I am an outspoken advocate for financial independence for women, and nothing I could say would explain why I am more effectively than this article. We live longer than men. We, on average, make 20% less than men, and spend, on average, eleven years outside of the workforce caring for family. I am not saying that net worth equals self worth; rather, that financial independence creates options that can result in increased happiness. And, it is my personal opinion that thos options becomes more important as we get older.

I think the reason many men are happier later in life is because women have done so much for them in their younger years! Women have double duty as mothers and workers. It takes us (women) longer to get where we want, we get less pay then men, and often times we put aside what we want for their betterment. When we get older we have time to think about those sacrifices and perhaps we didn’t get where we wanted to. So, we have to start over, many of us, and it isn’t easy! I am a non-traditional student at 48, and returned to school 3 years ago. I stayed home for 10 years with my five little ones and then I was divorced, leaving me years behind in education, and years behind in job employment issues. I have no regrets, but it really shows how being older is more difficult, and perhaps that again, is why older women are not as happy (or should I say not as fulfilled) as men may be!

I’m 46 and am doing all I can to make the second half of life better than the first! —-not one for giving statistics very much credit. Why put myself in a box labeled “I’m old, therefore I’m not going to be happy” ?

This doesn’t really make sense to me. I always heard it was the opposite. That women, due to the network of friends and their more “people” oriented lives (ie. children, friends, etc.) did better later in life and that men, because of so much of their identity being tied up with their jobs along with little focus on developing friendships earlier in their lives, didn’t do so well after retirement.

I have chosen a life that does not resemble what so many of you are speaking about as the source of your happiness—children, husband, family. I knew from an early age I did not want children. I love kids; that is why I did not want to have them. My family’s genes are toxic. So I feel a tad put off by the men talking about work, and the majority of women talking about their age and their kids. We have a perfect example right here of what the survey said. From the last paragraph—“For women, often children are very important and more fulfilling than for men, so that can be something that sustains their satisfaction with family life,” said lead researcher Anke Plagnol, a sociologist and economist at the University of Cambridge in England.” Puh-lease. I could not agree less. I am not putting down your life choices; who the heck am I to say what makes other people happy? By the same logic, why is this survey purporting to tell me what will make me happy later on in life? I am still working on that, thank you very much, survey writers. I am sure I am not alone in this. By choosing a course that conflicts with what a woman is “supposed” to want, over the years I have confounded men I have gone out with who just ASSUMED I wanted to get married and have their family, especially after I told them the opposite. When I was younger and “seriously” dating, I always brought up the subject first. There were men I dated for long periods who confused and truly angered me because I thought they understood, but actually felt my feelings were a “phase.” I was straightforward about not wanting a family. And they believed with enough cajoling I would give in. I realize my lifestyle looks unstable to those who choose a traditional route. My siblings think I am still going through a phase, even at my age. I am the youngest of five sibs, and the only one without children. They KNOW why. They played an odds game with our family history and some came out on top. But the ones who didn’t make me very sad, and more clear about the path I took and am taking.