Imagine this: you’ve been working non-stop ever since you joined the workforce. Yes, you can take breaks from time to time, maybe for a few days to even a couple of months. But you’re still bound to return to work, to a day job that sustains your lifestyle and feeds your family. You’ll end up thinking if this is what you want and if there’s no way to escape this predicament.
Fortunately, there is—retirement. But that usually comes when you’re gray and old, when you’re less efficient at what you do and the company’s better off without you. You get to enjoy your pension, your savings, and everything you scraped off from 30 to 40 years of work. You likely have around 10 years left to enjoy the fruits of your hard work, and even then, you really can’t enjoy much. Your body is already easily tired, your stomach doesn’t agree with a lot of things, and traveling makes you sick.
Luckily, it’s possible to retire early and have more time to enjoy what life has to offer. Here are some tips to make that happen.
Determine When You Want to Retire and Stick With It
You’re now in your late 20s or early 30s, and you’re looking to retire by the time you’re 40. Use that as your end goal and work towards achieving that. This means saving most of your salary, putting off large spending for things that won’t return any value.
Big-ticket spending, like frequently upgrading your vehicles or moving houses can be detrimental to your savings and would push back your projected retirement age significantly. Retiring early is a big commitment, but the reward truly outweighs all the effort you put in.
Try to Live Within or Below Your Means to Save More
Retirement doesn’t mean you stop working or earning money. It means financial independence, wherein you’re not tied down to your job because you’ll practically die without it. If you live within or below your means while holding on to your day job, you can save a huge chunk of your salary, or use it to fund a business, invest it to make more money.
As the savings and investments pile up, you’ll notice that the money you make outside work is already enough to sustain you and your family. That’s a sign you’re already gaining financial independence, and a signal you can retire soon. If you feel you’ve already achieved that in your late 30s, you can try and save up a bit more until your early 40s to have a cushion, a safety net of the sort before you truly disengage from your current job.
Don’t be Scared to Invest
While you’re trying to save as much as you can from your salary, you can also explore ways to make your money grow. Consider several side hustles for a passive income that adds considerably to your savings. You can try real estate, buying and selling properties on the side using the money you saved. You can also build houses that you can use as a rental property, for a steady income every month. You can explore options like Airbnb, wherein you buy or build a house, get a modern cabin design, and rent it out for a premium price. Again, this is an investment opportunity that you shouldn’t be scared of, as more and more people are looking to rent properties for short and long term.
Most people look forward to their retirement years and enjoy their hard-earned money. Retiring, however, can be difficult if you don’t start saving up for it while you’re still young. Do your research to learn how you can retire early while being financially-secured.
