I'm 53, want to retire now (apart from the business) work takes 50 hours a week. I might drop my hours within the next year to 3 days - £117K to pay off the mortgage and the Czech contingency to support for another 8 years too Plan is savings and 1/4 tax free pension pot will sort that in 18 months so I can keep all my toys but I need to stop buying bikes Life will be soooo much better even with 4 day weekends so that might suit up to 60 but need to see how it goes...
Similar. Can go at 55, but 57 is more likely. Morgage clear at 57. 25% lump sum of my pension and a decent monthly salary at that point, plus quite a nice pot of company shares. Probably all of it will be spent on bikes. Have a hankering for a move to a quiet spot in the country, although Portugal is on my shoulder whispering in my ear.
I finally retired at 63 (nearly 2 years ago), although I'd tried to slow down working for a couple of years leading up. Disolved my Ltd Co 2016. I had had enough of working my nuts off away from home most of the time. 'Part time' retirement didn't work for me. As (I suppose) a 'workaholic', not being fully retired just meant waiting around in case the nice 'selective' bits of work came along, and not getting on with the being retired bit. I had a beautiful image of full retirement in my head. So I worried that the reality wouldn't live up to the expectation. It's the best time of my life (so far), even though my job enabled some serious travel experiences, provided lots of spare cash to spend without really having to think about it, satisfied my drive and ambitions and provided the frame for my perceived outward personal image. I got my pension sorted and now live much more modestly.....but I am now LIVING my life. I f'kin LOVE being retired. I've got enough money to live modestly (with a few treats now and then), my bikes, my dogs, my health, my sanity, my caravan, my home (mortgage free) and my family. But most of all I have my TIME and it's filled to the brim with the things I want to do for ME (and I don't give a shit about that image thing anymore). My advice??.....If you can afford it.......retire as young as you can.
I retired at 60,in 2015 and took my pensions - I'm nearly three years on, and after 6 months, got bored so I went back to working interim roles on day rates. Currently I work 3 days a week, have 4 days off, and it suits me fine. I enjoy the sense of doing something and getting paid well, plus I discovered I still owe £26k on my mortgage
if yer moving to the country side, will you be able to cope with he reality of the manana manana attitude you seek? one of the biggest gripes with people that move in for the slower pace of life only to find, people have a slower pace of life. doh.
Absolutely LOVE this post.... inspirational.... all the others are brilliant advice... but this one hits a cord.
This is one of my concerns and the main reason I didn't pursue New Zealand, sorry guys from that part of the world. My stupidly short visit a few years back we found it was WAY TOO quiet, even in the busy towns. Reminded me of Island life in Guernsey.
Woah !! Just 'cos it didn't work for me, doesn't mean it's not right for you. I guess if you're going to be a 'part time retiree', you need to be very disciplined with differentiating between work time and the other bit and decide clearly (honestly) which takes priority. I couldn't do that.
Its where you borrow £200k 20 years ago to buy a house, then slowly pay it back. Great thing is with inflation and supply and demand, your house may be worth a million now. Best advice I was ever given, always have the biggest mortgage you can afford, that way the return will be as big as possible when you sell. Because of this, my house is now worth £23.50p
Thank you for staying largely on track. All the money advice is brilliant. If I was spending at £40K a year indicated earlier I've plenty for my lifetime, but the wife is going to be around for at least 25 years longer.... this is the conundrum. My vehicle habits are probably middle of the road for the guys on here.... £8K worth of cars, £60K in vans and £50K in bikes.... This would seriously change if I was to move..... might keep a van or two.... drop to £500 on a car and up the bikes to £100K. We don't have any kids (life choice, not medical), so my family all look at me with saliva dripping wondering about the will. ..... they are all getting (hardback) book tokens; only 'cause they have to google what they are. My wife has elderly family in the West, as do I (father and younger sister). We can sell the home and other property at Heathrow and get something bigger for 1/2 the money in the areas indicated. There may be more posts to help me find a property in the West. I love working......but I feel a life change is needed. May be it is Winter? Many on here have a good woman.... they are looking for bad women..... My mum (bless her soul) warned me about women in bars looking for drinks or money..... it took me years of dedicated drinking to find them. My grandfather gave me the same advice... go hungry, don't starve... buy the biggest house you can. Raised in a council house..... looking at my last pyramid (for all you deep thinkers out there).
