Retire at 40

It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but if you set your mind to it, you can retire by 40. The first step should be to set yourself up for success by getting a great education and a high-paying job. Live well within your means by eating simple meals at home and using public transit whenever possible. Instead of spending, save and put your money in stocks, real estate, or other investments that can help you grow your wealth.

Steps

Earning More

1. Go to college. Getting a college or university degree can dramatically increase your lifetime earnings, making it easier for you to retire at 40. Apply for as many scholarships and grants as possible, since it will be easier to retire by 40 if you’re free of student loan debt.
   • There is no right or wrong degree to study for while at university. However, scientific and technical degrees (in engineering, computer science, biology, and so on), law degrees, business degrees, and financial degrees (accounting, actuarial science, or economics) tend to have higher earnings than those in the liberal arts or humanities. Obtaining a degree in one of these fields might help if you want to retire by 40.
   • There is also no way to know how much education you need. Generally, the more education you get, the more qualified you’ll be for high-paying work and promotions. A Ph.D., for instance, tends to earn more than someone with an associate’s degree.
2. Work at a high-paying job. If you become a professional athlete, a banker or financier, or a business leader (COO or CEO of a company, for instance), you can earn far more than the average person. Doctors, engineers, and attorneys, likewise, have a high earning potential. Enter these fields early to save as much as possible.
3. Get a high-paying side job. The more money you earn, the more money you’ll have by the time you’re 40. To earn more, you might want to supplement your income with additional work that pays well. For instance, if you know how to code websites or programs, you might be able to freelance as a coder. If you’re a lawyer, you might be able to teach a night class at a local law school. Other high-paying side jobs include:
   • project archivist
   • marketing specialist
   • group fitness instructor
   • curriculum writer
4. Get started early. The closer you are to 40, the harder it will be to successfully set yourself up for retirement by that age. After deciding that you want to retire at 40, give yourself plenty of time to work, save, and invest.

Saving Money

1. Find ways to cut your discretionary spending. Discretionary spending refers to the money you spend on things you want but don’t need. For instance, you might cut your discretionary spending by watching a film at home instead of going to the movies.
   • Cutting discretionary spending will help you save for retirement at 40 and give you practice living a low-cost lifestyle, which is often an important feature of retirement.
2. Find ways to cut your mandatory spending. Mandatory spending refers to spending on things you need, like food, utilities, and transportation to and from work. You might be able to cut your mandatory spending by, for instance, buying traditional (as opposed to organic) foods and using coupons more often.
3. Use public transit. If possible, use public transit instead of buying and maintaining your own vehicle. While it can be convenient to own your own automobile, ownership also requires insurance, maintenance (oil changes, tune-ups, repairs), and petrol costs. Over time, these charges add up to a significant sum.
   • Alternately, get a ride from a coworker.
   • If you do choose to own a vehicle, drive it as little as possible and keep your tires inflated to their proper level to save on petrol.
4. Shop at secondhand stores. Unless you absolutely can’t find something in your size or style, shop for clothes at secondhand stores. Scour secondhand stores for furniture and decorative knickknacks, too.
5. Eat at home. Dining out even once a week can add up quickly. It’s far easier to save money by cooking at home. In cases where you can’t go home to eat (such as when you’re at work), pack a lunch pail and eat in the break room.
6. Don’t spend more when you get bonuses or raises. When you get a bonus or raise at work, you might be tempted to adjust your lifestyle by spending more. To retire at 40, though, you should maintain your current spending level and save or invest the extra money for your retirement.
7. Consolidate Student Loans. Consolidating loan debt means combining multiple loans into a single loan. By doing so, you’ll have only one single monthly payment to worry about, and only one interest rate. If you have student loan debt, it will be easier to manage and pay off if it is consolidated. The process by which you consolidate your student loan debt will vary depending on the lending institution you’ve loaned from, so contact them to get the process started.
8. Downsize your living space. Instead of living in a sprawling home, rent a small flat – an efficiency or a one-bedroom gig. Generally, this will prevent you from making expensive monthly mortgage payments. Plus, if you live in a small space, you’ll be unable to buy as much furniture and décor, which can help you save additional money toward your retirement at 40.
   • If you find a home with annual tax, maintenance, and mortgage payments that total less than what you’d spend in a year to rent in a small flat, it may be worth it to buy the home instead.

