2young2retireUK

Welcome to the 2young2retire UK blog

What’s Next?

What comes to your mind when you think about retirement?  Endless days by the pool, on the beach or golf course?  Catching up on your reading and hobbies?  Travel?  Rekindling relationships you've let languish?

We're with you.  Nothing wrong with these, as far as they go.  For most healthy people in their 50s and 60s, that's about 6-18 months.  What then?  We want more out of life in the 20+ years of good health ahead.  Something to live for, like work we enjoy, at a pace we choose.  Like community service on a whole new level of commitment.  Maybe becoming a student again.

2young2retire teleclasses and workshops are a place where you get to explore what's possible for you when you realize how much time lies ahead.  Based on Too Young to Retire: 101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life (Plume 2004) by Marika and Howard Stone, our curriculum covers:

► Work that matters (paid or not)
► Being your own boss (you can do it!)
► Community activism (it's about time!)
► Money control (at last)
► Wellness plan (quit stalling now!)
► Intelligent travel (why to go where)

You'll get together with others eager to explore these issues, in a conversation led by a 2young2retire facilitator [that's me, Ann Harrison].

Click here for course dates...

Are you in the market for a mini-retirement?

Many visitors to this blog are people close to retirement age who are looking for ideas, information and advice to help them with the process of retirement.  But a growing number of people who haven't reached that stage, are investigating the idea of 'mini-retirements' so they can experience a change of lifestyle NOW, without having to wait years until they're old enough, and can afford, to retire 'officially'.

If that sounds like you, you'll probably be interested in Recipe for a Mini-Retirement Overseas, an article by Michael Manville, which discusses how living abroad can not only save you money but help you create a new stream of income to finance your travels. 

Although the article is written for US readers, the ideas it contains are equally applicable to those of us over this side of the pond and, for currency conversion purposes, 1 dollar is currently worth about 61p (UK) and 68 cents (Europe).

Do you know your friends on Facebook and Twitter better than you know your neighbours?

I was leaving my house the other day when I saw Lynsey, my next door neigbour, hobbling down her path on crutches, with her leg in plaster.  I, naturally, asked her what had happened to her and it turned out that she'd fallen downstairs and broken her leg quite badly - it had been pinned and plated and all kinds of things.  And she'd had the accident 8 weeks ago!  She'd been hobbling around on crutches for 8 weeks and I had absolutely no idea!

So this article by Hazel Davis - I've got 668 'friends' on Facebook... but I don't know any of my neighbours - struck a chord with me when I read it this morning (ironically, after following a link to it from someone I know on Twitter).

How about you?  Do you know your neighbours and what's going on in their lives?  Or do you know more about your friends on Facebook and Twitter?

Salsa dancing British granny Paddy Jones wins Spain's Got Talent

After the death of her husband, Sarah Jones, known as Paddy, had planned a quiet retirement in Gandia, near Valencia.  But now, at 75, she's become the winner of the Spanish equivalent of Britain's Got Talent after performing a salsa which incorporated 'a dazzling sequence of flips, spins and high kicks'.  Check out Paddy's performance in this video from the Times Online website.

Video guides to packing for a house move

I don't have many talents but I've moved home 8 times in my adult life and have never even so much as damaged a drinking glass during the course of all those moves. 

If you're moving home in the near future and want to arrive at your new pad with all your possessions intact, check out the video guides to packing up your home prepared by reallymoving.com. 

Some of the tips given are only common sense but, if you haven't moved home for a while, the videos might give you some ideas (even if only about the equipment you'll need to stock up on beforehand).

What do retirees do all day?

What do retirees do all day?  According to this US News report, they linger slightly longer over food, sleep, shopping and household chores, and watch 4 hours of TV each day, compared to the 2 and a half hours that the rest of us watches. 

Not exactly inspirational is it?  And will food, sleep, shopping, household chores and TV be enough to keep you feeling happy, engaged, enthused and productive?

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For over 500 questions designed to help you get the happy, healthy, vital, productive, energetic, prosperous and fulfilling retirement you deserve, buy my new, immediately downloadable book: Thought Provokers: Questions You Need To Ask Yourself BEFORE You Retire.

Great Quotes - About 'stuff'

The less stuff you own, the less you have to clean, store, maintain, manage, protect, worry about, stress about, waste money on, forget, and pick up. Have the minimum amount of stuff for you to be comfortable. (This level is different for everyone and you’ll have to figure it out for yourself.)

Erin Doland

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Becoming An Entrepreneur

Many people dream of running their own, often hobby-related, business once they retire.  You may be one of them.  But unless you've had previous experience of getting a business off the ground, you probably won't be prepared for the impact that entrepreneurship can have on your finances, your family life, your time and your emotions.

In this article entitled, 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming an Entrepreneur, author and founder of Vocation Vacations, Brian Kurth points out that, 'Entrepreneurialism is not for the faint of heart'.

Free books from Google

If, like me, you've always got your nose in a book, you're going to love the fact that you can now download over a million Public Domain books from Google Books.  Just go to www.books.google.com, find a book you want to read and click on the Download button in the toolbar.

Over one million books...  Even I'd struggle to read that many! 

Walkit.com - The Urban Walking Route Planner

If you live in the UK and plan on exploring your city once you retire (or someone else's city, for that matter), check out Walkit.com. 

This is a great site that gives you a route map between any two points, and includes your expected journey time at a fast walking pace, a medium pace and a slow one.  It also tells you the number of calories you're likely to burn, a step count and the amount of carbon you're saving by travelling on foot. It’s quick, free, healthy and green.  What more could you ask?

Thought Provokers: Are you too cautious?

'The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.
Jawaharial Nehru

Have you been too cautious in your life thus far, or not cautious enough?

Is this something that you feel you would like to/need to change in retirement?

If so, how could you go about it?

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For over 500 questions designed to help you get the happy, healthy, vital, productive, energetic, prosperous and fulfilling retirement you deserve, buy my new, immediately downloadable book: Thought Provokers: Questions You Need To Ask Yourself BEFORE You Retire.