Partial Retirement?

[ESRBob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigMoneyJim Anyway, I guess the point is that I as a pretend ER (sample ER? partial ER?) and presumably those looking to partial ER would like a simple phrase to describe what we're doing without people assuming something less responsible. Am I close to describing the problem, ESRBob?

BMJ,
Yeah, I think you're getting a little taste of the ambiguities and social pressure/stigma/feedback that can crop up when you ER. Certainly being confused with "unemployed', 'slacker', 'drug dealer' or 'loser' can come with the territory initially. Working a little can easily dispel that stuff, since nobody needs to know how many hours you put in; as long as you're a 'consultant' or a 'Status Evaluator' then everybody is happy.

Mostly I just want to stay on top of terms for what it is we do -- If there is going to be a new term describing semi-retirement, I'd rather we invented it here on this forum than have someone from a big magazine or think-tank start telling us what it is we're doing, and have it become the new commonly used word in the popular culture. If it has come to this point, clearly I need a new project! mid-winter in New England + bad back + no vacation for 3 more weeks = spurious term-chasing project

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigMoneyJim re: "working part time": I think some people may want to communicate that they are financially self-sufficient.

For those folks...... sounds like an ego problem to me. You're really FI when you no longer have an urge to rub your favorable financial status in other folks' faces!

[sgeeeee]

Transitional Retirement is a term I've read a lot to describe what people are doing after they stop working full-time and before they stop working at all. I think the term makes sense. An increasing number of people (according to financial houses like Vanguard and Fidelity) are choosing to work part-time or work intermitently in between when they work full-time and when they stop working at all. For some, this choice is probably related to finances, but for some it is for other reasons. And for most, it is probably a mixture.

Not everyone hates every aspect of working. Some people get various kinds of fulfillment, enjoyment, and social interactions from their jobs. I have been easily FI for at least 6 years but chose to do things that interested me and still paid money for about 4 of those years. I would consider doing other things that paid money if they interested me enough and I didn't have to give up other things that are more important to me. My DW (who has a degree in electrical engineering and worked as an engineer for about 18 years) retired from corporate America and became a Park Ranger. There was a new county park near us that was trying to figure out how to preserve some prehistoric Hohokam ruins and she thought that would be fun. Believe me, the salary of a county park ranger had nothing to do with the decision.

[ESRBob]

Transitional Retirement -- hmm... I like the sound of it. And seeing as how you've been right about just about everything for the past 50+ years, I think its a go! It still has that "R" word in it, though. I guess if we qualify 'Retirement' with strong enough adjectives we can keep it from rearing it's ugly side.

[sgeeeee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESRBob Transitional Retirement -- hmm... I like the sound of it. And seeing as how you've been right about just about everything for the past 50+ years, I think its a go! It still has that "R" word in it, though. I guess if we qualify 'Retirement' with strong enough adjectives we can keep it from rearing it's ugly side.

Yeah . . . I tried to think of another word than the "R" word. Transititional Career or transitional employment don't work because they do not imply reduced work load or work stress . . . just different. Transitional toil ? Just doesn't have a ring to it.

[ESRBob]

How about Life 2.0? It has that 'fix all the bugs' sound to it. Scratch that, we probably need to make that Life 7.6 Rev 4 to get the major one fixed.

[sgeeeee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESRBob How about Life 2.0? It has that 'fix all the bugs' sound to it. Scratch that, we probably need to make that Life 7.6 Rev 4 to get the major one fixed.

Hey . . . that sounds like an engineer's answer. You're supposed to be the artist.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESRBob How about Life 2.0? It has that 'fix all the bugs' sound to it. Scratch that, we probably need to make that Life 7.6 Rev 4 to get the major one fixed.

Yep, that one's already been ruined used.

http://early-retirement.org/forums/i...2077#msg112077

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Yer either working or ya aint.

[sgeeeee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cute Fuzzy Bunny Yer either working or ya aint.

Yeah. We've been here before. The problem comes when you define work.

Is work what you do for pay? When volunteers do the same effort for nothing is it work?

If Nords offered to pay you by the post to write for the forum, would that be work?

Is what a truck driver does, driving a large vehicle thousands of miles work? What about RVer's?

Is lifting and carrying dozens of pounds on your back work? Lots of manual labor involves this. So does backpacking.

Is surfing the internet work? If not why are so many office workers being paid to do it?

Is reading and writing a book review work? Some people are paid to do it. Others do it for the forum and Amazon.com for free.

. . .

[cute fuzzy bunny]

You know, or you dont. If you know, you know. If you dont, you dont.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Alright, thats a cop out.

If you wanna do it and its your option to avoid it as long as you see fit, within reason, you're not doing work.

If you dont wanna do it, you have to do it, and some other person will have your ass if you dont do it to their satisfaction, then its work.

The latter is also sometimes referred to as 'marriage'.

[ESRBob]

Yeah, sometimes I think the reason my wife was so supportive of my ER plans was that at last she wouldn't have to compete with my clients. Now I only have one Client, 24/7! Works for her!


Sgeee, I like your list. It certainly probes in there into the gray areas. Made me start thinking about the park rangers I see out on the trails in the high country when I'm backpacking -- work? not work? I think if you look at their paychecks, though, the answer is kinda moot!

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgeeeee If Nords offered to pay you by the post to write for the forum, would that be work?

Well, first we'd have to tackle that quantity vs quality issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgeeeee Is reading [a book] and writing a book review work? Some people are paid to do it. Others do it for the forum and Amazon.com for free.

Nah, that ain't work-- it's occupational therapy.