I'm in a good spot but tempted

[Travelwanted]

Hello all - thanks as always for the great knowledge and wisdom shared here.
In advance, I already know our numbers are very strong. . .so please be kind in your responses.

I am ER'ing this summer. Notice given, just riding out my time.
By summer investable assets at 8.5m - 90% post-tax, no debts, 1.3m house.
150k+ 529. 3 year buy-out @ 300k+/yr. Burn rate of 12-13k/mo.

Numbers work in all calculators. So no question there. We'd like to sell the house and travel the world with our kids. Yet we have some local commitments that keep us here for about 3-4 more years.

So the question is, would you take on a part-time very lucrative but stressful position two days per week? It is the same line of work I do now but in a different company. I would take off about 3 months before beginning the new position. The new job would be a 2 year commitment.

Clearly it is an enviable position to be in. I'd just love to hear some of the wisdom from folks I've grown to respect here. Thanks!

[jabbahop]

The one's that don't appeal to me are
- high stress
- two year commitment

The nice thing about FI it is COMPLETELY up to you.

What do your SO and kids think?

[travelover]

I would not make a commitment. You will feel very differently about your time once it is all yours.

[Travelwanted]

Thanks for the responses. I can see your point about time. I tend to fully commit or not at all. Just knowing I have those two days may tend to hold me back from really relaxing and enjoying life.

My wife thinks I should consider it - she is worried I'll get pretty bored as a super type A personality. Kids are too young to understand.

[eta2020]

For me that would depend on my age.
If over 55 I would not take it if under 55...maybe.

[Jackson D]

I assume your work was always stressful so 2 days of stress will feel a lot better than full time stress. My own experience with cutting back before retiring was that my time in the office cut back a lot but my time thinking about work, reading emails, and the level of stress worked caused me only cut back somewhat. 40% FTE will likely be more like 70% FTE for 40% pay. In my case, I think working part time helped me to adapt to retirement because when I stopped completely it was very easy. Cutting back actually helped my wife get used to having me around all the time as at first I seemed to be invading her space to some degree. It also gave me time to reflect on the next phase of my life before pulling the plug on a highly rewarding but highly stressful career.

Since you are tied to the area for 3 or 4 more years this might be a nice, lucrative transition job. I see from earlier posts that you are in your mid 40s so you could consider this testing the waters of retirement before fully committing.

How firm is the 2 year commitment? There is certainly a chance that once you taste partial freedom you may really want complete freedom sooner rather than later.

[ERTX]

Is the job being a hit man or something? What job can be very stressful and only 2 days a week? You want to see what stress is, go work at a Starbucks that is in major college's food court at lunchtime for minimum wage.

P.S. Traveling the world is not what is it cracked up to be. I have been to at least 125 countries (living long term (over 6 months) in 9 of them and have taken years off at a time to do it. With humping kids around, dealing with airport screenings, trying to get cabs, getting laundry done, eating decently and waiting around for check in times, it would get real old, real fast.

Trust me the travel grind would be way more stressful then any 2 day a week job.

[Newventurer]

Is it possible that there are other options beyond just the current one being offered that you just haven't explored yet? Would taking some time off, completely, give you the opportunity to reevaluate priorities, value of time, etc. Your outstanding financial condition gives you the freedom to step back and take a breath and consider unlimited options, your type A personality may on the other hand prevent this pause .

[Richard4444]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travelwanted By summer investable assets at 8.5m - 90% post-tax, no debts, 1.3m house So the question is, would you take on a part-time very lucrative but stressful position two days per week? Thanks!

No.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travelwanted Numbers work in all calculators. So no question there. Yet we have some local commitments that keep us here for about 3-4 more years. So the question is, would you take on a part-time very lucrative but stressful position two days per week? It is the same line of work I do now but in a different company. I would take off about 3 months before beginning the new position. The new job would be a 2 year commitment.

The fact that you're considering PT despite your numbers is telling..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travelwanted My wife thinks I should consider it - she is worried I'll get pretty bored as a super type A personality. Kids are too young to understand.

...also key input IMO, she knows you, we don't.

And for my reply, I'll echo points from the (excellent) post below (from above):

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jackson D I assume your work was always stressful so 2 days of stress will feel a lot better than full time stress. In my case, I think working part time helped me to adapt to retirement because when I stopped completely it was very easy. Cutting back actually helped my wife get used to having me around all the time as at first I seemed to be invading her space to some degree. It also gave me time to reflect on the next phase of my life before pulling the plug on a highly rewarding but highly stressful career. Since you are tied to the area for 3 or 4 more years this might be a nice, lucrative transition job. I see from earlier posts that you are in your mid 40s so you could consider this testing the waters of retirement before fully committing.

