To give you advice Primus I could only base it on my personal experiences.
Are you a social person or prefer your own company? are you fit, do you like to exercise or enjoy walking in the country? Do you have hobbies? And have you got enough money to travel and see the world?
I retired at sixty in 2010 and although I loved the job, I had had a heart attack back in 2004 and decided to spend more time with Mrs Fox and our family. You never know when the next one is coming or the result. I was able to continue running and walking in the wild places, the North Yorkshire Moors, Wales and the Lake District. Together with our neighbours and best friends we enjoyed many holidays together, including quite a few cruises together.
Electronics has always been my favourite hobby on the rainy days, and I continued building small projects or helping neighbours with their electrical problems.
Apart from the banter with the lads, I didn’t miss working at all, in fact I don’t really know how I had time to fit a job in.
Now money and health are running low but I still manage a good walk/jog every day and there’s enough in the kitty for a decent holiday although tiredness is a constant companion and I’m doing a lot more reading and sleeping than I used to do. Appetite is still good though…unfortunately…
My advice is to take each day as it comes, throw your watch away, and enjoy being your own boss. Most of all, don’t worry and think of all the good things you can do with the extra time.
That would be my very first suggestion, after working all your life going “cold turkey” does not work for most.
It worked for me, glad to have my life back.
Here’s some more advice…
Don’t take Statins or any jabs unless you’re visiting Africa or India…and don’t take any notice of a GP…only a specialist…
And finally…Don’t take any notice of me…I’m a nutter…But you already knew that didn’t you Primus…
You have a great point bro, and absolutely correct, but to many ( such as I) purpose responsibility are / were the essence of life (sounds sick, I know), even today I struggle with it, it was never really about the money (not that I have any). As far as you being a “nutter”, you make conversation more interesting, I enjoy it.
@Primus1, I don’t think you’re lazy or stupid, you won’t be sitting around watching daytime TV, you will find rewarding pastimes to keep you occupied.
Foxy, your time as a self employed courier, by your own admittance you really enjoyed it, being paid by people for travelling the country, you still drive now but you don’t get paid for it, for me, the black and white of work/retirement was never a consideration (it might have been had I had to put up with a bolshy jobsworth dictating to me )
Similar here but just as a hobby. That could be one for the person when he retires.
Retirement has been in the planning for the last six and a half years, I spent thirty years as a commercial laundry engineer, we were taken over for the second time by a company that had a poor reputation in the industry and I didn’t want to work for them, I found out that I had a good pension, so I used some of it as a buffer and sought other employment, ironically, there was a job going as a maintenance person in a nursing home I’d been visiting for about twenty years, I started just before Covid and lockdown, of course, I was considered a key worker so worked throughout , I’ve seen what your life becomes, it boils down to a few pictures and your possessions in a few black bags, so I’m definitely not going to look for work, we plan to travel around the uk, when we can, the only hobby I have is online gaming but I’m not going to be sitting around playing all day, I did think of taking up the guitar again, indeed I have one of the residents guitar in my basement ( not a good one but hey it’ll do ) and it’s surprising how quickly I’ve picked up the chords again, but I think I’d have to play with others to get any benefit, we don’t want another pet, you get too attached when you have to let them go and they’re too tying, I’m sure I’ll find something to do even if it’s just going for walks, but for me, the time is right for me to retire…
Hi Primus!. Welcome for starting your retirement when get there. A few things that may of of interest. Travelling around UK for is one. Anywhere from Cornwall to Thurso. I liked Loch Lomond and some of the hills in Yorkshire.
Then there’s the dog. After we retired we also travelled extensively including with the dog. He was perfectly happly in the car, with a cottage, or any pub.
And the music. I have/had a violin and an acoustic guitar. That’s enough for now !!
Ah…Covid…
We had about ten years of retirement swanning around the world on cruise ships and long holidays in the sun. I devised long walks in the country for Mrs Fox and our best friends and neighbours. Made some brilliant memories, and then covid came along and everything stopped.
Passports ran out, neighbour got prostate cancer, I had heart problems and Mrs Fox’s knee became a serious problem. We don’t go out much now, and although our neighbour survived the prostate cancer, the are into their eighties now and not up to walking very far so we don’t go out with them much anymore. Just to the local restaurant to catch up now and then.
Strange how life can suddenly change, almost overnight.
“This life is not a rehearsal for the next” So go out and get it done Primus, you have earned your retirement, make it count!
Your post makes it seem like you are blaming covid for creating old age. Was that the virus or the vaccine that made people get older each year?
People ask me what I’m going to when I retire, I say, “ whatever I want whenever I want “…
Yet you offered this:
“what tips can you give on handling your retirement”
So which is it ??
Not really, it just seemed to coincide with several events that occured around that time.
My life in particular lost it’s momentum due to bad health and the realisation that almost fifty years of running had come to an end. Also, some family problems took a lot of my savings to rectify.
Foxy, no use of the Z in realisation, There is hope for Englishness again at some point.
I just wanted to know how other people did their retirement, in case there’s something I could learn, doing whatever I want whenever I want might mean someone else is doing something I could do if I were interested in it…
If you don’t retire, its one less thing to think about!
Fairy 'nuff,
I know quite a few people who have taken up painting or drawing after they retired, one ex miner I used to know (sadly deceased now) even went to a school of art. He did some amazing paintings.
Or for sunny days, I started bagging the little concrete pillars at the top of hills called ‘Trig Points’ they all have a number. They are not all on Ben Nevis or Mt Snowdon, some are situated on rolling hills and provide a nice saunter from the car. I’ve found some very beautiful secluded places out in the country that you wouldn’t normally visit, and one thing they all have in common, some outstanding and breathtaking views. There are six thousand in England to work your way through…I’ve bagged 45…
If you stick around Yorkshire there are 454
Yes foxy, I think we are planning on days out and going for some gentle walks, the Yorkshire dales/ moors are on our doorstep so they are on the agenda…