I am sure this question passed your mind once, twice, many times.

What will you do when you retire?  Do you feel lucky, do you think how great it’s going to be doing nothing, and just planning where are you going to travel now?

A lot of people feel envious about someone retiring or leaving the “rat-race.”  Perhaps these people haven’t given much thought about what they are going to do themselves when their retirement time comes.  They don’t know what they will do when they’re not working, that will fill their life with some measure of satisfaction.  For some people, that satisfaction came from work. Work defines a lot of how we see ourselves and what we contribute to the world. So, think about how you will answer that question, as you get ready to retire!

There is no one right answer. Your answer will fit your values. For some folks, what they do once they retire is become deeply immersed in their family and spend time helping those they love to understand and carry on family values. For others, it may be giving their time and energy to the charity of their choice, like building a house with “Habitat for Humanity” or working with the homeless or jobless. Many go back to school and ‘drink deeply’ once again from the cup of knowledge, with the rich perspective gained through the experience of living.

Some people become explorers – of life, places, people and the meaning of things. They have no roadmaps, just desire, and commitment.

Do you belong to these kinds of people? I think we all do!

These are the people who have planned for retirement and got ready for its coming.  But even if they did, they still found out later on that their plans and funds are not sufficient.

What will you do at this stage, when you realize that what you have planned, what you have saved for, do not meet the current economic costs?  Will you spend the rest of your life allocating your money and your savings, to make sure that they don’t run out in your lifetime?  What will you do, sit down at home, eat the basic foods (because after paying the mortgage, you don’t want to spend money eating out), you watch TV day in and day out (because you can’t afford to entertain yourself with a movie or a show or a cruise?)  How many years will you “survive” living this kind of life?

Have you considered getting out of the rut that you are in?  How about moving to other places where it’s cheaper to retire, where you can have a chance to enjoy the rest of your life, not just keep on worrying how you will survive?

So far we have shown in this blog the kind of life that is available to us retirees in other countries.  Sure, it’s a jet ride away, but it’s all worth it!  If we tell you that your money will go a long way even if you include personal happiness and enjoyment, will you be interested?  YOU SHOULD BE!

So when you ask yourself, “What will I do when I retire?”  This may be your answer:  I will spend my retirement years in the Philippines, where the cost of living will allow me to purchase a decent residence and still have money left over!

I will have maids to clean my house, I can eat lots of fresh fruits, cook lots of fresh fish and vegetables or I can eat out because can afford it!  I can go to movies, go to the theater, go to a picnic with neighbors and friends, go swimming, go boating, go shopping, party with friends at night, decorate my house, plant a garden, do what I want, and enjoy the rest of my life!

It’s a totally different scenario, isn’t it?  SO, ask yourself again,

“What will I do when I retire?”

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