How to Retire Happy, Wild And Free

[retiring@41]

Has anybody read the book "How to Retire Happy, Wild & Free: Retirement Wisdom that you won't get form your financial advisor" By Ernie J. Zelinski? Any thoughts and comments on the book?

 

[LawGirl]

Haven't read the book, but am now walking around with Triumph's "young, wild and free" song in my head. Thanks! Sorry for the unresponsive post.

Lawgirl

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

Just to finish Lawgirl's thought: 8)

Somethin's at the edge of your mind, you don't know what it is

Somethin' you were hopin' to find but your not sure what it is

Then you hear the music and it all comes crystal clear

The music does the talkin' says the things you want to hear

CHORUS:

I'm young, I'm wild and I'm free
I got the magic power of the music in me

She climbs into bed, pull the covers overhead and turns her little radio on

She's has a rotten day so she hopes the DJ's gonna play her favorite song

It makes her feel much better, brings her closer to her dreams

A little magic power makes it better that it seems

She's young now, she's wild now, she wants to be free

She gets the magic power of the music in me

If you're thinkin' it over but you just can't sort it out

Do you want someone to tell you what they think it's all about

Are you the one and only who's sad and lonely, reachin' for the top

Well the music keeps you goin' and it's never gonna stop

The world is full of compromise, the infinite red tape

But the music's got the magic, it's your one chance for escape

So turn me on - turn me up - it's your turn to dream
A little magic power makes it better than it seems

CHORUS

 

[peggy]

I've read it, and it seems to be a nice complement to these boards.

Zelinski is a big proponent of the leisure lifestyle (another of his books is THE JOY OF NOT WORKING), as opposed to the yuppie type-A workaholic mindset. His books reflect his commitment to reduced working hours, in whatever form that may take.

Is there practical advice in the book? Yes, but if you're reading these boards, you'll have a much firmer financial background than he'll give you. The advice he gives is much more along planning your work life and what to do with all that leisure.

He also points out that finance is only one part of retirement, and not always even the most important part--but we knew that already, didn't we?

I bought the book for my permanent library (along with JOY), but I'm a bit hesitant to recommend anyone buy it without having read at least a bit of it (amazon excerpt?) first, as his style is not necessarily to everyone's taste.

 

[nearly50]

Sort of the antithesis to this song (thanks Joe)

Ring! ring! it's 7:00 a.m.!
Move yourself to go again
Cold water in the face
Brings you back to this awful place
Knuckle merchants and you bankers, too
Must get up and learn those rules
Weather man and the crazy chief
One says sun and one says sleet
AM, the FM, the P.M. too
Churning out that boogaloo
Gets you up and gets you out
But how long can you keep it up?
Gimme Honda, gimme Sony
So cheap and real phony
Hong kong dollars and Indian cents
English pounds and eskimo pence

You lot! what?
Don't stop! give it all you got!
You lot! what?
Don't stop! yeah!

Working for a rise, better my station
Take my baby to sophistication
She's seen the ads, she thinks it's nice
Better work hard - I seen the price
Never mind that it's time for the bus
We got to work - and you're one of us
Clocks go slow in a place of work
Minutes drag and the hours jerk!

Wave bub-bub-bub-bye to the boss
It's our profit, it's his loss
But anyway lunch bells ring
Take one hour and do your thanng!
Cheeesboiger!

What do we have for entertainment?
Cops kicking gypsies on the pavement
Now the news - snap to attention!
The lunar landing or the dentist convention
"Italian mobster shoots a lobster
Seafood restaurant gets out of hand."
A car in the fridge
Or a fridge in the car?
Like cowboys do - in t.v. land

You lot! what? don't stop. huh?

So get back to work and sweat some more
The sun will sink and we'll get out the door
It's no good for man to work in cages
Hits the town, he drinks his wages
You're frettin';, you're sweatin'
But did you notice you ain't gettin'?
Don't you ever stop long enough to start?
To take your car outta that gear
Don't you ever stop long enough to start?
To get your car outta that gear
Karl-o Marx and fFriedrich Engels
Came to the checkout at the 7-11
Marx was skint - but he had sense
Engels lent him the necessary pence

What have we got? yeh-o, magnificence!!

Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi
Went to the park to check on the game
But they was murdered by the other team
Who went on to win 50-nil
You can be true, you can be false
You be given the same reward
Socrates and Milhous Nixon
Both went the same way - through the kitchen
Plato the Greek or Rin Tin Tin
Who's more famous to the billion millions?
News flash: vacuum cleaner sucks up budgie
Oooohh...bub-bye

Magnificence!!

 

[parnass]

Has anybody read the book "How to Retire Happy, Wild & Free: Retirement Wisdom that you won't get form your financial advisor" By Ernie J. Zelinski? Any thoughts and comments on the book?

I just bought the book and have only read the first 30 pages so a review would be premature. Zelinski uses the term retire more loosely than some forum participants might. Several of the examples he cited so far are people who retired from full time jobs, but who continue doing some form of part time work.

Zelinski's earlier book, "The Joy of Not Working" is entertaining. Both books are lightweight and humorous. If you want more practical financial advice look elsewhere.

I got both books after becoming a pensioner and was probably looking for something to legitimize my decision to ER.

 

[Nords]

The best of the bunch.

I've read a shelf full of retirement books and, only about 30 pages into it, this is easily the best I've read.  I especially enjoy all of the quotes and retiree letters.  I think this book is also better than "The Joy of Not Working" but Zelinski has the leisure to pick & choose from the earlier book's feedback.

Zelinski tells you up front to seek financial advice elsewhere.  He feels that should be the LAST part of retirement preparation, especially if you're a workaholic with low self-esteem (his words) whose life is validated by the workplace and who has no outside interests.  Ouch.  

I've been distracted by "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" but I'll get back to this one in a couple days.

 

[ESRBob]

I've read Zelinski's book(s) and second the comments -- no financial advice whatsoever, but he's a good spokesperson for the idiosyncratic early retiree lifestyle (go on long bike tours 'cause you don't have a car-- who needs one anyway... that kind of idiosyncratic). Good info on the psychological side of living without work, or living outside the mainstream.

I couldn't help thinking as I read it that he can afford to be lightweight on the financial side not because he is so well off, but because he is Canadian and has (I have always assumed) all sorts of social safety net under him. It got me thinking. If you look up early semi-retirement and early retirement on Google, you see a lot of references for employees in govt and major firms in Canada and UK following established ER provisions in their contracts. Is it possible that FIRE in the US is harder to accomplish with a modicum of security than in some of these other countries?

(Of course there are lots of Americans, so in absolute numbers there may be more Americans in FIRE, but I'll always wonder if it is harder or easier to FIRE here than in Canada/UK or elsewhere with a good social safety net)

ESRBob

 

[haha]

.... but I'll always wonder if it is harder or easier to FIRE here than in Canada/UK or elsewhere with a good social safety net) ESRBob

Good observation. All one has to do is look at all the people living on almost any US street in the dead of winter to see that our social safety net isn't very good.

There are a fair number of truly rich young Americans. Some who got that way as much by luck as by drive. Many of these latter retire well and early.

Otherwise, I think your case is true. It can probably be emulated in the US by a public service career, in a county health dept, school system, or the military if getting shot at doesn't turn you off.

Mikey

 

[John Galt]

That "good social safety net" comes at a price.
Too high for me to live where such exists, although
I would take advantage of whatever was available
if I happened to be stuck there.

JG

 

[Hyperborea]

I couldn't help thinking as I read it that he can afford to be lightweight on the financial side not because he is so well off, but because he is Canadian and has (I have always assumed) all sorts of social safety net under him.

There are some and the biggest may be the health care.  The Canadian equivalents of Social Security (Canada Pension Plan + Old Age Supplement) are also on a much sounder financial footing so they can be reasonably relied upon to be there.

Is it possible that FIRE in the US is harder to accomplish with a modicum of security than in some of these other countries?

