As far as retirement goes mine was rather weird
I knew I was getting close
and a new Head started at the school where I worked
Her view of my job (employed as a teacher but spent half my time fixing computers and anything associated with them) was that I was useless and a waste
She said as much
AND ignored me whenever possible
even changed some policies and told everyone else about it on my afternoon off - then told me off for not knowing the changes!!
Then I gt a letter from the pension people from my previous career suggesting a quote and some free advise - which I obviously went for
and thought "better check my Teacher pension while I am at it.
when I rang the person I spoke to went though it all
then stopped and said she needed to put me on hold to check something - which was worrying
but she came back and said that the figure she gave me were for me retiring NOW - or withina few months
I was JUST inside a "wind down" time - so if I retired in the next few months my pension would be based on my highest salary from my previous job as a full time teacher on a higher pay scale
If i stayed on at the school I would get a lot less when I retired
so - resigning was an easy decision
but I intended to get another job - probably in a school but not as a teacher
Then my "now wife"'s Mum got ill and everyone needed me to drive them to hospital and all that
then she died and everyone needed running around to sort things out and take stuf to teh ip and whatever
then my wife needed me around for a while
THEN Covid happened
and by the time THAT was all over I was kinda used to not working
so planning was there - but was naff all use as circumstances happened
After a while I started volunteering at things - mostly helping with IT
which is a damn site more difficult to find that I expected but I seem sorted now
but it can be weird - and plans do not always turn out to be reality!
