Health and faith are the ‘most valuable assets’ for this widowed retiree

In Tales from the Golden Age, retirees talk about their spending, savings and whether life after work is what they expected.

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Linda Bernier, 76, Otterburn Park, Que.

I retired in 2012 when I was 64 years old, after spending 40 years working as an English teacher in French-language schools in Quebec and two years teaching French in England. I retired because my husband became very ill. He died of cancer in 2015 at 63. Unfortunately, he never got to experience retirement.

My older brother also passed away in 2015, and I ended up spending a lot of time with my mother and my younger brother, both of whom lived in Montreal. They both died in 2017. So, the first five years of my retirement were mostly spent looking after and spending time with loved ones, trying to bring happiness and joy into their lives that were winding down.

Once I was alone, I started travelling with friends. I visited Peru, Panama, New York and parts of Europe, and took a Hawaiian cruise. I started spending money freely on housecleaning and weekly visits to the hairdresser. I also helped my only son buy his first house and contributed to his honeymoon in Japan. I don’t regret the expenses. I wanted to enjoy life more and to help others do the same.

After eight years, up until the pandemic in 2020, I spent the money left to me from my husband’s assets, including some life insurance and my savings. Today, I live off my three pensions, which amount to about $51,000 a year after tax. For me, that’s enough. I’ve always been fairly frugal except for the extra spending I did after my husband passed away. I’ve never worked with a financial advisor, but in my 50s, I took a financial planning course to learn about my finances instead of listening to what others tell me.

When I’m not travelling, I attend mass and volunteer at my local church. I also have a weekly bridge game with four friends and enjoy going to the opera, theatre and movies. At home, I read many books and newspapers and watch the news, movies and Netflix shows on TV. I also take daily walks, tracking my steps with the Apple Watch my son gave me. My health and faith are my most valuable assets.

My advice for others is to stay healthy and not be afraid to visit the doctor regularly to ensure you stay that way. Also, try to have a variety of interests and friends. And, if you are lucky enough to have children, stay in regular contact with them; visit when you can and cherish your relationship with them. Lastly, while many bad things are happening in the world around us, try to stay positive. It could help you live longer.

As told to Brenda Bouw

This interview has been edited and condensed.