Tommy has over 15 years experience within the insurance industry, and his primary focus is helping travellers find the right cover for their medical conditions.
Retirement is something many of us look forward to: the opportunity to take a step back from working to spend life with your friends and loved ones, to enjoy your favourite activities and hobbies and even travel if you wish to do so. Getting to retirement is a big achievement and one that should be celebrated and enjoyed, whether that is with a party, by planning a trip away, or just enjoying quality time with the people you love.
In this article, we look at some of the ways you can celebrate your retirement in style and push the boat out when it comes to marking this important milestone.
Ways to celebrate retirement in style:
- Plan a party
- Book a holiday of a lifetime
- Plan a staycation with your closest friends
- Start your own allotment
- Get creative
Plan a Party
Reaching retirement age is no mean feat and something that should be celebrated and applauded, which is why planning a party is a great way to honour this achievement. Whether you want to plan your own party or you’re happy to leave the organisation to someone else, there are plenty of ways you can tailor the celebration to suit you and your wants. You can invite just former work colleagues and close family or make it a wider event by inviting all your friends too.
Themed parties are always a retirement party idea, and often, people find it easier to plan a party or find an outfit with a theme. The theme could be based on your loves and hobbies or even based on the field you’re retiring from. A party can be as large or as small as you want, whether you’re looking to hire a venue or just host it in your house.
Here are a few things we think should be included at any retirement party:
- Balloons and banners
- Delicious food
- Retirement party games
- Great music/ a DJ
- A bar/a selection of drink choices
- Friends and family
Book the Holiday of a Lifetime
What better way to celebrate retirement and not having to work than by going on the holiday you’ve always dreamt of? There may be a destination that you’ve always dreamt of visiting, but work restrictions or holiday allowances haven’t allowed it. However, with the freedom of retirement, this could now be a possibility.
Large holidays to tropical and beautiful destinations can be pricey, so this might not be something you can’t do straight away but could be something you aim to save for within the first year of retirement when you and your partner or friends have more free time to head off without ties and commitments.
If you’re retired, you’re likely not as restricted by holiday allowance and commitments at home, so you can head away for as long as you want. For something truly exciting, you could plan to live in another country for an extended period to really experience the culture; the possibilities are endless.
As with planning any large event, there are things you need to make sure you consider when travelling, especially at retirement age, and one of those is to make sure you have the correct travel insurance to ensure you are covered in the event of an emergency or accident. With Medical Travel Compared, you can compare travel insurance with pre-existing conditions to give you peace of mind and confidence while you’re away.
Plan a Staycation with Your Closest Friends
If planning your holiday of a lifetime is going to take a little while, why not plan a short break with your closest friends or immediate family? Staycations in the UK are more popular than ever after covid forced those wanting to travel to explore the areas on our doorsteps as overseas travel became unavailable.
England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are full of breathtaking locations that are perfect for a staycation, and whether you’re booking a self-catering lodge or holiday home, or you’re staying in a hotel, the choices are endless. If you’re looking for popular staycation locations, then look no further than the few listed below:
- The Peak District
- North Devon
- Cornwall
- Edinburgh
- Bath
- Pembrokeshire
Although you might not think it, having travel insurance when travelling around the UK is just as important as when travelling abroad. Having travel insurance when in the UK means you’re covered for any travel-related delays, cancellations or accidents, giving you peace of mind.
Start Your Own Allotment
Have you always loved your garden or keeping plants but have never had to time to invest in a bigger space? Retirement is a great time to start your own allotment and get green fingered as well as spending time outdoors. Allotments are often a social space where those with a love for horticulture get together and share their passion for flowers, plants and getting green-fingered.
For most allotments, you’ll have to go on a waiting list, so you could start off small in your garden or your home whilst you are waiting for a spot to become available.
Get Creative
If you’re finding yourself with a lot of free time now you’ve stopped working, then getting into a craft or your favourite hobby is a great way to fill your days and keep your mind active. Some great crafts to start are knitting, pottery, crochet, jewellery making and scrapbooking, to name a few.
Crafts don’t just have to be undertaken at home; with a little research, you’ll be able to find local clubs and craft stores, that offer classes for those wanting to start out and is a great way to make new friends too.
If you’re close to retirement age or you’re looking at how to celebrate someone’s retirement, then hopefully, this guide has given you a little inspiration on the sort of activities you can enjoy when you have a little more time on your hands.
For more articles like this, make sure you check out our blog and our website.