A happy retirement is no longer embodied by simply kicking up your feet and living out your best years in sedentary confinement. While there’s certainly plenty of opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy the good life, there’s no time like retirement to make good on chasing your wants and wishes. After countless years of hard work and grinding, entering retirement is the ultimate reward.
The ideal retirement looks different for every retiree. Whether it’s jet-setting travel across the globe or tapping into your spiritual health, becoming your best self is made possible when the world is your oyster. As the time to do what you want and experience life at its fullest, living your best retirement is beyond well-deserved.
Whether you’re a recent retiree or simply looking for ways to spice up your everyday life, we’re here to help you brainstorm and come up with 7 fun and meaningful ways to live the retirement you’ve always dreamed of.
1. Start saving now
In order to enjoy your retirement in all of it’s glowing glory, you’ll need to achieve some form of financial comfort that allows you to live well without any potential money problems hindering your quality of life in retirement. What this means for you is dedicating time to save up and carefully develop your retirement financial plan well before you leave the workforce.
Depending on your personal preference and assets, you’ll want to choose a retirement savings plan that truly works for you. Take a look at these different types of retirement savings plans you may consider:
- 401k
- IRA
- Roth IRA
- Roth 401k
- SIMPLE IRA
- SEP IRA
Each of these plans houses a different set of rules and regulations, so just be sure to do your research before committing to any long-term savings or investment accounts.
2. Consider a reverse mortgage
If you have equity in your home and you’re looking for an extra source of cash flow, consider taking out a reverse mortgage. Reverse mortgages are the total opposite of a traditional mortgage—rather than paying your lender back on a loan for your home, a reverse mortgage allows you to borrow from your home’s equity. This provides an extra source of monthly income that can furnish your retirement with the funding you need to enjoy your retirement to the fullest extent.
Use a reverse mortgage calculator to determine how much money you may be able to get based on your age, home value, and how much you may owe on your existing mortgage.
3. Take care of yourself
After many, many decades of hard work, you may find that you’re long overdue for some ‘me time’, and now is the time to pamper yourself and give your body and mind the TLC they need. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Improve circulation: You might not think of blood flow as the most important health factor, but if you plan on air travel, it’s a must. Objective healthy blood flow supplements can ensure you have the appropriate circulation at all times, helping your blood maintain appropriate thickness and helping smooth out your arteries.
- Pamper yourself: Whether your version of pampering is a city break, a day trip to a spa or a small pleasure like dining out or going to the cinema, schedule some time for a well-deserved treat.
- Get the appropriate nutrients: Make sure you’re eating a healthy diet so you have the energy you need to enjoy your Golden years.
4. See new sights
Whether retirement is providing you with your first opportunity to travel the world or you’re just itching to schedule a luxurious 2-week vacation, seeing new sights is a great way to infuse elements of culture, excitement, and worldliness into your life. There’s a certain something about immersing yourself into another setting that makes life feel fuller, and without any worries of work or using up your vacation days, you can truly enjoy all of the things that make travel great.
Your options are vast and varied. With your working days behind you, shadowed in the rearview mirror, and nothing but the open highway ahead, there’s no better time to plan a road trip, book a flight, or take that extravagant multi-country trip you’ve dreamed of since your youth.
If a journey is calling your name, consider booking a trip with a senior travel group to relinquish yourself from the stressful planning duties of coordinating a trip. As an added bonus, when you book with an agency that specializes in retiree travel, you can cash-in on special accommodations that score you discounted deals or higher-quality lodging, seating, and more.
Check out these amazing senior travel groups:
- Butterfield and Robinson
- ElderTreks
- Silversea
- Abercrombie & Kent
- Smithsonian Journeys
5. Stay Active
To keep your body feeling youthful and agile, try to get at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Not into intense sports or going to the gym? Try out these easy and approachable exercises for seniors:
- Swimming
- Pilates
- Walking
- Cycling
- Bodyweight training
6. Find new residence in a retirement-friendly state
Did you know that there are states that are far friendlier to retire in than others? There are three primary factors you should consider when figuring out where to live out your golden years: affordability, quality of life, and health care availability. Each of these three factors are essential in ensuring you’re able to live your best retirement and have access to everything you need within range.
So, what are the top ten states to retire in? Check out this list of retirement-friendly states that offer a perfect blend of the three key factors:
- Florida
- Colorado
- New Hampshire
- Utah
- Wyoming
- Delaware
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Idaho
- Iowa
7. Volunteer
Lending a helping hand is an excellent way to infuse a sense of meaning into your days away from the workforce. With so much time on your hands, donating it to assisting the less fortunate does the mind, body, and soul plenty of good.
The more you give, the happier you’ll feel, especially when you can see the fruits of your labor manifest themselves in ways that make someone else’s life a little bit easier. Whether that means volunteering at a food bank, an animal shelter, or another type of non-profit organization, find an organization you believe in, and volunteer one or two days per week.
Wrapping up
Though retirement can be pretty lonely—especially if you’re only recently adjusting to being away from the constant company of fellow employees. However, there are so many ways to make the most of your retirement, and fill it with joy, peace, and excitement. Using these tips, you can easily make an effort to spend your best years doing the things you love and spending plenty of quality of time with yourself and the ones you love.