Retirement planning

[binka]

I'm having a bit of a rehearsal at the end of the week as i'm dropping down to part time afterwards for the first time in my life and have no intention of getting a second job to fill the hours.

Admittedly it has been brought about by talk of redundancies and I've been a bit unhappy with the work/life balance for a few years so I offered to maintain my existing turnover on a part time basis and drop the marketing and new business side of my role which suits me fine.

I suppose i'm lucky as i'm in a position to be able to do it but don't envisage getting bored even for a minute now that i'll only be working two and three days a week alternately...

Where's the riverbank

 

[pidgergj]

i cant wait for retirement, unfortunately i still have 13 years left in the army, then 25 years of a proper job. mg:

 

[tiinker]

i cant wait for retirement, unfortunately i still have 13 years left in the army, then 25 years of a proper job. mg:

It will come around a lot quicker than you think. When it does and you look back you will wonder where all the years went.

 

[Titus]

I was forced into retirement through health problems 15 years ago when I was 42.
In the space of two years prior to me retiring I had gone from a fit active gym bunny to a virtual cripple with raging rheumatoid arthritis. The last 6 months of my working life were spent as an in patient at the Shropshire Orthopaedic Hospital where I actually worked as an engineering officer.
As well as the physical disability I also suffered depression and feelings of worthlessness which were compounded by the deaths of my father and father in law in the same year, two men who had had a huge influence on me. I also lost my fishing partner to a stroke the same year.
You could say I was in a dark place and on several occasions considered ending it all.

However, the human spirit is a very strong force and with the help and support of the NHS staff and my family and friends I came out of that tunnel. Modern drugs and physiotherapy keep the rheumatoid under control and when it does flare up I simply hit the pain killers, get the splints out and go to bed. The mental health issues were a bit more difficult to sort out but a couple of courses of counselling and a dose of happy pills have helped me put things back into perspective and I now realise that compared to many people I'm actually fairly well off.

Fortunately I had a forces pension which paid out early as did my NHS pension, I also had a decent lump sum severance payment which I invested into a couple of buy to let houses so financially I'm reasonably secure.

All of his however does not prepare you for the isolation which retirement can bring, especially at times when the arthritis flares up and I am confined to the house. When we are working we all spend time interacting with other people through the working day, this is not the case when you retire which could be why so many retired people are forum users. In my own case most of my friends are still working, as is my wife, 12 hour shifts in her case, so sometimes if I'm too ill to get out I go several days with no human contact for long periods. Anyone in a similar situation will tell you the same, you have to find something to fill your time. For me it's researching and collecting 'Charlie Romeo Alpha Papa' (as my Mrs describes it) or, 'old and interesting bits and pieces of social history', as I like to think of it; and of course fishing when my mobility allows.

In my opinion if you have the luxury to plan for your retirement as well as looking at the finances you would do well to ensure your social networks are in place and not allow yourself to become isolated.

 

[terry m]

Retirement is still some way off for me, but it holds mixed feelings.

Yes, the thought of being able to spend more time doing the things I love (including fishing) is great.

But I balance that with the loss of what I do day to day including a lot of long distance travel which is likely to leave a significant void.

The earlier post about moving to a part time role may just be the answer, if the opportunity arises.

 

[Tee-Cee]

Yes, it certainly is a state of mind thing and whatever your circumstances nothing can really prepare you for retirement. Personally I think the pre retirement build-up has a lot to do with it as expectation is always going to be high when thinking about all those wonderful things you can do, and have looked forward to doing, probably for years...

I agree with Titus on the 'social network' aspect particularly if you enjoy mixing with people and led a very social life prior to retirement. I know for a fact that my wife had a definite plan in mind when she retired a couple of years ago and she made, and continues tio make tremendous efforts to fill her time with all sorts of different things from very serious gardening which included joining a garden club and becoming an active member of the commitee to helping with disabled cchildren at a riding school plus lots of keep fit etc etc.

Everybody is different and everybody has ideas about what they do in retirement BUT, as I've said in another Post, whatever you want for yourself, and it is a very individual matter, you have to have a PLAN from day one otherwise, undoubtedly, you will find yourself with lots of free time but with nothing with which to fill it.........................

It definitely is a major change and you really have to think about it................a lot!!!


Oh, and if everything is fine and dandy in retirement you can bet your bottom dollar that some health issue will rear it's ugly head to change your plans such as titus describes above and my own case when, out of the blue I suffered a Stroke.
As some bright spark once said " It's no fun growing old".........................Ugh!

 

[tiinker]

As I said There are not enough hours in the day and yes medical issues come into it but that is something we have little control over and is part of getting older . I had a new hip put in last year and a on going kidney problem but it does not stop me doing what I want to. I was a printer for forty seven years and enjoyed my working years on the whole. but I would not swap what I have today for what I had then. best thing I ever did was retire early. I looked at it and thought will you be any better off if you stay on another few years and the answer was no . So I bit the bullet and boy am I glad I did. Everyone is not the same but it has worked for me.

 

[Wilko]

i cant wait for retirement, unfortunately i still have 13 years left in the army, then 25 years of a proper job. mg:

If you join one of the emergency services you will be able to carry your Army time over.

 

[Colin Brett]

I find I spend the majority of my time working to keep our club lakes and river banks clean and tidy plus all the other maintenance work. When I have the time I go and fish at Grafham.

 

[nicepix]

If you join one of the emergency services you will be able to carry your Army time over.

True but the days of fire fighters and police officers retiring before 60 is now gone.

 

[jacksharp]

Funny thing about retirement (I am just starting my 5th year) is that you wonder how you ever got through 40 years of work without going mad.

