This is such a catchy headline and completely contradictory to my saying ‘if you do not know what you are going to do with your leisure, do not retire’!

Frankly the word ‘Retirement’ means ‘doing what you enjoy rather than doing what you must’. So a retired doctor could still be in practice – but without worrying about EMIs, a retired sales manager could be teaching selling skills, etc.

But what really helps you retire early? DOWNSIZING….

if you Downsize your :

a) house b) car c) lifestyle – retirement becomes easier.

Most people who have gone from a small house to a b——i—-g house cannot even think of shifting to a smaller house! But just look around the house and see the clutter you have created. Do all these things really give you happiness (should I do a post on comfort vs happiness?).

How many of these things are for the ‘world’ to see? If you were to be out of the rat race – with your own brother, friends, classmates, colleagues, neighbors, etc. would you need these things? After all these are ‘things’…right? And these things are kept in the ‘home’ ! So if you can downsize the house – preceded by down sizing things, it could help.

Shift to public transport – well at least for not very difficult commutes. No, I do not think many people reading this blog can do this, but the differential cost of a subsidised public transport vs. having your own vehicle for EVERYTHING you do is astronomical. If you cannot do this look at a diesel vehicle and a small vehicle for shorter, smaller trips. Run errands on foot (get a bicycle!).

Downsize lifestyle: when you are tempted by a new product, remind yourself about the unused Golf kit, unused GPS location finder, etc…or the extra suits, pants, dresses, etc. which you wistfully see and wish you could fit into….

remember the assets that you leave when you die are all representing YOUR EFFORT to BUY things YOU did not use. Your money did of course go waste – even worse it was your SLOGGING that went waste…!!