar place abroad, although probably Spain and not Portugal. We could get visitors then rather than keep returning home. My Daughter is really keen for us to do this and will manage it on AirBnB for summer rental income so it pays for its running costs etc and then keep it free for us in winter. The likelihood is our old folk will have passed away by the time we retire so that would free us up. I dont mean that as callously as it sounds, but i'm sure you get the gist.

I can help out with AirBnB knowledge and taxes and costs etc.

[gremlin]

I can help out with AirBnB knowledge and taxes and costs etc.

I can launder money and provide fake documents.

And dispose of bodies.


Hang on. This is the 'dark' web, right?

[Taipan]

I can help out with AirBnB knowledge and taxes and costs etc.

I can launder money and provide fake documents.

And dispose of bodies.


Hang on. This is the 'dark' web, right?

I'm au fait with those, it was just the airbnb stuff that has thrown me...

[ZRX61]

My Vanguard portfolio did damn good during November, up 7.5%

[Noggin]

If I won the lottery tonight I'd still go to work on Monday, just in a Rolls-Royce

I'd rather be happy about going to work than happy about the fact I don't have to do it any more. Fortunately for me, I know what job I want to do and I have the skills to do it. Winner

If I won the lottery tonight, I would keep working for the winter because I have made a commitment to the job and I wouldn't be able to do much about changing accommodation until spring anyway!

And, I do actually like what I do. What I didn't like was being stressed out over it. The deal this year is that I'm working enough to earn a decent full time wage, but not enough to get stressed out again.

Equally, I wouldn't go back to work next winter!! I'd spend winters skiing and summers playing motorbikes!! LOL Despite living a lot longer than expected, I am too aware that life is short and I want to enjoy it. Since I'm single I can be as selfish as I like/can afford to be

There is an interview somewhere with Jordan Peterson (who I don't usually like) but he's talking to someone who has everything they've ever wanted, great career, great place to live, money, etc, but no kids or much family around them and he points out to them that they've sacrificed having a family so they could have all the other stuff and it's a bad mistake to make, they'll spend their elder years without the blessing of grandkids or family, etc.

Some of us had no choice on the family thing!!

My one personal goal in life was to get married and have children and be a mum. My parents goal for me was to have a successful career. I failed spectacularly on both counts!!

It's about the only thing I'm sad about in life - not having children, or having a big enough apartment here (yet) to foster. But the second is something I'm still working on!


However. I look at some of the things that have gone 'wrong' in my life and whilst in some ways I feel I should have done things differently, I wouldn't be living here and being a french speaker if any of the planned things had happened!! Maybe life would have been better, maybe not. But despite the stresses I'm still sorting out, I'm actually very happy with where I am. (I would REALLY like an apartment with a bedroom though! And space to cook for friends!)

Downside is that, due to never expecting to live past (or up to) 40, I never did plan much for retirement! So I currently don't have much of a plan! But, I can work in half of the job I'm doing until I'm pretty old. And if things go the way I'm hoping, I 'should' be able to sort a bit of a solution in the next few years. Just got to make sure this winter goes well and I get a permanent contract - that will pave the way for my 'plan'!!

[gremlin]

Death in Service protection (12 x annual salary, it's a wonder Mrs. G hasn't pushed my down the stairs!),

Wow... i thought 3X was good !!!

What can I say? I'm worth it.

[Noggin]

Some of us had no choice on the family thing!!

Sorry, it was a bit inconsiderate of me to go on about it, it didn't cross my mind that some people didn't have a choice.

To be honest we never really planned kids, they just kind of turned up and although of course I loved them from day one I never really gave a lot of thought to it, they were just there and I did my best. But as someone that has been very aggressive chasing a career, goals and money, and often making sacrifices to achieve some goals, I've sometimes wondered whether I got the balance right.

My parents were pretty dreadful, I won't tell any sob stories but I had a very bad childhood, so I tried my best with ours.

Sorry again if I raised any sore points.

I've seen in your posts how much you've worked to be great with your kids. Always brings a smile to my face and a warm to my heart

And, don't worry!! I've had people asking me when I'm going to settle down and have kids since I was 20 - most people don't realise when they meet me that I'm too old (biologically) to have them now! I do remember asking a colleague how he deals with people asking why he wasn't married (both working in chalets and a similar age!) - he had it easier, he could just say, 'divorce' to shut them up He suggested I said something like "haven't seen enough good examples to want to go there" But I still wish I'd met someone - and sort of hope I will meet someone (who hopefully doesn't still want kids cos, biology!!) - maybe!

It's not a sore point really. Just a smidge of sadness in me, but I don't get pissy if it's mentioned (hope my post didn't sound that way, didn't intend to).

But, like I said, I wouldn't be somewhere amazing or done the bike stuff I've done with kids and a husband! Things wouldn't necessarily be worse, just different. And I do love where life is now And I get to be bad auntie to lots of friends kids (And probably their kids )

[Horse]

I don't think anybody should underestimate how going from the 5-day-a-week grind to retirement can mess with your well-being.

Yes agreed, it'a mainly going to be the intensity for me, I think it was Moofo who highlighted making some pretty senior decisions one day and then retiring and picking up dog shit the next day whilst out walking the dog as a retired person.

I have a truck load of responsibility, so ditching that will be a strange feeling.

Responsibility? Pah! Can happily live without that. It's not knowing that nags. I was - for a particular niche - aware of a lot of stuff, much of it not directly related to my work. That stuff is continuing, but I'm unaware.

However, as I said earlier, training as a CFR has given me a transition rather than 》|End|

Edit: although the CFR role may have literal life or death responsibilities.

[Taipan]

There is an interview somewhere with Jordan Peterson (who I don't usually like) but he's talking to someone who has everything they've ever wanted, great career, great place to live, money, etc, but no kids or much family around them and he points out to them that they've sacrificed having a family so they could have all the other stuff and it's a bad mistake to make, they'll spend their elder years without the blessing of grandkids or family, etc.

My old mate had a lot more stuff than anyone else i knew. He'd done really well out of being a self taught builder! 3 or 4 holidays each year. New truck. New Car. Lovely house etc blah. But they didn't have kids and often joked they had nothing else to spend their money on. Pissed up one night, fighting back tears, he said to me they'd give everything up to be able to have kids. I always thought it was a choice, not because they couldn't have kids, nor did I know, the pain behind the smiles.