This is what a happy life is to me.
After two very long posts this week, DIY Wedding Ideas – Worth It Or A Waste Of Money and How Much Money Should I Save Up For A House, today's post is a somewhat shorter (and a rambling) one.
Lately, we've been home “shopping” online a lot.
It's almost become an addiction.
Okay, who am I kidding? It is an addiction. Luckily, shopping for homes online is a free hobby of mine.
My favorite websites right now are Zillow and Realtor and I look at each a few times each week. We don't plan on moving for around two years from now, but it's still something we plan on putting a lot of thought into.
Before you think both me and Wes are crazy planners, I do want to say that it's mainly just me who is crazy. If Wes had his way, we would have moved yesterday.
We want to move to a new state (Colorado is winning right now), and the next home we buy will probably be our “forever” home. We plan on living in it for a long time and possibly retiring in it.
The whole thing sounds a little crazy, even to me, especially since we are only 25.
What is a happy life?
Colorado is exactly how I imagine a great life (and retirement) would be. Whenever we visit the state, we are always amazed by how beautiful it is and we even love the air (it's not humid like in St. Louis where you are constantly walking in a sea of mist).
With our future move to wherever we end up deciding on moving to, we have been thinking a lot about what a happy life is.
Every time we talk about possibly moving to Colorado, it always leads to us saying something similar to “this is how I imagine retirement would be. This is a happy life.”
Some think we are crazy, but why do so many people think you can't enjoy your life until you reach retirement? Why do we have to wait to like where we live until we reach retirement age?
There are plenty of ways to save for retirement, while also enjoying the life you live right now.
My dad passed away in his 50s, before he was even able to retire. Well, technically, he “retired” when the doctors told him he only had a few months left to live. So, he spent his “retirement” in a horrible way. He worked extremely hard his whole life and saved for retirement religiously, and it's something I've always admired. However, I don't want my whole life to be all about working.
I want to be able to enjoy life now, instead of waiting decades down the line to possibly (sorry if that sounds morbid) enjoy myself.
Anyway, what does retirement mean to me?
Since we plan on moving somewhere enjoyable soon, does retirement mean anything to me? That is a question someone asked me recently. They said I would have nothing to look forward to in the future.
Retirement to me means financial independence. I want to have freedom when it comes to my career and also when it comes to how I enjoy my life.
I don't see myself ever not working, unless I was prevented in some way (such as medical reasons). I like the motivation that work brings, and I like what I do. However, I understand that my feelings about everything may change in the future, and that is why financial independence is something I want to strive for.
How do I plan on reaching retirement?
I'm definitely not one of those people who plans on cutting everything in their lives in order to reach retirement. I still want to enjoy life, take vacations, spend time with friends and family, and more. However, I think doing all of that, reaching retirement, and living a fun life is all possible at the same time.
I plan on reaching retirement through a mixture of cutting expenses, growing my income, and hopefully adding some passive income to the mix. Thanks to several different personal finance bloggers (mainly Paula at Afford Anything), I have been more and more interested in getting into real estate and renting out places both long-term and short-term (such as through AirBnb or VRBO). That is a passive income area I would like to get into.
Even though I am no where near retirement, I do want to live an enjoyable life right now though.
How do you see yourself in retirement? Living in another country? Working still?
What does a happy and successful life look like to you?
Subscribe to get the free Master Your Money course!
Join the free email course and finally learn how to manage your money better, pay off debt, save more money, and reach financial freedom. Get our newsletter and get access to the freebie:
Kemkem says
September 12, 2014 at 3:09 amLiving in other countries is how mine looks. I am enjoying an early retirement attained through mostly passive income, savings and cost cutting. Slow traveling in Europe right now, and we’ll see. Good luck with your plans.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 7:27 amI’m so jealous of your traveling 🙂
kammi says
September 12, 2014 at 3:38 amI think happiness to me is being ‘free’; not tied to a place because of debt or lack of options. I see SO many people on a daily basis who just don’t have the option, are stuck in a place or a way of living because they don’t have any other option. Also, sharing with the people in your life who are important to you; relationships are huge when it comes to happiness. And of course having a sense of self; my father always told me that I have to be able to keep my own company, also. You can be content sitting under a tree in the middle of nowhere with a book that is engaging.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 7:33 amI LOVE everything you just said Kammi. Thank you so much. I definitely agree with you.
