Baby Boomers – Making The News Again

Baby Boomers – we’re in the news again and causing a great deal of commotion, as usual! Tuesday, May 29^th, the Canadian government will release the next set of data from the 2011 census. Business leaders, analysts and policymakers will scour the figures for clues as to how the world will look like in the coming years. It should come as no surprise that we are all getting older. The mirror tells me that on a daily basis.

Without a doubt, we are living during a time of significant change. Experts predict that in Canada, the population 65 and older will soon outnumber those under the age of 15. Governments and businesses are reacting to this demographic shift. The retirement age has been raised and healthcare is bracing for an influx to long-term care. So what does this mean to me? How am I responding to the transition?

Have my preferences changed over the past 5 to 10 years? Absolutely! I have altered my spending and saving patterns considerably. I don’t buy things – I buy experiences. They are far more exciting. I have learned that what I want and what I need are two different things. To know the difference is the key to a successful life. As one of the baby boomers, my primary needs are to keep healthy, to cherish friends and family and to embrace a lifestyle that sustains the environment. It is a commitment that I work on every day. Sometimes it’s easy to keep but there are other times when it’s not so easy. Nothing works out exactly as we expect even when we have all the data in front of us. There are no certainties – and maybe that’s why life is just that much more exciting.

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Collecting Experiences – Travelling the Scottish Highlands