It’s a plague which is sweeping over the current generation like a contagious airborne disease, that being the dream of retiring early. With the retirement age being pushed further and further up almost every year, the days of “active retirement” are getting fewer and fewer. Active retirement is the period when you’re still able to do everything you love independently without age-related illnesses and injuries holding you back. As the population ages, more and more retirees go straight into the care system, requiring care from services like care for family and other similar companies. The later you retire, the less time you have to do the things you have always wanted to do, despite living longer. Millennials seem to be harbouring a general desire to change things up completely, with this desire for change permeating virtually every aspect of life, including the way in which they view matters surrounding their careers.
The typical millennial simply can’t imagine themselves cooped up in a cubicle in an office somewhere, especially not for the standard period of a professional working career which typically spans over 45 years or so. What they might imagine would be traveling to their favorite destination or living in an active adult housing community with their own expenses. It’s not so much a matter of wanting to eat the dessert first, but rather just having the option of being able to eat the dessert first if they liked, or indeed eat a little bit of it every now and then instead of having to wait until 65-70 for retirement.
But is it possible though? Can one really retire early in the current economic climate?
One approach to achieving an early retirement is to enter a state of semi-retirement, where you work on a limited basis to finance times when you want to return to being retired. A sound financial stability could also help you compare between “Home Health vs Home Care” and decide on which service you are in need of, when retired. This way, you can make use of the funds to support yourself with at-home services for health, housekeeping or personal care, whichever service you require. Additionally, if you don’t prefer to live at home, you have also earned yourself the joy, to enjoy your retirement at a senior living community such as Carlton Senior Living (carltonseniorliving.com/living-options/), embark on world travel, or pursue any other activity you may have dreamed of.
You might be surprised to find that lot of millennials are already living like this – living a life not unlike a semi-retirement. One of the driving forces behind their ability to do this is the evolving nature of the working world, where it’s firstly not really about credentials but more about skills and track-record, and secondly, a laptop and an internet connection is a simple yet powerful combination which allows professionals in the relevant fields to work remotely. However, this may not apply to everyone. For older generations approaching retirement or requiring specialized care, communities offering memory care Worcester, MA, or elsewhere, can provide tailored environments that meet their needs and offer opportunities for an enriched lifestyle.
This leads me to the next point of discussion, by way of the possible options to pursue if you’re determined to retire early.
The technology landscape is so much more accessible in this day and age, something Bill Gates will tell you all about if you consider that back in his days as a boy and growing teenager, access to computers was limited mainly to institutions with deep pockets. Nowadays, you can learn how to code online by downloading tutorials, which opens you up to a world of opportunities that can put you well on your way to an early retirement. To use a very simple example, say you created an app which turns out to be very popular. Having it downloaded a few thousand times can have you sitting with a nice stockpile of cash which you can then use as a key to an early retirement, while you perhaps invest some of the money for passive returns.
Chasing that one mega payday can be very tiring and frustrating however, so it should probably not be an all-or-nothing type of thing, unless you’re completely sure of success. Youngsters also have the luxury of a bit more time on their hands, so you can probably still recover from a major setback in your life if you chase a big payday that could possibly set you up for life, earlier on in your life.
Author: Katie
Katie is a finance specialist with one of the biggest firms in London. From savings to investments, there’s nothing she can’t advise on and she’s here to help spread the word and help you on your way to financial freedom.