Women Helping Women: Navigating the Empty Nest

Women Helping Women: Navigating the Empty Nest

By: Karen A. Miller, CFP®, CPFA

Written April 16, 2019

If you are one of those individuals who is less than excited about becoming an empty nester, you are not alone. There are many, many women—and men—who feel the same way. But, if you plan for it, this can actually be one of the most amazing times in your life. In fact, 95% of those aged 40-70 are actually excited to have time without the kids.* And many women say it’s the best time of their lives.

Get back to work

If you took time out of your career to be home with your children, now may be the right time to get back into the workforce. Some companies, like IBM, have created programs (the “returnship”) that help women return to the workforce. And there are other great resources, like iRelaunch, that provide information, education and re-entry programs you can leverage (they also happen to work directly with more than 40 blue chip companies, national network of alumni career services directors and more).

Reconnect

This can be a great time to nurture those relationships that may have been pushed aside a bit, like with your significant other, your friends or even yourself. Consider:

• Volunteering for an organization or cause you support
• Trying a new workout, training for a marathon or whatever else gets you moving
• Joining a social group or starting a new one
• Going on dates, trips or any of the ideas above with your significant other
• Establishing a monthly night out with your friends

Continuing your education

If you’re like a lot of women, you may consider going back to school to get that degree or extra degree you’ve wanted. In fact, 8.1 million adults 25 and older attend college.** Of course, this can be a considerable expense, so you will likely need a strategy to help pay for it. If you work outside the home, your employer may offer some form of tuition reimbursement. And, there are many sources you can look to for scholarships or student loans, including Scholarships.com, Return2college.com, studentloanhero.com and many others. And there are a number of ways to use your personal or financial assets to help you pay for these expenses as well.

You are not alone. Gasber Financial can help you determine the right financial plan to help you achieve everything you desire at this exciting time of life.

*Huffingtonpost.com

**studentloanhero.com/featured/scholarships-for-adults/