Are you rich? How much of a nestegg do you need to join the true elite.

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum That's not the point that was made by Midpack and others. The point was that there seems to be an intolerance for people who DO want to continue working. Most of us feel that being told "you can't stop working!" is not acceptable. Why is it any more acceptable for any of us to tell people "you can't keep working!" when they've accumulated more than we would need to retire?

Maybe it's semantics; I don't know. To me, the point is whether or not one is able to stop working BY CHOICE. If someone wants to keep working after they're FI, great. At least they can work on THEIR terms, because they *want* to and not because they *have* to.

I'd be very happy to find work that I WANT to do after I don't need to work any more. I'd have to like the work I did and be okay with the hours and terms of the job...but if I found that I can easily see myself continuing to work.

I could be wrong, but I think the resistance to the "keep working" idea is based on a perception that people have no idea that they can STOP working, if they want to, with prudent financial planning and changes in spending habits.

[FIREd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack I'm always puzzled by people who come on here with the POV that work is inherently "bad." Live and let live...

Well I would differentiate between a job and work. I don't like jobs but I like work. I like to spend hours in my woodworking shop building furniture. That's work, believe me, but not a job. When I spend an entire afternoon digging around the garden, that's work, but not a job. Cleaning up your house, that's work, but not a job. Volunteering at your neighborhood soup kitchen that's work, but not a job. I suspect that many people who are FIREd in fact like work... We just don't like other people telling us what to do...

[Khan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREdreamer Well I would differentiate between a job and work. I don't like jobs but I like work. I like to spend hours in my woodworking shop building furniture. That's work, believe me, but not a job. When I spend an entire afternoon digging aroung the garden, that's work, but not a job. Cleaning up your house, that's work, but not a job. Volunteering at your neighborhood soup kitchen that's work, but not a job. I suspect that many people who are FIREd in fact like work... We just don't like other people telling us what to do...

And when to do it.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum That's not the point that was made by Midpack and others. The point was that there seems to be an intolerance for people who DO want to continue working. Most of us feel that being told "you can't stop working!" is not acceptable. Why is it any more acceptable for any of us to tell people "you can't keep working!" when they've accumulated more than we would need to retire? I look at it this way. I'd have loved to have become a major league pitcher. If I was 25 today and was one of the top pitchers on a MLB team, I'd be making millions a year. Would I pitch just 2-3 years, and retire after I had socked away more money than I could ever imagine spending in my life? Very doubtful, I'd probably still enjoy competing and associating with the very best in my profession. Maybe I'd want to try to break some records, and be remembered as one of the greats. The money would be almost incidental. I'd guess many of these guys are living a parallel dream.

EXACTLY my point!!! But it's a tough sell here, although I really enjoy this forum. Thanks...

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack EXACTLY my point!!! But it's a tough sell here, although I really enjoy this forum. Thanks...

Hey, as long as you don't spam us or try to sell us a variable annuity, we can live with you being FI and continuing to work. After all, a little insanity helps keep you sane.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Hey, as long as you don't spam us or try to sell us a variable annuity, we can live with you being FI and continuing to work. After all, a little insanity helps keep you sane.

I got a really angry response from a woman here on this topic a few weeks ago - shhheeeeesssshhhh.

Interested in a fixed annuity?

joking...

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack It may be a minority, but some people actually thrive on work, I know a few, nothing wrong with that. .

I worked nine years after I was FI . I enjoyed my job and my co-workers and I was not ready to retire .

[unclemick]

Heck I wanted to work so's I could ER in 2006 at age 63.

They layed me off 1993 - just ticked me off so much - I just well you know ER'd anyway.

So there! Naner. Naner.

And had great fun being a really cheap bastard.

.

heh heh heh - .

[Marquette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum That's not the point that was made by Midpack and others. The point was that there seems to be an intolerance for people who DO want to continue working.

Well, my point is that, if you're going to walk into church, you're going to hear about religion. I don't think there's so much of an intolerance to other's working (someone needs to keep paying into SS!), but there's a strong push for people to realize there's more to it than just working as long as possible. I'm sure work is very rewarding for some people, but I'd bet even they could find more rewarding things outside of their jobs if they really wanted to.. that was the push of several in this thread.

