Why retirees need vacations

Check-in at the Hotel Neri Barcelona

Even retirees who’ve quit the 9-to-5 grind still need vacation getaways…

When someone works or is a student, taking time off to travel or relax at home is considered a necessity. The case for needing a vacation once you’re retired isn’t as clear.

People romanticize retirement as the long-anticipated vacation that never ends. So why would someone who is retired — removed from the stresses of waking up to an alarm clock every morning and relieved of the daily hassles of the workplace — need or relish a vacation?

Actually, a preponderance of research and expert opinion suggest that vacations may be just as essential for retirees as for working folks.

The only limited factor turns out to be having enough funds. Although retirees have the gifts of more freedom and time, they tend to live on reduced incomes (an average one-half to two-thirds less than when they were working), which can crimp anyone’s vacation plans.

Read my article published on PBS Next Avenue 0n 4/23/14 (also reprinted by Forbes and the Huffington Post) that explains the compelling reasons why retirees need vacations.