Investing Your Income

1. Set up automatic contributions to your retirement savings. Many employers offer the opportunity to automatically put aside some of your income in a 401(K) plan and match your contributions. Take advantage of this option to reduce the inconvenience of having to manually make deposits each month.
   • The method by which you set up automatic contributions will vary depending on your employer. Talk to your employer’s accounting department to learn more about automatic payments at your workplace.
   • The amount of money you decide to contribute automatically with each pay period is up to you. The more you put away each month, the more you’ll have to work with when you retire.
2. Don't rely just on employer plans. In addition to employer-provided plans, put some of your income into other investment or savings accounts, like an IRA. Other retirement plans you might want to invest in include Roth IRAs, rollover IRAs, and Spousal IRAs.
   • Each type of account has different maximum contribution limits and different levels of taxation for withdrawals and earnings. Since these contribution limits and taxation levels change frequently and depend on your age, consult a financial advisor for the most current information about the specific individual retirement account you’re interested in.
   • You should be able to make automatic contributions to these individual retirement plans, too. Talk to your employer’s accounting department for more information.
3. Invest in stocks. Investing in stocks is a great way to make money. Talk to a certified broker or financial advisor to get started. Contact the stockbroker in your area who charges the lowest service fees. Alternately, use a stock investment app to invest on your own.
   • Stock brokers usually require an initial investment that ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 USD (or more).
   • You can start investing in stocks through some apps with as little as $5 USD. Other apps will require larger initial investments. Some of the most trustworthy stock market investment apps are Stash, Acorns, Betterment, and Wealthfront.
   • Steadily add money to your stock portfolio to grow it over time.
4. Avoid high investment fees. Robo-advisors (online services that use algorithms to manage your stocks, mutual funds, or ETF investments) tend to charge less than actively managed funds. Even if you choose to go with an actively managed fund, choose one that charges the lowest possible investment fees.
5. Consider your risk level. All stock investment entails some risk, but some investments are riskier than others. For instance, if you invest in emerging foreign markets or initial public offerings (which are untested and possibly prone to volatility), you could lose your money. On the other hand, riskier investments tend to have bigger payoffs if they succeed and their price rises.
   • For a safer investment approach, diversify your investments by choosing a mix of different industries (like tech, automobiles, and construction) and put most of your money in long-term mutual funds and ETFs.
   • There’s no right or wrong way to balance your investment risk levels if you want to retire by 40. Either a high-risk investment approach or a low-risk investment approach could work.
6. Invest ethically. Ethical investing means putting your money into companies whose beliefs align with yours. For instance, if you’re a vegetarian, you might not want to invest in a fund that includes meat or fish companies.
   • Ask your broker or financial advisor for a full list of the companies you’re invested in. If you’ve invested through a robo-advisor, the list of companies you’re invested in should be available online.

Creating a Passive Revenue Stream By Renting Property

1. Rent out a home. To rent your home, attract renters by posting advertisements online or in your local newspaper. Vet the potential candidates by contracting a private background investigation service to find out which ones are trustworthy and reliable. After you've found a reliable tenant, have them sign a contract and collect rent each month.
   • Make renters sign a contract that last for at least one year. That way, you won’t have to find new tenants constantly.
   • You could rent a condo in the same way.
2. Make money off an apartment or room using an app. Some apps allow you to rent a room in your home or apartment as a sort of temporary hotel for travelers. Airbnb, for instance, is a popular online marketplace that can connect you to people who want a short-term place to stay.
   • This is a great option, especially if you’re in a large metropolitan area that many people want to travel to.
   • Be sure to rent your room only to people who have positive feedback ratings from previous hosts.
   • When posting your room available online, be sure to explain exactly what amenities your guests can and cannot use.
3. Set the rent at a competitive rate. The cost of renting out your property should be affordable relative to other properties in your area. For instance, if the other apartments or homes on the block rent for $500 a month, yours should rent for a comparable price.
4. Collect late fees. In your rental contracts, explain exactly what the late fees are and how they are calculated. If your renters pay their rent late, collect the late fee from them.
   • Place a clause in your rental contract that gives you the right to turn out renters who fail to pay rent on time.
5. Add revenue streams. Include other optional elements to your property to make it more profitable. For instance, you could add a coin-operated washing machine. You could offer the option to take care of the landscaping or clean the interior for an added fee. Many renters will be happy to have you take care of these household tasks for a modest additional charge.

Quick Summary

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See also

• Make a Retirement Gift Basket
• Know How Much to Give for a Retirement Gift
• Make a Retirement Scrapbook
• Use Life Insurance in Your Retirement Planning
• Transfer Retirement Funds to a Roth Ira
• Start a Retirement Home in Ontario
• Retire from a Job You Love
• Prepare for Early Retirement
• Prepare for Retirement in Your 20s
• Plan for Long Term Care

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