For adults like us, “toys” don’t mean dolls, action figures, or miniature race cars.    Typically, they mean the latest electronic gadgets, a new sound system, a boat…even a real race car.

Many people treat the early days of retirement as a shopping spree.  All those toys they felt they couldn’t afford or couldn’t justify are now theirs for the taking.  As a result, one of the first things many new retirees do is buy that antique hot rod, vintage Gibson guitar, vacation home in Victoria, or even a shiny new boat.

On the surface, there’s nothing wrong with this!  Retirement should be spent doing the things you enjoy with the things you enjoy. 

But buyer’s remorse doesn’t end when work does. 

Sometimes, these mammoth purchases can come with a lot of unintended headaches.  It’s one thing to take a boat out onto the water…but what if you only have a chance to do so two times a year?  How will you store it those other 363 days?  What if you find you don’t actually like all the hassle of maintaining your new RV, or feel particularly comfortable driving it on narrow mountain roads?  What if that Gibson guitar is actually painful, because arthritis is setting in?  What if Victoria turns out to be a lot more expensive than you thought?

The point of saying this isn’t to discourage you from buying any of these toys.  The point is that you should start determining now what toys you truly want…because you know they’ll get used. 

Which means I have a little more homework for you.  But guess what?  This homework is fun! 

Rather than waiting for retirement to buy these new toys, take time over the next few months or years to rent them instead.  Go rent an RV for your next trip.  Take it out for a week to see if you truly enjoy driving them.  Go rent that Gibson guitar.  Do you find yourself dying to play it every evening…or does it really just sit in the closet?  Go rent a vacation property for a few days in Victoria.  Can you see yourself living there most of the year, or does island living quickly get old?  You get the idea. 

Think of the toys that sound most appealing in retirement.  Give them a go now.  By doing so, you’ll cut down on impulse buys and buyer’s remorse in retirement…saving your hard-earned money for the things you really want most.