Getting Personal

                Retirement: Why It`s Time To Turn Dreams Into Reality | Retirement Gifts from GettingPersonal.co.uk
            
                We think that retirement is a time for people to start making their dreams a reality. In life we often find ourselves coming up with too many excuses. We say we can't travel because we must work, we say we can't take part in outlandish hobbies such as learning to fly or sail because we need to take care of the kids and as we grow older we begin to think our most heart-desired interests are just pipe dreams which will never come true, however, there's no reason for that to be the case. 

Retirement can be an opportunity to do those things you have always wanted to do but never got around to doing. We're going to tell you about a few of the wonderful opportunities out there you might not have heard about before! There are some new types of retirement gifts out there which make all the old traditional retirement gifts look utterly boring.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Do you know someone who is retiring soon? Perhaps they have always wanted to pilot a plane, or go on an exciting journey in a genuine steam train, what about spending the day driving a vintage car and enjoying a meal in an old fashioned pub? These might all sound like far-fetched ideas, but they're actually real retirement gifts which you could get your friends and loved ones. Experience Days come in lots of different shapes and forms. The way that they are given to your loved ones, however, is in the form of a silver envelope which says 'Live The Dream' on the front in embossed writing. 

Within that envelope are certificated photos and beautifully printed instructions for booking experiences of a lifetime. You can get everything from tandem skydiving and Ferrari racing days to dance classes and chocolate making workshops and they all come in this special gift certificate format making it so easy to give those exciting experiences as retirement gifts to all the people you admire.

Some of our favourite options for retirement gifts are hot air balloon rides which are perfect for those not faint at heart (and in good physical condition), guided flying lessons, trips on steam trains, fancy cream teas in top hotels such as the Ritz in London and tickets to see West End Theatre shows spending the night in a nice hotel. No matter what dreams your friend has, there's bound to be something perfect for them!

Learning New Skills

Some other good retirement gifts will teach your friend or family member new skills. For under £30 each you can get Learn It gift boxes which supply course materials for things such as International Cookery, Creative Writing, Understanding Wine and Chocolate Making all of which give a recognised NVQ qualification to the person who completes them. We can't think of a better way to kick start a retirement than by learning something fun and useful and at a price as low as £30 for resources which would be much more expensive from a distance learning course we think these Learn it Gift Boxes are an impressive present!

Turning on the Romance

If the person who is retiring is your partner it can be an anxious time for you as well as them. You know that your finances will change and the time you spend together will be more precious and of much better quality. Finding hobbies to do with each other and also apart is a good idea. That way you can turn on the romance half the time and still have some 'me time' too.

If you want to get your partner a really romantic retirement gift consider those experience days we mentioned. You can get pamper days for two where you could both get treatments at a health spa or you could go to the theatre, learn to dance the salsa together or visit one of England's many historic cities for a romantic weekend break. 

For men who love to pay golf or go fishing and enjoy a little tipple engraved hip flasks with the date of his retirement and a few thoughtful words can make great retirement gifts. For a lady an engraved compact mirror can be useful as well as beautiful while engraved jewellery boxes can be a good place to store all of those sparkling diamonds she's accumulated over the years.

When you're looking for retirement gifts look for items that will be useful and stand the test of time! Really, retirement gifts don't need to be expensive or over the top they just need to show the person you care and mark the occasion in a fun way.

Related article: Gifts For The Next Chapter (Retirement Gifts)