Mr. Frugalwoods says
September 12, 2014 at 6:04 amI feel much the same way!
We’re moving towards living on a homestead in rural New England in the next couple of years. At that point, we’ll rent out our current house as well as do some air bnb at our new place. We’ve also been building up our savings so that our homestead can be bought in cash, and we’ll make the move with several years of living expenses in the bank. We want to have plenty of runway to figure out a sustainable long term revenue source.
For me, being happy and successful is all about being around people I like and learning new things.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 7:52 amJust because I’m nosy, how big do you think your homestead will be?
Mr. Frugalwoods says
September 12, 2014 at 12:06 pmWe’re still looking and researching, but the properties we’ve looked at so far have been in the 30-80 acre range. We want enough land to be able to have multiple enterprises along with a robust woodlot.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 4:14 pmSounds awesome!
Autumn says
September 12, 2014 at 6:08 amRetirement to me looks like working a flexible, part-time schedule that allows me to slowly travel. I hate having limited vacation time and having to plan vacations around deadlines. I want to be able to control my schedule – that’s really what retirement comes down to for me. But, like you, I want to enjoy life along the way too!
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 7:53 amYes, I hate limited vacation time. It was one reason I knew working for someone else just wasn’t for me.
Nichole C says
September 12, 2014 at 6:41 amI think leaning towards Colorado is the best pick! I have so many friends that have left Florida, and moved there. Also, maybe you have and I’ve missed it, but how do you save for retirement? I just have a 401k through my company. But I know there are other ways….teach me! 😉
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 7:54 amI’m definitely not the greatest when it comes to retirement saving. I do need to start doing more articles on that. I’ll start brainstorming this weekend!
Laura @ No More Spending says
September 12, 2014 at 6:56 amWe just moved into our ‘forever’ home which should speed up our retirement saving. Originally we planned to move to Portugal, but now we prefer the idea of spending extended vacations (3 months+) in different countries.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 7:55 amCongrats Laura!
Robin says
September 12, 2014 at 7:43 amI can’t believe someone told you you’d have nothing to look forward to in the future!
Retirement to me is just having the freedom to live the way I want, even if that means still working at a job that I love. I would be working because I like the job and not because I have to.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 8:02 amYeah, it was a very odd conversation I had with that person. Ever since I switched to full-time self-employment, it’s like no one has a filter when they talk to me anymore LOL
Kathy says
September 12, 2014 at 8:00 amMy dad died at age 64, just 7 months before he was scheduled to retire. So when I got a job that allowed me to retire at age 55, I jumped on it and stayed with it through thick and thin to get that retirement, and actually managed to retire at age 52. Those 10 years of life is worth much more to me than to some employer. My dad worked hard up to the day he got sick and died 10 days later. I like to think that he would want me to do precisely what I did. I’ve been retired nearly 9 years and have never regretted it for an instant.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 8:07 amGood job Kathy! Thank you for sharing your story.
Lena says
September 12, 2014 at 10:51 amI think, it’s necessary to prepare (and save) for retirement but I also believe it’s important to live our lives right now. Not spend frivolously but enjoy it on a budget 🙂
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 10:54 amYes, enjoy life on a budget 🙂
Stefanie @ The Broke and Beautiful Life says
September 12, 2014 at 10:57 amI had the exact same reaction when I went to San Diego. Though Colorado is probably the only place I could see myself that isn’t near a coast.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 11:01 amThanks Stefanie! Yes, I can’t really see myself moving anywhere else.
cave simon says
September 12, 2014 at 11:00 amReal estate is definitely something you should consider! I know you do a lot of freelance to make money but real estate is something quite passive. I am sure you are going to like it!
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 11:04 amThanks!
