Garden Railway Forum

It's been a big secret, but I'm planning on taking early retirement in June next year. I'll have more time for all the important stuff

Well congrats! I can vouch for the benefits of retirement even though I did it late rather than early.

Should speed up your production line significantly?

philipy wrote: ↑Sun Nov 25, 2018 7:30 am Should speed up your production line significantly?

Hopefully. I'm getting very little workshop time lately

I wouldn't be too hopeful of having lots of extra time available, when I first retired I found that I appeared to have even less hobby time than when I was working! After 8 years of retirement things have now settled down to a comfortable balance but when I look back I still find it hard to understand where the time was disappearing to and all my friends all seem to have found similar issues. The overriding statement is along the lines of "I don't know how I had the time to go to work".

pandsrowe wrote: ↑Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:17 am The overriding statement is along the lines of "I don't know how I had the time to go to work".

I'm not able to retire yet but I've heard that said a lot from people recently retired.

IanC wrote: ↑Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:47 pm

pandsrowe wrote: ↑Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:17 am The overriding statement is along the lines of "I don't know how I had the time to go to work".

I'm not able to retire yet but I've heard that said a lot from people recently retired.

I'm one who has said that in the past too, although in reality it is more a case of time-management which tends to be less important when every day is free to do as you wish. Those amongst us with hobbies to keep us occupied notice that time passes so much more quickly.

dewintondave wrote: ↑Sun Nov 25, 2018 4:48 am It's been a big secret, but I'm planning on taking early retirement in June next year. I'll have more time for all the important stuff

Congratulations, so you can enjoy working on the garden everyday. I still have 15-20 years to go; can't wait see how excitement that would be. For sure this hobby will keep you good shape and a new colorful chapter of your life.

I've really slowed-up in the last year, content with just bumbling around when I'm home. Gone are the days when I'd be in the workshop until 11pm, and up early at 7am for a quick run of my first steam loco before church on Sunday And, the home situation has changed a lot since then. The reason I'm retiring is to help more with the caring of my intellectually disabled youngest son, things have been difficult for the past year for my wife. We are counting down the days until my birthday in June

Only three months to go

dewintondave wrote: ↑Sun Mar 31, 2019 4:39 am Only three months to go

and every day will go a wee bit slower than the one before, but the end of June will come eventually!

pandsrowe wrote: ↑Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:17 am I wouldn't be too hopeful of having lots of extra time available, when I first retired I found that I appeared to have even less hobby time than when I was working! After 8 years of retirement things have now settled down to a comfortable balance but when I look back I still find it hard to understand where the time was disappearing to and all my friends all seem to have found similar issues. The overriding statement is along the lines of "I don't know how I had the time to go to work".

I have never had a conventional 8 to 5 job - the closest was when I worked 5.15am to 11.15am at the Post Office. For the last seventeen years I have been in more-or-less full time ministry, and I have come to the conclusion that what one has to do expands to fill the available time. Paradoxically, one can also be busier than a one armed paper hanger and be bored out of your skull, but that really isn't germane to the retirement discussion.

Cheers,
Peter in Va

So true Philip, work is really dragging...

My Dad could have retired early, but refused to. My Mum encouraged him to retire early. When he did eventually retire they only had a few years before my Mum died young

Some gold here

Do I Like Retirement?

Question: How many days in a week?
Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday

Question: When is a retiree's bedtime?
Answer: Three hours after they fall asleep on the couch.

Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb?
Answer: Only one, but it might take all day.

Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees?
Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done.

Question: Why don't retirees mind being called Seniors?
Answer: The term comes with a 10% discount.

Question: Why does a retiree often say he doesn't miss work, but misses the people he used to work with?
Answer: He is too polite to tell the whole truth.

Question: What is the best way to describe retirement?
Answer: The never ending Coffee/Tea Break.

Question: Among retirees what is considered formal attire?
Answer: Tied shoes.

Question: Why do retirees count 10 cent coins?
Answer: They are the only ones who have the time.

Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire?
Answer: STUPID!

Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement or garage?
Answer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there.

Question: What do retirees call a long lunch?
Answer: Normal.

QUESTION: What do you do all week?
Answer: Monday to Friday, NOTHING..... Saturday & Sunday, I rest.

I like it!

I can relate to many of those ( although not all )

Anne is not very happy because she now has to continue until she is 66, (that's 4 years off yet)

But I am really enjoying myself now, I get up when I want, go to bed when I want and do want I want. When anyone says to me, usually Anne, "what have you do today or you still there" I reply, "I have done my time and now it's mine to do has I want."

I have to work until I'm 69 so another 18 years to go. I don't really think I will ever retire fully though - my retirement plan is to build live steam locos commercially as long as I can manage it. At the moment I'm trying to build up the workshop for it which means buying CNC machines as and when I can afford it.

About thirty years ago, a colleague (Ernie) who was approaching retirement set up a printing business in his garage to give him something to do when he retired. When I was approaching retirement I followed Ernie's principle, except that I built myself a garden railway. Two things I certainly have not regretted (ie retirement and garden railway modelling).

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sat May 11, 2019 2:10 pm
except that I built myself a garden railway. Two things I certainly have not regretted (ie retirement and garden railway modelling).

Rik

Same Rik...

I took early retirement 23 years ago and still dream about work, but what the h--l
I got a good payout, Just bought a new saw bench, and buy a new live steam loco
a year for the last 10 years. life is good.

dewintondave wrote: ↑Sun Nov 25, 2018 4:48 am It's been a big secret, but I'm planning on taking early retirement in June next year. I'll have more time for all the important stuff

Great idea. Do it ASAP ! You never know what's around the corner.