How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: Retirement Wisdom That You Won’t Get from Your Financial Advisor
How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free offers inspirational advice on how to enjoy life to its fullest. The key to achieving an active and satisfying retirement involves a great deal more than having adequate financial resources; it also encompasses all other aspects of life — interesting leisure activities, creative pursuits, physical well-being, mental well-being, and solid social support.
World-class author and innovator Ernie J. Zelinski guides you to:
Gain courage to take early retirement; in fact, the earlier the better. Put money in proper perspective so that you don’t need a million dollars to retire. Generate purpose in your retirement life with meaningful creative pursuits. Follow your dreams instead of someone else’s. Take charge of your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Better envision you retirement goals — including where you want to live. Above all, make you retirement years the best time of your life.
What sets this retirement book apart from all the others is its holistic approach to the fears, hopes, and dreams that people have about retirement. This international bestseller (over 110,000 copies sold in its first edition) goes way beyond the numbers that is often the main focus of retirement planning in most retirement books.
There are many ingredients of a happy retirement and several retirement planning tools that help retirees plan for their retirement in new and more meaningful ways. One of the most powerful tools is The Get-a-Life Tree that you won’t find in any other retirement books.
In short, the retirement wisdom in this book will prove to be much more important than how much money you have saved. How to Retire Happy Wild, and Free helps readers create an active, satisfying, and happy retirement in a way such that they don’t need a million dollars to retire.
Publisher : Visions International Publishing
Publication date : September 1, 2009
Edition : 13426th
Language : English
Print length : 229 pages
ISBN-10 : 096941949X
ISBN-13 : 978-0969419495
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 10.13 x 6.45 x 0.64 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #16,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #24 in Retirement Planning (Books) #622 in Parenting & Relationships (Books) #1,293 in Self-Help (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (2,953) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Original price was: $19.95.$16.71Current price is: $16.71.
How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free offers inspirational advice on how to enjoy life to its fullest. The key to achieving an active and satisfying retirement involves a great deal more than having adequate financial resources; it also encompasses all other aspects of life — interesting leisure activities, creative pursuits, physical well-being, mental well-being, and solid social support.
World-class author and innovator Ernie J. Zelinski guides you to:
Gain courage to take early retirement; in fact, the earlier the better. Put money in proper perspective so that you don’t need a million dollars to retire. Generate purpose in your retirement life with meaningful creative pursuits. Follow your dreams instead of someone else’s. Take charge of your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Better envision you retirement goals — including where you want to live. Above all, make you retirement years the best time of your life.
What sets this retirement book apart from all the others is its holistic approach to the fears, hopes, and dreams that people have about retirement. This international bestseller (over 110,000 copies sold in its first edition) goes way beyond the numbers that is often the main focus of retirement planning in most retirement books.
There are many ingredients of a happy retirement and several retirement planning tools that help retirees plan for their retirement in new and more meaningful ways. One of the most powerful tools is The Get-a-Life Tree that you won’t find in any other retirement books.
In short, the retirement wisdom in this book will prove to be much more important than how much money you have saved. How to Retire Happy Wild, and Free helps readers create an active, satisfying, and happy retirement in a way such that they don’t need a million dollars to retire.
Publisher : Visions International Publishing
Publication date : September 1, 2009
Edition : 13426th
Language : English
Print length : 229 pages
ISBN-10 : 096941949X
ISBN-13 : 978-0969419495
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 10.13 x 6.45 x 0.64 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #16,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #24 in Retirement Planning (Books) #622 in Parenting & Relationships (Books) #1,293 in Self-Help (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (2,953) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
9 reviews for How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: Retirement Wisdom That You Won’t Get from Your Financial Advisor
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Original price was: $19.95.$16.71Current price is: $16.71.
paul fox –
Retirees: THIS IS A MUST-BUY – The definitive guide for surviving and reveling in retirement!
Ernie Zelinski’s best-seller book on retirement, How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free, is one of the best written resources on the subject. Since I retired from teaching music in the public schools in 2013, I have been preaching his gospel about finding meaning and work/life balance in retirement. I even promote it in my blog-posts […] for soon-to-retire music teachers.His informal curriculum of setting goals, creating a “get-a-life” tree, and satisfying the three basic needs of retirees to find “purpose, community, and structure,” is absolutely amazing. I call it “re-channeling your juices,” focusing on your “new” mission – why you are excited to get up in the morning – avoiding too many passive (boring) activities, and seeking out ways to “make a difference.” His text, illustrations, and quotations are hilarious!Especially for many music educators, the transition to our “golden years” can be “bumpy!” We are too “Type-A” for our own good and personally identify (our self-worth) too much with our school music programs. It is difficult to walk away and not look back. When we take that first leap and leave full-time employment, sometimes we carry excess emotional baggage. Ernie Zelinski helps us to learn how to take it slow, plan and “intern” retirement, and get rid of everything else.My favorite sections in his book are Chapter 2 “Retirement: A Time to Become Much More than You Have Ever Been,” Chapter 3 “So Many Worlds, So Much to Do!”, and Chapter 5 “Learning is for Life.”This is the book I purchase and give to every colleague who I know is planning to retire… the art teacher who lives on my street, the foreign language curriculum leader who is leaving the profession after serving 43 years at the school I also taught, etc.My only complaint is that I can never find my own copy of the book… I keep lending it out to “needy” newly retirees who probably “forget” to return it. That’s another good reason he has sold more than 275,000 copies of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free… we keep snatching them up and passing them on!
