If you are a “baby boomer,” read on. This term, first used in 1970 by the Washington Post, just means that you are getting to the point in your life when your working days might finally be over. You might think that once you retire, life will slow down and become a drab. Just because you are not actively involved in a work environment and spending time with coworkers in an office setting, you do not have to put away your fancy clothes and polished shoes. Have you considered surrounding yourself with fellow retirees? Retirement communities can be a great way to find others who also want to rebuild a new way of living and remain active in community events. You might think that the quality of your life will drop, but people who have moved into these villages are usually pleasantly surprised at their lives once they have made the transition.
Living in retirement communities does not mean you sit at home and twiddle away your time. Tennis, swimming, fitness centers, salons, spas, and libraries are among the amenities that most retirement communities offer. They also offer transportation to medical facilities and shopping centers if you are no longer comfortable driving. Some communities even offer massage therapy. You can easily find ways to keep active with all these retirement living options. In addition, you do not necessarily have to retire to be part of the community. Most regulations for entering these villages only specify that you need to be at least 55 years old. In fact, about 1.2 billion seniors still work full or part-time. You will probably find several people who commute to work daily.
If these retirement living options appeal to you, pick up a guide to retirement living and visit the communities. You can always talk to people who have moved in recently and find out what the advantages and disadvantages are to making the transition to a retirement community. Seeing some luxury retirement homes might make the move easier if you thought that you would have to give up living in comfort. Planning your retirement might end up being easier and less stressful than you think. Good references here.
I didn’t know that’s where baby boomer came from. Interesting. I haven’t really considered retirement yet though I should probably plan for it. I still have about 5 years to go. Should I start planning?