Balancing Retirement Joy with Supporting Future Generations: A Thoughtful Guide
A columnist advises a boomer reader on how to enjoy retirement while still helping children and grandchildren financially, drawing on Keynesian economics and philosophical ideas.
She explains Keynes’s paradox of thrift, noting that excessive saving can depress overall income and that strategic spending may boost the family’s micro-economy. Love proposes alternatives such as purchasing a lakeside retreat, assisting children with home purchases, or funding a startup, which combine personal enjoyment with future wealth creation.
The column also references Aristotle’s three types of friendship and Confucian concepts of filial piety and reciprocal gratitude, urging readers to view family support as a shared, relational project rather than a one-sided sacrifice. Additional reading suggestions include works by Alexandra Schwartz and Natalie Wolchover, underscoring the broader cultural context of aging and intergenerational responsibility.
Why it matters
It offers practical and philosophical guidance for older adults navigating personal fulfillment and family financial support.
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