Retirement means having the privilege of being nagged at all day long
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I didn’t realize you took early retirement Bretrick. Good on you. Enjoy.
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I retired on the 2nd May.
New boss was a wanker who used threats and intimidation to try and control the workers.
I said said to him one day, “I have seen your sort before. Standing over workers. I will not put up with it anymore. I resign, effective immediately”
Then I walked out.
There comes a time when bullshit becomes too great and it is best to walk away from it.
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2nd May, this year. Best thing I have ever done.
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I took early retirement from teaching in secondary school when I was 57 - in 2003. I wake each morning and the day stretches before me and I can choose to do as much or as little as the mood takes me - retiring was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. When I see what is happening in schools nowadays I so glad I’m no longer teaching!
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That there is what retirement means to me as well.
Spontaneity dictates what happens from day to day.
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I was becoming physically ill with the late night call-outs and level of stress I was put under. I sat and worked out my salary was worth against all the problems it was causing me and decided I’d had enough after forty-four years. Put in my notice and left and now retired three years. I don’t miss the job, but money also had to be a deciding factor. Fortunately I have been saving for many years, I maxed out my pension and took a large lump sum which I’m slowly turning into ISA’s and take an extra income from the interest. I’m also turned semi-professional photographer which makes a little extra on top of everything else.
I think after three years I can confidently look back and say I have no regrets about leaving, although retiring has come with its own set of issues…but that’s another story.
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Yes it does.
I left the UK a bit over 10 years ago but continued doing phases of contracting work back in the UK for four years. That was tiring but good for extra money and to help ease into full time retirement. Stopping all that coincided with my mother getting poorly, so quite a lot of travel back to the UK for a year, then Covid so almost no travel for 2 years.
The sort of issues I noticed when completely finished working were:-
Suddenly being with your other half 24/7. That was a shock to both of us. You do work round it, find interests to give you time apart, make sure you can also have time with friends (to dilute the 1-1 time) and learn to be comfortable spending time in different rooms.
Suddenly having, it seemed, no purpose or value. Work does often define us. In a way Covid lock downs were useful as that was guilt free not working time.
Early retirement can cause many money worries. For the first few years I was very, very prudent and kept a fairly tight budget. Good fortune and good help in financial planning has now allowed me to be a bit more relaxed. However, I’m still driving the UK car I drove down to France back in 2014.
I now cannot conceive of working, of dealing with new technology, of handling bosses and reportees, of commuting, etc. etc. Nor can I conceive of not having a couple of dogs to spend time with when we want.
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The clock no longer rules my life. I do.
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My dream was to never have to look at a clock.
My dream has come true 
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I could have written that Bruce… 
Apart from the reading in bed, as soon as my head hits the pillow it’s good night Vienna…
I’ve always had lots of hobbies, indoor ones for rainy days, and outdoor ones for sunny days.
I retired at sixty with loads of dosh and survived until I could collect the state pension, although I have a couple of works pensions that prop up spending. I always thought I’d spend my later years jogging around the neighbourhood and beyond, but unfortunately at seventy, my heart needed a bit of help and I was unable to run the long distances I was used to, until at 71 it came to an abrupt end. I still walk most days and jog a bit, the hobbies still keep me interested, and boredom is not in my vocabulary.
I love nature, and writing on the forum, hearing about what you folks get up to, but very rarely listen to the news…
Having squandered most of my money away keeping a roof over my daughters head and swapping cars until I found one I like, I’ve enough to keep us comfortable with the odd holiday .
My life has been my bucket list, and I’ve done some stuff and seen some places but hopefully there is still plenty of time left for an encore…
Retirement has been well worth waiting for, there are no best bits, it’s all good…
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I retired when I was 51, went to live in Portugal. We intended staying for good, but found ourselves back in London after 5 years. And here we are, I haven’t worked in 25 years, it’s the quiet life, don’t spend much. We’re happy, it’s not easy to get bored in London buzz, free travel, different place every day, old haunts and new.
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I’m interested in what made the move back happen - I’m not being critical at all, just curious. Round where I am there have been a few people who came out from the UK and for various reasons headed back after a bit. I’ve found the most common reasons are wanting to spend more time with grandchildren or health issues or not feeling they fitted in (usually driven by language barrier).
One thing I’d say - it is a double adjustment when you do both retiring and moving to a new country. Luck can play a big part - location, attitude of local community, etc.
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Ok the full story. Mrs d00d is Portuguese, we’d been visiting Lisbon and/or Algarve a couple of times a year since the late 80s. We also owned a property in the capital. We’d always planned to retire to Portugal, but that happed a bit sooner than planned. We sold up in London, and after a year or two in Lisbon, health problems brough us back to London. And the NHS have been keeping me alive ever since. And, I must admit, as much as I love the wife’s homeland, I’m a Brit.
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Lots of Brazilians in the area and though I do not speak Portuguese I speak Italian / Spanish so I understand 50 percent .
How did you like Portugal ?
Then praise should be given for getting back before London became unaffordable!
There’s lots of good about being retired but health issues ain’t one of them. But somehow the two seem to go together, eventually.
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Well done for understanding 50 pc. It’s a gibberish language, but I love them dearly.
It’s a beautiful country with beautiful people. England’s oldest ally. But their history and culture is fast being washed away. It was a fierce Catholic stronghold that fought off the Arabs hundreds of years ago. Now they are forced to accommodate millions of homeless from the middle east. The old people are scared to go out!
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Well, my retirement is fast approaching, 14 months to go, I was a commercial laundry engineer for thirty years, the last four were with a company that took us over that I wouldn’t choose to work for, in 2019 I decided to take some of my private pension and leave, I found a job doing the maintenance in a care home where I work now, for the most part I enjoy it as there’s no pressure and can more or less please myself, I’m not sure how I’ll feel when retirement comes around, but I do know I don’t want to continue working…
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Though as you know common language I am not so sure Brazilians and Portuguese like each other
Since you know washing machines / dryers after you retire if you want you will always work part time .
For me after few months the boredom was to much and PLENTY of these gated communities though built hurricane " safe " ( no such thing ) the plumbing under kitchen sinks and bathroom cheap , terribly done so was easy to go back part time and in your case same thing .