What's the most overrated thing about ER?

[marko]

Yes we no longer have first class lounge access just when we travel so much (except on points). Seems ironic that DW never got to enjoy it too much.

In my case, since I was on the road 250+ days a year, DW came with me 80% of the time.

She got to see the world on megacorps dime! Europe, Japan, Asia...all 'up front'.

 

[Zero]

Yes we no longer have first class lounge access just when we travel so much (except on points). Seems ironic that DW never got to enjoy it too much.

My Mega-Corp administrator allowed me to plan my travel details; so I would route any SE Asian trip thru Narita and put in a 2-3 hour layover in the United first class lounge just to get that frosty beer. You got a glass from a freezer and put it in the holder and it would tilt the glass and dispense the beer slowly down the side to avoid too much foam.

Then grab some snacks and chill out.

Royal Orchid lounge in Bangkok had great food, even had pizza, and a buffet with real china, lots of tasty hors doeuvres.

Maybe I should go back to work, nah I'll just have a beer and order a pizza.

 

[marko]

Singapore Air Lounge in Kuala Lumpour? Oh, yes.

 

[Zero]

Singapore Air Lounge in Kuala Lumpour? Oh, yes.

Yep, and it seemed to me that all the SE Asian lounges were very nice places to relax between flights.

So I guess retiring and being free to fly on my on is one thing that is overrated about retirement.

 

[Free To Canoe]

I miss thinking about all of those made up performance review things in my nice cozy cubicle.
Now I am stuck getting sunburnt out in the canoe.

 

[heyyou]

Bad sample here. You are asking just the happy, successful retirees. Those that didn't like being retired are somewhere else, doing whatever. Who knows, and no one here cares. Go ask at Bogelheads to get a different sample. They are not just a younger version of who posts here, even though there are plenty who do post both places.

 

[W2R]

Bad sample here. You are asking just the happy, successful retirees. Those that didn't like being retired are somewhere else, doing whatever. Who knows, and no one here cares. Go ask at Bogelheads to get a different sample. They are not just a younger version of who posts here, even though there are plenty who do post both places.

It seems to me that many/most of the retirees on this forum didn't retire until after joining and posting for a few years, and we had no way of knowing if we would have a successful retirement. Perhaps the reason why most of us have, is that we talked about retirement on this forum, which is mainly dedicated not to investing (as is Bogleheads), but to retirement itself. While discussing retirement, we have a chance to think through a lot of the potential pitfalls and problems before they happen and to find out about books and so on that can help with adjustment problems.

If I didn't like being retired, I would have been SOL. There are only a handful of positions in my (former) specialty that offer a decent salary, and snagging one of them at age 61 didn't seem likely. So, had my retirement failed, I would not have gone back to work. I'd still be here, probably grousing and griping, but here.

 

[Nords]

If I didn't like being retired, I would have been SOL. There are only a handful of positions in my (former) specialty that offer a decent salary, and snagging one of them at age 61 didn't seem likely. So, had my retirement failed, I would not have gone back to work. I'd still be here, probably grousing and griping, but here.

"Hi, welcome to McOceano's. Would you like a thermocline profile with that data, or just pressure & salinity today? Thanks, drive through!"

 

[W2R]

"Hi, welcome to McOceano's. Would you like a thermocline profile with that data, or just pressure & salinity today? Thanks, drive through!"

 

[Moscyn]

Overrated? I guess the presumption that I have all the time in the world to attend classes to learn things I always wanted. The reality is that the classes I want to attend are usually in the late evening which does not work for me as that is the time I want to have dinner and relax with DH or friends. I try very hard to find day classes held during weekdays but there are quite limited to choose from. So, usually I end up with DIY stuff.

 

[Helen]

Go ask at Bogelheads to get a different sample. They are not just a younger version of who posts here, even though there are plenty who do post both places.

I didn't think anyone on the Boglehead forum ever retired

Here is a post from the boglehead forum that I read this AM:

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=1198587

"$1.5 at fifty and retired. Are you serious?
We are 64 and 70. I have a pension and VA compensation from Vietnam, both have health care coverage and SS and we wonder if OUR portfolio of $1.4 will last the rest of our lives. As some of the others said, you might want to work a little longer or work p/t. You have done a tremendous job up to now, but you might be a little impatient."

It is interesting to see the different perspectives between this board and the boglehead board. A lot of the Bogleheads don't seem to be as worried about running out of time as they are running out of money.

 

[rescueme]

Maybe I should go back to work....

Slowly, back away from the light!!!

 

[Sarah in SC]

A lot of the Bogleheads don't seem to be as worried about running out of time as they are running out of money.

That goes for a lot of people I know. Time is always short, either for us or for the people we want to spend it with.

 

[kcowan]

A lot of the Bogleheads don't seem to be as worried about running out of time as they are running out of money.

Hey that is good. We need those taxpayers to keep up their contributions.

(I was surprised when my brother retired at 42 but then he only was retired for 28 years.)