How to Retire the Cheapskate Way: The Ultimate Cheapskate's Guide to a Better, Earlier, Happier Retirement

Private tour guide If you live in an area frequented by tourists, let your local visitor’s bureau and chamber of commerce know that you’re available to provide private tours of area attractions to groups and individuals. If you want to get really serious about it, check out the National Federation of Tour Guide Associations (www.nftga.com).

It’s a gorgeous fall day, and we’re gazing at a view of the Swiss Alps that looks like a painting by the late Bob Ross. You know, Ross was the guy with the Afro and goatee on PBS who was famous for teaching those of us who are artistically challenged how to extract amazing landscapes out of a bare canvas, simply by “deciding where your footy hills

“If you’re proactive in planning for retirement and you can envision what it’s going to be like, the money plan will follow,” she says. I have another déjà vu moment, thinking back to my conversation thirty years ago with my friend Bob Johnson and his comment about “the money stuff really isn’t that hard.

My advice is to think long and hard before launching any selfish employment venture that requires you to risk more than a grand up front.

Blogger Starting a website or a blog online is easy, inexpensive (or even free), and can be a fun creative outlet. It’s also possible to generate income through your website/blog by allowing advertising on the site, charging for content, or even asking readers for voluntary contributions if they like what you write. In general, the blogs/websites w

Editorial services With the growing popularity of e-books and self-publishing, freelance editors and proofreaders—and even fact checkers and indexers—are in demand. The Editorial Freelancers Association (www.the-efa.org) can help you

I was both comforted and energized in knowing that I didn’t need to earn a full-time living doing it. That freedom to fail, or to set different measures for my success, or to change my mind or direction entirely at any time—none of that I’d ever had the luxury of experiencing before in my life. And,

All the major travel websites (e.g., Orbitz, Priceline, Expedia, Travelocity, etc.) have sections devoted to last-minute deals, and an increasing number of sites like www.​Last​Minute​Deal​finder.​com and www.​11th​hour​vacations.​com specialize in nothing but “ballast travel,” as Justin calls it.

Assuming that you’re employed and have had healthcare coverage prior to age sixty-five, be sure to talk with your employer’s benefits administrator in advance of your sixty-fifth birthday to determine how any employer-provided health-care plans may impact your decisions and options regarding participation in Medicare.