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What’s the secret to a long and cheerful life? Most people would say it is all about living a healthy lifestyle; others might say living a lavish lifestyle. Some folks would want to retire early to enjoy the fruit of their hard-earned labor. In contrast, others are workaholics who would like to work till their last breath.
Deciding on what age to retire is not that easy since there are various factors you have to consider. Discover the pros and cons of retirement by reading this article, so you can decide when to retire based on your individual needs.
The Pros of Retirement
Free Time To Do What You Want
You get to do as you please with your time. If you are tired of work, this is the perfect time to follow your passion (e.g., writing novels or traveling worldwide).
You get more freedom since you no longer have a boss breathing down your neck.
Retirement gives you more free time with family and friends after retirement benefits like health insurance, paid leave, and pension are taken into account.
You get more time to focus on personal growth since you can dedicate solely to your hobbies or interests (e.g., learning languages, painting, cooking).
Volunteering and No Work Commitments
Many retirees find happiness in volunteering for organizations they care about after retiring early from their careers. Some retirees even start their own business after retiring from full-time employment or go back into full-time education to gain new skills.
You can also enjoy more time doing things you’ve always wanted to try (e.g., skydiving, scuba diving) and explore your interests without worrying about work commitments getting in the way of your plans.
More Time for Family and Friends
When was the last time you enjoyed a sweet gathering with your close friend or family member?
Retirement is an excellent opportunity to spend more time with family and friends once you leave work early.
Many retirees find happiness in volunteering for organizations they care about once they have retired from their careers. Others who like to be surrounded by like-minded people opt for a retirement community in care homes.
The Cons of Retirement
Too Much Free Time
You can find it tough to have something to do with all your newfound free time.
You might get bored without work-related responsibilities. If you’ve been working on a specific project that now came to a close, you would have to think of another, and another, etc.
Eventually, you can run a risk of becoming bored or depressed if you’re not used to so much spare time on your hands.
Dealing with Financial Issues
You might have to downsize since you no longer need that big house or car now that you don’t have work commitments.
Your income will be reduced significantly, which could make it difficult to afford living expenses or pay off debt.
If you retire early, it is more challenging to get back into the workforce since some employers might not want to hire someone who has been retired for several years. Also, your skills might have become outdated over time, so they are no longer relevant in today’s competitive job market.
Exclusion from Employee Benefit Packages
You will miss out on work-related perks like paid vacations, sick leave, parental leave, etc.
You can’t do what you want to do since retirement benefits like health insurance and pension are considered before deciding when to retire. You might have to settle for a lower standard of living if you don’t have enough money saved up for your golden years.
If you’re not careful enough, you could easily spend all your money within the first few years of retirement and find yourself struggling to make ends meet.
You might have to face health problems or deteriorating mental health if you retire too early from your career without having any plan.
So Should You Retire Now?
The best way to decide when you should retire is by considering what you want in your life right now. If the answer is “I don’t know,” it might be time for an honest conversation with yourself about where retirement fits into that picture, and then make a decision based on that information.
You’ve worked hard all these years–it’s worth taking some time to figure out how you’ll spend the rest of them!
