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jerome len · 04-09-2014, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nun

I imagine most ER folks can pretty readily tell you their net worth. But what is a life really.........ER makes you evaluate stuff other than finances.

So here I am, 52.5 and ERed......net worth, including my real estate is $1.7M and I have pensions that will start in my 60s. I'm divorced, but have an ex wife who still talks to me, no kids and a good group of friends. I've published a few scientific papers and worked on some cool optical systems.

My biggest regret is the no kids bit, but those couple of sentences pretty much sum up my life....what would your two sentences be?

You can still change that "biggest regret is no kids", I had my last one at age 54 and every day since he was born has been a joy!

seraphim · 04-09-2014, 06:53 AM

Met my love n high school, we married in college and both found secure jobs - hers enjoyable, mine acceptable - with good pay and good benefits. Adopted our (wonderful) son in Lima Peru, who is a talented performer now (mostly) on his own, and we both retired in mid-fifties with decent pensions and a nice portfolio.

It's nice to know if our pensions failed we can replace the income from investments, but what's important now is the freedom to spend our days as we wish.

**MichaelB** · 04-09-2014, 07:07 AM

Second chances, serendipitous choices, no looking back. A mostly pleasant and uneventful mix of sweet and bitter, with hopefully more to come.

Some inspiring storys in this thread.

RetiringAt55 · 04-09-2014, 07:24 AM

Married in college, pursued an engineering career, had two incredible children, and was happily married for over 20 years until the day my then H toddled off to be with a woman he had met playing Second Life. Picked up the pieces and held things together for my two devastated children while trying to focus on my career again so we would be financially secure. Married two years later to my wonderful DH who is a fantastic stepfather to my children and planning an early retirement so I can spend as much time together as possible with my DH.

BTravlin · 04-09-2014, 07:53 AM

I met DW after my two apprentice marriages and together we worked and saved enough to retire last year at ages 55 & 50. Now living on the water in the Caribbean and enjoying life immensely.

Amazing what two people can do when they have the same mindset and goals.

aja8888 · 04-09-2014, 08:06 AM

Viet Nam era combat vet, went to college on the G.I. bill, poor family upbringing, marriage after college fell apart after 17 years and left me broke @ 50. Raised two daughters on my own, remarried and saved like crazy to be FI @ ~$1MM and with a nice start @70 and retiring late.

ronin · 04-09-2014, 08:16 AM

I'm as happy as I've ever been. But that has always been true.

steelyman · 04-09-2014, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronin

I'm as happy as I've ever been. But that has always been true.

I hope that doesn't mean you've been miserable. Probably not!

pinejake · 04-09-2014, 10:48 AM

Married my college girlfriend, 30+ year careers in Engineering and Teaching, all with the same organizations. 1 son grown and independent, daughter finishing 1st year in college. Both will RE this year w/ pension, $2.3 million invested, no debt---can't wait.

HFWR · 04-09-2014, 11:55 AM

Nobody knows the trouble I've ~~caused~~ seen...

robnplunder · 04-09-2014, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoneAspen

I'm not ER'd just yet, so here's my pre-ER sentences...

Lost everything I had accumulated at the age of 40 from a failed real estate venture and had to start all over again. But got lucky and joined a startup that IPO'd.

Hope to ER in about a year at the age of 48, never work again (or at least not for other people), and pursue hiking, backpacking, skiing, snowboarding, traveling, and getting my pilot's license.

Nice comeback!

Ed_The_Gypsy · 04-09-2014, 01:04 PM

CAVEAT: Still in harness.
Great parents, great (brilliant!) wife, great in-laws, 2 good kids (unfinished work). Born to be an engineer, but dumb as a brick. Earned a lot, spent too much. Grew old too soon, too late smart. Have managed to stave off disaster for now. Lived and worked many places. Have avoided management on principle. Never aspired to greatness, just wanted to see the world and do interesting work. Basically rude and offensive by nature, but I work on it every day. By great fortune, there are not many people I cannot look in the eye.

Katsmeow · 04-09-2014, 01:18 PM

This thread is very interesting to read. Anyway:

Spent my early adult life married to my job, then married at 37 and had my first child at 40. Wife, mom of 3 (the youngest just started college), and it is hard to look back on my life before I married since it was so different from how it has all ended up (so far).

LoneAspen · 04-09-2014, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robnplunder

Nice comeback!

Thanks! I definitely consider myself fortunate. When I had to move back to Silicon Valley, I had about $500 total to my name, and moved from Colorado with everything of value to me in the back of my Jeep. Everything else I sold or gave away because I couldn't afford a moving van.

I tell people it's both liberating and depressing at the same time to be able to move with everything you have in the back of a Jeep. And I still have the Jeep, it's my daily driver

**Walt34** · 04-09-2014, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valen

In my 30's I thought I had all my ducks in a row for "us" to retire in 20 years or so but was thrown off course when my husband decided he didn't want to be married to me any more. Fifteen years later we reconnected, fell back in love, remarried and enjoying our retirement together.

I have to admit, I never saw that one coming.....

You're braver than me!

About a year after my divorce was final I'd just moved into my house (after living at Mom's for 18 months and saving every nickel I could) when the ex calls up and wants to come over and talk. Uh, okay, but I'm thinking "We're done. What for?" Turns out she wanted to ask my for my approval to marry her then-boyfriend who she's been living with for the last year. Huh

The question just floored me and I didn't know what to say. I just said "We're divorced, do whatever you want".

At the time I had every intention of remaining hard-core bachelor and remarrying, especially to the ex, simply didn't occur to me.

Later on it dawned on me that since I then owned a house by myself maybe she was figuring her entire paycheck would be available for fun stuff. Naw, that's too cynical.

nun · 04-09-2014, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34

You're braver than me!

About a year after my divorce was final I'd just moved into my house (after living at Mom's for 18 months and saving every nickel I could) when the ex calls up and wants to come over and talk. Uh, okay, but I'm thinking "We're done. What for?" Turns out she wanted to ask my for my approval to marry her then-boyfriend who she's been living with for the last year. Huh

The question just floored me and I didn't know what to say. I just said "We're divorced, do whatever you want".

At the time I had every intention of remaining hard-core bachelor and remarrying, especially to the ex, simply didn't occur to me.

Later on it dawned on me that since I then owned a house by myself maybe she was figuring her entire paycheck would be available for fun stuff. Naw, that's too cynical.

Exs can be weird. Mine was weird in a good way, at least for me.. While we were married her lack of financial planning skills or any thought for money frustrated me. It was charming to date someone who just didn't care about money at all, but that can be difficult when you are married and have a mortgage and college loans to repay etc. She stayed true to her nature though as in the divorce she didn't want any of our retirement accounts. We split our other assets 50/50 but I remember a bizarre discussion with me and her lawyer trying to persuade her to take 50% of the 401k as well, but she was firm that she didn't want any of it. So I have her as the beneficiary on the IRA that I rolled it into....it seems fitting.

obgyn65 · 04-09-2014, 05:20 PM

Amazing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireAge50

Been in prison since 1989. They let me out evenings and weekends in which time I spend with beautiful wife and 2 kids. In a couple years at age 50 will be freed for good.