So how much stuff does one need ? i have been blog rolling - searching and reading blogs on early retirement - well most of them are not Indian -so while written in a diff culture and place(mostly american) they still provide perspective.... one of my favourites is Extreme Retirement - where he promotes the concept of extreme frugality ..not kidding -he has 1 pot ,1 pressure cooker , 1 plate,1 glass and 1 mug and a couple of forks and spoons in his kitchen!! Everything he owns can fit into a suitcase. He moved to a 1 bedroom apartment and decluttered everything.He even advocates using a hanky when you have a cold and not use tisuses ( hankies can be washed ,while tissues need to be thrown away!) Well...he really is extreme retirement personified ! But his blog did get me thinking....he approaches retirement from a different angle . Generally we work towards a financial goal based on the question "how much money do you need to retire" and work towards that goal . His approach was "how little do you need to retire" and hence the focus on living with less .
Not sure i want to be THAT frugal but retiring early does pose the question of spending less and being more thoughtful in how I spend my money....
and that got me thinking... how much stuff do we accumulate and collect and what do we really need ? What do I want /desire and what do I NEED ?
So what will retirement give me and what will it take away ??
So what will it take away ..
A FAT PAY CHEQUE - to splurge on clothes,jewellery and expensive STUFF.... perfumes, jewellery, clothes,eating out...being able to spend without really always having to think about it...and a strong sense of security ..(even tho in today's corp world its a false sense :-) !)
AN IDENTITY - a fancy title,a sense of importance (even tho it is a pretentious)...and being 'meaningful'
And what do I gain....
TIME - it gives me back 8-10 hours a day - precious ,precious hours....to read,cook,travel,work with an NGO,consult -do interesting work that i will enjoy rather than be desk bound and wondering what 'games' are being played where...who is happy,what is my next career move??? time to tag along with my super cool friends (R & Z) when they go on their outdoor shoots :-) time to spend with my family , my parents..time to bring home a dog ...time to travel and see the hornbill festival in Nagaland,the annual sports festival in punjab,the pushkar and the kumbh mela....
SLEEP - a sound(er) sleep :-) ....not having to worry about the presentation on monday morning , the annoying colleague / boss... targets,ratings,promotions,increments.......the RAT race ...
ME - the real me , the 'without-title-corp-tag' ME....the fun ME
VIEW - who can argue with a VIEW like this :-) .......the ability to go and spend time in ranikhet and see this view everyday - that is truly priceless....and makes up for all the fat paycheques and titles ...
Not sure i want to be THAT frugal but retiring early does pose the question of spending less and being more thoughtful in how I spend my money....
and that got me thinking... how much stuff do we accumulate and collect and what do we really need ? What do I want /desire and what do I NEED ?
So what will retirement give me and what will it take away ??
So what will it take away ..
A FAT PAY CHEQUE - to splurge on clothes,jewellery and expensive STUFF.... perfumes, jewellery, clothes,eating out...being able to spend without really always having to think about it...and a strong sense of security ..(even tho in today's corp world its a false sense :-) !)
AN IDENTITY - a fancy title,a sense of importance (even tho it is a pretentious)...and being 'meaningful'
And what do I gain....
TIME - it gives me back 8-10 hours a day - precious ,precious hours....to read,cook,travel,work with an NGO,consult -do interesting work that i will enjoy rather than be desk bound and wondering what 'games' are being played where...who is happy,what is my next career move??? time to tag along with my super cool friends (R & Z) when they go on their outdoor shoots :-) time to spend with my family , my parents..time to bring home a dog ...time to travel and see the hornbill festival in Nagaland,the annual sports festival in punjab,the pushkar and the kumbh mela....
SLEEP - a sound(er) sleep :-) ....not having to worry about the presentation on monday morning , the annoying colleague / boss... targets,ratings,promotions,increments.......the RAT race ...
ME - the real me , the 'without-title-corp-tag' ME....the fun ME
VIEW - who can argue with a VIEW like this :-) .......the ability to go and spend time in ranikhet and see this view everyday - that is truly priceless....and makes up for all the fat paycheques and titles ...
I know there will be compromises - but i know i will not have to compromise on the things i love - books,travel,movies . I guess I am very basic person and dont crave for the big car,latest gadget , a villa by the sea or in the mountain and the next 5 yrs and 8 months are about building the financial base that will allow me to enjoy the things i TRULY love and enjoy ..yeah the jewellery , expensive clothes,dining out may become a luxury but then can that even compare with the luxury of time,the company of family and friends ,the joys of a less stressful life,the ability to step out of the rat race ...and who can argue with a view like that...oh yes i can do without the fat pay cheque and the fancy title - give me this view , I can bet that no corner office in the world can boast of a view like this.....!!
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