The closer I get to retirement, the less interested I am in having more.
More stuff. More bills. More things to clean, repair, maintain, and worry about.
What I find myself wanting now is actually the opposite.
I want life to feel easier.
I’m starting to look around at the things I own, the expenses I carry, the responsibilities I’ve accumulated, and even how I spend my time — and asking myself a simple question:
“Do I really want to carry this into the next chapter of my life?”
I’m learning that simplifying before retirement isn’t just about getting rid of things.
It’s about making room — financially, physically, and mentally — for the kind of life I actually want to live.
I’m Looking at What I Really Need
It’s amazing how much stuff we collect over the years.
Some of it is useful. Some of it has memories attached to it. And some of it has apparently been sitting in a closet for ten years waiting for the day I suddenly need it. 😂
I’m not interested in throwing away everything I own or trying to become a minimalist.
I just want to be more intentional.
If I’m not using something, don’t love it, and wouldn’t choose to move it with me someday, I’m starting to question why I’m still storing it.
The less unnecessary stuff I have, the less there is to organize, clean, move, and take care of.
At this point in my life, I’d rather own things that make my life easier than things that simply take up space.
I’m Simplifying My Expenses Too
Stuff isn’t the only thing I’m looking at.
I’m paying more attention to the bills and expenses that quietly follow me every month.
Subscriptions, utilities, insurance, household costs — individually they may not seem enormous, but together they determine how much money I need just to maintain my everyday life.
As I get closer to retirement, I’m asking myself whether each expense is something I genuinely value or simply something I’ve gotten used to paying.
I don’t want to spend retirement constantly worrying about whether I have enough money to maintain a lifestyle I don’t even need anymore.
The less my life costs to comfortably maintain, the more freedom I’ll have with the income I do have.
That doesn’t mean giving up everything I enjoy. It means deciding which things are actually worth paying for.
I Want a Home That’s Easier to Take Care Of
I’m also thinking differently about what I need from a home.
Bigger isn’t necessarily better when you’re the person responsible for cleaning it, maintaining it, paying the bills, and dealing with everything that eventually breaks.
I want enough space to be comfortable, but I don’t want my home to become another full-time job.
As I move toward retirement, I’m thinking more about what would be easier for one person to manage — less maintenance, reasonable expenses, and enough space for the things I actually enjoy.
I still want a little outdoor space. I want somewhere I can grow things, sit outside with my coffee, and enjoy the sunshine.
I don’t need the biggest home I can afford. I want the home that gives me the best life with the least unnecessary stress.
I’m Becoming More Protective of My Time
Simplifying isn’t only about what’s in my house or what comes out of my bank account.
I’m also thinking about where my time and energy go.
The older I get, the more I realize I don’t want to spend every day rushing, worrying, or doing things simply because I feel like I’m supposed to.
I want more room for the things that actually make me feel good — being outside, working in the garden, spending time with family, taking a drive somewhere new, or sometimes just sitting down and doing absolutely nothing without feeling guilty about it.
I’ve spent enough years arranging my life around responsibilities.
I want the next chapter to have a little more room for me.
I’m Making Room for What Comes Next
I don’t expect to wake up one morning with a perfectly simplified life.
This is going to happen little by little.
One closet. One expense. One decision at a time.
Some things will be easy to let go of, and I’m sure other things will take a little longer.
But every time I remove something I no longer need to carry, I’m creating a little more space for what I do want.
More peace. More time. More freedom. More experiences. More ordinary days that actually feel like mine.
I used to think preparing for retirement was mostly about having enough money saved.
Now I’m realizing there’s another part to it:
Creating a life that doesn’t require so much money, work, stuff, or stress to maintain in the first place.
That’s the kind of simplifying I’m working toward.