Five things you don’t know about retirement

Retirement means something different to everyone you may ask. But almost everyone focuses on the financial side of retirement, and not on the emotional changes we face during that time of our lives. So, what is retirement? That depends on who you ask.

Recent studies show that our general unpreparedness for retirement extends far beyond financial readiness.

Here are the 5 common themes of what we don’t know about retirement…

Keeping busy is harder than you would expect – Once your days are freed up from the grind of a job, it can be difficult to find fulfilling and affordable activities to keep you busy and motivated. Your challenge is to find a balance between downtime and activity – and you’ll have to do it frugally!

You have to expect the unexpected – You have been an adult long enough to realise that life is always changing, and this will prove even more true in retirement. Your retirement bliss may be much different than you imagined, so it’s important to have a financial cushion for these changes so you’re able to roll with the punches and still enjoy life.

You’re doing better than you thought – Sure, you’re not that guy on a sailboat in beautiful clear waters with the wind in his hair, but you’re probably just as well off as your neighbour, or you might be doing even better! Most retired couples can live comfortably on 50 to 60 per cent of what they earned when working.

You have more time than you think – Although retirement is sometimes seen as the dwindling twilight period of life, in fact it’s just another stage of life that will last longer than you anticipate. It is likely that you have a couple of decades to enjoy this phase of your life.

You have options – When you stop getting a regular pay cheque it can be a scary thing, but don’t panic. If you feel like you are financially ready for retirement, there are plenty of options. These days it not unusual for a retiree to find a whole new career after retirement, but if staying in the work force doesn’t appeal to you, there are other ways to pay your retirement fund, like downsizing your home.

That’s retirement nowadays and probably a whole lot of other things we haven’t even discovered yet.

Looking for gracious living in a beautiful community establishment? Pinelands Grove Retirement Village could be the perfect place for you!