Shannon @ Financially Blonde says
September 12, 2014 at 11:02 amMy hubby and I were just talking about this the other night. I love that we have simplified our lives more such that it doesn’t take much to cover the things that we need and want; therefore, financial independence is much closer than we originally thought. For us, once my son graduates high school, we will downsize our home substantially, sell it, invest the proceeds, rent and travel more. We would rather travel that be homebound in our financially independent days.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 11:05 amSounds like a good plan Shannon! 🙂
Erin @ Journey to Saving says
September 12, 2014 at 11:18 amThere’s nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy life now, and enjoying it even more in retirement. That doesn’t mean there won’t be anything to look forward to! And you’re right, we sadly don’t know how much time we’ll have to enjoy life as it is, might as well take advantage when we can. I’d rather not work my days away.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 3:49 pmThanks Erin!
Deb @ Saving the Crumbs says
September 12, 2014 at 11:48 amMy husband and I dream and talk about this all the time, and we’ve come up with our 3 core reasons why we’ve decided to live frugally and strive to retire early: 1- to give more (we give 20% of our income to charities but always wish we could give more), 2 – to serve more (we both work for non-profits but wish we could do it without it being dependent on being paid), 3 – to be more content (we want to be happy with simplicity and satisfied with less).
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 3:50 pmLove your reasons 🙂
Myles Money says
September 12, 2014 at 12:05 pmFinancial independence is the key for me too: I hate the idea of being trapped in a job I hate because I need the money and I love the thought of moving on if the work no longer interested me. We spend too much time working not to enjoy it.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 3:50 pmI agree!
Wade says
September 12, 2014 at 2:50 pmMy “perfect” retirement doesn’t involve snow/blizzards/shoveling/ice, so Colorado is off our list.
As I visit places and wrap my head around retirement (hopefully early retirement), I think a 2 pronged approach is the only way it can work.
Spend ~6 months in ND/MN during the summer/fall (May to Oct) and then ~6 months in a warmer climate for the winter months. Maybe north Phoenix.
Another option is to spend the “winter” 6 months exploring new places while renting. As we approach that we’ll have to look at the costs to buy and travel vs. rent and travel.
I do like Zillow.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 3:52 pmI love Zillow!
Michelle says
September 12, 2014 at 3:42 pmAhem, a happy life is the one that I’m living right now in Colorado!! Hehe. The only extra things I would like is to be debt free, in love, grow my money, and to buy an acre that I can put a tiny home on in Breckenridge. I would like to have a cabin in the mountains and I really enjoy snowboarding/shopping/chilling out in Breck.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 4:12 pmHaha I’m soooo jealous of where you live 🙂
Jason B says
September 12, 2014 at 3:55 pmI’m not sure if I will ever fully retire. I want to still do some kind of work. I see myself having property in a few states and also abroad.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 4:13 pmYeah, I don’t see myself ever fully retiring either. I like working 🙂
Genevieve says
September 12, 2014 at 5:14 pmMy early retirement dream was to run cool businesses and travel. I decided that maybe I didn’t have to wait. Why not try right now? We are in Europe right now. 🙂
So my question to you is: why not move to Colorado now? What’s keeping you from trying it out? If it doesn’t work out, you can always move back.
Michelle S. says
September 12, 2014 at 5:20 pmWell, we’re not 100% positive we want to move to Colorado. We want to experience it in the winter first. We also have a house here so we need to put it up for sale first, and we don’t plan on doing that until early 2016 🙂
jefferson says
September 13, 2014 at 8:59 amI remember what it was like to search for a home online.. That was a really good time, actually.. Zillow is an amazing tool.
We did actually find our dream home, so it *is* possible..
BTW.. I know of a really nice area to live, not too far from you 🙂
Michelle S. says
September 13, 2014 at 1:29 pmHaha thanks 🙂 I’m so happy that you and your awesome family were able to find your dream home.
Katelyn @ Diaries of a Wandering Lobster says
September 13, 2014 at 11:17 amHonestly I don’t think I could ever truly retire because I love to be active and work so much. Maybe it’s my New England upbringing but I need to be constantly doing something. I will probably work as a consultant or volunteer in my “retirement” years. And travel will definitely be a big part of my “retirement.” 🙂
Michelle S. says
September 13, 2014 at 1:32 pmI’m the same way. I think I will always enjoy the motivation and “competition” that work brings.
