Retired at 50

Well, technically, 49. My 50th birthday isn't for another 2 weeks but I couldn't wait that long to get out of my existing job. Is it really retirement though? What does retirement even mean since I've moved to the land of side hustles and working until you are 65+ so that you can access a reasonable level of healthcare? It's certainly very different to my previous picture of retirement in the UK, where you worked until you were 60 and then lived quietly off your pensions with a cat and some Rich Tea Biscuits. It wasn't the most exciting way to spend your twilight years but at least you knew there was a safety net and getting ill wouldn't mean you lost your home.

I've been reading a lot of retirement articles this year. From how much it costs, to how to spend your time. From best places to retire, to nightmare scenarios. The only thing I have learned is that there is no such thing as a standard retirement.

So the first thing I need to do is to decide what retirement means for me. Whilst cats will definitely factor into the equation (I already have 4) Rich Tea Biscuits and the National Health Service probably won't.