Stuff and Retirement: Hillbilly Nerd Talk: Episode 55

Here's a sneak peak at the interview that Kathe did on Hillbilly Nerd Talk.  Hank and Petra talked to me about their own retirement.  During the interview, we wondered if stuff and retirement don't go together.  And, is “Retirement” even the right word? Many Baby Boomers are redefining what they want to do in their later years.  They can be more care free than the generations that came before.  That is, if they have prepared Financially. We talked about the fact that there are two types of Baby Boomer Retirements:  Those who planned financially and those who didn’t.  For those who have the financial resources, their retirement is more like a teenager’s life, but with the ability to do more. Even though the show, Rock Your Retirement, doesn’t specifically discuss finances, it is true that if you are completely financially strapped, you’ll be thinking about putting food on the table and a roof over your head.  We assume that the listeners to Rock Your Retirement have already done some financial planning and that they are looking for different information. We have discussed Stuff and Retirement in the past.  Check out the episode on Downsizing. Stuff and Retirement: We Americans are tied to our STUFF.  We talked about Wendy Holt (episode 9) who moved to Costa Rica.  She gave up all her stuff, along with the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Speaking of stuff…Hank and Petra DO live differently than most of their peers.  Hank drives Elmer, a twelve year old pickup truck.  At ages 47 and 44 they could have “retired” earlier.  Living a less extravagant lifestyle gives you freedom.  Hank said that objects tie us down.  Petra said that they are invigorated by the next phase of their life. Every town in America has storage facilities where we have to store extra stuff. People keep their stuff in their garage, and their cars on the street. Petra brought up that people could probably clear out a bedroom to keep extra stuff in, but we just have so much! Frank brought up “First World Problems”. Imagine trying to explain to a person in Africa or Nigeria how we have a problem in America where we have too much stuff, and we have to rent extra boxes to store it all.   Petra also talked about how you can rent shipping crates to store your stuff in your yard. Just think:  If you die and haven’t gotten rid of it, someone else will have to go through your stuff.  Your stuff will wind up in an Estate Sale.  Frank said that you can retire earlier if you didn’t have so much stuff as you went along.  Again, Stuff and Retirement don't go together. Your STUFF can impede your retirement, and your life! Hank brought up the Maslow theory, that once you reach a basic level of survival, more stuff has zero effect of being happy.  Petra said that when you get to a certain point, there is nothing to strive for.  It even might impede your happiness.  We all agreed that more stuff actually causes less happiness, not more. He also said to be proactive, not only with what to do with your money, but also with what to do with your time.  Hank brought up the fact that he cannot podcast 10 hours a day (although they have a great show, check it out). If you like the Rock Your Retirement show, please tell a friend! That’s the only way we grow, one listener at a time. Listen to Hank and Petra's show, Hillbilly Nerd Talk, HERE.