Baby Boomer Singles: Five Tips for Survival

Were you born between 1946 and 1964? Over 35 million single people born in those years are called Baby Boomers.

There have been numerous conferences for a call to action for the graying of America. The statistics and demographics of what is shifting in our culture cause us to have to examine every social agency and public policy in a different light.

But if you are a Boomer Single, how are you most affected by the predictions for the future?

The major opportunity and challenge facing you today is the fact that you will live longer. Within the next two or three decades, advanced medical and scientific discoveries will increase life to an unprecedented length. Not only will it be relatively normal to live to be 100, some people may go to 120 and beyond. It is now estimated that over one million Boomers will live to be 100.

Since you will be living longer, here are Five Survival Tips:

* Choose your mate carefully.

If you live to the age of 100, you obviously will have many years with your partner. It is more important than ever that you like that person as well as love them. If you retire at 65 or 70, you will be home alone with them for many years.

* Have enough savings.

Statistically, Boomers have not proven to be good at saving. You are going to need more savings, investments, and planning for your economic future than people had in the past. You may need more training, a new career, and planning for working longer.

* Single Boomer women need to pay careful attention to their finances.

Women who are Boomers may have earned less than men, or stopped working for periods of time to care for their children or aging parents. Their security for their senior years may be in jeopardy. If you are a single Boomer woman, you should look at living on less and saving more.

* Think about your attitude.

Traditionally, we are a youth-worshipping society. While some cultures revere their elderly citizens, many of our older Americans languish in nursing homes, feeling forgotten and invisible. Ask yourself how you view old people. Look for all the qualities and characteristics about them that you admire. When doing this, you will be shifting your own attitude about yourself as you age.

* Become technology savvy.

Boomers will be moving into a wired retirement. You will be better connected than retirees have been in the past or are today. It will be easier for you to meet others, and to stay connected and informed. You will have more choices than ever before.

If you are a Boomer single, you have your challenges and work cut out for you. You also have more opportunities than you could have imagined. Are you ready for the rest of your life?

Tonja Weimer - EzineArticles Expert Author

Visit http://www.tonjaweimer.com for more tips, skills, and insight on dating, relationships, singles, and love. Subscribe to our F*r*e*e Savvy Dating Newsletter from master single's coach, life coach, and syndicated columnist, Tonja Weimer. Copyright 2006, Tonja Weimer. (Please note source if reprinting this article.)