You're young enough that you could change your Type A mind. Keeping your foot in the door via PT might be a worthwhile hedge to resume your career just in case. I would take the PT position.

Congrats, and best of luck...

[ERTX]

Rereading: Yet we have some local commitments that keep us here for about 3-4 more years.

I would take the 2 day a week job until the local commitments are over and go from there at least you will not be working full time. That is what I would do. If you really want to travel the world and see it well, even a $8.5M net worth would by a stretch. I spent over $2.5M in 9 years worth of "traveling the world" and regret spending so much now. Did I really need to spend $1500 a day on a safari in Africa so that I could have the honor of pooping in in hole and go 4 days without a shower so that maybe I would see a cheetah in the wild?

[utrecht]

I second the "what kind of job can be that stressful only doing it 2 days a week"? Are you walking a high wire with no net? Are you a disarming roadside bombs?

I guess stress is relative and each person handles it differently, but realistically, there are very few jobs that would give me stress doing them 2 days a week when I know I can quit anytime I want and I'm well beyond being FI.

[jabbahop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by utrecht I second the "what kind of job can be that stressful only doing it 2 days a week"? ... there are very few jobs that would give me stress doing them 2 days a week when I know I can quit anytime I want and I'm well beyond being FI.

for me even part time a job could be overly stressful such as ..
- one where someone's life was in my hands (brain surgeon)
- where I had to deal with a lot of people conflict - turn around specialist deciding to lay lots of people off
- your roadside bomb specialist would definitely qualify!
- one with people tons of people conflict - boss, employees, peers

To each his own.

[ERTX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabbahop for me even part time a job could be overly stressful such as .. - one where someone's life was in my hands (brain surgeon) - where I had to deal with a lot of people conflict - turn around specialist deciding to lay lots of people off - your roadside bomb specialist would definitely qualify! - one with people tons of people conflict - boss, employees, peers To each his own.

Very lucrative - 2 days a week - job. If it was very lucrative I would think the employer would want that job filled by a full time body because it seems like the profit margin must be extremely lucrative also.

[Travelwanted]

To give a bit more perspective on the stress:
I'm not leaving the current job under the best of circumstances. It has been a hostile work environment for a good number of years but continues to worsen. As noted in another post I've had to enlist the help of counsel to navigate through the BS.

In addition, my position does involve serious issues and has significant impact on lives.
I do enjoy it but when things don't go well, it's not a minor issue.

My fear is going from one awful situation to one that is just somewhat better. I won't know for sure until I actually engage. Hence my struggle.

@ERTX - thanks for your response about traveling. We will do the slow version, not jet setting. The idea is expose the family to other cultures and places. The cost won't change our budget. We will stay in places months at a time rather than weeks. But I do understand your point.

[Travelwanted]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERTX Very lucrative - 2 days a week - job. If it was very lucrative I would think the employer would want that job filled by a full time body because it seems like the profit margin must be extremely lucrative also.

Actually the work load is perfect for 2 days/week.

[Trooper]

I considered going on a 2 day schedule in lieu of ER, but given my personality and my megacorp's I doubted whether I could realistically keep it to 2 days/week. For me it has to be all or none. I'm still w*rking BTW but plan to RE later this year.

[ERTX]

Good luck whatever you decide, the grass is all ways greener on the other side, until you get there. With your personality (like mine), I thrived in hostile work environments. When I worked as a forex trader it was extremely hostile and everyone was trying to stab you in the back because there was a lot of pink slips being handed out from 2000-2003, in the end they were all gone and I was promoted 3 levels. Just think of it as a challenge and use it to motivate you.

[Meadbh]

In my experience the stress associated with a part time position often spills into the non-work days. If you think you can contain the stress to two days a week, great. But it's difficult for me to imagine a high stress, lucrative part time position where they don't expect you to respond to calls and messages on the other days too.

[2017ish]

Really only one question to ask (unless you think you would flat out enjoy the 2 days working rather than not): Given your assets and burn rate, what incremental benefit will you and your family receive from the "lucrative" pay? Let's assume that doing it for two years will add another 1.5 million to your nest egg. How will that improve your lives? More elephant rides for the kids in Thailand? Or, more seriously, first/business class for the entire family on all trips, if not already accounted for? More expensive wines?

For me, it wouldn't be worth it--assuming I've already got my own smaller, but very comfortable number. (I'm another all or nothing personality, as is DW. Once we hit our number, and have arranged for a smooth transition for her replacement, we will be gone without looking back.) For You?