Hi everyone. Eric's retiring in June and we've
talked a lot about retirement on the channel.
Now it's actually happening. I said to Eric,
I think we need a frank, honest discussion about
what retirement is going to look like from June
onwards. So Tracy's asked me to write down four
questions I'm going to ask Gareth about retirement
and you've done the same for me, I believe. I
have, I've got four questions for you. I've no
idea what's coming, but you sure you want to
do this on camera without knowing what the questions
are? Yes. Challenge accepted, are you fair? Go
on. Okay, question one. Was it the right time
for me to retire? 99 % yes. You've talked about
retirement a lot recently. Over the last couple
of years really. You know, I think you've slowed
down in work, which has been a really, so you
kind of haven't, I feel not slowed down, but
you know, you've gone from being very like, I
don't know, 100 hour weeks to like a more nine
to five job. And I think you just don't gently
going into retirement. I do worry a little bit
because I'm not retiring yet. I've decided to
carry on. I'm just not mentally ready yet. But
I think for you, I think you'd be okay. Yeah,
I mean, fair enough, I've been talking about
the time at 55 since I was 35 and 55 is running
out. You know, so I'm going in a few weeks, aren't
I? Whilst I'm still 55. Not that it's just a
number really, but you know, it's a psychological
number that's important. Go on then, first question
for me. My question follows quite nicely. So
what are you going to do with your free time,
Eric, whilst I'm still working? That's a load
of questions in there. Well, I know you've talked
a lot about Faustine decorating. Seriously, right,
seriously. Okay, anyone who kind of decides that
they want to retire without thinking a lot about
this seriously is making a mistake. So my natural...
behavior, if I hadn't thought about it, would
be to spend all day sitting in front of a keyboard,
either a musical keyboard or a computer keyboard.
Because I'm very much an indoor type person,
aren't I? But that doesn't fit with my priorities.
So one of the things that the two things I'm
really absolutely going to do is get more healthy,
get fitter, and I'm going to have better friendship
networks. I'm not going to do either of them
sitting in front of a keyboard or sitting in
the house. i've decided even though i do nothing
about gardening i've never shown an interest
in the garden i'm gonna do some gardening because
i think that will keep me fit get me outdoors
i've already started as you know you know i've
got my breakfast club with friends and family
which i do once every couple of weeks we have
a gig club where we go and see gigs regularly
we've got eight of us in that gang it's brilliant
and i'm starting Amateur guitar club as well.
All right, so, you know, that's my social network
done Physically, we've always been good at walking
the dog I'm going to do a bit more gardening
to make sure I'm outside because my natural reaction
is to stay in Yeah Okay I've got another one
for you Are you confident in our numbers? Yes,
yes, I I'm always a little bit nervous about
anything anyway change or anything new so i think
we've done the numbers over and over and over
again for at least the last 18 months so and
they don't change no so yes i think i am confident
in our numbers on our ability to retire yeah
you know i i am as well if curveballs come will
curveballs come they do they do i hope um yeah
If it's an expensive curve ball, we might be
in trouble, but I think we'll be okay. Yeah.
Good. Good. Number two. Okay. Do you ever see
yourself doing paid work going forward? You know
what I do? I think I've always said no to this.
But there's certain elements to the job I do
now and I've always done, which I really enjoy.
But there's a lot of stuff that we just do because
of the job. So if I could find a day or two a
month, doing, focusing on the bits that I enjoy
about my job. I don't know what I was doing then
as long as I didn't have to do all the other
stuff. You know, so I would never say no. And
if I could find them kind of gig work where they
could just do that kind of small amount of focused
work, I'd do that. I'd have no problem with that
at all. I actually think it's unhealthy. to go
from working full -time to just doing nothing
straight away. For me, I think it would be, cos
I'm a nature. So, no, I think it'd be a positive
thing, yeah. I'm not saying anyone would hire
me to do that, but... Right, number three for
you, Trace. Do you think I'll cope without working?
I think you kind of answered... You touched on
that in your answer to the last... No, I don't
think you're going to cope very well with that,
if I'm honest. You're really interested in your
job. You do your job really well and you're really
interested in it and it's mentally stimulating
for you as well. Every day is a school day. You're
always learning something new. I do worry about
you a little bit in retirement as where you're
going to get that mental stimulation from. You've
already said you've got a guitar club, you've
got your music, so you all put the things in
place, but I think it's going to be a transition
for you. Yeah, I'm not saying it's going to be
easy. I have in the past classed myself as a
workaholic, haven't I? Yeah. I have struggled
when that hasn't been a lot of work to do just
because of the nature of the way I am, but I
think I'm much better prepared for it now that
I'm older. Slow it down. Go on, that's number
three for me. Yeah, it's number three for you.
What is the thing that worries you most about
retirement? What worries me most about retirement?
I think it's this period where I'm retiring,
you're not. I can see how it works completely
when we both are ready to go. I'm not trying
to rush you into it, by the way, because I know
you've got to be mentally ready as well. But
that period where you're working and I'm going
to feel horribly guilty when you're getting up,
logging in. I know we both work at home, but
you'll still be getting up in the morning, going
down, battling your daily battles that you do
in your job. Maybe only a second cup of coffee.
That's not going to sit well with me. Do you
know what I mean? I'm going to find that really
difficult, to be honest. But I know you're very
supportive now. What you're like on the third
Monday morning. Time will tell. That's my worry.
I think once we both retire, fantastic. We've
got plans. We're going east. We're going to do
this country. I've got loads of plans, but being
retired on my own for a little bit. is my biggest
worry. Right, last question for you. Last question
for you. Oh, similar to what you just said, actually.
What is your number one concern about the future?
Short -term future, I think you just covered
it. I know, at any point in time, I can decide
I'm going to retire. So I'm not really worried
about that. I think, you know... Longer term,
it is, you know, you get a lot, you know, how
do we keep ourselves fit and healthy and stimulated,
you know, mentally. You know, I've got friends
and family, so then you and I will be doing things.
And also health, you know. I don't want to retire
and become ill. And this is why we've both decided
we want to go a bit early. yeah just to because
you'll be going at 55 and you're not in 55 yes
no not 55 so yeah yeah it's quite tricky money
wise because you can't even claim any of your
pensions at home yeah no so um yeah so yeah that's
my concerns okay yeah fair enough last one i've
got last one for this okay do you promise go
here on camera for the world to see yeah To decorate
the house with some of your new fans for a time.
Now I understand why you asked this. You know
what, I've just covered off why I'm not going
to feel as guilty when you're getting up and
going to work and I want my second cup of coffee.
Because once I've had my second cup of coffee,
I'll do a bit of tidying. Second cup of coffee,
you'll put a paintbrush in your hands and off
your bottom. Yeah, it's a good opportunity, isn't
it? Because one of our plans is to downsize,
isn't it? Yeah. At some point, we can't downsize
when the house is like it is. It needs a bit
of TLC. Yeah. Okay. So thank you guys. You were
the witness. You'll hold me to that. Yeah. And
also, you know, if you do want to tune in to
what it's like to retire and, you know, don't
forget to subscribe to the channel because we
do updates regularly, don't we? It's going to
be a really interesting journey for us both.
So if you're interested in this kind of stuff,
hit that subscription button and stick with us.
Yeah. Thanks for listening everyone. Bye.