Metal fabricator by trade. Diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2006, beat it, set up on my own restoring, building, racing, classic motorcycles and have never been happier Took a big hit to realise my dreams but every day I thank my stars that i'm enjoying doing what I want to do
So what does everyone do for a living?
- Thread starter BiTurbo
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Work as a nurse. Mainly with the elderly with a bit of end-of-life care involved too.
Had a bit of an eye-opener with a person who had worked their whole lives then became unwell before they had even reached retirement. Hence, considering the upgrade to a T6 although it is well out of our budget.
Have decided that I don't want to spend my life waiting for a retirement that I might not even get.
Sorry, bringing the mood down. I do love my job however, older people are brilliant fun!! Just watch the TV programme with the four year olds and the old people. Fantastic viewing. Those are the sort of people I love looking after.
That is exactly the right attitude...my husband worked hard all his life and died aged 54. Life is just too short and fragile to fanny about. And you can't take it with you when you die...so enjoy it now! I am.
Modge
Lifesaver
That's a sentiment I most certainly relate to and one I regularly reflect upon (nature of the job). I see it as a positive outlook; On the road experiencing life from new and changing perspectives whilst still relatively fit and mobile.
Sorry, I was a bit reluctant to post that in case it upset you or anyone else. I just felt I should be honest about why I am on the forum and why we are looking at getting a VeeDub.
We are really keen to start exploring the world (well, Europe for now, no point in planning world domination just yet).
Am reading your posts with interest Veema. Especially to see how you get on with your daughter. We have a nephew (six) and my parents are quite keen to take him out in our veedub (cheeky blighters, not even got it yet).
I work in and co-own a retail franchise and am currently 53 so this sort of thing is going through my mind all the time nowadays. I would love to get out of my job as it is increasingly becoming horribly corporate, fuelled by the franchisor's greed and never ending supply of eager young Apprentice wannabes, who all expect to be ruling the world within 6 months of starting work and speak in a management gobbledygook that would even embarrass David Brent. However, it is very lucrative and I was a late starter to savings and pension due to a messy divorce that financially wiped me out for 9 yrs. Buying the T6 blew an enormous hole in this and will literally make me work for at least an extra 2 yrs purely to pay for it. I love going away in it and particularly love taking my 3 yr old granddaughter with me, making memories before it's not cool to hang around with your grandad.
So while I agree with enjoying yourself now because tomorrow might never come, I am having to balance this with the knowledge that, although I could technically retire at the end of next year when I'm 55, I couldn't afford to travel like I do now, and probably not be able to keep the van, or really do much at all. I can either have the time and not be able to afford to do much - or have the money and not have much time to enjoy it. That plus the fact that most of my family survive well into their 80s, I can imagine that, while I could get by on my savings/pension next year, trying to live on the same amount should I still be here in 30 yrs would make for a very miserable existence.
It's such a gamble, I have one friend who died suddenly at 41 and another who took early retirement at 55 and who now at 63 is trying unsuccessfully to get back into the job market because they are really struggling financially. If I can manage to keep working till I'm 60 I would be fine, but somewhere in between now and then I'm going to have to take the leap and hope for the best
So while I agree with enjoying yourself now because tomorrow might never come, I am having to balance this with the knowledge that, although I could technically retire at the end of next year when I'm 55, I couldn't afford to travel like I do now, and probably not be able to keep the van, or really do much at all. I can either have the time and not be able to afford to do much - or have the money and not have much time to enjoy it. That plus the fact that most of my family survive well into their 80s, I can imagine that, while I could get by on my savings/pension next year, trying to live on the same amount should I still be here in 30 yrs would make for a very miserable existence.
It's such a gamble, I have one friend who died suddenly at 41 and another who took early retirement at 55 and who now at 63 is trying unsuccessfully to get back into the job market because they are really struggling financially. If I can manage to keep working till I'm 60 I would be fine, but somewhere in between now and then I'm going to have to take the leap and hope for the best
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Sorry, I was a bit reluctant to post that in case it upset you or anyone else. I just felt I should be honest about why I am on the forum and why we are looking at getting a VeeDub.
