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How Much Do You Really Need?
I will start by saying the following is my own thoughts and experiences that I am sharing with you.
Though it was a struggle in my younger years I paid for my house. I must say this was certainly a smart investment if you want to control costs. I wanted a bigger house when my children were young and that did not happen. So my husband and I thought we would like to travel so why would we get a bigger house now?
What is your hearts desire? You can research to find the cost of your hobby for instance. You can figure out the cost of living increase over the years. The amount of money you will need is influenced by what you enjoy doing.
I met a woman who said that is how she lived. She was not traditional by any means. She decided what she wanted to do and how much money she needed and only worked long enough to accomplish her goals one at a time. At this point she was in her later 50's and looked like she was about 44 because she was a very carefree person. She was well educated and thought early on there would be certain activities perhaps she could not do when she was older. This worked for her. I say it worked for her but for me I needed more consistency.
Sometimes I think the thought of retirement is about the same as people who wait to have a baby till they can afford one. If we look at the horrifying statistics then we certainly would be working ourselves to death just so the last 15 years of our life is comfortable.
I think that what a person should be most concerned with is loving what they do. If you love what you are doing then the pay is just the icing on the cake.
My husband told me this following joke or is it a joke? This sums up what I am trying to say. There was a man that lived on a tourist island and he loved fishing in the morning and playing with his children. An American tourist came up to him and noticed the nice fish the man was catching. The American said, "What do you do with the fish?" The native fisherman said, "I catch enough to feed my family and then I go home." The American Tourist told him he should sell half the fish and save the money and buy a boat. The native fisherman said , "Why would I do that?' The American Tourist said then you make more money and buy more boats and hire employees. Build the company up and then you can retire. The Native Fisherman said, "And then what?" The American Tourist said then you could afford to do anything you want to do. The Native Fisherman thought it over and said, "Well, I like to fish and play with my children."
Isn't it ironic? This is why I think you and only you can decide what you want in life and how much you will need to have that lifestyle. If you want a Mercedes, Leer Jet and a mansion in Beverly Hills you will need a lot more money for retirement then the person who wants a little house, a good running car and gardening in your yard. This is my common sense approach to retirement, otherwise you will resemble the joke chasing after money only to find you were where you wanted to be to begin with.
Ruth Bruegger lives in Rockton Illinois with her Husband Hans. Ruth has 4 grown children and eight grandchildren. Ruth has owned her own business for 15 years. She has attended the Eureka Ranch to learn marketing and was on the radio with Doug Hall. Ruth has been written up for Tourism ideas in a book written by the University of Wisconsin. She has her CIAO in Taxes. Ruth wrote political bios, church missions newsletter and the first History of Harlem Township. She was the first woman on the Zoning Board in Rockton IL, also served on the Village Board. She has won many business awards over the years as well as being chosen to receive a Volunteer Award. Ruths passion is checking out new and interesting places and people. Ruths latest vision is to bring the Creative Secrets of Rockton Roscoe and South Beloit to you no matter where you live. To learn more about Ruths journey go to http://www.creative-secrets-in-rockton-roscoe-south-beloit.com
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