Beyond Retirement

If we knew exactly how many years we have on earth after retiring, we probably could predict how much money we will need to get there comfortably. A good piece of advice is to assume you will live to be 100. A good move would be to retire later or save enough to last until then.


It's never too late to enact strategies to boost your retirement savings. If you need to you could make extra money doing a leisure task. Most rental car agencies have jobs perfect for retirees such as moving and picking up rental cars from other locations.


Never underestimate the power of volunteering. It tends to open doors and connections to affluent people that can help you in the long run.


Steady income stops at retirement unless we have multiple streams of income. Learn more here. The point is to have other income to rely on and making your money work for you. Rewards are greater if multiple sources are started earlier in life. Some are almost too simple.


If there is ever a time to be frugal, it's when we retire. Frugal living isn't a bad idea at any age. The name of the game is not to run out of money, especially in retirement. More on frugal living here and here.

Bye-Bye Middle Class

If you are still in denial, the reality is that the middle class is disappearing. This means that you will either be rich or poor, although one may still be called 'middle class.' Lets face it, the middle class is being squeezed into extinction. Food and gas prices may be the obvious drainers, but there are also the ones that effect the pockets with a trickle-down effect. The housing market, the lower wage jobs, education, to name a few, are effecting your wallet one way or another.

Health costs are also skyrocketing and will eventually hit everybody's pockets. The way to beat that cost is to be as healthy as you can be. The healthier you are, the less trips you make to the doctor.

The bottom line is that unless you are rich, you have to learn to live below your means. This means finding alternatives or doing without. The first vice to kick is keeping up with the Joneses. Good tips on living below your means can be found here, here, here, and here.

How about earning extra income? Try this, this, this, this and I can go on. I might also suggest running errands or doing things for the elderly and others, clean apartments and houses, find a part-time job.

Perhaps the economy will get better, but don't hold your breath. Living below your means and earning extra income now, is going to save you in the long run right through your retirement.