If you have had to push-back your retirement plans and continue working, you are in good company. As many as 60 percent of eligible workers say they are postponing retirement. According to a recent article in SmartMoney, that may actually be a good thing. Take this additional time to finalize your retirement planning, and maybe even put your plans through a “test-drive.”

“The idea might sound strange. There doesn’t seem to be much need to “practice” retiring. (After all, what’s so hard about not working?) In truth, though, retirement will probably be a sizable shock to your wallet and lifestyle As such, if you can test your planned budget and daily routines before walking away from a first or primary career, later life should be that much more enjoyable,” writes Glenn Ruffenach.

This is an idea that just might catch on. Are you really ready for the slower pace of retirement? Try carving out a sabbatical for yourself. Combine at least two or three weeks of vacation, but don’t actually travel. Instead, trying following your anticipated “retirement schedule.” Are you bored after just two or three weeks of a trial run? Or, does your “retirement schedule” just need a little tweaking?

You also may want to test-drive your retirement finances. If you haven’t already, write up a retirement budget. Now, try to live on that budget for four to six months. If you find yourself burning through your money at a faster rate than you anticipated, then you need to revisit your retirement budget.

The point is, we test-drive a lot of things in our lives before we commit – cars, ideas, running shoes, even relationships. Retirement is often a no-turning-back proposition, at least in regard to your primary career. If you find you must postpone your plans, it just makes sense to use this extra time to assess – and if necessary, tweak – your plans to ensure you fully enjoy your golden years when you do finally get there!

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