Just a rant

[FI by 2024]

Two coworkers asked me where I plan to work after leaving the military. When I said I didn't plan to work after leaving the military, they went into lectures about the problems with my plan. One was going on about the need to work to keep yourself busy while the other was going on about how I can't financially retire on a military pension. Neither one asked more about my plan or would listen to me countering their arguments. Just a total shutdown of the concept of FIRE.

Ugh. Had to come here to even say anything because if I dare mention early retirement to friends or family I'm immediately inundated with 1073 reasons why I am "luckier" than they are and how there is no way any of them could ever retire early.

/rant

 

[ivinsfan]

So I have a solution, since it's a few years away, just reply with "I'm not sure" or "I haven't decided yet. Better yet, deflect and say "Why do you ask" I have found so few kindred spirits, I don't bother trying to share.

 

[Walt34]

Ugh. Had to come here to even say anything because if I dare mention early retirement to friends or family I'm immediately inundated with 1073 reasons why I am "luckier" than they are and how there is no way any of them could ever retire early.

This happens a lot, many members of the forum report similar experiences. I did too at my last job. When things went seriously downhill there I had the option of leaving; many did not. I felt somewhat sorry for them, but they created the problem themselves with debt and spending.

 

[mickeyd]

delete dup

 

[Amethyst]

Some people can be such busybodies. How would they know whether you will have enough, be bored, etc.? All they know is how it would be for them.

I have never had to deal with such reactions, and will leave the advice to others, but please accept my best wishes for your retirement.

 

[travelover]

What you are hearing is their own insecurity. It is kind of like when I worked a blue collar job after high school and I mentioned that I was going to quit and go to college - my cow-orkers took it as a judgment of their own inadequacies.

 

[FI by 2024]

Wise advice, all. I will ignore them. Glad I have somewhere to go when this type of thing happens!

 

[samclem]

Wise advice, all. I will ignore them. Glad I have somewhere to go when this type of thing happens!

I stayed with vague answers while at work. And I'd recommend you keep the timing of your military retirement to yourself: once it becomes known your assignments office will see no reason not to send you to a bad place doing a bad job to save someone else from it ("he's getting out anyway").

 

[FI by 2024]

I stayed with vague answers while at work. And I'd recommend you keep the timing of your military retirement to yourself: once it becomes known your assignments office will see no reason not to send you to a bad place doing a bad job to save someone else from it ("he's getting out anyway").

I've been very clear that I want to do "at least" 20 years. I actually spent about 30 min talking about it with my assignment guy last year. I'm very open to going anywhere and always have been, but they keep sending me to pretty great assignments! My career field lends itself to good locations.

 

[nash031]

Two coworkers asked me where I plan to work after leaving the military. When I said I didn't plan to work after leaving the military, they went into lectures about the problems with my plan. One was going on about the need to work to keep yourself busy while the other was going on about how I can't financially retire on a military pension. Neither one asked more about my plan or would listen to me countering their arguments. Just a total shutdown of the concept of FIRE.

People ask me and I tell them that my plan hasn't changed since my wife asked me what I'd do after Navy time was up on our third date eight years ago: "I have no idea."

And I don't.

But I know that by the time that day rolls around in 3+ years, I won't have pressure to find some wage-slave job. Rather than say that, I just say "I have no idea", and they probably think to themselves, "Oh, that immature, irresponsible nash... he'll never figure it out!"

Which is totally fine by me.

 

[nash031]

I stayed with vague answers while at work. And I'd recommend you keep the timing of your military retirement to yourself: once it becomes known your assignments office will see no reason not to send you to a bad place doing a bad job to save someone else from it ("he's getting out anyway").

Yes, your detailer should know you're planning to retire at 20 at 19 years and 1 day. No sooner.

 

[HF63]

I see it as 2 types of people. Those that live just for work because they want everything
that they see on TV and those that just want to enjoy life.

It happens to me everyday when my neighbors see me just doing stuff around the house and they say to me get a job. I tell them I do have a job but work for myself only.

 

[Greencheese]

I agree with others, disbelief is a common theme among those not planning on early retirement. But personally, I'd rather be bored on my own time than getting up and working all the time

 

[Nemo2]

- my cow-orkers took it as a judgment of their own inadequacies.

I recall an interview with Michael Caine, (Maurice Micklewhite), who, when he decided to pursue a career in acting, met resistance only from his own 'class', (Cockney lower), who asked "Who do you think you are to become an actor?"; rising above one's 'station' was considered treason.

 

[W2R]

Ugh. Had to come here to even say anything because if I dare mention early retirement to friends or family I'm immediately inundated with 1073 reasons why I am "luckier" than they are and how there is no way any of them could ever retire early.

This happens a lot, many members of the forum report similar experiences. I did too at my last job. When things went seriously downhill there I had the option of leaving; many did not. I felt somewhat sorry for them, but they created the problem themselves with debt and spending.

I have noticed that even here on the forum, some members assume that the only reason I was able to retire was my (small) inheritance), or my (non-existent) money/house/etc from my ex-husband when we divorced. Likewise, some people here state categorically that nobody could live on the low budgets reported by some of our long time members, instead of asking about how that is done. I am in awe of the extent of LBYM that some of our members report, and generally it rings true to me based on what they say they are doing to keep costs down. But others just dismiss what they say and declare it to be impossible, because they can't imagine living like that. That's their choice, but that is exactly what it is - - a choice.

