Is everyone here lucky or something??

[Cut-Throat]

Here is what the Hardest Working person (he's the hardest Working because he has the most money, according to most on this thread) in America says about it.

 

[NW-Bound]

Bill forgot to add that his lazy person was also hungry and needed to work.

The lazy posters here have their stomach full already. They don't wanna work!

 

[MRG]

A hog's bite is vicious. Same with javelina. Coyotes or dogs would fear them.

I have not bought any recently, but read about its scarcity. Maybe a conspiracy?

It can be found. Maybe higher price match ammo. Then there's the local shops, if they know you. In states that allow online purchases, there's a few dealers that will notify you of availability.

Yes, hogs are vicious, wild or domestic. Ever hear the expression 'he went out back and the hogs ate him', I don't think all of those stories are legand. I've seen how domestic hogs eat meat.

The only thing I disagree with my state's attitude about controlling the wild hog, is they refuse to give any information about what areas are worse impacted. I understand they don't want an overabundance of hunters, but gimme a clue.

 

[redduck]

I've had people tell me I'm "lucky" to be retired at such an early age. Usually from someone in a low-stress, 9-5 job. I just smile politely, but deep down it hurts. They really have no idea...

The stress. 65-hour weeks, including a two-hour daily commute. Constant travel and jet lag. Pressure to hit P&L targets. Impossible project deadlines. Conference calls with Asian customers at 5am and then again at 11pm the same day, with hopefully better answers. Missing the kid's Christmas choir concert while sitting in O'Hare waiting for the weather to clear. The look you get from good, hard-working people after being told their plant is being closed. Waking up in a panic at 3am to send an email to Japan that I forgot to send after the 11pm conference call. Endless political corporate nonsense.

Sure, there were plenty of good days when I felt like I was on top of the world, especially in the first 15 years. But later it was like a never-ending emotional roller-coaster ride through Hell, and I've got the hairline and blood pressure to prove it. Through all this, I always had a positive can-do attitude, worked my @ss off, was a top performer, and was compensated accordingly. But I literally squeezed a 40-year career into 25, both time and money.

"Yeah, I'm just lucky," I respond, as all of the above flashes through my head.

What kept you at this job after the 15th year?

 

[Al in Ohio]

I've had people tell me I'm "lucky" to be retired at such an early age. Usually from someone in a low-stress, 9-5 job. I just smile politely, but deep down it hurts. They really have no idea...



The stress. 65-hour weeks, including a two-hour daily commute. Constant travel and jet lag. Pressure to hit P&L targets. Impossible project deadlines. Conference calls with Asian customers at 5am and then again at 11pm the same day, with hopefully better answers. Missing the kid's Christmas choir concert while sitting in O'Hare waiting for the weather to clear. The look you get from good, hard-working people after being told their plant is being closed. Waking up in a panic at 3am to send an email to Japan that I forgot to send after the 11pm conference call. Endless political corporate nonsense.



Sure, there were plenty of good days when I felt like I was on top of the world, especially in the first 15 years. But later it was like a never-ending emotional roller-coaster ride through Hell, and I've got the hairline and blood pressure to prove it. Through all this, I always had a positive can-do attitude, worked my @ss off, was a top performer, and was compensated accordingly. But I literally squeezed a 40-year career into 25, both time and money.



"Yeah, I'm just lucky," I respond, as all of the above flashes through my head.

I would say that "those folks usually with a low stress 9-5 job" are more accurately "those who can't plan ahead and spend most of their income while having no investment strategy". The really successful folks I know are the ones that do work low stress, jobs, often manage to work close to a 40 hour week (or less) and make high six figure incomes with net worth over one MM and also managed to retire early. There are a few on this forum if you didn't know that. That my friend, is the most impressive method to get there.


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[Samething]

I've had people tell me I'm "lucky" to be retired at such an early age. Usually from someone in a low-stress, 9-5 job. I just smile politely, but deep down it hurts. They really have no idea...

The stress. 65-hour weeks, including a two-hour daily commute. Constant travel and jet lag. Pressure to hit P&L targets. Impossible project deadlines. Conference calls with Asian customers at 5am and then again at 11pm the same day, with hopefully better answers. Missing the kid's Christmas choir concert while sitting in O'Hare waiting for the weather to clear. The look you get from good, hard-working people after being told their plant is being closed. Waking up in a panic at 3am to send an email to Japan that I forgot to send after the 11pm conference call. Endless political corporate nonsense.

"Yeah, I'm just lucky," I respond, as all of the above flashes through my head.

I told one of my regular golf buddies that I was going to retire soon. He said with a serious face " boy you sure got lucky". This guy retired at 49 after the business he was VP at got bought out. His family had money and he married very well. His money makes me look like a pauper. I never thought he got lucky. I always admired the guy for his obvious smarts, business sense and outgoing personality but I was really kind of PO'ed that he actually said I was lucky. I worked my a** off.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Trichinosis is not a problem with pork anymore. You can now eat pork without cooking the hell out of it.

According to Wikipedia, there were an average of 11 cases if trichinosis each year in the U.S. between 2002 and 2007, mostly from undercooked home raised pork and game. So be sure to use great caution in handling your squirrel and cook it well. Actually other game is more problematic but hey, I got to mention squirrel.

What this has to do with luck and wealth, I have no idea (grin).


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[sengsational]

According to Wikipedia, there were an average of 11 cases if trichinosis each year in the U.S. between 2002 and 2007, mostly from undercooked home raised pork and game.

You'd have to be really UN-lucky to get trichinosis nowadays.

There's being lucky, and there's feeling lucky.

