Wall Street Journal embraces Hedonic Adaptation

[Fuzzy Buttons]

The Wall Street Journal has an article up from earlier this month about retirees called Despite Curve Balls, Most Retirees Manage.  The article is about people who retire at the traditional ages with less money than they expected, and how despite this most managed to reduce their expenses down to match their income and remain basically happy.  I was struck by this:

Along the way, 40% said they have discovered that they can adjust their lifestyle to match their income by a "great deal," and 37% agreed that the same term applied to the statement: "I don't need to spend as much as I did before I retired to be satisfied."

What I found wonderful about this, is how well it reinforces the benefits of living a mustachian lifestyle right now!  There's no need to wait until health and your spendthrift ways force you into an unplanned retirement dependent on a shrinking Social Security to discover that your happiness is not tied to your spending.  Make a commitment to start living like you've been forced into an unexpected retirement today, and begin reaping the benefits now!  Plus, allow your real retirement to come all that much sooner.

What a happy and surprisingly anti-consumerist message from the Wall Street Journal.  I'm not sure they actual knew they were making it.  :D

[sobezen]

I sense WSJ readers might be aware of the importance of adopting alternative lifestyle changes that can improve their chances of retiring. But I feel not everyone will want to practice stoicism, minimalism or even Mustachianism. Really? Look around you. Look at your average co-worker, family and friends. How many live a lifestyle that is consumerism and excess driven? How many people practice anti-Mustachian habits? I wager we all know more people that spend and live an inflated lifestyle than a Mustachian one. To me, this reality comes are no surprise.

If the WSJ, Marketwatch, CNN or any other media outlet/publication can increase alternative thinking and lifestyle changes I am all for it! :) However, I do not feel Mustachianism is the only way to reach a retirement goal, it is a damn good one and it's been proven time and again.