Spring in your step

Spring is in the air and it's time to try new things.

The most important thing to do is to get out in the fresh air, breathe deeply and take in the surroundings. Obviously, no point in doing this in the middle of the traffic.

The birds have already started building their nests, So get out those nesting boxes and allow places in the garden for nests...away from cats.

What to try this Spring?

For those of you considering retiring, there are 5 indicators that you can take this step.

1. No debt. Have you cleared all credit card debt and are there any outstanding small loans? Is your house mortgage free?

2. Do you know how much money you need each month just to survive? Carefully calculate your outgoings. Keep a small amount for the 'oops, I forgot about that. ' Have you considered any other streams of income? There are possibilities. A part time job. taking in a student or paying guest. Dividing your house into 2 parts so that you can rent out part of it. Air BNB trips is a new possibility. The joy is that you can do as much or as little as you wish. You place your ad saying what service or experience you offer. Some people would like to stay in your home. Others want to have a local experience and would love to have a local guide to show them around. Just say how much you charge, open an account and off you go.

3. Have you got sufficient savings? An easy way of calculating how much you need is to calculate your yearly expenses, and multiply by 25. You will have extra expenses: holidays, events, upkeep of house, breakdown of appliances. Take into account pensions/AVCs etc. The good news is that early retirees spend a lot of money on holidays and leisure and maybe a new car, while the sad news is that the older you get, the more you will have to spend on health.

4. Do you want to retire? Do you have to retire?

If you have reached saturation point in your job, it is better to go. Life is too short to spend your time with people who do not appreciate you or doing a job you no longer enjoy. There are always possibilities, but look before you leap. Do some planning.

If you have to go, then go gracefully.

5. You have plans

If you have had a look around and decided how you would like to spend your life, then by all means go ahead and retire. It is important to have a sense of purpose and significance. However, it is important not to take on too much because ageing is occurring and we do get tired. In fact, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to make sure that you have a good night's sleep. It is also important to consult with the people you live with, because your retirement will have an impact with them too.

6. Declutter. Are you ready to declutter your house, wardrobe, attic, kitchen drawers, head?

It is said that if you root around someone's kitchen drawers, you can guess when they got married by the kitchen appliances lying at the back of the cupboards. When was the last time you used the fondue set? Forman grill? Despite their quiet approach to life, the Swedes can be a bit extreme and practice what is known as Death-Cleaning, which is not as bad as it sounds. It means not only throwing out what you no longer need, but gifting 'stuff'-paintings, bits of furniture, silver, tea sets to family and friends. In my garden, I have plants and flowers from lovely friends and family who are no longer here.

New positions

There are 2 positions in accounting and one very dynamic, just retired woman who would love to get involved with a short term project, in Dublin

Please visit the GettingThere page on Facebook and a new group

Retired and Thriving Ireland, also on Face book.

If you no longer want to receive these notifications, please contact me at

mary@gettingthere.ie

Enjoy the Spring. Get a spring in your step.

Enjoy yourself...while you are still in the pink.

Regards,

Mary

www.gettingthere.ie