Retire: What Does It Mean?

Not working?

That’s not quite right as we all know people who have never worked and claim retirement benefit.

So what else?

Withdraw from the rat race?

That’s more like it as we have all heard of someone who has made a fortune whether it was working really hard and selling a business or those one in a million who win the lotto.

If you think winning the lotto will solve your problems think again. Most people who gain wealth this way spend it pretty quickly and end up with very little.

OK you know someone who still has money left over from their big win. Have they given you some of their money so you can retire with them?

But how do you spend your time?

You don’t have to get up early every day.

You don’t have to give a third of your life to some work place. Not much left after that if you are supposed to sleep for eight hours.

This is a lot of time you will have on your hands.

But wait you are the one who has all of those hobbies which you can get on with.

You can sit down and catch up on those books you wanted to read. Well after a few weeks you will find out that you are missing something.

You will argue against this but rest assured if you don’t get yourself organised you will get bored. Just turning the tins around in the pantry so the labels are all in line will be a start.

You will need to do something worthwhile and that is up to us as individuals, whatever spins our wheels.

On top of all this you will need funding, probably more money than your state pension pays out.

A lot of the large stores and petrol stations use part time staff and if you are still active these can be options.

You won’t make a fortune and you’ll properly find you will pay tax or have your benefits cut.

But if you started your own business you could work the hours you want and still get out and met people.