How To Retire Early With No Money

By: Catherine Woods

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Many people want to know how to retire early with no money. These people often want to experience the freedom that retirement brings without having to work hard to get there. The truth is that retiring early with no money in your retirement fund will still take work and sacrifice. However, if you work hard and follow these steps, you will be able to experience the freedom of retirement sooner than many of your peers.

  1. Get out of debt. Debt is one of the quickest ways to raise your living expenses. If you want to retire early with no money, you cannot be carrying any extra payments. Every dollar you have will be going to necessities. So start paying off your debt as fast as possible so you can retire without any unnecessary financial obligations.

  2. Start saving money now. If you are planning on retiring, you at least want to have some money set aside. Think of it as an emergency fund. Sell items you no longer need, cut back on your cell phone bill and work a few extra hours now to give you a little peace of mind later. Just because you do not have money now does not mean you have to retire like that.

  3. Find the cheapest way to fulfill your basic needs. Start by downsizing into a cheap apartment, learn hot to make cheap meals, cut the cable, reduce your cell phone plan and find cheap forms of entertainment. When you are retiring with no money, you are going to need to know how to do this anyway. If you start now, you can put the money you save toward your emergency fund while you get used to a different way of living.

  4. Create a mock budget before you officially retire. Once you have been living frugally for a few months, make a list your expenses and your assumed income. Include things like your pension, disability and any other money that comes in every month as your income. If your income is still less than your expenses, then you are going to need to find a way to make money during your retirement.

  5. Look for a way to make money during retirement. If you are like most people wanting to retire early with no money, you are still going to need to do some work in order to make money. The trick is to find something that you love and that offers you a little bit of freedom so you can still enjoy the benefits of retirement. Try freelance writing if you love to write, or become a travel journalist if you want to travel during your retirement. Whatever it is that you love doing, find a way to make money from it so you do not mind working a little during retirement. Once you follow these steps, you will be able to retire early even with no money in your retirement fund.

Posted on: May. 20, 2010