What Luxuries Would You Give Up to Retire?

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[retirementhunter]

Interestingly enough, what we consider luxuries when we are actually willing to give them up for a solid reason. The luxuries that I have given up while considered by the majority a luxury, ended up being a hidden burden.

One luxury in particular was the freezer unit I thought I needed so desperately. The luxury of having a freezer to store leftovers because I hate to waste anything became a freezer full of things I wouldn't eat unless of an emergency. I ended up merging the items in my freezer with the extra space in the freezer compartment of my refrigerator.

After I unplugged the freezer (and a few other items) I ended up saving myself a bundle on my utility bill. So, was it a luxury after all?

To achieve the goal of a joyful, happy retirement, I'm willing to give up numerous things in order to afford a good time in my upcoming golden years.

[Retired Syd]

That is hilarious! Reminds me a little of myself, my husband is often holding up a scary looking Tupperware container and saying "do you even KNOW what is in here or how LONG it's been in here?!?"

But I really like the concept that perhaps we will be giving up burdens that have disguised themselves as luxuries!

Excellent way to look at it.

Thanks for your comments,
RetiredSyd

[Minerva]

My sentiment exactly: I gave up owning real estate...though, truth be told, I considered it more of a burden than a luxury even before I retired. In a sense owning too much of anything, but particularly things immovable, like land, feels like prison - of a voluntary variety ( a bit like childrearing or marriage, lol) but nevertheless. Ok, I am a Peter Pan by heart. ;-)

[Retired Syd]

Minerva:

Ok, now that one really made me laugh--I'm with you on the childrearing part! (Not having had kids myself, I guess that was a "luxury" I gave up to retire!)

Thanks for sharing your comments.

RetiredSyd

[Cheryl]

I'm afraid I'll need to give up travel, something I want to really begin doing more of. In reality, what I think I'll need to give up is staying in nicer places.

My partner and I both want to retire somewhere warmer and dryer than Seattle (and closer to the places we want to travel to more regularly), but it's scary to think about leaving a place where she practically grew up and I've lived for over 25 years.

[Sylvia B]

Wow, this is something that I've just started to write about in my blog at . I've noticed I've already given up on buying shoes; it has my children quite worried though. I just wonder if it's irresponsible to stop consuming when the economy needs us :-)

[Chris]

I always thought of my husband as the more frugal one but there are a few things I'd give up that he wouldn't - like cable tv. Sometimes the TV seems like quite a burden - all that yelling on the "news", all of those stations full of things that I don't really want to watch.

[lita]

Wow, I love hearing everyone talk about giving up stuff. I started my family on discussing what are we were comfortable giving up whenever we planned a vacation. We gave up coffee for a year, that was hard. We then gave up professional haircuts. I have been cutting mine and my husbands hair for 11 years now and he works in an office and seems to look fine. I started doing this not because of the economic downturn but when I started doing the math on what we spend on luxuries over the course of a year I realized how much we could be saving instead. For example one cup of coffee shop coffee a day at 2.00 a day is 730 dollars.

[ElleX]

I made up my mind two weeks ago to give up real estate. I own a few properties and I am going to sell them. Then I will be debt free.

I, also, will give up the knick knacks and useless furniture and all the Christmas decorations and lawn equipment.

[Retired Syd]

@ElleX: I'm with you on that one. The vacation home will have to be sold in a few years to fund our retirement. Small price to pay when life is a perpetual vacation . . .

[Bridget]

I'd give up my housekeeper, gardener, weekly hairstyling appointments, cable (planning to do this real soon anyway), frequent eating out (currently 1-2x/wk), and personal trainer.

[rock]

I don't think I'd give up anything. I don't want to retire. I want to make this world a better place. I'd want to help those who have nothing. I couldn't see myself retiring from life. Sure, if you had a 9-5 job you could start your own business or volunteer helping the homeless or visit the elderly in the nursing homes. But to retire to live for yourself is boring. I'd rather die! Really, if you aren't doing anything with your life, then why are you living? They say if you don't use it, you lose it. It's nice to have a lot of money when you are older, but as long as you can think, breathe and be productive why not do something to make this world a better place, instead of retiring. I find it utterly boring to retire. I'd just start another business or do something that would impact the world. Life is what you make of it, why just retire from it? Why not impact it?

[Tamara]

Rock - I view my upcoming early retirement as an opportunity to leave the stress of helping to build a business that belongs to someone else, instead building a life based on personal growth, travel, continuing education and service to others. All of which look pretty good from where I'm standing, so perhaps a major point is being missed.

I can tell already that I'm going to run out of available daylight hours well before I run out of things to do and organizations to volunteer for.

[Lanny]

I am I single man and worked as a Janitor in many types of Companies most of My Life with Health issues, all my time was consumed and worked for five years on the weekends and then the grave yard shift to clean my home was like the thought of Climbing a Mountain was so tired after work I just did major Cleaing on a vacation
Now that I am retired I have the time to clean and keep my apartment neat and Clean Also my job isolated me from family friends church .
my depression and stress stop after I retired
enjoy your free time and be thankfull for your new life.

[debt consolidation]

Retirement is something cool when you plan it properly. If I have to give up some luxuries after retirement, I would try to give up the home I am living in and relocate my self to some beach town where the costs are cheaper than the west world.