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25 Things to Do in Retirement: Embrace Your New Chapter with Purpose
Hoxton Blog • 25 Things to Do in Retirement: Embrace Your New Chapter with Purpose
Retirement offers time to explore new interests, travel, and focus on personal goals. This guide shares 25 practical things to do in retirement, with ideas suited to UK expats. It also explains how thoughtful retirement planning can help turn these plans into a sustainable and enjoyable lifestyle.
Embracing Retirement as a New Chapter
Retirement marks a shift from full-time work to greater personal freedom. For many people, it creates space to explore interests that were previously limited by time or routine. Travel, learning, creativity and community involvement often take on greater importance during this stage of life.
While retirement brings flexibility, enjoying it fully often depends on planning ahead. Income sources, pensions and long-term financial decisions can shape what is possible over time.
This article brings together 25 things to do in retirement, covering a wide range of interests, from travel and hobbies to learning and family life. It also highlights how structured retirement planning can support a more confident and flexible retirement, particularly for UK expats.
Why Listen to Us?
Hoxton Wealth supports thousands of clients across multiple countries, helping UK expats manage retirement planning across borders. With experience working with pensions, investments and international assets, the firm has insight into the financial decisions that often shape retirement lifestyles.
This perspective informs how retirement activities and long-term planning fit together in practice.
You can learn more about the firm on the Hoxton Wealth website.
What Is Retirement Planning and Why Does It Matter?
Retirement planning involves managing income, pensions, savings and assets to support life after work. For UK expats, this often includes additional considerations such as overseas pensions, international investments, currency exposure and cross-border tax rules.
Planning helps provide clarity around what level of income is available and how long it may last. This can make it easier to choose activities, travel plans and lifestyle changes with greater confidence.
Why Consider Using a Retirement Tracker App?
- Many retirees use digital tools to keep track of their finances in one place
- A retirement tracker app can bring together pensions, investments and savings into a single view
- For expats, multi-currency reporting and consolidated views of global assets can be particularly useful
- Common benefits include real-time updates on portfolio values and clearer visibility of income sources
- Progress tracking against long-term goals can help highlight whether plans remain on track
- Regular reviews may make it easier to make informed decisions and adjust plans as circumstances change
- Tracking progress over time can support greater confidence when committing to travel, hobbies or other long-term goals
25 Things to Do in Retirement for UK Expats
- Travel the World and Explore New Destinations
Retirement gives UK expats the freedom to travel slowly and more affordably, often outside peak seasons. Popular choices include extended stays in Spain, Portugal, Thailand or Australia. Careful cashflow planning helps ensure travel costs are sustainable over decades. A well-structured pension drawdown and diversified investment strategy, supported by Hoxton Wealth, can provide reliable income while managing currency risk and inflation.
- Pursue a New Hobby or Rediscover an Old One
Many expats rediscover interests such as painting, photography or music once work pressures ease. Living abroad often makes classes more accessible and affordable, from art workshops in France to photography courses in Vietnam. Budgeting for ongoing hobby costs is important, particularly where equipment or tuition is involved. Reviewing discretionary spending as part of a broader retirement plan helps balance enjoyment with long-term financial sustainability.
- Start a Small Business or Freelance
Some retirees enjoy consultancy, coaching or freelance work to stay mentally active and supplement income. UK expats may find opportunities teaching English, offering professional services or running online businesses. This income can reduce pressure on pensions but introduces tax complexity across jurisdictions. Financial planning can help assess whether income should be reinvested, drawn as spending money, or used to delay pension withdrawals.
- Volunteer and Give Back to the Community
Volunteering suits many expats seeking purpose and social connection in retirement. Examples include charity work in Portugal, mentoring programmes in Dubai or conservation projects in Costa Rica. While unpaid, volunteering still has cost implications such as travel and insurance. A clear retirement budget helps fund these activities without compromising essential income needs or emergency reserves.
- Enjoy Fine Dining and Culinary Experiences
Retirement abroad often brings access to vibrant food cultures, whether wine tasting in Italy or street food tours in Singapore. These experiences enhance quality of life but can quietly increase discretionary spending. Financial planning helps retirees understand how lifestyle inflation affects long-term affordability. Structuring pension withdrawals sensibly ensures enjoyment today does not reduce financial flexibility later.
- Focus on Health and Fitness
Staying active is central to a fulfilling retirement, with many expats joining gyms, yoga studios or swimming clubs overseas. Examples include Pilates in Spain or walking groups in New Zealand. Planning for healthcare costs, insurance and preventative wellbeing is essential. Retirement planning should allow for rising health expenses while protecting investment capital and maintaining income security.
- Learn a New Language
Learning the local language helps expats integrate and build friendships. Many retirees take Spanish classes in Mexico or French lessons in Provence. Courses are affordable but ongoing. Including education and self-development costs in retirement budgets avoids unplanned spending. A well-planned income strategy allows room for personal growth alongside essential living costs.
- Take Part in Cultural Activities
Museums, concerts and theatre performances often become regular fixtures in retirement life abroad. Examples include opera in Vienna or galleries in Barcelona. Cultural spending enhances wellbeing but should be planned for. Aligning lifestyle costs with sustainable investment returns ensures cultural pursuits remain enjoyable rather than financially stressful over time.
