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12 Reasons You’ll Love Being Retired

By U.S. News & World Report

You are probably looking forward to retirement with eagerness and anticipation. Retirement is a well-deserved reward that you have earned with years of hard work. There are all sorts of ways to fill your days once you are free from the constraints of work and your life is truly your own.

But perhaps you are unsure about what retirement will be like. It’s common to feel uncertain about whether you will be happy after you stop working. Don’t let that stop you from launching your retirement. Here are twelve reasons you will love being retired.

You can get up whenever you want. You don’t have to set an alarm clock if you don’t want to. You may find that you enjoy having a morning routine of exercising before it gets too warm or completing chores early so that you have the rest of the day to spend as you like. But it’s your choice. And while you probably don’t want to sleep too much of the day away, sometimes it’s wonderful to not be jolted out of a blissful sleep by your alarm clock.

[See: 10 Ways to Celebrate Your Retirement.]

You can go to bed whenever you want. You don’t have to worry about getting up for work in the morning. If you are a night owl and you gain momentum as the day moves along, you may be most productive late at night. You may discover that you enjoy the late-night TV shows that you couldn’t stay up for when you worked. Plus, it’s nice to go for a walk late at night when it’s calm and peaceful.

You can wear whatever you want. Even if your job has a casual dress code, you probably wear nicer casual clothes than you do at home. If you have to wear a uniform or a suit, this will be an even bigger benefit. While it’s not a good idea to hang around the house all day in your pajamas or sweatpants, you will probably find that your daily wardrobe trends more towards relaxing, comfortable attire like T-shirts and shorts or jeans.

You don’t have to deal with rush hour traffic. You can run errands mid-day or in the evening when there’s much less traffic and stores are less crowded. You can schedule doctor and dentist appointments in the middle of the day when they are more likely to have available times.

It’s easier to be spontaneous. If you feel the urge to get out of the house and do something different, you can take a day trip. If it’s a beautiful day and you feel like postponing your chores and spending time outdoors, you can sit on your back porch with a refreshing beverage and a good book or take a walk in the park. If a friend invites you to get together, you can more easily say yes.

You have more time for creative pursuits. During your working years, you have limited time to spend on activities you truly enjoy, such as writing, painting, music, crafts and hobbies. After you retire, you will have much more time to spend on pursuits that bring you fulfillment.

You have more time for exercise and physical activity. It’s important to include some form of physical activity in your daily and weekly routines. Whether you prefer hiking, biking, swimming, playing golf or going to the gym, you can go on weekdays at times when the crowds are lighter. You have more flexibility to adjust your schedule so you can exercise when temperatures are more to your liking.

[Read: 5 Tips for People Who Will Retire in 2017.]

You have more time to read and learn. It’s important to stay engaged and mentally stimulated after you leave work. After you retire, you’ll have time to take classes, visit museums, read and learn new things. Best of all, you can explore the topics that truly interest you. You can take courses and not have to worry about being graded.

You have more time to spend with your spouse. This may require some adjustment, because you’ll be spending much more time together than you were accustomed to. You will probably need to work together to design a daily routine that satisfies both of you and find common ground on how much time you will spend together and apart. But mostly, this is a very good thing.

You no longer have to deal with performance reviews or status reports. Office politics, demanding bosses, annoying co-workers, reorganizations and fear of layoffs all become a thing of the past. You no longer have to budget and schedule your vacation days or keep track of how many sick days you have used. There are no more boring meetings. You won’t have to work through lunch hour or work evenings and weekends.

You can look at whatever you want on the internet, at any time. While many workplaces allow reasonable personal use of the internet during work hours, that’s very subjective. You probably see a lot of people checking Facebook, eBay, news websites, stock prices and sports scores at work. It’s a relief to no longer need to be concerned about your boss or your colleagues catching you surfing the net for personal purposes. And since your IT department keeps logs of what websites people visit, it will be nice to no longer have big brother monitoring you.

[See: 10 Financial Perks of Getting Older.]

You are more relaxed. You may be surprised at how many of your friends will comment that you look happier and more relaxed after you retire. You will wonder if the stress you are experiencing at work was more apparent to others than it was to you.

When viewed with a positive perspective, retirement represents a wonderful era of personal freedom, relaxation and fulfillment. While it’s true that retirement brings some challenges and your life will change in many ways, you should find that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Go ahead and look forward to the benefits, opportunities and freedom that will be yours when you have control over your life and your time.

Dave Hughes is the founder of Retire Fabulously.

More from U.S. News

12 Ways Retirees Pay Their Bills

25 Ways to Enjoy Retirement on a Reduced Income

10 Places to Retire on a Social Security Budget

12 Reasons You’ll Love Being Retired originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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