Essential Keys to a Happy and Comfortable Retirement

Retirement is something that most people anticipate with joy. The chance to enjoy life after many years of work is indeed an inviting prospect. However, recent surveys show that retirees today are only counting on their personal savings for support.

By Lisa Roberts

Retirement is something that most people anticipate with joy. The chance to take a break, to enjoy life after many years of hard work, is indeed a very inviting prospect. However, financial instability makes the future of retirees a little bleak.

The Bleak Reality of Retirement

For many retirees, having investments and savings can make a big difference when retirement arrives. In fact, recent surveys show that retirees today are only counting on their personal savings for support. Although the government gives Social Security, not all companies or employers provide traditional pensions for their employees.

According to the Boston College Center for Retirement Research, in 2003 there were only 19% of workers who had traditional pensions to support them. This percentage continues to decline as more and more employers cut back pension plans for their employees.

Faced with this reality, it is clearly important to make the necessary preparations early in life - to have reliable personal savings in the future. Investing in insurance, dividend-paying stocks, government bonds, corporate bonds, real estate, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), immediate fixed annuities, and retirement plans are great options for saving funds. This way, a retiree can have assurance that he will have the financial support he can rely on with or without a traditional pension.

Simple Living

Another thing that retirees need to consider carefully is the fact that they need to watch their spending. Without a regular source of income and only their savings to support them, it would be very difficult if this support system were to fall short. Thus, tempting as it may be to splurge or buy expensive things, these habits should be avoided. Simple living is the key. A retiree has to realize that having the necessities for daily living should be enough and that there is no need to live extravagantly even when he seems to have the resources.

Does this mean that retirees cannot earn a living anymore? Certainly not. However, being an employee is not the only way to earn a living. There are other things that retirees can do, even in the comfort of their homes, to give them additional budgetary resources. For example, freelance writing is a popular profession these days. With all their experiences in life, they can share so much through their writing and be paid at the same time. Other options can be vegetable gardening, creating artwork or crafts, or turning any hobby that they enjoy into a small business. Aside from getting extra income, doing activities that they enjoy can give retirees a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.

Keeping a Positive Spirit

Financial matters are not the only important things in life. Of course, there is nothing more important than our health and well-being. Retirees are prone to an inactive lifestyle and depression. That is why adequate exercise and a healthy diet are crucial. It is a proven fact that people who eat well and who have enough physical activity are more resistant against sickness and depression.

Keeping a positive spirit is also a tremendous help - not only for the body, but for the mind as well. Cultivate your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being - and you will keep happy as you enjoy the fruits of your labor during your retirement.