Quote Originally Posted by ralphy View Post
A wise man once gave me this definition: True financial independence is the point in time that you have enough assets or capital at work for you to ensure your future life-style is affordable, i.e. if you work beyond that point you are doing so because you choose to and not because you need to. (He refused to talk about or even refer to the 'retirement', citing it as a very negative connotation and I now fully understand that).

That helped me to make some significant changes in my life years ago, ones which I have greatly benefitted from since then.

R
Wise words. I actually would like to do un-paid work, especially if I can assist with local woodland projects or renovations (I always wanted to be a lumberjack - cue Monty Python song).

Update on my little saga - possible redundancy package after a M&A at our firm so hanging on to May to get a decision on that. Meanwhile - living off calculated pension values (rest of money being diverted to a savings account) - to check we can live ok on pension incomes. Wife left work at the end of last year due to worsening health but finds more than enough to do at home. We will not rush into relocating - but have had some agents round to value our house - development potential would maximise our return being in greater London, as the local council is really pushing for more dwellings with the chronic shortfall.

So plan to sell up / move either to devon / dorset area. Or still interested in Portugal - there are some properties that are energy positive (giving back to the grid) and with their own hat water heating and water supply (water-well) and enough land to grow food.

Martyn