Back in 2012 I was lamenting and wondering about having an Empty Nest. Money obligations and expenses continue on, whether your nest is empty or not. The best you can do, is make sure your financial nest is clear of debt. Whether your house is ever empty, then will not be as big an issue.
Yesterday I dropped off the last of my children at school, and now our nest is empty (sort of, my 7-year-old son is still at home, as are our two cats), so me and Mrs. C8j are now living a relatively empty nest life (or at least a single child family).
What does this mean? Will we become Helicopter (or worse a Blackhawk) parents? We seem to have the time to do this, but given my son is on the Autism spectrum, we will be closely involved with his education, but again, that may not really count. Will we be foot loose and take up new lifestyle ideas ? Nah, not me any how, although I might get a bigger TV (80″ does sound pretty sweet for the football season).
Do we now have much more disposable income? Ay, there’s the rub, I have an empty nest, however money obligations continue to live on don’t they? University education costs continue to dog us, schooling costs in general, repairs on our house must be done, so when do you finally get some “me money time”? I have no bloody idea.
I have had a few younger co-workers say something about how they envy me, being close to retirement and such, however, I usually beg to differ with them, pointing out that throughout my life my disposable (or discretionary) income has shrunk throughout my life. The time I had the most “me money” was when I was in High School and University. As soon as I graduated my “throw around” money started to shrink and it continues to shrink.
Maybe one day I will suddenly realize that I am “foot loose and fancy free” financially, but I honestly cannot see that day any time in the near future (unless it rains money, or I start making a bloody fortune on this blog (OK, that is always funny when I write that)).
Question: When do you think you will be financially comfortable and your money is your own?
Never. Even when your family is standing at the gravesite staring down at your casket, your money is not your own as they use it to bury you and put up a pretty headstone, and whatever is left leaves your pockets and goes off to theirs short of what the Govt gets!
I would like to hope it gets better, but here in Victoria, I am completely out of the housing market, have 14 years 3 months till 65, and I only have 11,300 in my retirement fund with a 1999 Honda that will need replacing. I need a wife who makes six figures a year to get the rest of it. When I finish school in April, my expected pay is only going to be between 10-15/hour depending where I get work. So I need that rich wife!
How financially comfortable is comfortable? Depends on what a person needs! I see myself needing to have a place to live where I can grow my own food… That is becoming a neccessity these days.
Sad to hear that, but if you are doing what you want, then maybe not retiring is a good thing?