Dan Henderson –
Retirement is such a difficult decision and this book provides a very upbeat perspective. Just do it he says.
Loved this book. I’m approaching retirement in the very near future. I can continue working if I want to change jobs, or take contract work, or just change careers, but I can also afford to just retire, too. It is a perplexing decision. I like working and I like leisure time, too. This book helps you frame your decision in terms other than financial. There is, of course, financial considerations, but the real conundrum is what will you do with your new found leisure time?This book gives anecdotal, real world, testimonial and concrete advice on how to analyze and make a retirement decision. The truth is that just because you retire, doesn’t mean you can’t work, in fact the author suggests you find a purpose for your retirement which may very well mean you work at something you enjoy.This book is a great balance to others I’ve read which focus on all of the “gotchas” associated with retirement like social security, savings, and health care. These are discussed in this book, but he gets you to consider that retirement is not about money. Many people with tons of money are unhappy and some who have very little money are very happy.Pick up the book if you want to be inspired to retire. It is a very easy read and one I enjoyed.
Everyday Reviews –
A Joyful Wake-Up Call for Life After Work
A Joyful Wake-Up Call for Life After WorkErnie Zelinski’s *How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free* is easily one of the most refreshing and liberating books ever written about retirement. Instead of focusing on 401(k)s and Social Security projections, Zelinski explores the *emotional and creative side* of retirement — how to build purpose, community, and structure once the career identity fades. He reminds readers that happiness in retirement has little to do with net worth and everything to do with curiosity, friendships, and personal reinvention.The tone is upbeat and irreverent, filled with clever quotes, humor, and exercises like the “Get-A-Life Tree” to help readers visualize how to fill their days with meaning. His core message — that retirement is a *beginning*, not an end — resonates across all stages of life. For anyone approaching or already in retirement, it’s a great antidote to the fear-based financial talk that dominates the topic.That said, the book can be repetitive at times, circling back to the same ideas about purpose and creativity. Some readers may also find his dismissal of traditional work a bit one-sided — not everyone needs to “escape” a miserable job to find joy later in life. But if you take the spirit of the message rather than the literal tone, the advice is life-affirming and actionable.Bottom line: An inspiring, funny, and gently provocative guide that helps you design a rich, meaningful retirement — not just financially secure, but genuinely alive.
Bairbre C. –
What You Need Besides Money
There are so many resources and ideas of how to make your retirement successful, interesting, fun, and filled with personal growth. I’m giving my copy to my financial planner. She’s given us incredible financial advice but retirement is SO much more than money. If you’re close to retirement or bored in retirement, buy this book. It’s an encyclopedia of helpful tips and resources to make your non-employed years your enrichment years of growth…well, unless you just enjoy sitting in your chair watching movies and game shows, then skip the book.
D –
Interesting
Gaurav Singh –
Worth a read
SL –
The premise of the book is good but author likes to repeat his points. Also not everyone hates their job or has a boring job but he seems intent on painting all jobs and careers as boring and meaningless and that people should aspire to retire as soon as possible and do what they really want, ie retirees need to find themselves. I think he should understand that some people have had meaningful careers, not everyone is dying to be rid of their jobs and not everyone needs to find themselves. I will be happy with a few simple hobbies, pottering around my house and having a cup of tea when I retire. That probably would not sit well with the author though lol
David Peter –
With eight weeks to go before retirement, I needed some help! My financial plans were in place (sort of. as much as they can be these days), but I had no idea about how would I cope with colleagues no longer around, missing the workplace water-cooler moments and no longer having a very busy 24/7 work schedule. I felt pretty foolish that I’d had 40 years to prepare for this, but had no plans about how to spend the next phase of my life. This inspirational, funny and very readable book by Ernie Zelinski has given me a template for how to get the most out of my retirement. The premise is that not to plan for an active retirement is to set yourself up for a difficult one. To be bored is to retire from life, so the book takes you through practical planning to establish a lifestyle that is adventurous, rewarding and exciting. One minor downside is that it is written for the North American market, but the basic wisdom is pretty much global. Anybody about to retire should read this book.
Flamenca –
This book is a great tool to traverse this new career of ‘retirement’, especially when retirement comes earlier than you had planned.It’s an easy read, light hearted in tone but serious in content. Confirms some beliefs and challenges others. I’ve made so many notes from it that most of the book is highlighted in my Kindle. I am now embarking on the exercises, which will help bring clarity.I suggest that all financial advisors send a copy of this book when they issue their invoice!