Recently, the thought of retiring early had been on David’s mind. The thrill of crossing off his bucket-list one after the other before he got old and frail appealed greatly to him. So, he decided to explore possible ways to retire early, and here’s what he found:
1. Define early retirement – To retire early, one has to figure out what the phrase ‘early retirement’ means to him/her. For some, it could mean leaving a corporate job for something more creative and flexible; for others, it could mean focusing on non-income producing hobbies or starting their own businesses with enough time to travel in between.
2. Check income and expenditure – First, calculate your net worth and then calculate your annual spending. This lets you know exactly how much money goes out every year.
3. Establish how much you need to retire early – Experts suggest having between 25 and 30 times your expected annual expenses saved or invested, plus a year’s worth of expenses in cash. A Walk Into Tomorrow should give you a clear vision of just how much money you’ll need to achieve your desired lifestyle.
When you have that figure, expedite the growth of your retirement savings with additional voluntary contributions. It never hurts to have more.
4. Be prudent with spending – It is hard to build substantial and long-term wealth if you spend more than you earn. To retire early, it is important to monitor spending habits so as to save and invest aggressively.
5. Explore a side hustle – Having multiple streams of income means more money to achieve your goal of early retirement.
6. Invest – Aya Laraya got it right when she said, “When you invest, you’re buying a day that you don’t have to work.” Explore investment options that are designed to diversify your money while minimizing risk.
7. Pay off debt – Early retirement also requires mental freedom, and you can’t have that when you’re in debt. If you’re in debt, come up with a sustainable plan to clear them off.
8. Health is wealth – Making self-care a priority is important in maintaining top-notch health. When the body system breaks down, all other dreams including early retirement experience setbacks.
