Retiring Earlier Better than Later

Hi

Well, of course it sounds better to retire earlier rather than later, but not just for the obvious reasons.  All things being equal, if you had the money you might retire early. However, most people continue to work for several more years because they need to accumulate more.

It seems though, that people who completely retire and start a brand-new lifestyle at a younger age, say in their fifties, have a better chance of enjoying retirement that those who retire later.

Part of this is because you can do all the things you wanted because of greater health and mobility. The bottom line is that you do not know what your health will be like as you age.

The other factor is that if you work at it, you can probably live for much less than you think.  You can put your stuff in storage and travel for long periods, often in countries that are less expensive. Or, you can move to a less expensive community, often with acreage, and set up a more expansive lifestyle with respect to hobbies and outdoor activities.  While this happens a lot with folks in their fifties, it simply becomes more problematic as you age.

You set up a new retirement lifestyle and actually get to live it. You have the ebb and flow of a relaxed lifestyle, While in fact you might have accumulated more had you worked longer, what you have gained is a lifestyle that requires less.

It is important to get out of your community and current lifestyle to realize that there are millions of people who are living in relatively less financial circumstances  and still are happy.  Money is not everything. In other words, make your lifestyle fit your money.

 M.