We are really keen to start exploring the world (well, Europe for now, no point in planning world domination just yet).
Am reading your posts with interest Veema. Especially to see how you get on with your daughter. We have a nephew (six) and my parents are quite keen to take him out in our veedub (cheeky blighters, not even got it yet).
I'm not easily upset...dont worry.
The new VW Crafter will be used increasingly as a motorhome chassis/cab so you will be able to stick with VW if you need something bigger
It is a fine balance isn't it? I always feel life is the wrong way round...people tend to struggle in their younger years when they are getting on the property ladder, climbing the career ladder and having young children...it tends to be when you're older and your children have gone that you can actually afford to do stuff that you would have liked to have done as a family. Nige's lads often said we did far more with Phoebe than they ever got as children...things like multiple holidays, Disneyland and all that stuff...but we were older and more financially secure. Nige had a fantastic death in service policy and he had loads of insurance, so now I've got a load of money, but no one to really share it with...apart from Phoebe of course and the lads. It's all wrong.
The thing is, I think the younger generation will have it fair tougher in general, a degree (which may not help secure a good job); £50k of degree debt; no chance of saving a deposit for a a house; and not much chance of a good pension provision; and living in a country which refuse to live within its means and still borrows £70bn per year.
I heard about the a new movement of smart 20+ years olds in California, who own no more assets than they can carry in a rook sack; all their possessions and experiences are in their minds and in cloud on line storage; and travel burden free living in communes in the West Coast with like minded people...... a new model for life...? It makes we wonder if the Wests current models for living are running out of steam a bit..... just a thought..
The concept of complete retirement is going to be a difficult going forward for lots of people; but changing jobs completely at different stages in our lives maybe more the norm. We employ an 80+ year old minibus driver who has had multiple join replacements; a heart valve bye-pass, and is a great employe who loves his work, and feels like he is still contributing to society which gives him a feeling of well-being (when not in hospital having body parts changed)Well after reading that lot I feel bad, I'm still working and could have retired (three days a week) but I did buy my Cali with some of my retirement money not sure it was the right thing but I like driving it when I go out. Another year & I may well go full time retirement
We're making sure we enjoy ourselves and giving the kids a good upbringing; all this slaving "for retirement" baffles me; so you want to stop yourselves doing things now that you'll be too old to do when you retire?
You want your kids looked after, seeing them only a tiny amount a day so you can build yet another extension you don't need?
Do you really want a life of 20 days holiday a year so you can have a slightly nicer retirement home?
While people must be careful and not blow everything and avoid debt at ALL costs, just live within your means and enjoy life NOW.
Don't deprive your kids of the thing you can never buy or get back; TIME.
Brits have such an unhealthy relationship with money; it's all so wrong.
We are "lucky" to have a business that allows flexibility and a reasonable income but it didn't happen by accident; anyone can do it though with planning and persistence.
Avoid debt, don't be a mortgage slave, give your kids your time now, enjoy yourselves while you're still fit and able, explore, meet people, avoid screens but most of all, don't fit massive wheels to your van and lower it.
You want your kids looked after, seeing them only a tiny amount a day so you can build yet another extension you don't need?
Do you really want a life of 20 days holiday a year so you can have a slightly nicer retirement home?
While people must be careful and not blow everything and avoid debt at ALL costs, just live within your means and enjoy life NOW.
Don't deprive your kids of the thing you can never buy or get back; TIME.
Brits have such an unhealthy relationship with money; it's all so wrong.
We are "lucky" to have a business that allows flexibility and a reasonable income but it didn't happen by accident; anyone can do it though with planning and persistence.
Avoid debt, don't be a mortgage slave, give your kids your time now, enjoy yourselves while you're still fit and able, explore, meet people, avoid screens but most of all, don't fit massive wheels to your van and lower it.
