I just finished a book; the author is Wes Moss. It was a book about happy retirees and their characteristics. At the moment, I am 30 years old and still have a long way before retirement; I still can’t picture myself yet not doing what I am currently doing, being an educator. The book gave insightful knowledge about what we can do if we want to be happy retirees. So here are some lists that stick to my mind:
- Having $500k in your retirement fund, as an Indonesian this amount of money is exorbitant. I might feel happy if I have $100k in my retirement fund. It’s different around countries I guess. However, when I did the math, for normal workers here, our annual salary would be around $7k. Even with that small amount of income, many people still manage to save up some money. So I guess, the first rule set the bar high, as it should be.
- Having at core pursuit. Happy retirees have, on average, 3.6 core pursuits. In my case, I think I already got 3 . I love traveling, volunteering, and spending time with my loved ones. I still try to expand my core pursuit, like writing, learning, socializing with other people, some sports, and coaching teenagers. It’s a long journey.
- Living near their kids. Happy retirees live 1-2 hours by cars distance to their children. Seeing their grandkids would surely boost their happiness.
- Have at least 3 CC (close connection). Having friends that you can confide in is bliss. No wonder people are happier the more real friends they have, but certainly, 3 is enough, more is better.
- Paid off the mortgage. I think it’s obvious that the mortgage is a burden, and if someone still has a long way, more than 5 years, to pay off their mortgage, their happiness might be less than people who didn’t have to worry about their mortgage payment. As for now, I haven’t taken a mortgage yet, maybe in the future, I will.
- Their children are married and independent. As a parent, nothing is more satisfying than seeing your children can stand on their own, and build their own little happy family.
- 4% plus rule, this is a good guideline about how to expend your money. It’s dynamic, but you should not spend more than 4%+ of your retirement fund annually. If you follow this guideline, your fund might last a good 25 years+.
- They are good investors and smart spenders.
- They both believe and giving. I know how fulfilling it is to help and give to others. Especially if we didn’t expect anything in return. Want to be happy? Help others people to be a little bit happier.
- They don’t downgrade.
There are some more, but those are the ones that left a big impression on me. It was a good book.