Retirement
We have just watched a recorded programme about how people will manage in their retirement. It was with Michael Beurke, forgot what it was called but it was very informative.
There was a couple who were hoping to retire at 55, he had a good job in the army and she also worked. They had a good income between them of around £60,000.
Their dream was to retire at 55 and go on an adventure holiday for 3 months at a time. When they priced up the holiday it was £14,000!!! For one holiday??? What the hell.
The programme was a real wake up call. Can we really hope to retire early and live a decent life. I think not, I think many people are going to have to think again about possibly retiring early. The state pension isn't much and many people haven't been able to save up for the future because they had no spare money.
The couple in the film lived in a massive detached house and the reality to retire would be for them to downsize but when they took her to look round a smaller house she wasn't happy. She was still thinking of her kids who by now in their retirement would have left home.
I think if it were me and I had such a big house I would be happy to downsize so I could still have my dream retirement. Bugger buying a home for the kids, they could stay on the sofa or a makeshift bed if they came to stay. I think when you've brought up your family and they've flown the nest isn't it time to start thinking about you?
I think that couple may well still be working until they are 66/67 unless they are willing to make compromises which the lady of the couple didn't seem to want to do.
I'd be happy to make compromises if it meant I could retire 10 years earlier than most people. To me that couple are so lucky to be in the position they are in.
The programme was quite frightening and a real eye opener.
I do wish the pensionable age was still 60 for women, I could have been retiring in 6 months lol. Instead I've another 7 years and possibly more to do. I sometimes get to thinking are we born just to pay bills work our butts off. Work for some causes nothing but stress which will kill many people in the end, do we not deserve to stop work so at least have some time to do the things we want and enjoy what life we have left. It seems to me they are making the retirement age higher and higher so they can hope we 'pop off' before we can claim what is rightfully ours when we have worked so hard all our lives.
Sorry just having rant, I'm thinking my husband isn't a well man I'm thinking is he going to have to carry on working till he drops. It stinks. Our income is nothing near that couples income, probably only half of that if that so is there any hope? Probably not. Quite a depressing thought for our future. I wish I hadn't watched that programme now lol.