It may very well be so.  If we look at the costs that someone may have to pay for health care in the US (or health care coverage) that probably adds hundreds of thousands to the required FIRE money (assuming historical SWRs).  An extra hundred or two thousand can add years to the time to retire.

Other than the health care though I think that the "safety net" in Canada (or European countries) only provides more support in case of FIRE failure (bad portfolio, etc.).  In any case but failure you won't get low enough to have the safety net support you.  This could make it psychologically easier to FIRE - you may feel safer with only "enough" rather than waiting until you have $2M+ you don't need and a pension that you save half of.  There does also appear be more in the way of low-cost/free community activities, University-community programs, etc. to use for entertainment/educational activities to keep the expenses down.

(Of course there are lots of Americans, so in absolute numbers there may be more Americans in FIRE, but I'll always wonder if it is harder or easier to FIRE here than in Canada/UK or elsewhere with a good social safety net)

I've wondered though whether there might be fewer per capita.  The pace of life in many countries is more relaxed.  If you take the French example, they have a more relaxed lifestyle.  They actually have a higher productivity (units of economic value produced / unit of time worked) than the US but they work fewer hours.  This means that their overall income is lower but they worked far fewer hours for that income.  That may mean a lot less stress with a much more enjoyable life.  Less income to stash away for an early retirement but then no burning need to get out of the rat race either.


P.S. I know that I risk the religious zealots attempting to "shout me down" again but I'm afraid for them that I'm not some obsequious (look it up) lap dog to go cowering in the corner.

 

[Hyperborea]

Good observation. All one has to do is look at all the people living on almost any US street in the dead of winter to see that our social safety net isn't very good.

The social safety nets in most (I think all) countries will "catch" you at a point far below where any on this board want to retire to.

 

[John Galt]

Gosh Hyperborea............."cowering lap dog" is how
I always picture you. Mea Culpa............

JG

 

[Zipper]

Nords........chocolate milk out my nose!

"Eats, roots, and leaves." was the punch line from an Aussie joke from 26 years ago when I spent a glorious year in that far off land.

The lead up was "Why does a female wombat hate to have her boyfriend over for dinner?"

"Because he............LOL!

 

[John Galt]

It's a great title. Wish I'd thought of it.

JG

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: The best of the bunch.

I've read a shelf full of retirement books and, only about 30 pages into it, this is easily the best I've read.  I especially enjoy all of the quotes and retiree letters.  I think this book is also better than "The Joy of Not Working" but Zelinski has the leisure to pick & choose from the earlier book's feedback.

Zelinski tells you up front to seek financial advice elsewhere.  He feels that should be the LAST part of retirement preparation, especially if you're a workaholic with low self-esteem (his words) whose life is validated by the workplace and who has no outside interests.  Ouch.  

I've been distracted by "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" but I'll get back to this one in a couple days.

OK - If Nords is endorsing this book, I've got to read it!  By the way what does Nords stand for?  - I'm guessing Naval Officer Retired Duty ??  - Do I have to salute - I was only a mealy 2nd class petty officer


I have always said that there are 2 parts to retirement. The Financial (which we dwell on here) - And the emotional (which we rarely discuss) - This was a large adjustment for myself - It really took me about a year to come to grips with it. -- It looks like this book deals with it.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Nords........chocolate milk out my nose!

"Eats, shoots, and leaves." was the punch line from an Aussie joke from 26 years ago when I spent a glorious year in that far off land.

The lead up was "Why does a female wombat hate to have her boyfriend over for dinner?"

"Because he............LOL!

I miss TH - He was the original Milk out of Nose poster!

Come back TH - We miss you!

 

[John Galt]

Yeah, I miss TH too. He was almost as amusing as I
am. Don't miss Ted that much. Still wish he had hung around though. Took himself too seriously IMHO.

JG

 

[Nords]

Nords........chocolate milk out my nose!

"Eats, shoots, and leaves." was the punch line from an Aussie joke from 26 years ago when I spent a glorious year in that far off land.

The lead up was "Why does a female wombat hate to have her boyfriend over for dinner?"

"Because he............LOL!

