OK, I'll say it

[retire@40]

I'm glad I haven't made the commitment to fully retire yet.

I'm glad I still have a business going......mmmmmm.....and a job that provides enough cash flow to keep me afloat.

One of the benefits of staying semi-retired is to be able to test the ER waters while still having the ability to ramp up the earned income if needed.

[CaseInPoint]

Semi-retirement without worrying about money beats full retirement with money worries.

I also am glad to have an ongoing cashflow.

[W2R]

I would rather be retired even so, but oh well.

Investing in the 2008 market does seem like treading water with anvils tied to each foot, at times.

[Urchina]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire Investing in the 2008 market does seem like treading water with anvils tied to each foot, at times.

No fun, sure, but when you're done you'll have amazing thighs (assuming you don't either give up or go under, of course).

[Rich_in_Tampa]

Seems to me a primary ingredient of happy semi-retirement seems to be that you don't violently despise your work.

A lot of people (not just on this board) don't have that luxury. I'm grateful that I do.

[Nords]

It's not the work I dislike, it's all the bureaucratic crap that goes with it.

ER is pretty good when you realize that although your portfolio has gone down by double digits-- you have enough assets to meet your needs and you have a cash stash to ride it out.

You have to be able to sleep at night...

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords It's not the work I dislike, it's all the bureaucratic crap that goes with it.

Exactly. Almost every job I have had, has seemed like a glorified junior high school experience in one way or another.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords ER is pretty good when you realize that although your portfolio has gone down by double digits-- you have enough assets to meet your needs and you have a cash stash to ride it out. You have to be able to sleep at night...

So true. That's a very welcome thought. Assuming we don't get into double digit inflation for years on end, the good ol' cash stash and conservative AA should work out nicely.

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire Assuming we don't get into double digit inflation for years on end, the good ol' cash stash and conservative AA should work out nicely.

And if we do get double digit inflation for years on end, our CD ladders (or whatever) will reflect the rise in interest to partially deflect the issue. Combine that with a little belt tightening if necessary, and we're good to go.

And as someone else said recently in one of the doom and gloom threads, if the world ends I won't care about my investments.

Harley

[Dawg52]

Ok I'll say it. I hate to see my portfolio go down as much or more than anybody, but my worries about my portfolio is insignificant compared to the crap I put up with at work. I have come to the conclusion that even if it takes years for my portfolio to rebound, I still have enough in cd's to get me through. No, I'm glad I'm fully retired.

This doesn't mean I won't bitch and moan anymore.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley And if we do get double digit inflation for years on end, our CD ladders (or whatever) will reflect the rise in interest to partially deflect the issue. Combine that with a little belt tightening if necessary, and we're good to go.

Sounds pretty good. If I receive the final portion of my windfall this afternoon as expected, I wll have enough in cash to last me until I am 321 years old at my current rate of spending (assuming no effects of inflation, and including splurges like my recent Wii). I think I can sleep with the risk of spending my 322nd year destitute, except for whatever I might gain from 262 years of growth for my equity investments.

Still, it's pretty sobering to see the market dropping like this. What a mess.

[Westernskies]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa Seems to me a primary ingredient of happy semi-retirement seems to be that you don't violently despise your work. .

Can you be semi-happy in semi-retirement if you only moderately despise your work?

[Rich_in_Tampa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigwonderfulwyoming Can you be semi-happy in semi-retirement if you only moderately despise your work?

Yes, half the time.

[CaseInPoint]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa Seems to me a primary ingredient of happy semi-retirement seems to be that you don't violently despise your work. A lot of people (not just on this board) don't have that luxury. I'm grateful that I do.

Exactly. That completely changes people's POV.

I get the impression that many of the people you mentioned who are miserable in their jobs have just "snapped" and decided to retire early regardless of their assets.

So, although many people have retired early(RE), are they really financially independent (FIRE) with income for only a limited number of years?

[Rich_in_Tampa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaseInPoint I get the impression that many of the people you mentioned who are miserable in their jobs have just "snapped" and decided to retire early regardless of their assets. So, although many people have retired early(RE), are they really financially independent (FIRE) with income for only a limited number of years?

For those who "snapped," as you describe them, it may well have been the right decision to quit rather than risk their mental and spiritual health. But it probably takes a bigger leap to adjust to FIRE on less savings than they had been hoping for. Still, with a downward adjustment in expenses, all in all it works out in a surprising number of cases around here.

But to continue working full time and not mind it brings a degree of comfort to me as I move ahead.

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa But to continue working full time and not mind it brings a degree of comfort to me as I move ahead.

