A charmed life

 When you retire, you could say that you have had a charmed life. As you build your ideas for your life after you retire, you could create a magical vision board. A vision board is a collage of photographs, visions, observations and whatnots (everything else not the name of a furniture item, first made in or about 1808) that you create what you would like your life to look like in the future. It’s almost as if you were creating a snapshot of yourself a few years down the road. Once you create your vision board, all you have to do is hang it somewhere where you can see it every day. It will be up to you to bring your vision to life. 

Vision boards are useful for two reasons. They help you get clear on what you want. The process of finding and sorting images allows you to figure out what things you actually want to bring into your life, not just what you think you want. Vision boards also keep you focused. 

Vision boards are effective because they are a visual reminder of your intentions and shape your thoughts and actions. Vision boards give you a clear direction for where you want to go in several areas of your life. They allow you to visualize what goals you want to achieve.

Retirement Life Challenges To Consider

Consider the following challenges that could fold or change your retirement plans.

·        Blowing your retirement savings on things you don’t need

·        Investments didn’t work out as planned and you received less

·        Buying expensive cars, trucks, campers, and trailers that don’t fit your retirement lifestyle

·        Not using a senior’s monthly budget to plan with the retirement income you do get

·        Having a mortgage or debts you still need to pay for can be stressful (Can You Inherit Debt?)

·        Becoming ill and no longer able to care for yourself

·        Modifications to your home to accommodate illness

·        Loss of your driver’s licence due to illness or other reasons

·        Planning Your Funeral In Advance or talking about it 

·        Not Keeping fit, eating healthy and socializing causing loneliness

·        Avoiding self-care or the way that you look and dress (motivate yourself with beauty)

·        Neglecting Estate planning including updating your Will

·        Not understanding all of the available services for seniors in your community

·        Consider health benefits if you have none or for items not covered by the government

·        Not taking advantage of seniors' discounts and savings are missed opportunities

·        You outlive your retirement saving

·        One of you passes away and your spouse is faced with a frozen bank account

Retirement Planning And Housing

Housing can be a big concern as you plan for retirement. Many who are planning for retirement think about what type  and mix of housing they want. I would recommend that you think of housing in retirement as housing across the care continuum. In many jurisdictions, there are different levels of housing and care for seniors, and they are categorized differently. Here is a senior housing grid we use in British Columbia. The grid covers the range of housing we may need from living independently to Palliative Care.

Independent Living	Supportive Housing	Assisted Living	Residential Care	Hospice and Palliative Care
If you are living independently, you can have in-home support to help you. There is usually a cost for these services.	There are Private and Subsidized homes for those that need some help such as meals, housekeeping, 24-hour emergency response, recreational activities, etc.	For those who want or need hospitality and personal care services who can live independently but may require some help with daily activities.	This is for people who cannot live independently and require a high level of care.	These facilities focus on comfort and the quality of life for people who suffer life-threatening and terminal illnesses.

In BC 94% of seniors live independently. 4% live in supportive housing and 3% live in Assisted, Residential or Palliative care. If you think about housing as part of your care continuum if one of you  gets sick and needs in-house medical care, long-term care, retirement lifestyle care or even worse, death you will have a plan in place to take care of your housing needs.

Some questions to consider as you investigate housing as part of your care continuum:

·        Is your health good enough to go up and downstairs?

·        Can you keep up with cleaning the house?

·        How much yard maintenance can you do?

·        Can you afford people to help take care of your home?

How do you spend your day?

 If you have planned well and have a passion, then every day (almost) can be set aside for doing what makes you happy.

One of my friends, gets up early, makes a coffee and then he settles down and spends two hours reading his newspaper or a new book. Then he settles in doing work around his house with his wife. He works on his antique car and keeps it in immaculate shape. Another friend, who lives in a Condo, spends his day doing maintenance in the garden of the Condo and talking to his neighbours. What retired life boils down to is;

·        Money

·        Well-being

·        Hobbies

When I and my wife first retired our passion was travelling and we did a fair bit. Her hobby was working in the theatre and as we aged, health became an issue; now we don’t travel, and my wife does not work in the theatre. Currently, we spend our time working on our garden in the backyard and creating magical scenes with our elves and other figurines we have collected over the years. In our garden, we have flowers blooming and a quiet space to enjoy morning coffee. I volunteer, but my wife works at home, and we live simply.