Pondering The Idea Of Early Retirement!

In the final year of my college, I thought, “if only I could work from home!” Two years into my career and I got one of the best work from home options, one that many could only imagine, and then I thought, “if only I could save enough and manage an early retirement!” Early in the sense, 35 years and these days I think in the line of 32 or 33.

I have made up my mind, but the realization that this is in the offing, sort of puts me in dilemma, because there is one serious speculation that baffles me.

“There will no longer be any salary credits in my account.”

And how the hell am I going to live with that? Ah! Just reading that again sends chill down my spine. Well, for a person who has been earning for the past 10 years and enjoying financial stability, security and freedom, this definitely is a hard truth to face, leave alone digest.

I still remember the day I began my career. There was one and only one motive behind the self-driven, eager to learn and to-do attitude I showcased and still do – be able to support my parents and give them the best. If from an instructional designer trainee, today I’m adorning the director role, this has only been my guiding factor! I never had the urge to save a lot and that changed after I got married. Men are men and he once told me, save at least 40% of what you earn and do whatever you want to do with the rest 60%. The other day we sort of calculated my savings for the past 7 years and I think it gave him a sweet shock! :-)

Having two working members in a family sort of lifts the lifestyle. Well, I’m not signalling the millionaire type, but upper middle class kind. We hardly give a second thought to 60% of the buying decisions we make; that doesn’t mean we splurge. What’s the whole point of working your ass out, if you cannot and do not want to enjoy with your hard earned money? So apart from the essentials, monthly savings and charity, we enjoy eating out, occasional shopping and travel. Now, this is the way of life we are used to, but with just one person earning, can this continue?

I’ve always been the master of what I earn and the truth is, retiring from a non-pensionable job, it’s not going to be so anymore. For the darling he is, I know there will never be an awkward moment between us when it comes to money matters, but I’ll be lying if I deny the fact that I love my own account, my own money, my own card to swipe anytime or anywhere I want, with no questions asked and no eyebrows raised. This is a habit that will only die hard.

“But then people say money isn’t everything; I agree”.

When I grow old and look back on life, I definitely want to see an accomplished and independent lady, a lady who has a lot of cherish and less to regret. Life isn’t about money, but about the moments you lived, days that made you laugh or shed a tear, things you did together or for each other, instincts you followed or choices you made, what you loved and what made you live! And one can’t deny, a well flourished career most often comes in the way of one or many of these. You do not want to agree, but that’s the hard truth. That irk you feel when you have to be in front of your laptop while your parents visit, or that day you had to work late and could not manage the delicious dinner you planned for your loved ones! Simple things, but the female component in you may think at least once in a while, only if it had been the other way round?

Well, what’s in store for me, I do not know, but I do know I’m looking for an early retirement! To be able to face that “accomplished and independent lady” later on in my life, there are a few things I need to do.

As rightly put by Robert Frost –

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, 

But I have promises to keep, 

And miles to go before I sleep, 

And miles to go before I sleep.”