- Downsize or Relocate to a Dream Home
Many expats reassess housing in retirement, downsizing or relocating to reduce costs or improve lifestyle. Selling UK property may release capital for investment or income generation. Decisions around residency, tax exposure and reinvestment benefit from advice. Proper planning helps ensure property changes support retirement objectives rather than creating unnecessary complexity.
- Create an Investment Portfolio for Future Generations
Some retirees focus on passing wealth to children or grandchildren, often across borders. Investment portfolios can be structured for growth, income or gifting. Estate planning is particularly important for expats facing multiple legal systems. Coordinated advice helps balance current income needs with long-term legacy goals and tax efficiency.
- Take Up Gardening or Landscaping
Gardening offers physical activity and creativity, particularly for expats with outdoor space in countries like France or Cyprus. Costs may include tools, plants or landscaping services. Planning modest ongoing expenses within retirement budgets ensures hobbies remain relaxing rather than financially distracting, especially when combined with home maintenance costs.
- Learn to Play a Musical Instrument
Music lessons, whether piano in Italy or guitar in Portugal, provide mental stimulation and social interaction. Tuition and instruments involve recurring costs. Retirement income planning should allow space for enrichment activities without eroding core income streams, particularly as spending priorities evolve over time.
- Join a Local Sports or Fitness Club
Golf clubs, tennis groups or hiking societies help retirees stay active and build friendships. Membership fees and equipment costs vary widely by country. Factoring these into discretionary spending ensures hobbies remain affordable. Long-term planning helps align lifestyle ambitions with sustainable withdrawal rates from pensions and investments.
- Write a Memoir or Start a Blog
Many expats enjoy documenting their experiences abroad, whether through memoirs or blogs about retirement life. While often low-cost, publishing or hosting platforms can involve fees. Planning for creative projects ensures retirees can pursue meaningful work without financial pressure, while keeping income strategies intact.
- Take Cooking or Baking Classes
Local cookery schools offer immersive cultural experiences, from Thai cooking in Chiang Mai to baking courses in France. These classes provide enjoyment and social contact. Including lifestyle education within retirement spending plans helps ensure experiences are enjoyed guilt-free and without compromising future income security.
- Start a Book Club or Join a Community Group
Community involvement helps combat isolation, particularly for expats adjusting to new cultures. Book clubs or discussion groups often have minimal costs but may involve venues or travel. Planning modest social budgets supports connection while maintaining control over discretionary spending.
- Explore Different Art Forms
Pottery, sculpture or drawing classes are popular among retirees seeking creative outlets. These activities suit expats looking for routine and expression. Materials and tuition costs should be planned for within retirement budgets, ensuring creativity is supported without affecting essential financial commitments.
- Plan Long-Term Travel
Extended cruises or road trips across Europe appeal to retirees without time constraints. Examples include Mediterranean cruises or campervan travel through New Zealand. These trips require careful cashflow planning. Structuring pension income to match travel schedules helps avoid large withdrawals that may disrupt investment strategies.
- Take Up Photography
Photography complements travel and daily exploration. Costs may include equipment upgrades and editing software. Financial planning helps retirees decide whether to fund hobbies from income or capital, maintaining balance between enjoyment and long-term portfolio sustainability.
- Mentor or Tutor Others
Sharing expertise through mentoring or tutoring offers purpose and light income. UK expats may teach online or support local initiatives. Understanding how this income interacts with pensions and tax residency is important. Advice ensures additional earnings enhance, rather than complicate, retirement finances.
- Start a Podcast or YouTube Channel
Creative retirees increasingly produce content about expat life, travel or hobbies. While often passion projects, equipment and hosting costs can add up. Retirement planning helps determine whether projects remain hobbies or potential income streams, ensuring clarity around expectations and financial impact.
- Explore Digital Nomadism
Some retirees combine travel with remote work, consulting or online businesses. This flexibility suits expats who enjoy movement and light engagement. Financial planning helps manage irregular income, currency exposure and pension withdrawals, ensuring work enhances lifestyle without introducing unnecessary risk.
- Attend Workshops or Educational Seminars
Short courses in history, finance or wellbeing appeal to lifelong learners. Examples include university programmes in Europe or online investment seminars. Planning education spending ensures ongoing learning fits comfortably within retirement income plans, supporting enrichment without financial strain.
- Practice Mindfulness or Meditation
Mindfulness retreats, yoga courses or meditation classes support mental wellbeing during life transitions. These are popular in destinations such as Bali or Spain. Planning modest wellness budgets helps retirees prioritise health while maintaining control over long-term spending and income sustainability.
- Spend More Time with Family and Grandchildren
Retirement allows expats to prioritise family visits or shared holidays. Flights, accommodation and gifts can add up over time. Structuring income and investment withdrawals thoughtfully helps fund family time generously while preserving long-term financial security and flexibility.