I like my career, but I'd sooner be out doing 500 other things that don't involve it... and several of those things, like being closer to my family, won't let me take my job with me.

I wonder if there's any difference between those that have faced personal or family medical issues and those that haven't. I had a brief cancer scare (lasted from the point of x-ray to two months later when I had my surgical consultation) and that really helped solidify my desire to put work second.

Or, maybe it's just a difference between type a's and the rest of us

[CybrMike]

Okay, I'll be the young idiot. If I'm not worth >20M within the next 10 years I'm going to be sorely disappointed. Granted, I'm only 26, so I'm sure my perspective will change when I get as old as you guys. Still, last year I thought that I might not want to ever work again. But the 1 year break was just what I needed to feel the joys of coding and running a business again.

So, I guess I better turn in my decoder ring, back to "work" for me.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CybrMike If I'm not worth >20M within the next 10 years I'm going to be sorely disappointed.

Good luck to you. And if you don't make it, take consolation in the fact that disappointment (especially the sore variety) builds character...but only when seen from the perspective of one of us old guys.

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Good luck to you. And if you don't make it, take consolation in the fact that disappointment (especially the sore variety) builds character...but only when seen from the perspective of one of us old guys.

...and old women.

[Khan]

By the age of 50, many of us have had our egos dragged into the alley and stomped flat.

[megacorp-firee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khan By the age of 50, many of us have had our egos dragged into the alley and stomped flat.

? :confused: wow ... where'd that come from?
had 1/2 bottle of wine with dinner ... makes me curious

[growing_older]

Hey, I like my work. I enjoy my profession and when everything is going well cannot wait to get to work and generally spend my time smiling and being amazed they actually pay me to do this.

Problem is I don't think I've ever got to enjoy that more than two years running before some corporate culture disease takes the place over and fills my day with unnecessary reports, arbitrary and capricous changes in direction, technical incompetence dictated from above and dilbert-like policy and procedure manuals. Sometimes if I wait long enough the place with right itself and I may get another year of decent work out of them, but most of them self destruct in short order and I need to find new work elsewhere. If I'm lucky I can find good work, if the timing is bad maybe only a j*b is available.

Now if I owned the place, then maybe I could keep that great working environment longer and want to stick around after FIRE, but since I don't, i'm expecting once I reach FIRE to have at most a couple years of good time before even a good work situation deteriorates. I can't see having the FI ability to walk away from some horrible j*b situation and deciding to stay and work some more anyway.

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by growing_older Hey, I like my work. I enjoy my profession and when everything is going well cannot wait to get to work and generally spend my time smiling and being amazed they actually pay me to do this. Problem is I don't think I've ever got to enjoy that more than two years running before some corporate culture disease takes the place over and fills my day with unnecessary reports, arbitrary and capricous changes in direction, technical incompetence dictated from above and dilbert-like policy and procedure manuals.

you are a very lucky person to be able to enjoy your job. great stuff!
i felt that way the first 15 years of my techie career, but the last 10 were not fun at all. everyone has a different situation.
Dilbert cartoons were a great distraction for some of my worst days.

[TargaDave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slarty Net worth hit $2.1M in December, but still can't get the wife to agree on a target for when to jump. I always wondered how people made it all the way to $5M or $100M without deciding to retire way before then. I can't imagine bothering to go over $5M. My target was always $2.3M.

There are many many people throughout the world who think your # is as over the top as you think about 5 or 100 mil. I figure it is normal human nature, and no one is right or wrong.

Another of my silly observations: I'm always kinda of surprised at when those few people come on to this forum with quite high net worths (I'm not even remotely in that category) and get poopooed away fairly quickly even if on a very subtle level. Human nature for those with similar "fortunes" and goals in life to band to together.

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 you are a very lucky person to be able to enjoy your job. great stuff! i felt that way the first 15 years of my techie career, but the last 10 were not fun at all. everyone has a different situation. Dilbert cartoons were a great distraction for some of my worst days.

I am still enjoying doing technical work but having second thoughts lately since my role is becoming more managerial.

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khan By the age of 50, many of us have had our egos dragged into the alley and stomped flat.

This marks the beginning of a journey toward equanimity and non-attachment to status and material possessions.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky I am still enjoying doing technical work but having second thoughts lately since my role is becoming more managerial.

Yea, that's where it starts going downhill.........