The retirement age varies from country to country, but one constant is that work must end one day. The question is, once it does, what can you see yourself doing with all of your free time? While some imagine weeks of sleeping in, others see retirement as the beginning of life. Whether you happen to be 20 years old or 40, it’s never too early or late to start thinking about what you want for yourself post-retirement. Here is how you can ensure you can travel the world after retirement if that’s your goal.
Where do You Want to Go?
The first step to take if you want to travel the world after retirement is to think about where you want to go. Seeing as there are about 195 countries in the world, you have many to choose from! Write down the places you’d like to go and things you’d like to see and estimate the cost of each trip.
Doing this is important as it will give you a rough idea of how much you’re going to need after retirement to travel and live comfortably. Whether you end up in Japan soaking up the local culture or Honduras eating their native dishes, knowing what it means for your finances beforehand should help inspire you.
Grow Healthy Finances
Once you know what kind of dent traveling will put in your wallet, you can take the next step which is growing your finances. If you haven’t started doing so already, here are three pillars of your finances to work on strengthening.
- Investments: Investing is one of the best things you can do for your future. If you invest in the right things, you may even find that traveling in retirement is a breeze. Some of the best investments for 2018 were said to be peer-to-peer lending, real estate, and gold.
- Retirement Fund: One of the things that will make all of your travel plans possible aside from winning the lottery is a healthy retirement fund. When living in the moment, this can seem like something that isn’t as pressing as paying your rent every month, but you should see it as equally important as it will determine your standard of living once you retire.
- Life Insurance: If you happen to have loved ones you would be leaving behind in the case of an unfortunate event, you should include them in your financial planning. Consider speaking to the experts at Local Life Agents about life insurance to make sure their needs are met in case you leave sooner than anticipated.
Set Practical Goals
Aside from the mentioned, it’s also essential that you set practical goals if you want to travel the world after retirement. Create a plan and figure out what steps you need to take every day to ensure your goals are met. Here are a few goals you should have in mind.
- Budgeting Goals: If you want to achieve any of the things mentioned above, it’s likely going to start with discipline and budgeting. Know how much you’re dedicating to each of your financial goals and don’t exceed the amount you set aside for leisure, basic needs, and bills.
- Saving Goals: Savings are not only crucial for retirement, but you also need it to invest and for rainy days. Consider opening a separate account or emergency fund, so you aren’t financially set back when unexpected costs arise.
Traveling the world isn’t necessarily something that has to wait until after retirement. However, it is a great time to enjoy the autonomy and freedom that accompanies retirement.
