Do I fit the profile of an ER Forum Retiree-to-be?

[ImThinkin2019]

How typical is this of your experience? Can I belong to this club?

Within the last year, I have done or am doing all of the following:

• Found this forum. Appreciate all the info and the nice people on here. Read the new posts every day including when I'm traveling for business.
  • Whenever I get done with new postings I go back and read some jokes.
• Signed up with Mint to track our actual spending in preparation for ER. Did the first review last week and DW was surprised at how little we spend.
• Calculated our retirement finances numerous ways. Favorites include:
  • ********
  • i-orp
  • ESPlanner paid
  • firecalc
  • my own google spreadsheet
  • roth rollover calculator (from bogleheads member)
  • And others include:
  • Vanguard, Fidelity, and numerous others
• Had a planning session with a Vanguard financial planner, who told me we look great. Gave that session less than perfect credibility and reverted back to my own calculations.
• Accepted the "2.5%" mantra.
• Originally predicted ER 2019 at 62 but now waffling between 2018 and 2017.

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImThinkin2019 How typical is this of your experience? Can I belong to this club? Within the last year, I have done or am doing all of the following: Found this forum. Appreciate all the info and the nice people on here. Read the new posts every day including when I'm traveling for business. Whenever I get done with new postings I go back and read some jokes. Signed up with Mint to track our actual spending in preparation for ER. Did the first review last week and DW was surprised at how little we spend. Calculated our retirement finances numerous ways. Favorites include: ******** i-orp ESPlanner paid firecalc my own google spreadsheet roth rollover calculator (from bogleheads member) And others include: Vanguard, Fidelity, and numerous others Had a planning session with a Vanguard financial planner, who told me we look great. Gave that session less than perfect credibility and reverted back to my own calculations. Accepted the "2.5%" mantra. Originally predicted ER 2019 at 62 but now waffling between 2018 and 2017.

Good start, but you'll have to learn to subdivide dryer sheets, and filter broken glass from a busted peanut butter jar to fully qualify...

Likely only forum old timers will fully understand that...

[Brett_Cameron]

The answer is No. There is no profile to fit.

[Fishingmn]

Now we are down to a SWR of 2.5%? Yikes..

[karluk]

This post has real potential to become a Jeff Foxworthy-style "You might be an ER" comedy routine. You need to spruce up the gags a little and find better zingers for your punchlines, but I definitely see promise.

More seriously, I think that except for the occasional lottery winner, it would be hard to find an ER candidate who isn't a diligent saver. Beyond that I don't see much of a pattern.

[Sarah in SC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR Good start, but you'll have to learn to subdivide dryer sheets, and filter broken glass from a busted peanut butter jar to fully qualify... Likely only forum old timers will fully understand that...

Yes, exactly. And be able to debate both sides of the mortgage payoff debate.

j/k, you sound like you are definitely on your way!

[Major Tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karluk This post has real potential to become a Jeff Foxworthy-style "You might be an ER" comedy routine.

Hmmmm....idea for a new thread perhaps..........?

[eytonxav]

There is one requirement, you must be an INTJ

[Coolius]

Pardon the ignorance, but what's an INTJ ??

[eytonxav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coolius Pardon the ignorance, but what's an INTJ ??

Myers-Briggs Personality type, most on here seem to be INTJs, see

Myers Briggs Test | MBTI Personality Types

[robnplunder]

Based on what I have read in these forums, you are much better prepared than many other newbies posting their initial post. You will fit well. Compare to you, I am an outcast (favors 5.5% WR, OMYs, splurges, getting out of LBYM, ....) .

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC Yes, exactly. And be able to debate both sides of the mortgage payoff debate. j/k, you sound like you are definitely on your way!

And create mega spreadsheets about every possible social security break even point. And then factor in how a mortgage would affect those. At every interest point and term.

[Gumby]

Actually, everyone on the forum (at least the ones with a Y chromosome) is just like this guy:

[Options]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImThinkin2019 How typical is this of your experience? Can I belong to this club? Within the last year, I have done or am doing all of the following: Found this forum. Appreciate all the info and the nice people on here. Read the new posts every day including when I'm traveling for business. Whenever I get done with new postings I go back and read some jokes. Signed up with Mint to track our actual spending in preparation for ER. Did the first review last week and DW was surprised at how little we spend. Calculated our retirement finances numerous ways. Favorites include: ******** i-orp ESPlanner paid firecalc my own google spreadsheet roth rollover calculator (from bogleheads member) And others include: Vanguard, Fidelity, and numerous others Had a planning session with a Vanguard financial planner, who told me we look great. Gave that session less than perfect credibility and reverted back to my own calculations. Accepted the "2.5%" mantra. Originally predicted ER 2019 at 62 but now waffling between 2018 and 2017.

One question: what have you read? You will find all kinds of opinions here and elsewhere and styles ranging from highly conservative to what might appear to be aggressive. Unless you've done your homework and done a great deal of reading, it's possible to be swayed by the myriad of approaches, maybe at the worst possible time. Retirement has many dimensions, and like the rest of life, all we have are our choices.

IMO, becoming an informed investor/current/future retiree is perhaps the single best investment a person can make.

[braumeister]

Damn!
I always thought this was the typical ER profile:

[ImThinkin2019]

Options, in answer to your question about my reading list, I assume you are referring to retirement related literature, so I will confine my comments to those. What comes to mind is:

Forums:
-bogleheads
-early retirement
-Mr. Money Mustache (not regularly - too young and frugal for me)
-permies.com (for future retirement things to play around with. DW has rejected living in a teepee or wofati....)
-and yes, I admit it, reddit sometimes. Not for advice though.

Books:
-Bogleheads guide to retirement planning
-Live More with Less
-Unveiling the Retirement Myth (Jim Otar)
-The Millionaire Next Door (I'm dating myself here.)

Plenty more. But these are what I would call "core" reading.

[splitwdw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 Myers-Briggs Personality type, most on here seem to be INTJs, see Myers Briggs Test | MBTI Personality Types

Interesting. I'm an ESTP and it fits. There didn't seem to be a set profile on this forum.

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister Damn! I always thought this was the typical ER profile:

[eytonxav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by splitwdw Interesting. I'm an ESTP and it fits. There didn't seem to be a set profile on this forum.

Lots of introverted engineers and other technical types, although many don't come across in a very introverted way

[Chuckanut]

The main profile is that we all tended to live below our means while working, and still do now that we are retired. I do think that fits the majority of us, though I imagine we have our share of lottery winners, and people who inherited a nice pile of cash.

The other common attribute is this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYpOb-PQyNg