What did you start to do when you retired?

PaddyM said:
From day one of retirement I realised that for the first time in 30 years no other living soul had any influence on my time , I come and go as I please , I can hurry or take my time , I can say no to any request that has a time factor .
I’m free as a bird and everyday I soar .
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Empathise with all that. Running my own business with campervan that will see me well into retirement parked outside. You’re where I want to be!
 
I was 'retired' right at the start of the Pandemic.

Due to 4 family deaths in quick succession where either me or my wife was the executor and the need to then organise 3 funerals in the middle of a pandemic, and 2 memorials in one of the pandemic gaps plus the need to clear out 5 houses, and sell 4 of them.

To be honest there is no way I could have even done a part time job during 2020 and most of 2021, it's only during 2022 things started to get sensible, but I'm still working the equivalent for 3-4 days a week sorting out the mess with lawyers and family etc.
I hoping by this summer I can actually 'retire'
 
My plan was always to retire at 55. My employer was kind enough to pay me off 1 month before I was 55, part of the pay off was up to two grand for retraining so I did my hgv and bus tests. So now when it suits me I help out at the son in laws farm when it’s busy and help at my mates coach company, Mostly school runs but occasional cruise ship Tours.

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Retired at 50, already had my class 2 so I could drive a heavier m home, enjoyed it so did my class 1 and started on bulk tippers 3 days a week, (tramping) bugger that doing 13- 15 hr days, now do private taxis for schools for a coach company 2 minutes walk from us, PSV booked for second week in April, enjoy the flexibility they give me, just tell them I’m off for a couple of months and pick up when I get back.
 
Neckender said:
I returned to motorcycling again at the age of 71 and still enjoying it 2 years on.















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Youngster ! I've just bought myself a new bike for my 78th birthday 😁

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garry55 said:
Took a part-time job delivering for our local village butcher to keep my sanity. Never thought I would actually miss working but I did. Sad eh?
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Hi.
No,not sad. I did and still do. I was a Round peg in a Round hole. Jennifer had to prise the steering wheel from my hands,will never stop missing it. Going away in the m/ho ( Ducato PVC ? not a bad engine note ) Close the door and fire up the engine........ Not sat as high,or big engine noise...BUT... I am off on my adventures again,chasing the horizon.long may it remain so. 🚛
Back to what i do now. Reorganise the garage ( On an hourly basis.:ROFLMAO: ) Walk the dog,we call in at the Cafe/Bar in the next village for the bread 3 times a week (:beerchug: ) and finally.... On the walks with the dog,join in the " Old Portugues lads " pastime of plonking myself down on a wall or set of steps up to a building and just chatting/miming away,catching/basketing away in the sun.
I try not to dwell on the fact that three of the good 'ol boys i sat with have passed over the years since we have been here and i am getting near the head of the queue. :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
Tea Bag The oldest teenager in Santa Comba Dao.(y) :rolleyes:
 
Really just the same stuff as I used to do when working but have more time to do it. The big thing is just being able to travel more and buying the motorhome when we retired has been a big part of this.

I have surprised myself with a few things I do less. While working I was also playing in bands, gigging weekends. Now I have given that up even though I thought it would be more enjoyable when I was retired as I would have more time. In practice the commitment got in the way of being able to travel abroad for months at a time so it's had to go!

Certainly never bored.
 
We still have our business, but i stop working at the first lockdown as our customers were all closed. (motor trade) When they reopened I stopped at home and let the other technicians cover my round, then I started finding other ways to amuse myself.
1/ Our dog gets longer walks
2/ Our motorhome goes on longer trips
3/ I joined the institute of advanced riders (IAM)
Thoroughly recommended, as a lifelong rider I thought I was a fairly competent, but these guys have improved my skills and knowledge.
4/ I’m now volunteering as a blood biker.

That will do for now, but I still have quiet days that I don’t enjoy.
 
After retiring I found a niche job annoying the wife. Apparently I am very good at it. According to her my speciality is "still breathing".

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Rented out our home, moved into our motorhome. Travel in and out of Europe from April to December in said motorhome, travel round warmer places without motorhome the rest of the year. Currently in Vietnam. Has to be said that we are living our dream. :giggle:
 
Wife "retired" 6 years ago and seems to spend all her time grumpchildren sitting.

Looking at going around the 60 mark in 2-3 years. (when all kids will be at school)

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Retired 28th Feb not sure it’s that much fun. But having a new cam belt and service on the motorhome this week. So the fun should begin as soon as it’s done
 
I didn't want to retire at 57. However, I worked in the coal industry and we had no more coal to sell.
It took me a while to come to terms with it. A massive help was volunteering. I volunteered for the Forestry Commission, Sherwood Forest and the RSPB. I ended up as a Volunteer Ranger for the RSPB as well as attending work parties. I really enjoyed it, met some lovely people and it was very good physical exercise.
 
Gave up work at 50, on a lunch out with a group of other retired ladies one of them mentioned swimming in a local lake. I thought I would give it a go, it seems I am an early adopter of something that became really popular during lockdown.

I am still swimming all year round in the lake (just back from the Sunday big swim) but I have abandoned the full length wetsuit in the winter now , I have also added paddle boarding to my list of things to do at the lake.

More importantly I have gained a brilliant bunch of women swimmers who have become really good friends, I have also been on a couple of swimming holidays as well.

I can’t imagine not swimming now.
 
retired after years as an NHS nurse, 6 weeks later diagnosed with breast cancer, back to the NHS on the other side, now clear, 2 years on finally got my retirement project underway, 2 allotment plots.
 
I semi retired at around 60 but the wife wouldn't retire from her shop so getting away was always a problem.
10 years later and along came COVID and she had to retire, shop is leased and we finally have the time and money to get away more and for me to play in the workshop.
 
Couldn't sell my business as was 65 the year after the 2008 financial crash but then got prostate cancer so sold business for half what it had been worth then retired and got the cancer sorted out.
I made a list of things I intended to do (all new) didn't do any of them, simply increased the things I was already into. Music, DIY, gardening and motorhoming increased to fill the available time. Still doing them all and get restless when nothing on.
 
A good few hints in here for a year's time when I retire. I have the motorbike (won't be taking that away with the MoHo as it's too wee and the bike too big) but might change it for a smaller capacity one. I might even get the chance to use the wee car a bit more if I can still clamber in and out of it. Other than that it will be away in the MoHo with the dog whenever I can.
 

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