The financial aspect was not the determining factor for me. I had reached my "number" well before I left my job. I continued working until I qualified to retire so I could get the medical benefits. I took the pension as a lump sum.

I didn't like my MegaCorp job. I didn't hate it either. It had good and bad parts, but I enjoyed the challenges. I had issues with management and the politics. I felt like I would be happier not working. So far I am right, and I'm not worried by the current economic situation.

I'm not morally opposed to working. I've read the "Do what you want and the money will follow" books and articles. I know a few people who love their jobs, who go home from work and do the same thing for fun and would do the job for free (they say). And I envy them that. You sound like you may be there too.

My problem is, I don't have anything like that. No idea what it would even be. I'm hoping that as I poke around here and there during my FIRE time, I might stumble on something that I love to do. But I suspect that even if I find a way to turn reading for pleasure or hiking into a paying proposition, I won't want to be tied into it for a career. It will be interesting to see. if anything comes along.

Harley

[CaseInPoint]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa For those who "snapped," as you describe them, it may well have been the right decision to quit rather than risk their mental and spiritual health. But it probably takes a bigger leap to adjust to FIRE on less savings than they had been hoping for. Still, with a downward adjustment in expenses, all in all it works out in a surprising number of cases around here.

I get the impression that the first years of ER are fantastic for many people. After all, they've escaped their dreaded jobs.

But, I really wonder how things work out towards the later years when making due with less and less could have a major effect on a person's lifestyle. Despite what I read from some people on this forum, when I see older Americans on extremely tight budgets, I don't get the impression of the sheer joy they experienced during their initial retirement years.

Then again, it's not like financial security alone buys happiness. There are many other factors. Given the choice, though...

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaseInPoint But, I really wonder how things work out towards the later years when making due with less and less could have a major effect on a person's lifestyle. Despite what I read from some people on this forum, when I see older Americans on extremely tight budgets, I don't get the impression of the sheer joy they experienced during their initial retirement years.

I'll bet very few of the older folks you see scraping by ever paid attention to the things we discuss here. Sure, a few FIRE types will be sorry, but their number will be dwarfed by those who stumbled along and never consciously examined the road ahead, never built a plan, just figured things would "work out".

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaseInPoint I get the impression that the first years of ER are fantastic for many people. After all, they've escaped their dreaded jobs. But, I really wonder how things work out towards the later years when making due with less and less could have a major effect on a person's lifestyle. Despite what I read from some people on this forum, when I see older Americans on extremely tight budgets, I don't get the impression of the sheer joy they experienced during their initial retirement years. Then again, it's not like financial security alone buys happiness. There are many other factors. Given the choice, though...

I don't think there are many on these boards who are cash constrained enough for it to be a big burden. I took a post retirement divorce in stride; many others have had this or other financial challenges that they overcame.

I do feel that more money is always better than less money. Even if the best things in life are free, they are often several un-free tankfuls of gasoline from your door. There is a lot of brave rhetoric that may or may not reflect the true feelings of the writer, but would often not agree with the appraisal of some uncommitted outsider. Regarding happiness, ask around here- I think money does enable happiness, if not necessarily delivering it to your doorstep.

Still the ability to make virtue out of necessity is to be admired. If one should choose to put himself into this necessitous position is a more difficult question. I tend to agree with Rich- if circumstances or your own struggles or situation force you out, make do and hang in there. But if you like your job well enough, are making good money, and just want more time for hobbies- maybe think this one over before making the leap.

Ha

[rs0460a]

Quote:

Originally Posted by retire@40 I'm glad I haven't made the commitment to fully retire yet. I'm glad I still have a business going......mmmmmm.....and a job that provides enough cash flow to keep me afloat.

If you are concerned about this current "contraction" and are retired, I would have to respond that you haven't financially prepared yourself for retirement (in a good manner).

BTW - I am retired (since early last year), sleep well at night, and no - I don't have/do any wo*k. My time is too precious to remain a slave, my dear friend.

Again, here's my "view":

[retire@40]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rs0460a If you are concerned about this current "contraction" and are retired, I would have to respond that you haven't financially prepared yourself for retirement (in a good manner).

I would agree with that too (that's why I didn't make the commitment yet )

I'm not even close to panic mode yet since I have many years of cash in FDIC bank accounts and I have (even today) enough in my portfolio to sustain a higher than bare bones budget. Yet, I'm glad I still have a self-employed revenue stream outside my portfolio that I can ramp up whenever I want, even though I will do my best not to.

Although even those with a portfolio giving off a comfortable 4% SWR with some fluff built in may have some uneasiness these days.