Retirement corpus - a phrase I come across often, given that I listen to experts in the personal finance space. It is the amount needed to be saved before we retire from our work life so that we can lead a comfortable retirement life with the same lifestyle we are currently living in. I have a difference of opinion with this thought process, which I shall reserve for a future post.
This post intends to encourage all of us to build a "health" corpus in our 30s, 40s, and 50s.
What's the point of working hard, taking stress, ignoring our health, and saving up a lump sum, which ends up as hospital bills and recurring medical expenses? Not to forget the ill-effects of managing these ailments in our 60s and 70s, which robs us (and our spouse) of our (their) vital energy.
I believe it is crucial we start building our "health corpus" too. Think of it as a savings account. Every decision you make concerning your health and wellness is tallied against either credit/debit.
You choose to eat a healthy meal today. You make a deposit.
You choose to eat a pack of junk food today. You make a withdrawal.
You choose to workout first thing in the morning. You make a deposit.
You choose to sleep on time tonight. You make a deposit.
You choose to binge-watch a Netflix series, sitting on the couch late at night. You make a withdrawal.
You choose to go for a walk in the morning and get some sunshine. You make a deposit.
You choose to remain in front of your devices/gadgets all day. You make a withdrawal.
It is our daily individual choices that decide whether we are depositing to or withdrawing from our "health corpus".
Habits that are good for our body/mind are like "daily SIP"s (Systematic Investment Plan). Every small decision matters.
Saving towards our "health corpus" is as important as our financial corpus. I would insist that it is "even more" important.
In personal finance, there is a possibility of a lump-sum that we might add to our savings. It could be a performance bonus we received at work or a rearrangement of our portfolio. BUT there is no lump-sum saving possible for health.
When it comes to health, it is always about our daily individual choices and our habits.