Why do people think we’re/I’m crazy? Lol

[Ronstar]

I have a class reunion coming up. I don’t want to deal with the retirement questions coming from that group. The friends and relatives questions have finally subsided after 4 years and now I have to endure another round.

 

[AnonEMouse]

I have a class reunion coming up. I don’t want to deal with the retirement questions coming from that group. The friends and relatives questions have finally subsided after 4 years and now I have to endure another round.

Perhaps don't go?

 

[kcowan]

Perhaps don't go?

Or explain to them that "Independently wealthy" means no longer having to work for the man! Go in with a broad smile and enjoy it. Tell them that you do whatever you want every day.

 

[Ronstar]

Perhaps don't go?

That was my first thought, but then thought maybe I could deflect a lot of retirement talk by hanging with only retired people.

Or explain to them that "Independently wealthy" means no longer having to work for the man! Go in with a broad smile and enjoy it. Tell them that you do whatever you want every day.

I think I'll go with this when the subject comes up.

 

[Grabberson]

I have a class reunion coming up. I don’t want to deal with the retirement questions coming from that group...

Recommend you assert your status and feelings [mod edit]

 

[daylatedollarshort]

One thing I have noticed is that if people say something like I have a condo in Florida or I like to play tennis, other people will rarely say something rude in response like I never want to live in Florida or I hate tennis - it is so boring. Yet some people have responded to finding our we were retired with I never want to retire or I'd be so bored I don't know what I'd do all day. Really, you don't know what you'd do without your one hour commute each way to your cubicle and exciting career as a mortgage loan processor? I actually never say that, but I always think that. I just assume the defensive answer means they couldn't retire if they wanted to.

 

[Winemaker]

I have a class reunion coming up. I don’t want to deal with the retirement questions coming from that group. The friends and relatives questions have finally subsided after 4 years and now I have to endure another round.

I thoroughly enjoyed my 40th reunion humbly telling anybody who asked what I was doing with my life. The cost of the reunion the ticket was $35 each, but the look on their faces was priceless!

 

[Dtail]

One thing I have noticed is that if people say something like I have a condo in Florida or I like to play tennis, other people will rarely say something rude in response like I never want to live in Florida or I hate tennis - it is so boring. Yet some people have responded to finding our we were retired with I never want to retire or I'd be so bored I don't know what I'd do all day. Really, you don't know what you'd do without your one hour commute each way to your cubicle and exciting career as a mortgage loan processor? I actually never say that, but I always think that. I just assume the defensive answer means they couldn't retire if they wanted to.

+1
lots of jealousy out there with minimal years of planning. I always lived below my means even though not a classic "LBYM".

 

[brett]

I believe that this business about being concerned or worried about what others will think of you is vastly overrated. Far too much conformity and social pressure is not a good thing.

 

[googily]

I already am dealing with a similar situation, even though I haven't retired yet, which is having become a widow at the young(?!?) age of 51. It's been over a year now, and I'm starting to get the first people brave enough to ask me what I am going to do with the rest of my life. (To which I have no answer, or at least not one that I'm telling any of them.)

So throwing ER into the mix is REALLY going to go over well! Especially because I'm sure people will think that in my grief I have made some ghastly terrible decision, when in fact DH and I would have been ER'ed by now if he hadn't gotten sick.

But having seen up close how quickly life can change, I really don't care what anyone thinks about how I am living mine. It's the only one I've got.

 

[WestUniversity]

I think most people just don't believe it can be done. They've gotten themselves too deep in debt, consumerism, lifestyle, and financial obligations. They can't possibly see themselves getting to the point of financial independence. So to them the idea seems "crazy."

Or else, they're just responding out of a sense that you're not behaving like a normal person behaves, like Robbie said. And so it seems nuts to them.

Exactly. The old phrase comes to mind... "buying things they don't need with money they don't have to impress people they don't like..."

The concept of LBYM is lost on so many.

 

[Yarnstormer]

I wonder how many people here were motivated to retire because they had office jobs.
I work part time at home now and honestly, I could do this forever. I didn’t hate working, I hated sitting there and I hated the chain of command drunk with power nitwits in charge.
I know people that love working tho so clearly everyones experience is different.

 

[Huntnful]

I wonder how many people here were motivated to retire because they had office jobs.
I work part time at home now and honestly, I could do this forever. I didn’t hate working, I hated sitting there and I hated the chain of command drunk with power nitwits in charge.
I know people that love working tho so clearly everyones experience is different.

I can see you’re point of view. Working from home (without financial stress) is actually just my end goal. I love work. I just don’t want to do it on someone else’s terms for another 30 years. I’m a pipe welder making 180-200k a year with a company. I debated leaving, until I learned about FI and realized I could buckle down and save and invest for a few years and relieve myself of most financial burdens and truly just work for fun and my spending money. My end goal is to draw 50k a year from investments and make around 20k working for fun. We’ll see how it pans out!

 

[jollystomper]

I wonder how many people here were motivated to retire because they had office jobs.
I work part time at home now and honestly, I could do this forever. I didn’t hate working, I hated sitting there and I hated the chain of command drunk with power nitwits in charge.
I know people that love working tho so clearly everyone's experience is different.

