Transcript:
Hi, I’m Alex Chandler, Certified Financial Planner at Base Wealth Management. I wanted to take a moment here today to talk about the balance between the life you’re living today and the one you want to live in retirement.
This is something I talk about often with educators, especially those in the Florida retirement system. Remember, you’re focused on helping others every day, your students, your school, your community, and it’s easy to put your own financial planning on the back burner. But at some point you have to ask yourself, am I building the kind of future I actually want, or just hoping it works out?
The challenge isn’t just saving money, it’s deciding how much to enjoy now and how much to put aside for later, and that’s where balance really matters. Because without it, you either spend everything and feel behind, or you save everything and feel like you’re missing out.
One helpful way to think about this is, what does your version of comfortable look like, both today and in retirement? Maybe it’s being able to take a short trip over summer break without stressing about the cost, or maybe it’s retiring without wondering whether you’ll outlive your income. Whatever that looks like for you, it starts with defining what enough looks like in both phases of life.
Here’s a quick exercise I use with my clients. Roughly estimate how much of your monthly income you believe is going towards your future, not just your pension, but your own savings or investments. Then compare that to what’s going toward lifestyle spending. You don’t need exact numbers, just enough to see if your habits are lining up with your longer term goals.
If they aren’t, that’s not a reason to panic, but it might be a sign that it’s time to make some adjustments, whether that’s reworking your budget, reevaluating your retirement timeline, or just getting more intentional about your priorities.
Most of the teachers I work with aren’t trying to retire wealthy, they just want peace of mind, they just want to be able to step away when the time is right without sacrificing the quality of life that they’ve worked so hard for.
If you’re not sure whether you’re on track or what balance should even look like in your situation, I’d be glad to help, no pressure, just a chance to look at your numbers through a different lens.
Thank you so much for spending a few moments with me, and remember, real balance isn’t about sacrifice, it’s about making choices that support the life you want today and tomorrow.
