8 Things You Need to Retire Comfortably
Retirement is something that many of us look forward to a long time before it is a realistic prospect. Our working lives are tough. We work long hours. Our jobs aren’t always exciting or fun. Sometimes they are quite the opposite. Even when you enjoy your work, you might be tired and both physically and mentally exhausted. Retirement is a dream. Even when it’s a long way off, it is something that we look forward to. We long for the freedom that our retirement will bring. We look forward to days of getting to stay in bed late, spending our time relaxing, enjoying our family and going on holiday when we feel like it.
But, even though we know, or at least hope, that retirement will come eventually, so few of us actually take the time to prepare for it. If you have thought about planning for your retirement at all, you might have focused on financial goals and savings plan. But, while money is a big concern once we lose our regular income, that shouldn’t be the only thing that you should think about in the run-up to retirement. There are plenty of other things that you need if you want to have a comfortable, healthy and happy retirement. Here’s a look at eight of them.
Your Own Home
For most of us, housing costs are our biggest outgoing. Whether you have a mortgage to pay off, or you are paying rent every month, the cost of having somewhere to live is a significant one. To live a financially comfortable life in retirement, it’s helpful if you own your own home, and your mortgage is paid off in its entirety.
But, this isn’t always as easy as it seems. As a kid or young adult, you might have assumed that you’d buy a house as soon as you wanted to. Giving you forty-odd years to finish paying it off before you had to think about retirement. Unfortunately, however, this isn’t often the case anymore. The cost of housing is high, and wages low. We need a fortune to secure a deposit and banks are less likely to lend. Many people don’t even consider getting on the housing ladder until well into their forties, which doesn’t leave long.
If you haven’t already purchased a house, it’s time to get started. Redrow Incentives can offer schemes to help, especially if you’ve been in the forces and unable to settle until now, or you are for some other reason unable to get a mortgage.
A Pension
Most employees today have workplace pensions, designed to supplement the state pension when the time comes. Or even to allow you to retire early. But, more people than ever aren’t employees as more of us launch our own businesses or work as freelancers and sole traders. This might mean that you have nothing to fall back on.
A private pension can be the ideal solution and is a good idea even if you have got a workplace pension.
Savings
Even if you have paid off your mortgage and own your own home, there are other costs to consider. While you might have a pension that pays for bills and other essentials, if you want a fun retirement, where you are free to enjoy your hobbies, spend time with family and see more of the world, then you will need more.
Now that our life expectancies are rising, you could be retired for a good thirty years. That’s a long time to simply manage on the essentials. Start saving as soon as you possibly can, considering using savings apps, or high-interest accounts to help.
Passive Income
There’s nothing to say that you can’t continue to make money after you have retired from employment. Passive income can be an ideal way to supplement your income from pensions and savings, without too much hard work, or losing too much precious time.
Passive income basically means that you put in a little effort to set things up, then sit back and earn money. Investments and real estate are the perfect examples but explore other forms of passive income if you want to find something that suits your lifestyle.
A Plan
Before it comes, we think of retirement as the ultimate rest. Years ago, people basically retired because they were too old and unwell to work anymore. Many died within a few years. This is rarely the case today. If you retire at 65, you could still feel relatively healthy and young. You certainly won’t need to spend all of your time resting or recovering from illness.
So, how are you going to spend your time? Unfortunately, many people find that they are lonely in retirement and that they start to struggle with their mental health. Having some plans in place can be a huge help. Write a list of foods to try, books to read and places that you would like to visit to keep you going.
Support
You might think that you’ve got a vast support network filled with friends and family. But, how many of these people work? Keeping in touch will work colleagues can be harder when you are no longer in the office, and the friends and family that you are eager to see more of might still be busy with their own jobs and commitments.
While it’s crucial that you make an effort to keep in touch with the people that matter it’s also a great chance to make new friends. Check out events at your local libraries and community centres as well as classes at your local gym or leisure centre.
Hobbies
Without hobbies and interests, your retirement can quickly start to feel long and tedious. But so many of us forget about our hobbies and interests as we get older. We have no free time when we’re busy working and raising families. Then you might mistakenly think that you are too old. You’re never too old. Try some of your old hobbies again and have a look for new things to occupy your time.
A Good Understanding of Your Health
The older you get, the more imperative it becomes that you look after yourself. Listen to your body. Understand the risks and learn about symptoms you should be watching out for. Visit your doctor for routine tests and checks and never ignore something that you are worried about.
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