Retirement home for those on the Freedom 95 Plan

Retirement home for those on the Freedom 95 Plan

Living in Victoria, it’s hard to not know somebody living the life of retirement Reilly. Despite more and more younger people coming to the region, the local population remains, on average, older than that of most Canadian cities.

When I moved here, back in the flush of youth, I suddenly found myself with a circle of friends who were, on average, much older than any such circle I’d had before.

They’re all great people.

But I’m going to point out a downside to the difference in our life stages. When you work and many of your friends are retired and retired well, you get to hear them plan their getaways to ski condos, island cottages, on their boats, or somewhere exotic—not for a weekend as you are limited to, but for one, two, three months—oh, heck—maybe a year, while they rent out their mortgage-free homes in Victoria.

But that’s fine. As a gainfully employed individual, you regretfully turn down invitations to join these friends on their adventures because, well, you have to work on Monday. You tuck away the regret, and focus on the hope that, in 10, 20, 30 years —surely no more than that—you will be making those plans and inviting friends along.

Read the rest of this editorial in the Victoria Times Colonist….

 

 

Further reading and sources:

Statistics Canada’s How many years to retirement?

Jonathan Chevreau, Work longer, save more money, Financial Post

CD Howe Institute’s Later retirement: the win–win solution

Where Freedom 55 was conceived

1 Comment

  1. Palliative Pete

    Well I’m still working at my advanced age and thankful for it. But I get your point . I am fortunate in that I can pick and choose what I wish to do and able to work in countries so that I can enjoy two summers a year
    That way I also don;t get under the feet of “she who must be obeyed”
    So maybe you can do that one day. On another note at the Y they have just raised the age at which you can claim senior rates to 80years. Fortunately I got in under the wire

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