The plan most people have: work straight out of college till they retire. Then, in retirement they’ll finally do all the things they wanted to do. But lacked time, money, or both. But can now enjoy all those things since they’ve pretty much been saving + investing their entire working careers.

So you’re basically working till you’re 70(ish) only to spend whatever’s left doing what you wanted to be doing all along. Talk about delayed gratification! This is taken to the nth degree though. And for many people all it leads to is burnout + bucketloads of regret.

But if I get real with myself, that plan scares me.

I don’t want to trek the Amazon rainforest when I’m in my late 70s! I wanna do it when I’m healthy at fit. Though now that we’re all living loads longer (yay) maybe 70 really is the new 80?

The problem is when you’re young you have more time + less money but when you’re old you have more money + less time. So it’s no wonder we got ourselves into this ugly pickle of a lifestyle.

Work when you’re old & retire when you’re young!

And who said anything about quitting work? It’s not work that makes us miserable per se but the kind of work we’re doing. Working keeps you motivated, feeling productive and it’s a feeling you always need.

Yes, even in your 80s! Sure that work might take a different form from what kept you busy in your 30s but never stop working on things you love + are passionate about.

You need to create an identity for yourself out of work, for sure, but you also want to identify with your work in a really positive sense. I’ve dreamt of becoming a published author for years and years! Now I know what’s gonna keep me busy at 80yo making sure my brain cells don’t wither away!

So, while you should still be working when you’re old I also think you should be retiring when you’re young, too.

My friend tells me she treats every weekend as a mini-retirement of sorts. She does whatever she wants to do whether that’s a European city getaway or lounging in pjs reading all day (my kinda day!) she feels like she gets a proper break.

It’s all about your mindset. You should not be wasting your precious weekend stressing over the week to come. Learn to mentally switch off. It really is the best you can ever give yourself.

And plus, the more we earn and the more $$ we have, the less enjoyment our money brings us. We need to keep spending more and more money to give us that same level of happiness we once had.

I bet if you slummed it in your early 20s with your boyfriend in some cheap motel in South America and went backpacking for weeks (okay not quite my thing but I wish it was!) that experience will be worth more than a 5-star resort in your 90s. Follow these 3 principles to never have regrets with money ever again.

All work and no play has major downsides

There are many people I know (aka my parent’s friends) who are close-ish to retirement. They’ve been working for the better part of three decades. They’ve practically given their entire adulthood to their jobs.

They rarely got to go away and spend time together. They had limited time off. 21 days p/yr to spend how they like. I should count my lucky stars that my company gives me 28 days off! EXCL bank hols. So take that!

But they told themselves it was all OK because they knew once they’d retire, they’d be able to do all the things they had pushed off when they were young adults.

But then comes retirement and boom. Expenses start cropping in bigger and bigger forms.

It’s time for their kids to get married and settle down that before you know it they’ll be knocking on the bank of mum and dad! But if they don’t, they might be living with you till they’re in their mid-30s! House prices are no joking matter (but here’s how to jump on the property ladder quicker than you think). You get where I’m going with this. 

There’s always going to be some expense somewhere that’ll crop up. And time gets the better of us. Just look at how quickly these past few years have gone by. I’m not lying when I say it’s been 4yrs since Covid! Almost have a decade. Gone. Poof. Don’t wait for the right time; take your time and make it right.

The cost of retiring (comfortably) is rising exponentially

Inflation has been compounding at record-highs ever since is joined the party in 2022. And forget all that double-digit price hikes we suffered from even with “just” 2% compounding it makes everything infinitely more expensive over time.

The cost of retirement being one of those things. And to enjoy a “comfortable” retirement you’re gonna need ~£33k p/yr – here’s how to realistically hit that goal.

And there’s always going to be something, somewhere that needs your money. From kids (we’ll gladly pay for those!!) to repairs to medical costs and so on.

But the trouble is, if you don’t make a conscious effort to enjoy your life and have fun with your money every now and then, you’ll feel trapped. Feeling trapped? Here’s how to build a life you never want to escape from in just 36 months and watch your happiness skyrocket.

I can’t imagine how hard it must be to save/invest for decades without really having a cheeky spend only to find out that half your pension pot has been wiped out by inflation or worse – bonds! (pensioners tend to hold more bonds than any other age group since). Here’s what the bursting of the bond bubble means + why you must look elsewhere for diversification.

I am a strong believer in making time for yourself to enjoy the things you love at the same time as saving + investing. The 2 are NOT mutually exclusive. Holidays are a real mood-lifter. They give you the energy and spirit to keep going and the motivation to not give up.

Grinding 24/7 is no way to do it. At some point, burnout will say come and say, Hello. This doesn’t mean you need to break the bank on one single vacay (and nor should you!) but even a trip to the countryside + embracing the fresh outdoors can work wonders for you. And experiment with what you like spending your money on. It’ll pay off.

Use what you have now + grab it with both hands

A close relative of mine was in his early 60s when he was tragically diagnosed with Parkinson’s. At the peak of his life. When him and his wife should be out touring the world his body is giving up on him. But I have some comfort in the fact that they’ve had a wonderful life together. They always made time to go on vacation, together, and with their kids.

Every summer, once their kids finished camp they’d all spend a few weeks together in the countryside. That’s really what life is about. Please don’t wait until your old ‘n grey to truly live your life. Start living it now. No one knows what the future holds. 

Another couple I know are heading toward their 80s, but boy do they not look it or act it! They have a personal trainer once a week for their boxing class (I know, pretty cool), they travel the world (making sure to cruise at least once a year) and they splash out on their grandkids. They would not have it any other way.

I honestly think about the days when I’ll be in my 60s and hopefully on the road to retirement. I think about where I’ll be and what I’ll be spending on.

We all have places we’d love to visit, cuisines we’d like to taste and cultures we’d like to embrace. But these things will only happen if you make them happen. The problem is that we end up making excuses for ourselves.

We push off our dreams for another life. When we’re retired. And no longer working. That’s when we tell ourselves, we’ll finally do it. But that’s rarely the case. 

Life is short. No one knows how many years we’re given. And I bet we all have a loved one who left us too soon. Cherishing every one of life’s moments is a must. 

As my good friend once reminded me: “your days are legit as good as you make them. You wanna have ones where you get to look back and grin so big”.

She’s no longer with me but I think of her words every day. 

So go out and live your life. It’s waiting for you.

Disclaimer: This blog is not investment or financial advice. It is my opinion only. This blog is not a personal recommendation to buy/sell any security, or to adopt any such investment strategy. Always do your own research before you commit to any investment.