Secret Retirement?

[Surfdaddy]

Nords, you could always be a consultant to defense contractors. I'm sure they find your suggestions about submarine design very useful.

[chinaco]

Here is the apporpriate response: I am a finanacial and retirement strategiest. I consult with a committee (this forum) in a retirement planning organization (ER.org) on matters of financial security and life events in retirement.

How did you happen upon that job: We formed a loosely organized committee that collaborates... blah blah blah. To help people with retirement planning and issuess.. Blah blah blah....

What did you do before that: Fill in the blank.

[Jane_Doe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer I am semi-FIREing this week. What I am telling people is that I am taking a year off and considering options after that. This has made things mercifully easy among co-workers. Among close friends, colleagues, and family, I am telling more, like my plans to possibly work overseas after a year or two. But if I was just plain, flat out retiring without any plans or desire for future work of any kind, it would be tougher to explain because I am 40-ish young. The taking a year off and thinking about things works really well, especially if you have plans to tell people about (for me, it is some exciting upcoming trips and changing living locations and reconnecting with distant family/friends). Of course, in my case, that is 100% true. Kramer

Congratulations, Kramer!

Good luck in your adventures and be sure to keep us posted on your semi-FIREdom.

Jane

[brewer12345]

My family knows that I am relatively frugal and make a large income. I have said point blank to some of them that I plan on retiring in my 40s. DW's father is way to impressed with the "value" of the work ethic, so I will need some sort of cover story (likely consulting/small business). DW's mother won't care. Everyone else: nuts to them.

[Zoocat]

My family is quite happy for me that I don't have to "hussle for a living" as my dad puts it. It's my friends and new acquaintances that seem a little put off. I still haven't figured out exactly how to answer the question, "what do you do?"

At a dinner last week, I said "I don't work." . then I added "I do some part time work here and there and I'm a writer, sort of." In other situations when I've said, "I'm semi-retired," I've gotten the roll-eyes, like "Oh, she's rich." I'm not going to lay out my financial situation every where I go, so I'm not sure how to handle it.

Part of the problem may be that I look really young. Really. People have told me repeatedly there's no way I could have a 37 yr old son. But that "problem" may change as I'm allowing my natural color hair to grow out. As a silver haired 58 yr old I will probably pass the sight test of "retired lady."

[chinaco]

Hey if DW and I will be traveling. I suppose we can make a career change to the travel industry. Become travel consultants. Freelance critics of the hospitality industry. Can't know what it is like unless we sample if first hand!

[ESRBob]

My favorite line -- say it and then duck, 'cause they'll hate you for it, is, "Work -- yeah work was all right, but I just didn't have time for it anymore".

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESRBob My favorite line -- say it and then duck, 'cause they'll hate you for it, is, "Work -- yeah work was all right, but I just didn't have time for it anymore".

Yeah - I like that one! I may have to risk bodily harm and use it one of these days.

Audrey

[5yearsandcounting]

My father has been fighting cancer since the year after he retired. His travel plans were altered by frequent treatments and his uninsurability for out of country travels. He used to push the work ethics, do something with your life, work hard 'til 65 rethoric, but the opinion changed with his health problems. He recently told me he wishes he had pulled the plug earlier, and that I should try to do that too. He was happy to learn I'm planning to ER in my 40s. I have 1 brother which will also be happy for me.

Other than that, my 2 other brothers and my sister will be jealous. They are 6 to 10 years older than me, and already jealous about whatever I do better than them. As far as they'll know, I'll be a "consultant" which can't seem to find anything else than short term contracts requiring a lot of "business" trips when I ER The same will likely apply to friends, some of which have already approached us for ill-fated business plans just because they think we make good money.

[ESRBob]

5Years,
Make sure you come up with a story that explains business trips to Thailand, Central America, Italy -- you know you'll need to do some good travels once you pull the plug. Nice to hear your Dad's perspective -- pity one has to have a life-threatening illness to 'get' the FIRE mindset, but there's a lesson in there for us.