As I perused Yahoo! Finance today, I noticed yet another article about retirement and the best way to go about it. I was drawn in particular to the opening passage:
“Forget about slowing down — retirement is the time to accomplish everything you didn’t get to do when you were younger.”
Hmm.
It seems odd that doing what you always wanted falls into the latter quarter of your life (age 65-75 for most). Why aren’t you planning for and doing those things now? What exactly is holding you back from accomplishing what you always wanted? The typical response here is “I have kids to feed and a mortgage to pay.” Thus, many people are shackled into their routine, a lifestyle they didn’t envision, until their golden years.
It doesn’t have to be that way though, that’s what much of the fun and enjoyment of personal finance is all about! Building your way to financial freedom, brick by brick, deposit by deposit, and sitting down one day in full confidence that you could quit your job tomorrow and be just fine. You can get there sooner than you think, but the path isn’t easy and followed by few. You’re going to have to make some sacrifices in the here and now. I don’t mean move your family out to a shack in the country to save money, but rather you have to examine the leaks in your financial roof.
Downgrade from digital cable, get a cheaper car (I never really understood the fascination with an expensive cars. 99% of them can get you to point A to point B), trim off consumer debt. If these are tips and tricks you’ve heard before, I’m not to surprised! Fundamentals are always a great place to start.
Don’t wait till you’re old to do the things you want. Set goals, find out what it is you want to accomplish in your life. Then build a road to get there.
Here’s to your financial independence.
-Xias