Such a conundrum ... work hard now so that you can retire peacefully ...
At first glance that may seem like a solid and clear target but it's not ... you don't know how much you need to work (ergo money to save) ... you just work till you HAVE to retire ... primarily guided by the scale of age - 56/60/65 whatever the "policy" states!
but you may have saved more than you needed to and then get hit by a bus on the first day of retirement ... whaaat?? it happens ...
So whats the point of running blind ... we think we know where we're headed ... but don't.
no really.
like Charu summarized so well - we're running on a treadmill ... we run and we run but we don't get anywhere ... and don't burn fat either!!!
So what is the solution you ask me? I wish I had one ... the solution may lie in the answer to the question - "How much money do you need to retire?"
Simple as it may sound the answer to this question is bloody hell complicated and deviously twisted ... and then some more!
The quest for the answer wanders through the murky paths of material delights, the sinful crossroads of indulgence, bylanes of vacation, gardens of family and education and the footpaths of simplicity ... and to add to all this, the ground keeps shifting underneath all the time with crashing economies, rising inflations, growing families, failing health ... ... ... you get the picture.
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ya ya I know I got carried away with the analogy ... pffffft !
No wonder we took the simple route - pegged an age for retirement and hoped that by the time you're 60, you would automatically have saved enough and more for the rest of your life ... not having to worry about such complex calculations.
Simple solution but the nagging feeling that you could have partied earlier and longer keeps nibbling at you ... much like the thoughts that come to mind on the way to the airport - "Did I lock the door properly?", "Did I remember to close the windows?" ... not much you can do at that point - so you ignore, curse the traffic, move on and hope for the best ...
so the point of all this ramble ... not sure myself ... just suck it up Venky and work as long as you can and don't think about retiring early ... its a bloody myth! something we all talk about as kids and then eventually grow up!
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A Sudden Moment of Clarity ... just explained all those old people sighted ambling about in expensive resorts all around the world ...
chalo - there is hope in all this.
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Why look for utopian holiday at the horizon - what happened to enjoying a little every day?
The problem with you is that you don’t sleep assuming you have to up in one hour, and in case you realize after an hour that you dint need to wake up anyways, you have already lost out on your sleep!
“All work and no play makes jack a dull boy”, but all play and no work will also make jack a dull boy!!
Never understood your strong “all or none” policy. You will enjoy when you retire, until then you are “working” towards it! Whereas I believing in enjoying a little now.
Why trouble yourself on "how much do I need to retire", spend a little, save a little and just enjoy your days a little and when you retire, you will already have saved enough!
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