1.
VS.
2.
What's the difference between the two? Nooo, I don't mean two are in a hammock and the other two are in beach chairs. I mean in terms of their circumstances.
Pic #1 are Retirees and Pic #2 are Vacationers.
Take a wild guess and determine which of these are important to plan. Well both right? So which is the most important to plan. Now once you've established your answer, which do you pay more attention to?
Usually when I ask people questions on these two subjects, I get almost the same response every time. The questions go something like this.
Retirement
Question: "So do you ever want to retire?"
Response: "Of course, everyone wants to retire at some point."
Question: "Ever thought about planning for your retirement?" ...
Response:"Well, no. Never really thought about it." or "Nah! I have a lot of time before I retire."
Vacation
Question: "Would you like to go on vacation soon?"
Response: "Oh yeah, I wish I could go now."
Question: " When and where would you like to go ?"
Response: " I'm really hoping to go in the next few months to ......" or
"I'm saving up to go next year to .....".
Most of us plan for our vacations with great excitement. We eagerly scan through travel magazines or surf websites for the perfect place to pursue our getaway so we can put up our feet, grab a drink and relax. Maybe even go on some tours. So what do we do? We start saving our dollars and cents, sometimes months or years in advance, if we are responsible, to make the dream getaway a reality.
Take a look at the pic above again. Aren't both couples both relaxed? Aren't both couples enjoying their getaway? But the question still remains, what's the difference between the two? Well, if you think about it, the ultimate vacation is really "retirement", however, people far less prepare for this vacation.
I will be honest. I loveeee to travel and go on vacations. I love seeing new places, going to the beach, relaxing, going on tours, all the fun stuff. I never really paid that much attention to retirement. Back in college, a close friend of mine used to always talk about retirement. I used to always laugh about it. Who thinks about retirement when they're so young, right? Well, I wished I did.
So what about the difference? Well, for vacationers, when our allotted vacation money saved up runs out, they simply go back to work to make the money back. On the other hand, for retirees, once the retirement money runs out, it's not as fun of a retirement anymore right? The consequences then are far worse than losing luggage or jet lag.
That's why I decided to start planning from now. I've seen too many people wait until they are close to retirement age to start planning. At that time, it's even harder to save up enough money to do all the things you dreamt to do, travel to places you want to travel and still have funds available to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. Like I said before, I wished I had started earlier now I know the things I do, but the great thing is, I learned and was able to get myself started in securing me and my family when we do retire. With the proper planning, it's not only possible to live your dream, but even make your money work for you long after your working days have ended.
Yeah I know some of you would say that "money doesn't buy happiness". You may be right in part. However, I would put it this way. "Money doesn't buy happiness but it does buy the security which protects the conditions that promote happiness. " Exercise and good nutrition, the comfort and security in a safe living environment, the ability to stay connected with each other and the world are sorely compromised when funds are limited.
I'm not going to stop reaching out, educating and helping people with their financial goals. I understand and see the importance of acting now and the high cost of waiting. Some probably have not grasp the importance of this right now but there are some who really do. My prayer is that we cross paths and I find them or they find me and we make a change for the better.
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