Tuesday 14 August 2018

What are your retirement plans?

Have you thought about your retirement? I don't mean the financial planning side or the thoughts one has about not having to go to work and having time for their hobbies. What I actually mean is what the hell are you going to do all day, every day in-between all the plans you have.

I retired in 2011 when we moved to South Africa, my visa prevented me from working. I worked full time as a volunteer. My youngest child left home for boarding school in the UK in 2013 and the last child left home in 2014. We moved to Dubai and I came out of retirement for a year to return to teaching.

Last year was spent travelling, then my father died. I sold my mums house and cleared out all my fathers belongings to allow her to downside and move. We moved house in Dubai.

This year has been spent travelling, UK, Belfast, Germany, Greece next week, Dubai, South Africa in September, Dubai and back to the UK until the end of October. December my mum will visit.

2019 I will be off to Australia, child 2 and 2a will visit in February, March UK, April-June Dubai, June till September UK and back to Dubai. There's still another 2 and a bit years to fill.

Lots of lovely travel plans. But the bits in-between are boring, I'm doing nothing other than drinking coffee, reading, housework and seeing my mum and friends in the days and weeks when I'm not travelling. The UK and Dubai trips aren't holidays, they're day to day life. Food shopping, cooking, cleaning, ironing. Peter will travel with work when I'm in Dubai, so it'll be the same as when I'm in the UK, I'll be on my own. I'm 47 now, I've a long time ahead of me to fill.

We plan to buy a camper home when we return to the UK full time, but when the work stops, so does the income and although we've invested for our home, day to day life and an annual holiday, we won't have the income to continue with this level of travel.

A day on the beach at Barry Island, we visited here from Dubai.

We'll buy a house that needs some work doing on it and in the garden. We may have a dog to walk, we'll go out for coffee, to the pub, the housework will still need doing, we may even have grandkids by then. Peter will play golf, I'll go swimming. But what will we do in the gaps? The time in-between?

Whilst I spend my time visiting the family and friends, some local to the flat in South wales, some over seas, in between I do very little other than food shop, cook, clean, sort out paperwork, (insurances, tax returns and pay bills for our UK flat, UK house we rent and our Dubai home). I have to dedicate a several weeks a year to our daughters care home paperwork. I watch TV, I go for walks, I blog, I read, I get bored.

When Peter retires I won't be on my own most of the year, we'll still travel, we'll still do all the other stuff above, but what will we do on a day to day basis?


6 comments:

  1. I love the idea of travelling once we're retired, your post is definitely food for thought xx #triumphanttales

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    1. I love to travel, but most of what i do now is just between Uk ad Dubai

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  2. I think its really hard when you live such a busy life to stop altogether when retired. The same thing happened with my grandad when he retired and he got itchy feet. Perhaps a part time job could fill the time?
    Thank you for sharing this with us at #TriumphantTales. I hope to see you back next week!

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    1. I guess I'll just keep popping in and out of retirement

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  3. Hi suzanne, I think my Mum thought that was going to be a problem for her too when she retired as she needs to be busy, but believe me she's still busy. My parents were lucky enough to retire at 50, since then they both have had part time jobs during the summer to keep them busy. In the winter when they aren't off sunning themselves in Thailand, Mum spends her time baking for the farmers market and working on projects to help raise money for the strays. I am sure you will find plenty to do to fill in those inbetwen bits, even if it's just spent recharging your batteries... Having lived in Greece most of my adult years in Greece, my pension pot isn't looking so good so retirement is not something that really crosses my mind yet.... Where are you headed in Greece? Are you there yet?

    Thank you for linking up with #keepingitreal.

    xx

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    1. sounds like what i've been doing for the past 8 years, travel and hobbies and charity, but not sure how it'll pan out when Peter is at home in the day also

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