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@Polzeylad I think we have similar outlooks, especially as regards time with kids, but very different ways of achieving;
I managed to escape the rat race just over 3 years ago, aged 48, as a result of being made (voluntarily) redundant after 32 years with the same company - prior to retirement I had spent circa 9 years, since Josh was born, on a reduced hours contract to give me one extra day a week at home. For me, the main enabler was having a decent DB pension that had a protected pension age of 50 in the event of redundancy. My friends all say I am very lucky and, in many ways, I would agree but, in reality, taking early retirement had been my master plan for 20+ years and the main reason I stayed loyal to the same company for all of my working life.
For the last 3+ years I have been there to wave Josh off to school in the mornings and been there when he comes home in the afternoon with the bonus that I get to spend all of his school holidays with him - this is all time we wont get back and we both know that, now aged 12, it wont be long before he no longer wants to spend so much of this time with me and/or his mum.
Now the hard part - working out a similar escape plan for Jo!!
I managed to escape the rat race just over 3 years ago, aged 48, as a result of being made (voluntarily) redundant after 32 years with the same company - prior to retirement I had spent circa 9 years, since Josh was born, on a reduced hours contract to give me one extra day a week at home. For me, the main enabler was having a decent DB pension that had a protected pension age of 50 in the event of redundancy. My friends all say I am very lucky and, in many ways, I would agree but, in reality, taking early retirement had been my master plan for 20+ years and the main reason I stayed loyal to the same company for all of my working life.
For the last 3+ years I have been there to wave Josh off to school in the mornings and been there when he comes home in the afternoon with the bonus that I get to spend all of his school holidays with him - this is all time we wont get back and we both know that, now aged 12, it wont be long before he no longer wants to spend so much of this time with me and/or his mum.
Now the hard part - working out a similar escape plan for Jo!!
That's just what I think...I could have a much better job, with a far better salary, but chose to work as a lowly TA (basically shit, piss and sick cleaner upper!) in school, so I'm there for Phoebe in the hols and straight after school...if I could move to high school with her, I would. I'm lucky that I am financially secure and don't need a huge salary to get by, I know there are many that aren't in that fortunate position...particularly single parents.
We all have our own ways, I must admit I worked for a company for 31 years and in that time missed my kids growing up as I was always at work of away in a different country. I was in Japan when my oldest son spoke his first words, when I came home he could say quite a few. I regret a lot of things in my life but if I had it again I wonder what I would do different
This is one of the most profound posts I've ever read (the bit about lowering and big wheels)We're making sure we enjoy ourselves and giving the kids a good upbringing; all this slaving "for retirement" baffles me; so you want to stop yourselves doing things now that you'll be too old to do when you retire?
You want your kids looked after, seeing them only a tiny amount a day so you can build yet another extension you don't need?
Do you really want a life of 20 days holiday a year so you can have a slightly nicer retirement home?
While people must be careful and not blow everything and avoid debt at ALL costs, just live within your means and enjoy life NOW.
Don't deprive your kids of the thing you can never buy or get back; TIME.
Brits have such an unhealthy relationship with money; it's all so wrong.
We are "lucky" to have a business that allows flexibility and a reasonable income but it didn't happen by accident; anyone can do it though with planning and persistence.
Avoid debt, don't be a mortgage slave, give your kids your time now, enjoy yourselves while you're still fit and able, explore, meet people, avoid screens but most of all, don't fit massive wheels to your van and lower it.
The rest makes sense as well
Wow.....this has got very deep and philosophical!
I guess we all have different drivers and needs so we all have to do our best to achieve our goals.
Money rich and time poor?
Or time rich and money poor?
Or.....the best balance of both if poss. Whatever, as long as you have good times and good people to share these adventures and occasions with. So hopefully our paths will cross with all you good T6 people one day. Be happy!
I guess we all have different drivers and needs so we all have to do our best to achieve our goals.
Money rich and time poor?
Or time rich and money poor?
Or.....the best balance of both if poss. Whatever, as long as you have good times and good people to share these adventures and occasions with. So hopefully our paths will cross with all you good T6 people one day. Be happy!
Teacher! Somebody has to do it!
Some company called Reef comes around our place every so offten checking that
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