I, personally, have never pressed the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button on the Google home page. Never once. I've been tempted, just to see what it does, but for some reason, never pressed it.

I wonder what personality type presses the 'feeling lucky' button most

 

[CaliforniaMan]

Hmmm, I pressed it once, just once. I wonder what that means?

 

[MichaelB]

Hmmm, I pressed it once, just once. I wonder what that means?

You're not repressed?

 

[redduck]

...
I, personally, have never pressed the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button on the Google home page. Never once. I've been tempted, just to see what it does, but for some reason, never pressed it.
I wonder what personality type presses the 'feeling lucky' button most

OK, I just pressed the "I'm feeling Lucky" button for the very first time. After pressing it, I didn't feel especially lucky (or especially unlucky). Maybe I needed to actually be feeling lucky before pressing it to get a better result. It's like that button just knew I was feeling kind of neutral and it matched that neutral feeling.

 

[NW-Bound]

There's being lucky, and there's feeling lucky.

I, personally, have never pressed the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button on the Google home page. Never once. I've been tempted, just to see what it does, but for some reason, never pressed it.

I wonder what personality type presses the 'feeling lucky' button most

See, that's what some people say about ER's. They say some people ARE lucky, but do not know it and acknowledge it because they do not FEEL it.

And then, there are people who feel lucky all the time, and keep going to Las Vegas. They may be truly "lucky" but just do not have anything to prove it, other than their internal feeling which cannot be shared.

 

[sengsational]

...It's like that button just knew I was feeling kind of neutral...

 

[Cobra9777]

What kept you at this job after the 15th year?

A large pile of unvested stock options and RSUs. And a plan to ER in my early 50s.

 

[ArkTinkerer]

The only thing I disagree with my state's attitude about controlling the wild hog, is they refuse to give any information about what areas are worse impacted. I understand they don't want an overabundance of hunters, but gimme a clue.

Nothing official here but call the game and fish commission or call any of your public lands officials. Around here, if they have a problem they are happy to tell you where to go hunt them.

 

[Exterous]

Just a quick note on the study- Some of their methodology is odd.

They include only those making $25,000 to $99,999 which is fine but they also exclude people in that income range if they have investable assets in excess of $99,999. Without knowing how many Middle Class people were excluded because they have saved too much the title should be more:
"Study shows people who don't have a lot saved for retirement don't have a lot of money saved for retirement"

As for luck I do think that I am lucky to be born in the US as opposed to many less attractive options and to have parents who cared a great deal about the type of education I was to receive.

 

[robnplunder]

Anyone here RE'd b/c (s)he won a lotto?

 

[Walt34]

Anyone here RE'd b/c (s)he won a lotto?

No, but I'd like to get lucky and try it.

 

[Options]

I have been extraordinarily lucky about some things. I have also been extraordinarily unlucky about some things.

I suspect that the same is true for many people. Life has a tendency to buffet us about, one way or another. I don't expect that to stop, just because I am retired. I am fully psychologically prepared for anything. Well, cancel that.... I can only say that I THINK I am. I guess it is pretty hard to know for sure, in advance. Life has a way of coming up with an immensely devastating sucker punch, just when we think we have it made.

This!

 

[FANOFJESUS]

Watching tv is scary. I never used to watch baseball - but lately a 29 yr anomaly demands attention.

S

The giants scare me LOL.

 

[redduck]

A large pile of unvested stock options and RSUs. And a plan to ER in my early 50s.

Seems like I took another route. I had no plan regarding retiring (early or otherwise). So, I kept on working. Luckily, er, fortunately, I enjoyed the job (although it could be truly frustrating/aggravating at times. Chest pains, anybody)? Anyhow, it turns out that I probably worked about 15 years more than you. I thought the duck was supposed to beat the hare in the race. What about "it's not a sprint, it's a marathon"? Apparently in a sprint, one loses their hair, but maybe that's a small price to pay for retiring early. Either route, you end up with high blood pressure.

note: If anyone is interested in trying to understand what this post is referring to, you might want to read post #129. At least I think it's post #129.

 

[aaronc879]

Anyone here RE'd b/c (s)he won a lotto?

Not yet!

 

[scrabbler1]

Anyone here RE'd b/c (s)he won a lotto?

I sometimes consider the $300k in company stock I cashed out 6 years ago to be like winning the lotto. It was an added benefit to my benefits package so it's the closest thing to free money I ever had.

 

[brewer12345]

I was lucky enough to bag 8 rabbits and 2 squirrels today, the most rabbits I have ever gotten in a day. If I were better at hitting fast, moving targets I would easily have limited out with 10 wabbits. My favorite honey hole opened up today and it is crawling with rabbits. I nailed two 10 feet apart from each other and a third crawled out to see what all the fuss was about (missed him). There is gumbo in my future...

 

[Cobra9777]

Seems like I took another route. I had no plan regarding retiring (early or otherwise). So, I kept on working. Luckily, er, fortunately, I enjoyed the job (although it could be truly frustrating/aggravating at times. Chest pains, anybody)? Anyhow, it turns out that I probably worked about 15 years more than you. I thought the duck was supposed to beat the hare in the race. What about "it's not a sprint, it's a marathon"? Apparently in a sprint, one loses their hair, but maybe that's a small price to pay for retiring early. Either route, you end up with high blood pressure.

I was planning for ER even before I started at Megacorp. In the latter years, that continued focus and proximity to FI, plus the retention incentives, made it tolerable. I'm not sure I'd characterize 25 years as a "sprint." Sure felt like a marathon. But either way, once the race starts to adversely affect your health and happiness, it's time to drop out. If the only permanent vestige is my receding hairline, I'll call that "lucky."