At the same time however, the prospect of it can also be scary. Letting go of the security of the job or income you have held for years can be daunting, and as you get older and in employers’ eyes ‘inflexible’, once you leave, it may not necessarily be possible to return. To be sure, retirement living has both its pros and its cons. Here are just a few.
The Pros
As aforementioned, probably the greatest thing about retirement living is the freedom it affords. Perhaps you are from a northern climate and tired of the cold and bitter winters. If so, once you embrace retirement living, you need not be tied down to any one place in particular.
Some retirees choose to take a cruise, and end up finding out that it’s cheaper (and way more fun) to live on a cruise ship than in a retirement home, so they just stay on the ship. Others search out warm and exotic countries that they have always wanted to visit such as Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua or Thailand where their money will go far. Still others will stay in North America but move to places with a warmer climate that are very accommodating to senior citizens such as Sarasota Florida or Asheville, North Carolina.
The Cons
At the same time however, for those who are not looking to leave the area that they are from, retirement can simply mean a loss of income, and having nothing to do. If you love the house and place that you live in, and have not paid it off yet, retirement might mean a forced and uncomfortable relocation. For those who are comfortable with the lifestyle they already have, or love the work they do, retirement can be a bitter fruit to swallow.
Living your retirement can signify different things for different people. If you are one of those who love their work, their current home or lifestyle, hitting a certain age is certainly no reason to give any of that up. If on the other hand, you feel as though your dreams have been unfulfilled, and there are things that you would like to see done in your lifetime, then retirement living is without question the way to go.
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