Would you retire at 50 if you could ?

[Mick Mac]

A friend of mine has recently been made redundant and has decided he can afford not to go back to work. He's effectively retiring at 50.

It sounds like the ideal - but his children are still youngish, youngest is 10, so he cant exactly go off somewhere.

Would you do the same? Obviously work is a financial necessity for many and also there is a large group who cant seem to give it up even post retirement age.

Would you do it in these circumstances. I'm sort of trying to figure out if I should be jealous or not.

[titch juicy]

Yes, without hesitation.

If his kids are still young enough, why would he want to go off somewhere and not have a much bigger part to play in their upbringing?!

[Earl Aelfheah]

Yes. In a heartbeat.

[Mick Mac]

He wouldn't. I was pointing out that going abroad for example is not an option at this stage in life, to pre-empt the obvious suggestions of seeing the world etc

[Mick Mac]

I think he's just fallen out of love with work due to realising he has stopped moving up the corporate ladder - as we all do eventually. He was always very ambitions before.

[steveo]

It depends whether you like a drink or not

The devil makes work for idle hands

[Earl Aelfheah]

Unless you love your work to the point that it's not really work at all, then why wouldn't you prefer to choose what you do with your time?

[*Bob*]

Please supply other key details, Mick

Size of redundancy package

Value of house, assuming owned

Other savings & pensions

Fondness for daytime television

Possibly inheritances coming his way over the next 10-20 years

Cocaine requirements

Willingness to live in small cottage in Wales, if necessary.

[P.O.U.S.theWonderCat]

If it didn't adversely affect me financially, probably no but I'd start taking bigger risks with my career. I might also go back to uni.

[adonirum]

Yes...and I did (well, at not quite 52 anyway)!!!!

[DulwichFox]

I unofficially retired at 56 but not worked since.. I had savings and interest rates were 5-6 %

Money savings soon dwindle.. with interests rates as they are now..

Foxy

[Help-Ma-Boab]

I'd retire at 44 if I could.

[adonirum]

Foxy, what do you mean by "unofficially retired"?

I do sometimes refer to myself as "semi-retired", meaning I'd do something/anything even for some "pin-money" (horrible expression) if the opportunity presented itself.

[Mick Mac]

steveo Wrote:

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> It depends whether you like a drink or not

>

> The devil makes work for idle hands

That would be my personal worry (for me not him)

[Mick Mac]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> Please supply other key details, Mick

>

>

>

> Size of redundancy package

> BIG

> Value of house, assuming owned

> BIG

> Other savings & pensions

> BIG

> Fondness for daytime television

> NOT SURE

> Possibly inheritances coming his way over the next

> 10-20 years

> ALREADY HAD ONE - BIG

> Cocaine requirements

> NONE

> Willingness to live in small cottage in Wales, if

> necessary. KENT

He says he needs to be slightly careful with this money - but I don't believe him.

PS: I know it was rhetorical, but I answered the question anyway

[Jah Lush]

I retired at 53. I spent two years on the dole and it was hellish. It was practically impossible to find other work. Ageism is a reality. As soon as I hit 55 and could draw on my private pension I did so. I don't have much to live on but I'm one hell of a lot happier. The thought of ever going back to work for someone else fills me with inertia and morbid dread. Total anathema. If I could have retired earlier I would have done so. I live on my own time now. Not someone else's. There's is far more to life than working.

"Work is the curse of the drinking classes." - Oscar Wilde.

And I'm with Buk on this one. Hits the nail on the head for me.

http://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag237/jahlushhead/charles-bukowski-quote_zpssdqiwvvn.jpg

[Sue]

I wouldn't have worked at all if I didn't have to, and I'd love to have been able to retire at 50.

I took voluntary redundancy in my early forties and had a few years off including travelling, which I am very grateful for, but I was well jealous of my older colleagues who were eligible for early retirement and did extremely well out of it.

Unless you are lucky enough to have a job you really really love, why wouldn't you want to leave it and have time and money to pursue things that interest you?

[Robert Poste's Child]

It would be lovely to be in a position to retire but right now I don't see how I ever will be. Finding it difficult to get work due to being at the senior end of the spectrum and therefore perceived as both old and expensive. Looking for an alternative as need to keep some money coming in but not sure what I'm good for. May have to move out of London as rents here will soon eat up my savings. Think it's fair to say that no political party is interested in people like me...

Sorry if that sounds grim. Am also on diet so not allowed to eat anything that might cheer me up.

[DulwichFox]

When you retire (I will clarify that with myself as a certain person will correct me as not applying to everyone)

you wonder how you ever had the time to go to work. You (I) will/am be so busy..

Will now be accused of being Narcissitic for using the word I.. and talking about my situation..

DulwichFox

[Salsaboy]

No. I'm bored when I do have a day off.

[DaveR]

I would retire (in the sense of giving up the day job) but probably not stop working. I'd just organise work around my leisure time/activities rather than the other way round, and probably work largely on a voluntary basis.

[Jah Lush]

Salsaboy Wrote:

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> No. I'm bored when I do have a day off.

Bored! How the hell can you possibly get bored? People who get bored easily show a distinct lack of imagination. As I said before, there's more to life than working.

?I?m bored? is a useless thing to say. I mean, you live in a great, big, vast world that you?ve seen none percent of. Even the inside of your own mind is endless; it goes on forever, inwardly, do you understand? The fact that you?re alive is amazing, so you don?t get to say ?I?m bored.? Louis C.K.

[Help-Ma-Boab]

I've just bought lottery tickets for the week, nor done that in ages. 9 quid no doubt spunked but this thread drove me to it. I'll keep you posted.

[LondonMix]

Yes, if it really had no financial consequences for me our my family long term. But I wouldn't sit around and do nothing. I already do volunteer work and I'd devote more of my time to that. I'd also probably study some more and get involved more deeply in issues that I'm passionate about.

I like what I do for a living (a lot) which I feel lucky about but there is no doubt that I work for money. There are about 1,000 other better uses of my time for society, my family and my own personal growth than the paid work I do.

[red devil]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> Will now be accused of being Narcissitic for

> using the word I.. and talking about my situation..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37484357