6 Jimmy Buffett Lyrics Every Retiree Should Live By
It's not just Parrotheads who can learn something from the legendary rocker.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
Editor's note: This article is part of an ongoing series featuring the best retirement quotes and wisdom from top financial experts, leaders, and public figures. Other articles feature Warren Buffett, Michael Jordan and Mark Cuban.
Jimmy Buffett, the legendary singer, songwriter and successful entrepreneur, taught generations to slow down, let the good times roll and that happiness is what it’s all about. Though he might not be with us anymore, he left an ocean of wisdom through his words.
From his 32 albums to his three No. 1 best-selling books, the world can learn a lot from the Mayor of Margaritaville.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
His words are particularly relevant to retirees navigating everything from how they spend their money to how they spend their time.
Whether your retirement is just getting started or you’re in the thick of it, here are some words, or in this case, Jimmy Buffett lyrics, all retirees should live by.
Jimmy Buffett Lyrics To Keep You Singing
1. Go fast enough to get there / but slow enough to see / Moderation seems to be the key.
"Barometer Soup”
Retirees can use this as a blueprint for how they should live and spend their money in retirement.
Many are reluctant to withdraw money in retirement, but it's important not to be too frugal. Wait too long, and you might not get around to fulfilling items on that bucket list.
At the same time, you can’t spend freely, or you'll risk running out of money. The solution is finding a balance between spending and living well, and that's where moderation comes in. 'Everything in moderation' is the main lesson from this Buffett lyric.
To help control your spending in retirement, develop a withdrawal strategy that accounts for inflation, market volatility and longevity. A popular approach is the 4% rule, but others include the bucket rule of spending, the "Pay Yourself," "Me-First," and "Permission-to-Spend" rules.
2. I'd rather die while I'm living / than live while I'm dead.
"Growing Older But Not Up"
Rewind a few decades, and retirement meant the end of the line. You stopped working, and your days were spent sitting in front of the TV or hanging with the grandkids. That’s no longer the case, and you shouldn’t view it like that.
Buffett certainly didn’t, hence the lyrics and Margaritaville, his 55-plus sprawling retirement community that has more than 10,000 homes in Florida and South Carolina.
Many people don’t just stop working. They might opt for a phased retirement, take on a part-time job, consult, volunteer, pursue a completely new career or do a combination of some of the above. The point is they continue to have purpose and passion even when they stop working 9-to-5, and that’s what Buffett is proclaiming with those lyrics.
3. That’s what living is to me.
“That’s What Living Is To Me”
You might already know this or are starting to realize this, but as we get older, what makes us happy is less about the material possessions or money and more about freedom, passion and the experiences we have with the people we love.
It doesn’t matter how you're living; if you are happy, you'll feel rich, whether you take three vacations a year or one every other year.
That was the case for one retiree, who was able to make it work with just $33,000 saved in his 401(k) when he retired at 61, and he couldn’t be happier. Are you seeking ways to have a happier retirement? Check out our list here.
4. Only have oceans of time.
"Oceans of Time"
We spend decades meeting deadlines, keeping up with tight schedules and rushing around to ensure everything gets done. When we retire, we reclaim our time. That is hard for some people to enjoy or even accept.
Buffett is telling us we should enjoy our free time. With the lyric, he’s saying that in retirement, you have time to enjoy life, to stop and smell the roses or watch the sunset.
Take the time to appreciate your newfound freedom, but don’t squander it. Ensure you fill it with things that bring you happiness and keep you busy. We lay out some fun and free ways to fill your days in this article.
5. Some of it's tragic / some of it's magic / but I had a good life all the way.
"He Went to Paris"
Life is full of regrets, and retirement is a time for reflection, but you shouldn’t spend a lot of time dwelling on them. It's OK to acknowledge you made mistakes and to look back on all the ups and downs, but once that’s over, make peace and move on.
That’s the message Buffett is trying to convey in those lyrics, and it's something many retirees can benefit from hearing.
6. "When reality looks too ugly, fantasize."
A Pirate Looks at Fifty
We would be remiss if we didn’t include at least a quote from one of Buffett’s three best-selling books, and this one seemed fitting for the times, given that the stock markets have been volatile this year.
With this quote, Buffett reflects on his philosophy of seeking escape when times get tough. That approach can be applied to how retirees handle dips in the markets.
While it's easy to panic, sell, and move to cash, that's the worst thing you can do. The better choice is to distract yourself or fantasize and wait for the markets to rebound, which they historically always have.
Go live ….
Ultimately, Buffett's message was that happiness was the ultimate currency. While everyone’s definition of happiness is different, the key takeaway from Buffett is that it starts and ends with being able to accept what you can’t change and striving to make what you can better.
With Buffett’s lyrics in the back of your mind, go do what Buffett would do and “breathe in, breathe out, move on.”
Related Content
-
Quiz: Do You Know How to Avoid the "Medigap Trap?"Quiz Test your basic knowledge of the "Medigap Trap" in our quick quiz.
-
5 Top Tax-Efficient Mutual Funds for Smarter InvestingMutual funds are many things, but "tax-friendly" usually isn't one of them. These are the exceptions.
-
AI Sparks Existential Crisis for Software StocksThe Kiplinger Letter Fears that SaaS subscription software could be rendered obsolete by artificial intelligence make investors jittery.
-
Quiz: Do You Know How to Avoid the 'Medigap Trap?'
Quiz Test your basic knowledge of the "Medigap Trap" in our quick quiz.
-
We Retired at 62 With $6.1 Million. My Wife Wants to Make Large Donations, but I Want to Travel and Buy a Lake House.We are 62 and finally retired after decades of hard work. I see the lakehouse as an investment in our happiness.
-
Social Security Break-Even Math Is Helpful, But Don't Let It Dictate When You'll FileYour Social Security break-even age tells you how long you'd need to live for delaying to pay off, but shouldn't be the sole basis for deciding when to claim.
-
I'm a Wealth Adviser Obsessed With Mahjong: Here Are 8 Ways It Can Teach Us How to Manage Our MoneyThis increasingly popular Chinese game can teach us not only how to help manage our money but also how important it is to connect with other people.
-
Global Uncertainty Has Investors Running Scared: This Is How Advisers Can Reassure ThemHow can advisers reassure clients nervous about their plans in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world? This conversational framework provides the key.
-
5 Ronald Reagan Quotes Retirees Should Live ByThe Nation's 40th President's wit and wisdom can help retirees navigate their financial and personal journey with confidence.
-
We're 78 and Want to Use Our 2026 RMD to Treat Our Kids and Grandkids to a Vacation. How Should We Approach This?An extended family vacation can be a fun and bonding experience if planned well. Here are tips from travel experts.
-
Should You Jump on the Roth Conversion Bandwagon? A Financial Adviser Weighs InRoth conversions are all the rage, but what works well for one household can cause financial strain for another. This is what you should consider before moving ahead.
