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The current issue of MoneySense features my Financial Independence column, with the current instalment being an update on the “semi-retired” first year of my personal Findependence: What semi-retirement is really like.
Do a search on semi-retirement and/or financial independence and you’ll find plenty more articles on this theme. For instance, in February, the Afford Anything blog ran a piece titled Mini-Retirements, Semi-Retirement, Early Retirement — What’s the Most Awesome Lifestyle? There are some interesting variants in the piece, such as “Perpetual Semi-Retirement.”
Back in April, The Toronto Star and other media ran stories like this one: Semi-retirement the new normal in Canada: Survey. The Hub also weighed in on the survey, noting that 15% plan never to fully retire, but many will embrace Semi-Retirement.
Way back, the Get Rich Slowly blog ran this reader story about Making the Move to Semi-Retirement. Note the reference to the classic book about Financial Independence, Your Money or Your Life, which is all about the tradeoffs between time/life energy and money. Recommended reading for anyone interested in Findependence!
The RV has replaced the rocking chair
Incidentally, while I chose to illustrate this edition of the wrap with an idyllic beach scene with an R.V. (Recreational Vehicle) in the foreground, thus far, I am not an owner of such a vehicle, although I enjoyed Jack Nicholson’s RV adventure in the film About Schmidt (which I’ve seen twice). I recommend watching it, especially if you’re an actuary. Nicholson plays a recently retired actuary who has just lost his wife and hits the road in an RV to reconnect with his children.
Check out this Reuters piece from a few years back: Rambling retirees trade homes for boats, RVs, sofas. I love the quote picked above as the subhead: “The RV has replaced the rocking chair.”
There’s even a website devoted to aging baby boomers living the RV dream.
Finally, if you’ve never heard about the Holiday Inn retirement plan, check this out: Retiring to Holiday Inn.
