It’s often very, very difficult to explain to non-retirees what it is like to no longer be at work.

Until now, that is! The Joy of Being Retired by Ernie J. Zelinski is a brilliant, funny look at the differences between retired life and the chains of the workforce, told in about 400 little anecdotes. This is a great read – you could consider reading one item each morning to start your day.

Here are some examples.

Reason 1 notes that “a truly satisfying and happy retirement includes interesting leisure activities, creative pursuits, physical well-being, mental well-being, a defined sense of purpose, and a great sense of community.”

You will, as a retiree, be “exchanging a gruelling nine-to-five routine for a well-earned casual and carefree lifestyle,” advises Reason 4. “You can play golf every day of the week,” suggests Reason 8.

Reason 15 quotes Canadian educator Laurence J. Peter as saying “the time you enjoy wasting… is not wasted time.”

Reason 26 thinks about the tax implications of retirement. “In retirement, generally speaking, you earn less money with the result that you pay a lot less income tax. And if you have always hated paying income tax, this should make you truly happy.”

Acting your age is no longer required in retirement, notes Reason 34. “You are never too old to become a little bit younger in spirit,” we are told.

The benchmarks of life change when we leave the workforce, states Reason 71. “Working life is when you judge your success by promotions, salary, and raises; retirement is when you judge your success by the degree that you are enjoying peace, health, love, and your dog.” Similarly, reason 116 says that whether your work was in a “corporate maze or a corporate prison… retirement sets you free from whatever it is.”

Reason 192 is one that Save with SPP has noticed – every day feels like a holiday. Truth be told, once you aren’t working you often don’t realize there’s a holiday going on until you run into long lines at the drive-thru.

Reason 218 points out that the average Canadian spends 26.2 minutes travelling to work, and 26.2 minutes returning home. This travel time, which doesn’t exist for retirees, “can rob you of a major part of your life.”
You can read the newspaper cover to cover in one go, says Reason 236.

“No more meetings,” boasts Reason 331. That’s one aspect of work that Save with SPP was extremely glad to see the end of, years ago.

If you are working away and worried about what retirement will be like, this is an excellent and recommended read. In fact, companies holding pre-retirement planning sessions would be smart to include this insightful, easy-to-digest and hilarious tome in the course materials.

Retirement fun can be even greater if your post-work pockets are a little deeper. This can be accomplished through retirement savings. If you haven’t got a workplace pension plan or want to augment it, why not check out the Saskatchewan Pension Plan? They uniquely can help you save, invest the savings, and turn that nest egg into a lifetime income stream – a one-stop shop for retirement security.

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