CompoundInterestFan
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2007
- Messages
- 222
I'm in my early 30's, and retirement (even early), is still a ways off for me. Lately I've come to realize that if I don't take care of myself between now and retirement, I'll just be a miserable old coot with lots of money. I think most people on this forum, by the very nature of them being on this forum, have a good handle on their finances or are at least heading in the right direction. However, I'm curious how everyone else is investing in other areas of their life.
For me, I think the things listed below are most important. I like thinking of these things as investing in some sense, because I think the more energy you put into them, the more you reap the divendends in the long run. BTW, this doesn't mean I currently have a good balance of all these things; in some cases far from it.
- Getting regular exercise. From what I've seen, people who've been active throughout their lives have a much easier time being active as they get older. It's not like I can just sit at a desk for the next 23 years, retire, and then jump up and expect to be active and do whatever I want.
- Eating well. Here, my biggest challenge is not eating the cheapest or most convenient thing possible. Sure, you can save a lot of money eating Ramen noodles, but that's going to produce poor dividends in the long run.
- Setting aside time to do nothing. This is especially important for me, as I tend to be a compulsive do-er. If I don't force myself to step away from the "To Do" list, I'll just keep going.
- Have fun, both with my wife and by myself. Everyone once in a while, I'll get so caught up in being productive that I forget to have fun. I'll start feeling pretty depressed without knowing why, until finally I realize that it's been a while since I did something for the pure enjoyment of it. Once I take care of that, everything seems back in place again.
- Get together with friends. Again, investing seems like an appropriate term here. When my wife and I are old and gray, we hope our kids will come to visit us as often as possible, but I realize they'll have their own lives to live. Friends will be just as important then as they are now. BTW, I guess I should clarify that I consider investing in family to be a given.
- Doing something to remind myself that there are more important things in life than just saving money. I really believe that most people's "problems" are pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things, especially with all the wealth and opportunity we have in this society. It's easy for me to forget this sometimes.
So how about everyone else? What other areas are you investing in? What's important to you?
For me, I think the things listed below are most important. I like thinking of these things as investing in some sense, because I think the more energy you put into them, the more you reap the divendends in the long run. BTW, this doesn't mean I currently have a good balance of all these things; in some cases far from it.
- Getting regular exercise. From what I've seen, people who've been active throughout their lives have a much easier time being active as they get older. It's not like I can just sit at a desk for the next 23 years, retire, and then jump up and expect to be active and do whatever I want.
- Eating well. Here, my biggest challenge is not eating the cheapest or most convenient thing possible. Sure, you can save a lot of money eating Ramen noodles, but that's going to produce poor dividends in the long run.
- Setting aside time to do nothing. This is especially important for me, as I tend to be a compulsive do-er. If I don't force myself to step away from the "To Do" list, I'll just keep going.
- Have fun, both with my wife and by myself. Everyone once in a while, I'll get so caught up in being productive that I forget to have fun. I'll start feeling pretty depressed without knowing why, until finally I realize that it's been a while since I did something for the pure enjoyment of it. Once I take care of that, everything seems back in place again.
- Get together with friends. Again, investing seems like an appropriate term here. When my wife and I are old and gray, we hope our kids will come to visit us as often as possible, but I realize they'll have their own lives to live. Friends will be just as important then as they are now. BTW, I guess I should clarify that I consider investing in family to be a given.
- Doing something to remind myself that there are more important things in life than just saving money. I really believe that most people's "problems" are pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things, especially with all the wealth and opportunity we have in this society. It's easy for me to forget this sometimes.
So how about everyone else? What other areas are you investing in? What's important to you?