45, Tired, and FIRED

[FreeBear]

I tired of the corporate rat race and FIRED in March 2015 at the age of 45. My wife beat me to retirement by several months. I retired because I accomplished my career goals, grew tired of the usual corporate BS, and wanted to join my wife in the ER fun. We both have been w**king hard since our teenage years, and none of our parents lived to retirement. We have long enjoyed an active outdoors lifestyle, so we wanted to retire while still healthy and energetic.

For us the critical elements toward FI and eventually FIRE were LBYM, professional-level dual incomes, no kids (DINKS), steady investment in stock mutual funds over more than 2 decades, and God's grace (luck, if so inclined). We were blessed with solid educational opportunities to kick off our careers and a chance to earn good incomes for a few decades, while remaining healthy and somewhat sane. We also married relatively late and perhaps spared ourselves the financial and emotional train wreck of divorce. To our marriage, we both brought substantial savings, a w*rk ethic, and an almost genetic LBYM lifestyle. Nevertheless, we led very comfortable, yet hectic lives. We squeezed in fun and quality relational time in the cracks of our lives dominated by demanding j*bs.

Over the past few years my j*b transitioned from good, to just OK, to Absolute Living Hell. Google searches led me to the ER Forum and simulation software like Firecalc, which proved pivotal in the plan to move from FI to FIRE. The ER app appeared on my phone and helped me pass the interminable hours in w*rk meetings and mind-numbing conference calls with some hope for a better future soon. I feel blessed to have access to such resources as the ER Forum, Firecalc, SWR research, and others tools on the net. After a year of this research and hand-wringing, we both FIRED. I join the ER online community in the hope of encouraging others toward FI and FIRE, just as all of you by example have encouraged me on this incredible journey of a lifetime.

In closing, I would like to honor my mom and dad, both foreign immigrants and proud naturalized US citizens. My mom would say "Sometimes you just have to take it!" when I complained that life was too tough and the fight too lonely. Dad was fond of remembering that he arrived in the US with only his wits and "20 dollars in my wallet". So I dedicate my FIRE to my mom and dad, God's great blessing to me. I believe my folks would be proud!

[38Chevy454]

Welcome to the forum, sounds like your parents raised you well and gave you a good start. Then your hard work and LBYM has brought you to this point. Enjoy your new retirement.

[Whisper66]

Congrats an welcome to the forum. Like you, I have gotten much out of this forum including a sense of calm confidence in being able to retire when I chose to. Look forward to your contributions here!

[rkser]

Welcome Freebear, you will interact with lots of people with similar thinking as yours on this forum & you will learn from them.

Interesting to note that your Dad reached these shores with $20 in his pocket, as I did 31 yrs back, then worked for & achieved the American Dream.

Good to have you here. Good Luck

[Katiek]

Welcome. Interested to hear more about this next stage of your life, and Congrats

[Bamaman]

I once did business with a man that was immensely successful, and everything he touched turned to gold. At our meetings, he'd always take me out to eat--Mrs. Winner's chicken's $3.99 special. I once asked Herbert how he became so successful, and he immediately said, "Just run the business like you're poor."


Well, I've done all right in my life, and retired early due to living below my means. But don't believe any hype about retiring and spending less money. Travel is our hobby, and it's expensive to go anywhere.


Good luck to you on finishing this chapter in your life. You have plenty of life left, and those that retire especially young most always need to live very frugally on a day to day basis.

[Quest4Fire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreeBear In closing, I would like to honor my mom and dad, both foreign immigrants and proud naturalized US citizens. My mom would say "Sometimes you just have to take it!" when I complained that life was too tough and the fight too lonely. Dad was fond of remembering that he arrived in the US with only his wits and "20 dollars in my wallet". So I dedicate my FIRE to my mom and dad, God's great blessing to me. I believe my folks would be proud!

Nice closing dedication. Puts it all in perspecitive. Similar for me. I think I'll make it a point to visit the graves very soon after ER.

[LitGal]

Thank you for your lovely post. It is a clear reminder that the American Dream lives on, especially for those who approach life as you and your family have. And it also reminds us of the riches of this forum, where each of us can find encouragement and inspiration to take charge of our circumstances, whenever possible...........so we can reduce the toll of circumstances that easily erode our lives.

Yes, your parents would be proud. Enjoy this new season of life!

[Markola]

I like how the first reason you said you FIRED is because you accomplished your career goals. How sane that statement is.


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[Dd852]

Inspiring and sane! Congratulations


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[TallTim]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum. +1 on the props to you and your whole family

[scrabbler1]

FreeBear, as a fellow retiree-at-45 (now 52), I congratulate you and welcome you to our club. I, too, accomplished as much as I could in my 23-year career and got out while I was still working well. It was the long, awful commute which pushed me over the edge to ER.

[jon-nyc]

Welcome to the mid-40s retiree club, FreeBear!

[NanoSour]

Congratulation FreeBear. Well deserved!

Best wishes to you and Mrs.

Nano

[Sojourner]

It's great to have yet another mid-40s retiree join us here. Your story is very similar to mine (minus the part about immigrant parents), and I'm certain when you look back that you'll be quite happy with your decision to FIRE at this stage of your life. Welcome aboard!

[pullmyfinger]

Congratulations and welcome from another mid 40's ER! We are/were also DINKs and married later in life (late 30s).

[LitGal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markola I like how the first reason you said you FIRED is because you accomplished your career goals. How sane that statement is. Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

+1 Great point. And how often do we hear someone make that statement?

(Though many on this forum may have also accomplished their goals, we rarely hear someone give that as a good reason to FIRE.)

Maybe, in this culture, such a statement could be considered a bit radical? After all, aren't we raised somehow thinking that we have to invest in the rat race until we drop? or out-run everybody else, and then drop?

FreeBear reminds us all that there is WAY more to life than w*rk and career.

[Markola]

(Though many on this forum may have also accomplished their goals, we rarely hear someone give that as a good reason to FIRE.)



I now plan to explain that as my reason for when I quit my job, though not my career yet, and take a break in about 14 months. I want to go out on good terms, and what can anyone possibly find wrong with the statement, "I'm leaving because I accomplished the goals I had for this position"? No fussing, no fighting, just moving on. If organizations like mine want to hold all of the cards by declaring themselves an "At-Will Employer," how do they expect any loyalty in return? I'm an At-Will Employee.


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[inky]

Congratulations! We look forward to hearing how you decide to spend the second half of your life.

[LitGal]

If organizations like mine want to hold all of the cards by declaring themselves an "At-Will Employer," how do they expect any loyalty in return? I'm an At-Will Employee.


Wow. To give that reason for your departure (eg. "goals have been met") is quite powerful. It suggests that you were there as long as the position served your purposes. (Just like they say they will only retain you "at will.")

So, the appeal of the position completely depends (in your mind) on how well it fits into your overall life plan. No, the position is not the "plan." The job is not your whole world.

Instead, you have a much larger world which measures the suitability of a position for you personally. When it is no longer suitable, you move on.

Whether they "will" it, or not.

Bravo!!!