When Retirement Sneaks Up on You
Whatever happened to bell bottoms and Nehru jackets? I thought they would never
go out of style, but then again I thought that Eve of Destruction was a song
with a timeless message. Now when I think of my life I feel that, like
Fonzie, I have finally jumped the shark and am ready for retirement. Of course,
does retirement mean cuddling up besides Social Security as you travel along
that final ride?
I hope not, because as many people are painfully aware of, there is nothing
secure about a future that depends on Social Security. With so many people drawing
compared to the number contributing, Social Security checks will soon become
the equivalent of discount coupons from the Sunday paper.
However, no one wants to work forever, and with retirement just around the
corner, even with proper planning there isn’t enough time to prepare. This means
one of two things if I want to maintain my quality of life well into my eighties:
I have to either hit the lotto or quickly build a nest-egg.
As with anything, this is easier said than done, however that doesn’t mean
it’s impossible, but more than likely it does mean tightening my belt for a
couple of years. Focusing on my “golden years” means investing, saving,
and working hard now so I can actually retire at age 67, when I’ll be either
too old or too lazy to work. Since there are no “safe investments”,
that also means diversifying my revenue streams so that I can enjoy the good
life.
If you had parents that lived through the depression, you know what I mean
by “the good life”.
The good life is the life I’m living now, with a Lay-Z-Boy, kids that eat too
much, a wife that shops too much, and a TV that is on way too much. The “good
life” in general is too much, which leaves you with too little when it
becomes time for “senior savings”. If you started late in the game,
then the only way to glide your way to becoming a geriatric is to bite the bullet,
and sacrifice now so you can live well later.
