What do you get from being FI?

[FUEGO]

I quit doing annual reviews 2 years before ER. No one noticed (yay state government!). Not having a boss helped.

[Calico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronnieboy I've started changing the dates on my old "anal" reviews and turning in the old ones since it seems they aren't read in the first place.....

So I'm not the only one! Turned in my annual review two days ago. Copied and pasted last year's word for word, then changed about 10% of it. You are correct - they didn't read it last year and won't read it this year.

[brett]

At work, for megacorp, a company that had been downsizing for 18 years, my attitude changed from being somewhat concerned to "bring it on baby". To the point where I knew what the separation settlement should be and who to represent me if necessary.

At home, more relaxed and a much larger focus on deciding where we wanted to travel and how we wanted to downsize in order to simplify our lives.

Increased respect for money and investments as the knowledge that we were FI sunk in as well as the knowledge that we had to invest wisely since it could not be earned again.

[FIREd]

FI gives me a lot of freedom.

[dtbach]

FI gave me the opportunity to actually laugh out loud when the last boss I worked for told me he was letting me go after my 90 day trial period.

It wasn't a bad job but was far below my skill level. The "boss" was a total AHole (everybody disliked him intensely). I could tell he wanted me to kow tow to him, but 1) I knew I was FI and 2) I hate martinets. I apparently didn't show enough fear of him or grovel enough. So he called me into his office after 90 days and said that he was letting me go as I "just wasn't working out". I could see the pain in his face when I just laughed and said "yup, it wasn't working out was it".

And believe it or not, they let me have unemployment insurance!! And this was in 2009 when I could get it for like 92 weeks!! Didn't really need it but it sure as heck it helped with the SWR. Only had a 25 week span between when the UI stopped and my military retirement pay kicked in.

So yeah, FI rocks!!!

[Options]

27 Tuesdays to go (don't work Mondays/off every other Friday). This 3-day weekend has been absolutely lovely and next weekend is a 4-day weekend, a pattern which will continue until I FIRE next January.

Boy, has FI changed my attitude/presence at work. At most, you could say I'm "vacant".

Case in point: dinner plans Friday, boss comes in with someone to meet at 4:30, at 4:50 I interrupted the guy who had been speaking without taking a breath for the prior 15 minutes, and said I'm sorry, but I've got an engagement and I've got to go.

I got up. And left.

[John Galt III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eta2020 For those of you who are LESS then 62 (working or not) and ARE FI. What do you think FI gives you? What did you feel when you become FI?

I am modestly FI. I am not working now, and consider myself retired. My former job requires me to have a certified medical fitness card, and my card was up for renewal recently. I decided I would renew the card just to maintain my ability to go back to the job if I desired. So I went to get the physical exam. But when I started the physical the tech said my blood pressure was off the charts (160 over 110) and that I would fail the exam if it didn't drop significantly in a few minutes. They had me lie down for 10 minutes in a dark room, and then someone else came in to retake the BP. Still 160 over 110 !! Luckily they refunded my money.

But there I was, left wondering why my BP was so high. I later came to the conclusion that my unconscious mind was trying to fail me in the physical so I would not have the chance to re-endure the toxic personnel in that job again.

The good news is that I did pass the physical a few days later, with a much lower BP, at a different medical facility. I think the trick was convincing my unconscious mind that I was really not going back to that job.


So, in conclusion, and to answer the second question, FI gives me the freedom to not be around toxic people in the work environment !

[Euroland]

FI meant l could say enough of the 12 hour shifts every other weekend on my feet with no lunch break. I could say enough to the corporate crap that was turning my profession into a glorified sales position to increase profits. FI lead to ER!


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

[Jay_Gatsby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtbach FI gave me the opportunity to actually laugh out loud when the last boss I worked for told me he was letting me go after my 90 day trial period. It wasn't a bad job but was far below my skill level. The "boss" was a total AHole (everybody disliked him intensely). I could tell he wanted me to kow tow to him, but 1) I knew I was FI and 2) I hate martinets. I apparently didn't show enough fear of him or grovel enough. So he called me into his office after 90 days and said that he was letting me go as I "just wasn't working out". I could see the pain in his face when I just laughed and said "yup, it wasn't working out was it".

Yes, FI does give you this luxury. Not to diverge from the thread, but it's funny how many managers seek to impose their will (or take advantage of people) through fear of job loss. While I understand the need for performance-based terminations, in some cases such actions are often subterfuge for personality conflicts based upon a refusal to <Cartman voice> "respect mah authority" (or worse ).

[gcgang]

Being FI gives me the ability to not sweat the cost of things, although out of habit I still am pretty frugal.

I felt relieved/relaxed once I fully realized I was FI.

[ER Fireball]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaMan Great! What do you tell them (if anything) the TPS acronym is, "Testing Procedure Spec" or something like that? This is too funny!! You should give extra credit to the first one who gets it!

Technical Project Status report.

Due every two weeks. Proper cover sheet and format is important! I was going to introduce a new cover sheet half way through the semester, but decided that would be unreasonable.

The real challenge with megacorp was that I am closely linked to their dealer and customer base, and was motivated to put better product into that market. About 15 years ago we had a new CEO who was strictly from the financial side, no connection with the customer. We made a lot of money implementing his policies, but at some point we ended up with layers of management that forgot about the customer and were only parroting the flavor of the month goals. When doing stupid things because they looked good on the short term paper became the expected behavior, it was time to get out. I believe I used the phrase 'my customer focused objectives are not in alignment with management's business objectives, and I will try to correct that'. The correction involved retiring.

FI allowed me to have options.