Middle age can bring about a lot of different feelings. People evaluate their lives and see how they measure up to their friends and family members who are fellow members of the 50-plus club. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the negative aspects of aging, but there are tons of advantages to being over 50, too.
While physical endurance declines with age, emotional intelligence and wisdom should increase. You should have a better grasp of who you are as a person, what you enjoy, and how to help others who are in their 20s and 30s. Middle age is all about seeing the rest of the world with a clearer set of eyes. And there are financial perks to being in your 50s, too.
Over 50 car insurance quotes online are usually much cheaper than policy rates for people in their 20s and 30s. Most people have already started to expand their savings accounts and secondary income streams after working for several decades. Being in your 50s allows you to spend a little more on things that you enjoy because financial freedom is easier to obtain.
#1 – You See Your Kids All Grown Up
Being a parent doesn’t end when your child graduates from high school. Your kids will always need your advice and your guidance no matter what age they are. Some parents don’t feel like they are very important to their adult children, and this leads to feelings of loneliness and depression.
Try to be proud of the ways you have influenced your adult kids’ decisions and choices. Maybe they took up your career path, leading in your footsteps. Or they could have fulfilled a lifelong dream you supported all the way through their teenage years.
Parents are sometimes blamed for bad decisions their kids make, but they should also be praised when their children make good choices. It is very important to ask your adult children how you can contribute to their lives as you reach your 50s. You may even get to see your kids have their own children, leading to grandparenthood for you and your spouse.
This is one of the most rewarding second acts in life. You can have fun with your grandchildren and then often send them back home without many of the responsibilities of parenting them. Being an engaged member of your extended family in your 50s is also very good for your health, both mentally and physically.
Ride bikes with your grandkids. Go to a movie on the weekends. Try to understand the things that your grandchildren like to do in their free time. This will connect you with your inner child and bring you nostalgic memories from your own youth.
#2 – You Spend Time With Elderly Parents
Another potential hardship of being in your 50s is seeing your own parents age into their 70s and 80s. It’s hard to endure the stress of protecting your elderly parents during tough times. Sometimes seniors can’t take care of themselves, and middle-aged children have to incorporate this responsibility into their lives.
Try to flip your attitude and enjoy spending time with your parents as they get very old. You don’t know how much time you have left with them. Do as many things as you can to rekindle your connection with senior-aged parents.
What you shouldn’t do is think that you are completely responsible for their happiness. If you have siblings, see if they can help out with the expenses and the added work. Some elderly seniors need a lot of attention, and no person can give it to them all on their own. This is especially true of people who spend lots of time at work and with grandkids.
Just try not to get too stressed and the rest should be quite enjoyable. You might find these years spent with your parents are more enjoyable than at any other time in the past.
#3 – You Can Receive Discounts on Insurance
Car insurance companies view people in their 50s as ideal examples of low-risk customers. This is because drivers have several decades of experience driving, and they still potentially have great vision and reflexes to react to things that happen on the road.
In turn, car insurance rates for people in their 50s are usually lower than in any other decade if they have a safe driving record. Make sure you talk to your agent about discounts that are targeted at your demographic and really sell your great driving record.
Having no accidents on your record after so many years of driving is really an incredible asset when shopping for insurance on the best insurance comparison sites. This also means you may be able to splurge on other things in your life if you aren’t wasting money on expensive car insurance policies.
#4 – You’re Nearing Retirement
Getting into your 50s means you have hopefully secured yourself financially, or you are getting close to doing so. Your savings accounts will have accrued great interest after collecting money for decades. Your investments will start appreciating in value after so many years of growth.
You are also possibly reaching retirement age. If you have handled your money well and prepared for retirement, you may even be able to quit working in your 50s. This has been made harder during the tough economic times of COVID-19, but it’s not impossible. Careful planning as a younger adult really pays off during your 50s.
Nearing retirement means you’ll get to spend more time doing the things you love to do. If you’ve never gone on vacation, or you didn’t have time to go to picnics with your family, settle in and do these things in your 50s.
Appreciate it if you still have your health and the physical ability to go hiking or play some sports. As you get into your 60s and 70s, these moments might start to dwindle.
Your 50s is the time in your life when you have a great balance between physical wellness and mental fortitude. This is something that should get talked about more, not the anti-wrinkle creams advertised on television at 2 in the morning.