I think that many people just can't take the ego blow of admitting that somebody else of similar means figured out how to retire when maybe they can't quite do that yet. IMO this says a lot about their upbringing and the expectations that were or were not instilled within them by their parents as they were growing up, as well as their respect for others' accomplishments.

Sometimes it is easiest to just give up and allow people to keep believing whatever it is that they want to believe. It isn't going to make your retirement any less real.

 

[Ginny]

FI by 2024-- Thank you for your service!! I am happy that you will be able to save enough while in the military to be FI. Lots of dedication there. Congrats!

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I say let them all keep working and funding the social security trust fund!

 

[RobbieB]

My co-workers were pretty surprised when I told them I was retiring. Not quite the reaction of the OP's, but yes disbelief and more than a little envy.

The important thing is to do what you want to do -

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Well, I can tell you (as a retired enlisted dude), I had the same reactions as you did. Same "oh, you will be bored!", "you can't retire on that little money!", "you say that now, but you'll get a job!"...and many, many more. Of course, these are all the same people that are house poor, buy new cars with every promotion and trade in their phones every 3 months for the next best thing.

I can also tell you that being retired for almost 2 years, I talk to those same nay-sayers...uh...yeah, never. About a year after I did retire, I went to a former co-w*rker's promotion party. Of course, they all continued the same mantra of "you'll be bored", "you'll get a job", well...same crap as they said before. I really just think much of it is jealousy. There are VERY few jobs out there that you can work for such a short period and can retire SO VERY EARLY....*but* you HAVE to be smart about it...VERY SMART. It's quite easy to get in the mindset of "my mil retirement will pay my mortgage, and that's all I really need from it".

Anyway...I would just stop talking about it to them. Tell them that you will cross the bridge of what to do when you get there. Odds are that after you retire, you will not talk to them anymore (outside of Facebook, if you do that). And really, it's none of their damn business.

Last point about "being sneaky" with the assignment folks. Don't think you will game the system; they know what they are doing behind "the Green Door." Once you get to the 15-19 year point, you are at their mercy and they KNOW it. Now, once you get to 19...all bets are off; as long as you are prepared to pull the chocks immediately after getting PCS orders.

Oh...one more thing. Under no..I mean NO circumstances should you elect the Redux @ 15 years. It's a terrible, terrible plan and I have NEVER met anyone who didn't regret it. So...NO!!!

 

[Milton]

Two coworkers asked me where I plan to work after leaving the military. When I said I didn't plan to work after leaving the military, they went into lectures about the problems with my plan.... Neither one asked more about my plan or would listen to me countering their arguments.

They sound like jerks. Personally, I wouldn't waste time attempting to debate with them or justify myself.

Just smile and say "whatever!"; and quietly contemplate the fact that in retirement there will no no longer be any need for you to put up with idiotic coworkers.

If I dare mention early retirement to friends or family I'm immediately inundated with 1073 reasons why I am "luckier" than they are and how there is no way any of them could ever retire early.

There's little doubt that luck plays a significant role in obtaining FI (just being born in a first world country is like winning the lottery), and those of us who have achieved it need to guard against feeling too smug. But that said, assuming one has been blessed with reasonably good health and intelligence, the rest largely boils down to making prudent choices, hard work and deferred gratification: nothing "lucky" about any of that.

[E]veryday ... my neighbors see me just doing stuff around the house and they say to me get a job.

Seriously?

 

[Totoro]

Sometimes (guilty as well!) people don't really listen, they just respond to trigger words and give you their world view based on their context and common sense. No desire to understand you is there. I think that's what happened there.

Listening to understand is quite rare. It's one reason why good consultants make a good living for doing so little actual work: They listen to understand what other people want.

 

[kcowan]

One of the things I learned early in life is that what other people think of me is none of my business! It works great.

It started with rumours that I must have a rich wife because of how I lived. I would just smile and stay quiet. If I opened my mouth, they would learn something that I choose not to share.

 

[BLS53]

Two coworkers asked me where I plan to work after leaving the military. When I said I didn't plan to work after leaving the military, they went into lectures about the problems with my plan. One was going on about the need to work to keep yourself busy while the other was going on about how I can't financially retire on a military pension. Neither one asked more about my plan or would listen to me countering their arguments. Just a total shutdown of the concept of FIRE.

Ugh. Had to come here to even say anything because if I dare mention early retirement to friends or family I'm immediately inundated with 1073 reasons why I am "luckier" than they are and how there is no way any of them could ever retire early.

/rant

I heard this 22 years ago, when I retired from the Navy. In general, people just don't like someone in their 40's not working. In my case, it's even worse in a small blue collar town, than in an upscale urban area where people don't pay much attention to how people derive income. The worst was a neighbor who implied that I was held to a higher standard of lawn care, because I didn't work.

I'm 63 now, and since about age 55, most of the attitudes have waned. I'm just an old retired guy now.

 

[Options]

I think it was Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg who talked about the 20-40-60 rule, and why you shouldn't let the opinions of others hold you back from making bold plans (I'm paraphrasing, but this was the gist of it). At 20, you worry about what other people are thinking of you, at 40, you discover it doesn't matter what they think of you, and at 60 you realize they weren't thinking about you at all (they were too busy thinking of their own lives).

 

[Nords]

Ugh. Had to come here to even say anything because if I dare mention early retirement to friends or family I'm immediately inundated with 1073 reasons why I am "luckier" than they are and how there is no way any of them could ever retire early.

/rant

I think you just separated your co-workers from your real friends.

"I'm going to take a few months off with family & friends before I start the career search..."