How to Choose the Best Retirement Activities for Your Lifestyle
Choosing the right retirement activities is easier when lifestyle goals and financial reality are considered together. Rather than filling time at random, a structured approach can help ensure the activities you choose remain enjoyable, affordable and sustainable over the long term. The steps below are designed to help you move from ideas to a clear, workable plan.
Step 1: Assess What You Actually Enjoy
Start by identifying the activities that genuinely appeal to you, rather than those that simply sound appealing in theory. Retirement is long, so long-term enjoyment matters more than short-term novelty.
Ask yourself:
- Which activities have I consistently enjoyed in the past?
- Do I prefer social, independent, creative or physical pursuits?
- How much structure do I want in my weekly routine?
For many UK expats, interests evolve after relocating abroad. Activities that support integration, such as language learning or local clubs, often become more rewarding over time.
Step 2: Factor in Health, Energy and Practicality
Your health and energy levels will influence how often and how intensely you can pursue certain activities. A balanced mix of physical, mental and social engagement can help support long-term wellbeing.
Ask yourself:
- What level of physical activity is realistic for me now?
- Which activities support both health and enjoyment?
- Are there lower-impact alternatives that offer similar satisfaction?
Planning with flexibility allows activities to adapt as circumstances change, rather than relying on one demanding pursuit.
Step 3: Check What Is Financially Sustainable
Before committing to regular activities, review how they fit within your retirement budget. Ongoing costs such as travel, memberships, equipment or tuition can add up over time.
Ask yourself:
- What does this activity cost annually, not just upfront?
- Is it funded from regular income or from savings?
- Would I still afford this if markets or income changed?
Aligning activities with long-term income expectations helps avoid the need to scale back later.
Step 4: Match Activities to Your Income Strategy
Different retirement activities suit different income structures. Travel-heavy lifestyles may require more flexible cashflow, while hobbies based at home tend to be easier to budget for.
Ask yourself:
- Do my pension withdrawals support this lifestyle pattern?
- Would smoothing income improve flexibility?
- How does currency exposure affect my spending abroad?
This is where linking lifestyle planning to pension and investment strategy becomes particularly important for UK expats.
Step 5: Create a Simple Lifestyle Plan
Pull everything together into a practical plan. This does not need to be rigid, but it should provide clarity on priorities, costs and timing.
Action to take:
- List your top five retirement activities
- Estimate annual costs for each
- Decide which are “core” and which are optional
- Review this plan annually and adjust as needed
A written plan makes it easier to say yes to the right opportunities and no to those that may stretch finances unnecessarily.
How Hoxton Wealth Supports Your Retirement Journey
- Helping create a clearer financial picture
Hoxton Wealth supports UK expats by bringing pensions, investments and international assets together into a consolidated view. This can help reduce complexity across jurisdictions and providers, making it easier to understand how different elements of a retirement plan may interact.
Do you have a clear understanding of where your retirement assets are held and how they are structured?
- Considering lifestyle goals alongside income planning
Retirement planning may be more effective when lifestyle objectives are reviewed alongside expected income. Hoxton Wealth works with clients to assess whether planned spending appears broadly sustainable over time, based on current assumptions.
Have you considered how your desired lifestyle aligns with your expected retirement income?
- Supporting pension structures that reflect spending patterns
Pension arrangements can be reviewed to ensure they are broadly aligned with anticipated spending needs, including variable or irregular costs. This approach may help improve cashflow management during retirement.
Are your pension withdrawals structured in a way that reflects how you expect to spend?
- Managing investments with retirement objectives in mind
Investment strategies are considered in the context of income requirements, time horizon and risk tolerance. Hoxton Wealth helps ensure portfolios are reviewed regularly and remain appropriate to retirement objectives as circumstances evolve.
Do your investments still align with your current retirement priorities?
- Reviewing currency exposure for overseas living
For UK expats, income and expenditure may be affected by currency movements. Hoxton Wealth can help review currency exposure as part of broader financial planning, particularly where assets and spending are held in different currencies.
Have you considered how currency changes could affect your retirement income?
- Providing ongoing reviews as circumstances change
Retirement plans may need to adapt over time due to changes in health, residency, spending or personal priorities. Hoxton Wealth offers ongoing reviews to help ensure plans remain broadly aligned with evolving needs and objectives.
When was the last time your retirement plan was reviewed in light of recent changes?
- Supporting informed long-term decision-making
By maintaining a structured and regularly reviewed approach, Hoxton Wealth helps clients make informed decisions about retirement activities, spending and financial priorities, with an emphasis on long-term sustainability rather than short-term outcomes.
Do you feel comfortable that your current plan reflects both your present and future expectations?
Conclusion and Next Steps
Retirement can be an active and fulfilling stage of life when approached with intention. The 25 activities outlined above show how retirement can include travel, creativity, learning and family time.
Turning these ideas into reality often depends on having a clear financial framework in place.
With careful planning, retirement can offer flexibility without unnecessary uncertainty. Hoxton Wealth works with UK expats to help align retirement income with lifestyle goals, making it easier to focus on the things that matter most.
To begin planning your retirement journey, contact Hoxton Wealth today.
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If you would like to speak to one of our advisers, please get in touch today.
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