Are you wondering if it's too late for you to enjoy your retirement? In "Start Late, Finish Rich" David Bach explains how you can not just finish rich, but live rich. His suggestion in the final part of his book may seem counter-intuitive. In part five he recommends that you give more. But, if you're trying to save as much as possible, how can giving more possibly help?
Part Five: Give More, Live More
David Bach ends his book with his take on the familiar saying: money isn't everything. When it comes right down to it, while money is important, it can't buy everything-especially happiness. Bach insists that happiness comes from living a life of meaning and encourages his readers to have a higher purpose than money.
If you are a Christian (and maybe even if you aren't) you are probably familiar with the concept of tithing. Here Bach moves this concept out of Christianity and applies the idea of tithing to the rest of the world, calling it a law of nature; the more you give to others, the more comes back to you. He expands this concept to go beyond giving money, to include giving your time, energy and talent.
We tend to believe that the United States is fairly insulated from the problems other nations experience. We are, after all, one of the most prosperous countries in the world. But, did you know that 33 million people in the U.S. don't know when or where their next meal will be and that 8 million people regularly go hungry? Did you know that 3.5 million Americans have no place to live? And this is a wealthy country! Worldwide 1 in 5 people are malnourished and 6 million children die each year from hunger and malnutrition.
Bach's remedy not only for the world but for your happiness is to donate a portion of your income to charity. Technically, a tithe is 10%. But Bach stretches the envelope on this as well saying any percentage is fine, just give. He states that most people who achieve great wealth give and that their giving becomes a magnet for abundance in their lives.
In case you're wondering, Bach is true to form in this area as well and encourages you to make your giving automatic. Don't allow yourself the opportunity to back out, change your mind, lower the amount, or decide to "make it up next month." Find a reputable charity and arrange to have your donation automatically deducted from your bank account each month.
He provides a lot of excellent resources on-line to help you find a reputable charity to donate your time and money to.
Giving isn't his only advice. He also encourages his readers to live more, or live rich. Most people plan to really start enjoying life when they retire. Think about it. That's a pretty sad plan. Why would you want to spend most of your life with your nose to the grindstone in the hopes that someday when you retire, you will finally be able to relax and enjoy life? The fact is you can enjoy life now. There is no "do over" button, this is it!
Bach leads you through a series of questions and exercises to determine what living rich means to you. Then he encourages you to start incorporating that richness into your daily living now. He asks simple questions like: What makes you happy? What isn't working in your life? What is working in your life?
Bach believes that the purpose of your life is joy and provides four principles to help you experience a rich life now.
Become connected with your truthStop judging yourselfStop judging othersPursue fun with a vengeanceFinally, Bach closes his book by saying that just because you started late doesn't mean your kids have to do the same thing. He discusses eleven lessons to teach your kids (or someone else's) to live and finish rich. These lessons include being a business owner instead of an employee; the miracle of compound interest; buying a home vs. renting; credit card debt; tithing; and dreaming big.
In short, I think David Bach has written a valuable book. You may not agree with everything he says, but you will be hard-pressed to not find something you can take to heart and use to improve your circumstances. I give "Start Late, Finish Rich" 4 out of 5 stars and plan to loan my copy out to others who I think will benefit from his advice.
My name is Cheree Miller. I'm not a financial counselor or legal advisor. In fact, I've made some poor choices in my life. I've been broke, with creditors calling, writing, and sending court summons. I've had my bank account garnished and wondered how I was going to feed my family. But, I can tell you that you can learn to make good choices where your money is concerned. You can get out of debt if you remain focused on the end goal instead of wallowing around in a pity pool feeling sorry for yourself. Better yet, you can retire rich if you start saving for your retirement now!
Life was meant to be enjoyed. For more resources on getting out of debt and living debt free, visit http://www.imdebtfree.net/. While you're there, sign up for my free newsletter with more tips on how to get and stay debt free, and receive my free report "101 Powerful Tips for Legally Improving Your Credit Score".
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