ER Class of 2007: Your thoughts?

[freebird5825]

with all due credit to walkinwood..
ER Class of 2007: Your thoughts?
Let's hear from people ER Class of 2007. ie. those who ER'd (or left jobs to test the ER waters) in 2007.
What are your thoughts on your current situation and your plans to deal with it?

just shoot me.
seriously, no regrets about FIRE. best thing since sliced bread.
i may have to do some part time w*rk between now and 6 yrs when deferred FERS pension kicks in, but not desperate enough yet.
if i do, it will not be in engineering. i spent 25 yrs doing that and it will land me right back where i just left, but in the private sector. enuf is enuf is enuf...
my plan to deal with it is continue to visit here, learn as much as i can, and stay the course.

 

[Goonie]

ER Class of 2007: Your thoughts?
Let's hear from people ER Class of 2007. ie. those who ER'd (or left jobs to test the ER waters) in 2007.
What are your thoughts on your current situation and your plans to deal with it?

I dun grad-jee-ated with the class (or lack thereof) of '07 in April. It was THE best thing that I ever accomplished.....at least up to that point in time!

I did everything that was expected of me....I did nothing but play for about 5 years before I grudgingly went to school (K-12 & some college classes), which enabled me to get a job. I went to work more or less every day (grudgingly) for over 30 years, so I could retire. Then when I had fulfilled all of my obligations and requirements, I FIRE'd myself into the realm where I could resume doing nothing but play all day. My only wish is that I could have cut out the middle man, and just played all day from age 5 to age 50. I think that that would have been more efficient use of my valuable life!

Life is GREAT!!! All is SWELL!!! The economy bumps along the pothole filled road, but I'm not overly concerned about it....as someone else said in a another thread in the last few days "It is what it is", so I'll hang in there for the ride. One of the main reasons that I'm not overly concerned, is that I do have a DB COLA'd gubmint pension, and lifetime medical, dental, and prescription insurance, and my investments are there for future use many years down the road. And even if my investments drop to zero, I still have it better than millions of folks all over this planet. When you look at all the poverty and suffering all around the world......even when the market dives and our economy stinks.....we're still sitting pretty!!!

 

[freebird5825]

I dun grad-jee-ated with the class (or lack thereof) of '07 in April. It was THE best thing that I ever accomplished.....at least up to that point in time!

I did everything that was expected of me....I did nothing but play for about 5 years before I grudgingly went to school (K-12 & some college classes), which enabled me to get a job. I went to work more or less every day (grudgingly) for over 30 years, so I could retire. Then when I had fulfilled all of my obligations and requirements, I FIRE'd myself into the realm where I could resume doing nothing but play all day. My only wish is that I could have cut out the middle man, and just played all day from age 5 to age 50. I think that that would have been more efficient use of my valuable life!

Life is GREAT!!! All is SWELL!!! The economy bumps along the pothole filled road, but I'm not overly concerned about it....as someone else said in a another thread in the last few days "It is what it is", so I'll hang in there for the ride. One of the main reasons that I'm not overly concerned, is that I do have a DB COLA'd gubmint pension, and lifetime medical, dental, and prescription insurance, and my investments are there for future use many years down the road. And even if my investments drop to zero, I still have it better than millions of folks all over this planet. When you look at all the poverty and suffering all around the world......even when the market dives and our economy stinks.....we're still sitting pretty!!!

what a great post!
i forget we were next to each other at commencement (April 07 FIRE for me too). i never did find my mortarboard after i tossed it skywards.
oh well...

 

[ScaredtoQuit]

I retired in August 2007. Before the market completely blew up, I decided to accept a job offer from my church. They needed me and it was tough to say no. That was back in June and I was making the decision for reasons other than financial security. But what a difference a few months makes. In just the last month and a half, my portfolio has declined by more than $400K. My job has gone from a pleasant discretion to an absolute necessity.

If I had it to do all over again, sometimes I think I would have liked to have retired NOW. Then, I would have more than $700K in cash right now and be able to buy up all these stocks at once in a lifetime prices.

All things considered, I still think I'm better off now than when I was working for MegaCorp. My stress levels (except for the Market ) are way down, I'm working 30-40% less hours, and I feel much more fulfilled by my daily routine.

 

[yakers]

Retired in March 08, so not in the Class of 07 but in the same market segment. The only reason I would like to be working is to have cash to be buying right now. I have 08 and 09 covered without touching deferred comp funds. Then it might get interesting. Had one of the trips of my life this year, one I wanted to do for 40 years, wouldn't give that up for anything.
If I have to I will go back to work but for now things look good in retirement. Time is more important than money.

 

[socca]

I bailed out of a war-profiteering megacorp in January 07. I'm enjoying the radically different worldview enjoyed by an entrepreneur. Right now, the entire world is my profit/loss opportunity, whereas as a corporate slave my profit/loss (success/failure) was largely determined by the next tier of corporate management. I was a PITA as an employee back when I was a corporate slave (not sufficiently submissive or obedient); after two years an an entrepreneur I'd be an even worse PITA if I tried to head back. No plans to do that - knock on wood.

Yesterday, for the first time, I participated in a directors meeting of my family's privately held corporation where we discussed raises/year-end bonuses for our two employees. It was odd being on the other side of the table for a change. The criteria that senior managers use when discussing employee compensation can be pretty pathetic. Competence and contribution to the bottom line may not enter into the equation.