I suppose minor distractions like getting married, buying a house, going on holidays, playing football, (insert sport or pastime of choice here) fishing and bringing up a couple of kids took your mind off the work!

Every time I am out somewhere in the week and I see parties of school kids clutching clipboards and being herded by harassed-looking teachers, I just think "thank f***!"

I fell into the "firm but fair" camp as a teacher and had a good relationship with most kids and no discipline problems, but the thought of standing in front of a class of kids again for even one lesson gives me the shivers.

 

[broomy]

Biggest problem with going fishing on a regular basis is where do I go today and what method will I pursue.
I have been retired two years and worked two weeks on three off before retirement.
So being retired and having more time was not really something new.
I tend to fish as the year progresses.
Jan, Feb and March is mainly grayling with the odd outing after chub.
Late March, April, May into June still water and fly fishing the river.
June, July August and Sept its barbel with mackerel when the tides are right.
Oct, Nov and Dec its back to the grayling and chub.
For success you really need to be single minded. Have a good day at a particular venue with a particular method. Well, repeat until it becomes to predictable.
To many changes of venue and method can lead to to many blanks and wasted fuel.
Another consideration, no matter how well off, is fuel cost.
I now limit myself to local venues.

 

[Tee-Cee]

It's the same story for everyone; As soon as you set foot outside the front door it cost you money and that is the problem in a nutshell
I do try to go fishing when I think I have the best chance of success (it rarely works!), I try to make the best of my baits and only take as much as I need to reduce wastage. I used to take loads of different offerings but now I try to concentrate on one or two and give them a real workout.
Note the use of the word 'try' because in the overall plan of things bait cost is minimal when faced with an approx 30 mile round trip at £5/6 a trip x 4/5 times a week......do the maths!!

No, fishing is not cheap.........but then, what is..

 

[jacksharp]

It's the same story for everyone; As soon as you set foot outside the front door it cost you money and that is the problem in a nutshell
I do try to go fishing when I think I have the best chance of success (it rarely works!), I try to make the best of my baits and only take as much as I need to reduce wastage. I used to take loads of different offerings but now I try to concentrate on one or two and give them a real workout.
Note the use of the word 'try' because in the overall plan of things bait cost is minimal when faced with an approx 30 mile round trip at £5/6 a trip x 4/5 times a week......do the maths!!

No, fishing is not cheap.........but then, what is..

Most baits can be re-used. I have a bait fridge and freezer in the garage and always freeze surplus Method mix, dampened pellets, expanders, paste and meat. Hemp, casters and maggots get refrigerated and the mentality of chucking surplus bait in at the end of the day is well and truly gone.

 

[nicepix]

Most baits can be re-used. I have a bait fridge and freezer in the garage and always freeze surplus Method mix, dampened pellets, expanders, paste and meat. Hemp, casters and maggots get refrigerated and the mentality of chucking surplus bait in at the end of the day is well and truly gone.

And you call Yorkshiremen tight :wh

 

[jacksharp]

And you call Yorkshiremen tight :wh

There's a difference between being tight and the sensible use of one's income and resources! :w

 

[pidgergj]

the cost is something i have noticed since i started fishing again. when i was younger it didnt matter as much, i was a single lad living at home with me dad. went to work and my wages were mine. 10 years, a wife and two kids later and its a totally different ball game.

---------- Post added at 20:10 ---------- Previous post was at 20:02 ----------

If you join one of the emergency services you will be able to carry your Army time over.

well the police definitely wont have me,mdue to one or two "misdemeanours" when i was a pup. fire brigade appeals, but to be honest if i had my time over, i wouldnt have joined the Infantry, i would have probably been a medic, then got out of the army and re trained as a paramedic.

 

[nicepix]

I have cut my bait costs considerably in the last two years despite fishing much more than when I was working.

Whilst I've always occasionally used seed baits including stewed wheat, hemp and sweetcorn these days I use little else. I have been able to obtain free bucketfuls of milled grains from my farmer landlord during the winter when he has to feed his stock on what they have harvested. In summer I buy sacks of dry chopped and whole maize, wheat and hemp from animal feed aisles in supermarkets and prepare it ready for freezing in batches. Chicken pellets make a great bait either scalded and added to groundbait, catapulted or spodded in and even bended on the hook. They cost about 60 pence a kilo.

Every now and then I have a dead bait collection session and whip out a few dozen roach and small carp that can be frozen ready for use. There is a wormery in the cave and any of the large soft grubs that we find in the compost heap now get frozen to use as chub bait. I'm even thinking of collecting and freezing some caddis grubs ready for next spring's trout season.

 

[Wilko]

............well the police definitely wont have me,mdue to one or two "misdemeanours" when i was a pup. fire brigade appeals, but to be honest if i had my time over, i wouldnt have joined the Infantry, i would have probably been a medic, then got out of the army and re trained as a paramedic.

Depending on the offence it can be 'Spent' and doesn't have to be declared (Rehab of offenders act).
There is nothing stopping you from joining the Ambulance service and working up to Paramedic if that's what you fancy even without a medical background, I know a guy who was a RAF Firefighter and did it.

 

[pidgergj]

Depending on the offence it can be 'Spent' and doesn't have to be declared (Rehab of offenders act).
There is nothing stopping you from joining the Ambulance service and working up to Paramedic if that's what you fancy even without a medical background, I know a guy who was a RAF Firefighter and did it.

interesting. its only recently that iv started thinking what am i going to do when i get out?, i mean my 22 year service ends when im 40, depending on where i am at that point determines wether or not i can stay on potentially up to 55 but to be honest i know i will have had more than enough by then, im sick of it now tbh.