GreyLord
Legend
Depends on what you value in your retirement.
Me, I'm already retired (well, mostly...as long as investments hold up I think I probably can stay retired and live at the reasonable level I am accustomed to). . I needed a house big enough to store all my stuff (stuff gathers up over the years, especially books, games, and rpg stuff). I wanted transportation (to get to gaming...of course). That could be making sure you are near trains, buses, and other forms of transportation in the city, or if you are in Rural Canada or US (terrible public transportation infrastructure there), then you'll want at least a bike (maybe an e-bike now days) if you are close enough to places to game and the library as well as the grocery store...or a car (yes, I know, we want to save the environment, but sometimes I don't think people realize just how BIG Rural Canada or Rural US can be!) or other vehicle to get yourself around.
Odd things pop up, so you need to be ready for that as well. I got into E-books and the Kindle. DMsguild is great in that you can convert the PDF's into formats that can go onto your e-readers...but that was NOT something I planned or expected to have in retirement. It's great for travel though.
If you want to travel, make sure you keep your passport up to date.
The BIGGEST thing though I think people mess up with is they don't plan for how much they want to live off of in retirement. The more you want to be able to spend money on, the bigger your nest egg will need to be. My personal opinion is that large investments work best, and if you can work your way up the company infrastructure (I know...boomer thought...sorry, I know it's much harder these days) to a good paying position, instead of blowing all your money on million dollar homes, boats, and the rest of the stuff, try to pace yourself and invest at least 50% of what you have. If the company offers stock options (and you think the company will be strong for a long time), take the stock options. If you love the company, buy even more stock options.
You can have a better retirement if you invest 50% of your income now, than what you live off of in general before retirement!
I know that is easier said than done, but if you only invest a small amount into your retirement when you are young, you may find yourself living on breadcrumbs and prayers when you get old.
(PS: for example, I've never owned a new car myself. I've always bought a used car, and normally one that isn't an expensive brand. The only new cars I had were from work [Work vehicles] and though I may have gotten a small rowing boat for fishing, I never got the big 20 foot long boats you see with beds and everything else that others got. I DID buy board games though, so I suppose that could be considered an expensive hobby of sorts). The biggest fear I've had in retirement is that my investments disappear. Last year I actually got a wee bit fearful as stocks and the stock market seemed in an endless dive. Companies still made a profit though. Still, if the companies I have investments in go belly up, that kills my retirement right there. That's ONE stress I actually have quite a bit.
There are other ways to invest than that, and it MAY be a LOT LESS stressful if you find investments other than the types that I went with. I don't let on, but I actually stress about these things a LOT more than it probably appears.
That didn't go quite as humorous as the thread suggests though. I suppose the humor could be that if my investments ever go belly up, hopefully Walmart has yet another spot for a greeter because I'll be needing to work.
Me, I'm already retired (well, mostly...as long as investments hold up I think I probably can stay retired and live at the reasonable level I am accustomed to). . I needed a house big enough to store all my stuff (stuff gathers up over the years, especially books, games, and rpg stuff). I wanted transportation (to get to gaming...of course). That could be making sure you are near trains, buses, and other forms of transportation in the city, or if you are in Rural Canada or US (terrible public transportation infrastructure there), then you'll want at least a bike (maybe an e-bike now days) if you are close enough to places to game and the library as well as the grocery store...or a car (yes, I know, we want to save the environment, but sometimes I don't think people realize just how BIG Rural Canada or Rural US can be!) or other vehicle to get yourself around.
Odd things pop up, so you need to be ready for that as well. I got into E-books and the Kindle. DMsguild is great in that you can convert the PDF's into formats that can go onto your e-readers...but that was NOT something I planned or expected to have in retirement. It's great for travel though.
If you want to travel, make sure you keep your passport up to date.
The BIGGEST thing though I think people mess up with is they don't plan for how much they want to live off of in retirement. The more you want to be able to spend money on, the bigger your nest egg will need to be. My personal opinion is that large investments work best, and if you can work your way up the company infrastructure (I know...boomer thought...sorry, I know it's much harder these days) to a good paying position, instead of blowing all your money on million dollar homes, boats, and the rest of the stuff, try to pace yourself and invest at least 50% of what you have. If the company offers stock options (and you think the company will be strong for a long time), take the stock options. If you love the company, buy even more stock options.
You can have a better retirement if you invest 50% of your income now, than what you live off of in general before retirement!
I know that is easier said than done, but if you only invest a small amount into your retirement when you are young, you may find yourself living on breadcrumbs and prayers when you get old.
(PS: for example, I've never owned a new car myself. I've always bought a used car, and normally one that isn't an expensive brand. The only new cars I had were from work [Work vehicles] and though I may have gotten a small rowing boat for fishing, I never got the big 20 foot long boats you see with beds and everything else that others got. I DID buy board games though, so I suppose that could be considered an expensive hobby of sorts). The biggest fear I've had in retirement is that my investments disappear. Last year I actually got a wee bit fearful as stocks and the stock market seemed in an endless dive. Companies still made a profit though. Still, if the companies I have investments in go belly up, that kills my retirement right there. That's ONE stress I actually have quite a bit.
There are other ways to invest than that, and it MAY be a LOT LESS stressful if you find investments other than the types that I went with. I don't let on, but I actually stress about these things a LOT more than it probably appears.
That didn't go quite as humorous as the thread suggests though. I suppose the humor could be that if my investments ever go belly up, hopefully Walmart has yet another spot for a greeter because I'll be needing to work.
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