Does anyone know if the Awake magazine has ever mentioned retirement plans such as 401K's or IRA's? They are always trying to give what they consider to be practical information but I would imagine that this would be a subject they would have to avoid. Telling witnesses how to save for retirement would be admitting defeat.
Awake Magazine and Retirement Information
by I quit! 3 Replies latest jw friends
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JWdaughter
Interestingly, the NOV 8, 1975(!) Awake! has an article about retirement planning. Not a lot about money, but some things.
"Planning Financially "Planning for retirement involves a number of factors. To begin with, there is the matter of income. Today most persons living in developed countries can expect to receive some form of “Social Security.” This may be enough to live on even though it may amount to only half of what you had been earning. Can you exact a pension? That will help. Planning ahead may also mean having savings in a bank, investing in insurance and in stocks or bonds or real estate. All such aids are in keeping with the Biblical injunction to consider the ant, which makes provision during summer and harvesttime for the winter ahead.—Prov. 6:6-8.
Planning and preparing for retirement also mean conditioning yourself to getting accustomed to more modest circumstances. Prepare yourself to spend less on food, clothing, shelter and recreation. Take an inventory and determine what is more important to you and what is less. Here also the old saying applies, “It is never this AND that, but this OR that.” Should you find that you will need added income, explore the possibilities. There are many of them, your kind being determined by your abilities, your resourcefulness and where you happen to be living. You might be able to start a small business, such as raising herbs or growing mushrooms, or you might be able to start a modest cleaning service, even as others have done.
Have you a hobby that upon retiring can be turned into a profitable business? For example, there was a railroad engineer who used to make violins as a hobby—he coming from a violin-making family. Now as a retiree he makes violins full time to his heart’s content. One retired woman makes rag dolls and sells them; a pair of retired oldsters make wooden models of old-time stage coaches and sell them. If you are an American farmer, you might consider the “Green Thumb” projects, as thousands of other retired farmers have done. Three days a week they plant grass and trees, clean out lakes and ponds and build picnic tables and fireplaces, for which they receive some $40 a week.
Truly many are the avenues open to you for solving the problem of income upon retirement if you will but realistically plan and prepare."
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I quit!
Thank you for the info JWdaughter. I was in the Watchtower at that time but I guess I was too dense to notice the article. I find the timing of the article interesting. Wasn’t it the WT belief that the end of 6000 years since the creation of man was to be around October of 1975? 1975 was the date everyone was looking forward to. Witnesses were selling their home and taking menial jobs because there was much time before the system of things would end. Now one month before the end of that year they write an article on retirement. I find that interesting. It may have been the Watchtower's way of subtly saying oops!
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daniel-p
If you are an American farmer, you might consider the “Green Thumb” projects, as thousands of other retired farmers have done. Three days a week they plant grass and trees, clean out lakes and ponds and build picnic tables and fireplaces, for which they receive some $40 a week.
Hot damn, I'm gonna git me some o that green thumb projects jes as soon as i can extricate mysef from a universitee.