Well, believe it or not, it's a book about punctuation.  It's been a big best-seller and it piqued my curiosity but I felt like I was tricked into attending English class.  Her point was that a misplaced comma between "eats" & "shoots" turns two nouns into verbs and completely changes the picture in your brain.  I guess the author shamelessly plagiarized the joke (she's British) but she's very entertaining.  With a subject like that she has to be.  And now I know punctuation's etymology & evolution, and how to make the marks guide the written word to bring life to spoken passages...

By the way what does Nords stand for?  - I'm guessing Naval Officer Retired Duty ??  - Do I have to salute - I was only a mealy 2nd class petty officer

I have always said that there are 2 parts to retirement. The Financial (which we dwell on here) - And the emotional (which we rarely discuss) - This was a large adjustment for myself - It really took me about a year to come to grips with it.  -- It looks like this book deals with it.

 
Um, it's one of the nicknames I earned with my liberty behavior.  It's also the only one suitable for mixed-gender & family company.  Let's leave it at that.

E-5s may render a lotta salutes, but officers owe our commissions to their efforts.  For example, one day at sea I finished a periscope-depth evolution and desired a hasty yet covert departure from the datum where we'd wreaked explosive (exercise) havoc.  In my best Horatio Hornblower voice the order rang out "Diving Officer, make your depth 700 feet!"  "Aye, aye, sir!"  And away we went.  Then from the corner of the control room, QM2 Oden announced "Sir, recommend speeding up to a flank bell."  I said "I don't want to do that, our speed will give away our position."  He replied "Yes, sir, but my chart says that the bottom starts at 600 feet.  It's soft mud so you'll have to hit it at a flank bell if you want to get to 700 feet."

Er, I changed the ordered depth.  And I noticed that most of the time, when a well-meaning team of apparently smart officers was heading for a really dumb mistake, there'd be that seemingly-innocuous question or a cogent comment that avoided disaster.  Of all the guys that I recommended for a commission, by far the majority of them were E-5s determined to make a difference.  (Or at least to raise the quality of the leadership.)

Zelinski is another one of those "Excuse me, but..." voices.  He directs you elsewhere for the "how to afford" part and gets straight to the "why you should".  Unfortunately the financial ER books outnumber the emotional/psychological ER books by about 10:1, but all the FI in the world won't make a happy ER.  

And Zelinski's a heckuva lot more readable than Suze Ormon.

 

[retire@40]

Nords, you may have heard of this before, but here it is for everyone else. It was on a joke sheet I got from someone, so I'm guessing it's not a true story.

Dead ahead, through the pitch-black night, the captain sees a light on a collision course with his ship. He sends a signal: "Change your course ten degrees east."
"Change yours ten degrees west," comes the reply.
The captain responds, "I'm a United States Navy captain! Change your course, sir!"
"I'm a seaman second class," the next message reads. "Change your course, sir."
The captain is furious. "THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 10 DEGREES EAST. THAT'S ONE-ZERO DEGREES EAST, OR COUNTER MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP."
"I'm a lighthouse. Your call."

 

[Hyperborea]

Nords, you may have heard of this before, but here it is for everyone else.  It was on a joke sheet I got from someone, so I'm guessing it's not a true story.

www.snopes.com is a good source for checking out the validity (or non-validity) of these tall tales and urban legends.

http://www.snopes.com/military/lighthse.htm

 

[retiring@41]

I miss TH - He was the original Milk out of Nose poster!

Come back TH    - We miss you!

Haven't kept up with things so was wondering what happened to TH?

 

[indymom]

I just finished "Eats, Shoot, and Leaves" also. I never thought a book on punctuation could be so funny.

 

[Zipper]

The original joke was "eats roots and leaves" about the wombat.

Roots is Aussie slang for f*ck!

 

[REWahoo]

The original joke was "eats roots and leaves" about the wombat.

I heard it told as a journalism class assignment to determine who could write the shortest sentence describing the escape of an inmate from a mental hospital who raped a woman and fled the state. The winner: "Nut screws and bolts".

REW