This blog has gone through personal finance topics quite often since it started. Retirement is, therefore; part of it. In the past we’ve discussed:
- Why you should save for your own retirement instead of you child’s tuition
- What type of benefits you can get from earlier retirement
- And other related posts on the topic.
However, I felt like it was time to put myself out there. Actually, to be really honest, I never took the time to really think about MY own retirement and what I expect from it. I always thought about it as something that will eventually occur. I also often referred to it as a period that somehow includes more time. More time for traveling, hobbies, and doing things that I like.
But really, what is it all about? What do I really want it to be?
The Urge of Retiring?
The truth is, I don’t think it’s clear for me just yet. I’m lucky enough to be doing things that I like. I like my job and don’t feel like I should be doing or need to be doing something else.
Let me explain.
I work four days a week – sometimes less – sometimes a little more. The days I work are short – 6 hours or less. I may just be starting out my 30’s but I have worked long 10-12 hour days in the past. That was some time ago. It’s been around 4 years since those long days. Sometimes when its really needed, I do an 8-hour shift. That’s it. My sons get at daycare around 9 am and I’m there to pick them up at 4 pm. That’s some quality lifestyle isn’t? 😉
As for things that I love, I’ve taken horseback riding lessons once a week for two decades! Time flies. I also take spinning classes once a week and sometimes two times a week. When the need to incorporate more physical activity arises, I run. I run once a week but am aiming for two.
You know what else I really love doing? Being a present mom. This means playing, chatting or simply having nothing more important to do than sitting next to my children. With my work schedule, I am able to do so quite often. I take deep pride in this!
I also very much enjoy writing and reading. I’m lucky because I get plenty of it at work. I write between two and 4 articles per week and read 40 articles or news per week. Did you know my first language is French? I’m in love with it and I get to proofread French documents for an advertising agency.
Last but not least. I really do love to spend time with my husband. Awwww! How cute! 😉 But, yes, it’s true. My marriage is a top priority and I make sure to always make time for our relationship. Sometimes it’s as simple as watching a movie and cuddling or having a glass of wine. From time to time though, we send the kids to their grandparents or aunts and uncles while we take the entire day just for the two of us. Either way, we make it happen.
These are all reasons why I personally don’t feel the urge to retire. My life is just as I wanted it to be. My day-to-day is part of a routine, but I get the chance to do different types of things.
What Am I Missing?
So the question is, what am I missing now that I would like to have while I’m retired? What would I like my typical day to look like when I don’t have to work anymore?
Traveling. That’s about the only thing I’d like to do more often. If I had more money or fewer expenses, I would make sure to travel 2-3 times per year. I’d prefer a week, but I could do a whole month! I would come back after that. I’d miss my siblings too much! 😉 Yes, I’m the type of person who can get lonely easily.
Would I still write? Honestly, I think so. I wouldn’t challenge myself to address good topics. I’d just write what I want to write about all the time. This obviously doesn’t mean I’d have a large readership, but that wouldn’t matter. 😉
Would I still go horseback riding? No doubt about that! This has been my number 1 passion since… as far, I can remember! If I could have one thing, I’d own a horse and ride 4-5 times a week. Although as a mom of young kids, I don’t want that. It would take too much time. If all my kids were grown up, then yes, I’d own a horse.
Would I still do physical activities? I want to be an active person for as long as possible. If I can still run at 80 years old, I will. To me, being active and healthy is non-negotiable!
What about spending time with kids (grandkids) and husband? Do I really have to answer that? I don’t think that will ever change. If anything I’ll make sure to spend even more time with them. Being a happy woman, mom, and wife is one of my lifetime goals. Being happy includes spending time with my loved ones.
Retirement = Freedom
Thinking about it, my retirement probably won’t be much different than my current lifestyle. Of course, we’ll never know what the future holds for us. I don’t want to try and predict the unpredictable. The key is to put more money aside than what we think is needed. If possible.
I guess what I want to change most between my work life and my retirement life is the freedom to do what I want – when I want.
I don’t think I’ll ever fully stop working. Perhaps when retirement age approaches, I’ll become a volunteer! If I came across a volunteering opportunity for a good cause and it didn’t cost anything, I’d do it without hesitation. Other than that, I might as well get a paycheck for what I’ll be doing. 😉 Not to mention that we will probably have tuition to pay for! Ha!
Do I want to Retire Early?
In a way, I think I already have. I left the typical workplace to work from home and have the lifestyle I have now. I have a lower income and less security, but I somehow “retired” from the typical 9 to 5 job. This is already an accomplishment in my opinion!
However we, Mr. My Husband and I, are far from being financially independent. We need our two jobs to support our lifestyle. With that taken into consideration, I’m not retired and won’t be anytime soon. I’d like us to be free from any mortgage by the age of 40 (45 being the maximum); our oldest son will be around 15 by then. All of our children will still need our financial support.
I’m not sure I want to retire early. I know for certain that I don’t want to retire late. I’m not sure we’d be able to retire before 50. Even then, we both still want to continue working – only less. The real question is, do we want to retire early? I’m afraid I don’t have the answer yet.
That’s a little scary. I know what Mr. My husband and I will be talking about in the next days! 😉
The Financial Aspect
Although the type of retirement I discussed in this article is quite simple, it still demands a lot of money! Simply paying for life expenses and traveling 2 times a year can get really expensive. I know Mr. My Husband has plans for himself as well including playing golf more often and running marathons in other countries.
Even then, we both assume to be in shape and healthy but nothing is guaranteed.
I find it really hard to come up with numbers when it comes to retirement. Maybe that’s why I’ve always talked about it as a general topic and as something that didn’t apply to me just yet. I have to change that. I have to explore these thoughts further and turn them into a plan. I’m afraid if I don’t, life with pass by and I’ll wake up at 55 years old not knowing when I’ll be able to have the freedom I’ve dreamed of.
What about you? Do you know what your retirement will look like?
Are you familiar with mrmoneymustache.com? I came across it a bit over a year ago and it has made me think about a whole load of things that I had never really made concrete in my mind before. There are plenty of formulas for working out how much you’ll need in order to retire. This is one of his posts on the topic: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/05/29/how-much-do-i-need-for-retirement/
Lots of information in that post but essentially it boils down to 25 times whatever your annual expenses are. You might find that interesting to read. On the forums there are also plenty of discussions about what various people’s number is. I wish I’d paid more attention to this kind of thing when I was younger; at 40, it’s very unlikely that I’ll ever be financially independent or able to retire extremely early but I’m trying to make very sure that I can at least retire “on time” or perhaps even reduce my working hours before then.