For me, working from home the last 2 years increased my desired to retire. Not having a daily commute made a HUGE difference for my sanity. However, being home more made it easier to have more time with DW, have more with my current hobbies, develop new ones, easier to see local friends... and it became an issue of "how do I really want to spend my time?"

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have worked p.t. from home the last 5 years and at 63 and have no intention of quitting. I teach an online college class that I can do anywhere with internet. It is great fun.

 

[outdoorgirl02]

Yet some people have responded to finding our we were retired with I never want to retire or I'd be so bored I don't know what I'd do all day. Really, you don't know what you'd do without your one hour commute each way to your cubicle and exciting career as a mortgage loan processor? I actually never say that, but I always think that.

This made me laugh out loud!

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

My overall working conditions are fine. My commute to the office is between 20-30 minutes but I've been working from home 90% of the time now. I don't mind the office politics because of a combination of working with friendly people, a lack of ambition, and being paid enough to support both what I consider a comfortable lifestyle and a pretty good saving rate.

My motivation to retire is due to a combination of my anxiety and stress to deliver in my job and a wanting to spend more time to focus on things I'm more interested in and passionate about. The missus suggests that I investigate changing to a less demanding role, which I suppose is a reasonable idea, or just stop caring about my job, which I find kind of tough to do. But I'm more inclined to just trying to tough it out for another few years.

 

[pb4uski]

I wonder how many people here were motivated to retire because they had office jobs.
I work part time at home now and honestly, I could do this forever. I didn’t hate working, I hated sitting there and I hated the chain of command drunk with power nitwits in charge.
I know people that love working tho so clearly everyones experience is different.

I dunno Yarnstormer... I was similarly situated... I liked my work, colleagues and for the most part my clients and worked 50% time from home. I made an obscene amount of money for what I had to do but had a niche skillset that was in demand.

But I like doing what ever I damn well please better.

 

[omni550]

But I like doing what ever I damn well please better.

+1000 !!!

omni

 

[street]

I dunno Yarnstormer... I was similarly situated... I liked my work, colleagues and for the most part my clients and worked 50% time from home. I made an obscene amount of money for what I had to do but had a niche skillset that was in demand.

But I like doing what ever I damn well please better.

^ Yep I agree. LOL

 

[Souschef]

I already am dealing with a similar situation, even though I haven't retired yet, which is having become a widow at the young(?!?) age of 51. It's been over a year now, and I'm starting to get the first people brave enough to ask me what I am going to do with the rest of my life. (To which I have no answer, or at least not one that I'm telling any of them.)

So throwing ER into the mix is REALLY going to go over well! Especially because I'm sure people will think that in my grief I have made some ghastly terrible decision, when in fact DH and I would have been ER'ed by now if he hadn't gotten sick.

But having seen up close how quickly life can change, I really don't care what anyone thinks about how I am living mine. It's the only one I've got.

I am very sorry for your loss. After I was widowed, I went down to one of the grief recovery websites. There was one thread about the absolutely stupid things some people have said. It was absolutely appalling!

 

[MoneyIsMyHobby]

Whoever said, you have to do what is right for you, was right on. There are two sides to this coin...

If you have a job that you love, plenty of free time with that job, and are living life to it's fullest pre-retirement... there's nothing wrong with working your whole life. I think there is a good chance I'll be doing something with financial reward as long as I can. For some, trading extravagant homes, vacations, and cars for early retirement seems nuts... and they're not wrong, if (all that stuff I said earlier in this paragraph).

If, on the other hand, you don't love your job, or it absorbs your life, or your idea of fun/fulfilling life doesn't necessarily cost a lot, then by all means FIRE.

My mom "retired" at 46... but not long after that, she pursued multiple more-fulfilling careers than her first(one after the next). She currently makes around ~70k per year, and I think she donates ALL OF IT! But it has her traveling all over the Country, she sets her own hours, and she finds the work rewarding. She's now 67.

Just because there are a bunch of us who like the idea of LBYM and FIRE, doesn't mean it has to be right for everyone. They're not wrong, just doing what's right for them!

MIMH

 

[Markola]

+1. There is no one size fits all. My dad is 78 and still works nearly full time. He retired a few years ago and didn’t find it as stimulating as going into the shop and solving mechanical engineering problems on the machines his company designs and builds. It’s not my plan but he likes it so bully for him.

 

[akidagain2018]

Well, I've already gotten the 'horrified' look when I told someone I'm retiring early. Was getting Dr. checkups while still on the payroll, and for some reason I told the doc, a female, very nice and smart of course. She looked at me in shock. So after that, last Thursday, I started telling people freely. I'm also starting to feel friends pull away. I'm retiring early with income and multiple rental properties, and who knows what they don't know about, and at least one will be working until she's in her 70s, or longer, if she's able. Oh well, I've worked hard, went without sleep, vacations, weekends, expensive splurges -- all things peers did while I was squirrelling away, rehabbing my properties instead of spending. Oh well....

 

[Yarnstormer]

But I like doing what ever I damn well please better.

That does sound good, esp the obscene amount of money! I work maybe 15-20 hours a week tops so it's not really like a full time job, but I do have to make myself available and respond quickly.
I'm still raising a kid and savings wise I prob won't be FI til she is old enough to be independent. Then I'll think about if I want to be really and truly retired. For a while at least.

It would be nice to hit the road for a few months. hmmmm...