Prudence Debtfree says
September 13, 2014 at 11:33 amYou are the same age as my eldest daughter! Oh well, I’m not too proud to learn from you : )
It is very tragic that your father passed away before he had the chance to enjoy retirement. I can understand why you have a desire to invest in the joy of living the whole way through – and not just invest with an eye on retirement.
I think that the whole concept of “retirement” is morphing these days anyways. Some retire so young – and are happy to do so. Others keep on working into their 80s even though they don’t need to – and they are happy to do so as well. One size definitely doesn’t fit all.
Michelle S. says
September 13, 2014 at 1:45 pmYes, one size definitely doesn’t fit all. Everyone is different!
Syed says
September 14, 2014 at 5:33 pmIt’s great that you’re taking such an active step towards your ideal life by planning to move where you want to spend your ideal life! Most people just wish and go on with their regular lives. Retirement accounts tell us when we can start using money from them but doesn’t mean we have to officially “retire” at that age. Great job taking proactive steps towards your ideal life.
Michelle S. says
September 14, 2014 at 8:47 pmThank you Syed 🙂
Dan @ Our Big Fat Wallet says
September 14, 2014 at 8:36 pmGood post. I haven’t been to Colorado but it sounds really nice. I am in Ohio right now and it’s probably not nearly as scenic as Colorado! To me a happy retirement would be done in phases – I think going from working full time to retirement would be fairly drastic for me so Id like to work part time for a number of years before finally retiring. As far as location I think it all depends on lifestyle and family. I like where I live now because its in the city but close enough to the outdoors and mountains that we can get away on weekends. When I retire I don’t expect my hobbies to change so I’d probably still want to be close to the mountains
Michelle S. says
September 14, 2014 at 8:48 pmYes, we want to be closer to mountains. We don’t have that here in Missouri!
Natalie @ Budget and the Bees says
September 15, 2014 at 2:01 pmWe seem to have similar philosophies about the future. I also look forward to financial independence in retirement, but I absolutely don’t want to sacrifice the now. New experiences and pursuing passions now are extremely important to me, even when they do come at a cost to our savings. We don’t go all out, but we don’t feel too bad when we spend on something that makes us feel really good. My happy life is one filled with international travel and mystery; I don’t want to know where I’ll live long term. I’m not ready to put down roots.
Michelle S. says
September 16, 2014 at 10:31 pmSounds like we are very similar 🙂
Jacob says
September 15, 2014 at 3:38 pmRetirement has such a lame connotation to it. Financial Independence is much more fun. For me, not having to work for money ever again is retirement, but most likely it’ll just give me the freedom to do even MORE of what I love. Now, the question is, how do I get to the place where I am doing what I love to EARN MONEY toward financial independence.
I guess I should keep reading here and figure out how you did it 😉
Michelle S. says
September 16, 2014 at 10:32 pmHaha thanks Jacob 🙂 See you at FinCon?
Lisa E. @ Lisa vs. the Loans says
September 15, 2014 at 7:29 pmI definitely want to “retire” much earlier than usual in the sense that I no longer work for someone else. This may mean that I end up working for myself. Some people may not consider that as retirement, but I do, hehe! But like you, I don’t necessarily want to cut all fun expenses right now to do so – I really want to find that balance.
Michelle S. says
September 16, 2014 at 10:33 pmYes, balance is very important. I agree!
Natalie says
September 16, 2014 at 7:08 pmI would def. do some shopping around to see if you can get a better rate. That seems like a huge jump. I would also call the company and ask why the jump? That really seems outrageous.
Michelle S. says
September 16, 2014 at 10:34 pmYeah, I really need to figure all of this out. It’s been a slow process so far. Luckily I still have over one month before it renews.
Megan @ Megan And Eggs says
September 16, 2014 at 9:55 pmThe way you feel about Colorado is how I feel about Oregon. It seems like the perfect, sit back, relax and get a lot of writing done place. I would love to move there!!
Michelle S. says
September 16, 2014 at 10:34 pmWe have been thinking about Oregon as well as a possibility. There are just too many awesome places in the United States!
DNN says
July 3, 2018 at 2:24 pmWith money online to be earned quietly and flowing abundantly like a never ending supply of Water flowing within the Earth, why wouldn’t anybody want to start a blog and put themselves in the driver’s seat to potentially make money online 24 hours a day?