Thanks To Generation X, Gen Z Will Live The Semi-Retired Life

And we’re living and writing about it in real-time with real experiences

Because they saw their Gen X parents crash and burn. Or live life on the edge of crashing and burning.

Or maybe because they saw their Gen X parents buck the trend of following the American dream set largely by the baby boomers.

Large swaths of Generation Z will resist traditional full-time employment, home ownership and the stressful overhead of the American dream in favor of their iteration of a semi-retired life.

Amid interrelated housing and retirement crises of epic proportion, this is my optimistic prediction. That young — and young-minded — people will start living life differently. In fact, quite a few already are.

For as many 25-year olds I see reinventing life, I see just as many — if not more — 45 and 55 and 65 and even 75-year olds actively doing it.

It’s nothing short of fucking cool. And it’s one of the most exciting things happening in America right now. Even if — for some of these people — it means leaving America.

Practically speaking, I mean —

• By rejecting the American dream of home ownership and traditional retirement, these people will instantly lower their overhead, relative to many of their peers and those who came before them.
• They’ll be more happy in a studio or modest one-bedroom apartment. Especially if they want to live in the city.
• They’ll be more than happy to drive a cheap car or not have a car at all.
• They’ll be more open to living in different environments, even different countries.
• They’ll favor what so many baby boomers and old — or old-minded — people turn their nose up at — having experiences rather than things.

Some and maybe, though not necessarily all of the above. And so much more that only you can come up with. Which is the beauty of the way we’re defining what it means to be semi-retired as a lifestyle, not a work arrangement. It is whatever you need and want it to be within the context of your own life.

How have I come up all of these thoughts and feelings?

I see it in the reaction to the newsletter I write. It’s called Living The Semi-Retired Life. If you follow me on Medium, you might have noticed I haven’t published much on this platform lately.

On one hand, that’s too bad. Because what Ben Le Fort has built here on the Making of a Millionaire is not only incredibly impressive, but the reason why I have my newsletter in the first place. So thanks to him and Medium for their role in helping facilitate all of this.

However, going forward I plan to keep all of my money-related articles in my newsletter. This includes stories on personal finance, work, retirement, cost of living, moving to Spain, travel and all these things entail. Everything else — as it comes up — will go to Medium. Like this recent post about working in hospitality I published in Charlie Brown’s excellent Rooted publication.

Therefore, if you’d like to continue reading what I write about money, please subscribe to my Living The Semi-Retired Life newsletter. You can see all of the details on what we do there here and here. And you can click on the link in this post to take advantage of a special discount on subscriptions for new subscribers only before I increase the cost of a subscription in 2024.

At each of those links you’ll get a good sense of what we do in the newsletter.

In the newsletter, we discuss how to live a semi-retired life, whatever that might mean to you. But it’s generally characterized by working less now so you can work less longer.

I recently broke down what we do into the following categories:

• Universally broad personal finance and investing content tailored to Living The Semi-Retired Life. With more to come in the coming months, as we take traditional money content on subjects such as 401(k)s, savings and financial advisors and tie it to semi-retirement.
• Useful coverage and analysis of the economy, housing and the American dream.
• Travel content with helpful tips, detailed planning notes, urban photography and cost of living comparisons.
• Work as part of Living The Semi-Retired Life.
• Aging and semi-retirement.
• Chronicling the steps and thoughts associated with me and my partner’s decision to move to Spain.
• Two posts per month on writing for cash flow in semi-retirement.

If these things interest you, a subscription more than pays for itself in the archives.

However, at age 48, I have plans to write my newsletter until the day — or day before — I die. We’re talking another 52 years or so. So, lots of content to come!

And, right now, the plan is to start the visa application process to move to Spain late next year. We’ll chronicle everything that happens leading up to that, during the process and — fingers crossed — after visa approval as we navigate a new country and settle into the semi-retired life in Spain. Which will include — if all goes as planned — renting an apartment initially, then buying one within a couple of years.

With this in mind, the best option to subscribe to my newsletter is via a founding membership. It costs a little bit more, but it instantly converts to a lifetime subscription. Pay at least $100 one time and never pay again. I’ll spare you additional links, as all of the information you need is at the links already included in this article.

Anyhow, I’m excited about the newsletter. We’re coming up on 300 installments and 300 paid subscribers. We have more than 2,500 total subscribers. But it is a paid newsletter so, honestly, you get little more than free post previews if you go the free route.

I hope you’ll take a close look and join us with a paid subscription to my Living The Semi-Retired Life newsletter. We’re building a community over there of diverse, yet likeminded individuals on distinct journeys, sharing informative, inspiring and exciting experiences.

I appreciate it.

This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.