1. Practice Your RetirementThis may seem silly. You are probably thinking: why would I need to practice for retirement? Well just like any major life change this will be an adjustment for you. One of the biggest complaints that retirees have is that they didn’t realize how hard it is to have so much free time. The transition from working to not working will be a shock to the system if you don’t ease yourself into it.
Retirement can seem almost a lifetime away when you’re young and healthy, but it soon sneaks up on us. The topic of aging can be uncomfortable for many of us, but it’s important to be prepared – nobody else can ensure a safe retirement for us better than ourselves. It’s not just about researching the best retirement fund to pay into; it’s also important to be aware of other avenues, to ensure you have the safest and wealthiest retirement possible, and ensure you’re comfortable after all those years of hard work.
Plan ahead
Don’t just let retirement creep up on you – in general, we need to start planning for our retirement fund in our twenties. While it’s impossible to predict every major life event, it’s sensible to plan for the worst case scenario. Determine what you’ll want your retirement fund for, and why you’ll need it. Do you plan on traveling a lot once you finish in your employment, or perhaps buy a second holiday property? Do you need to prepare for health care expenses, or support family members? Or do you simply want to live comfortably day to day? This will give you some indication of how much you expect to spend in your retirement, and therefore how much to save on a month by month basis.