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I agree wholeheartedly that the goal is to be FI so you can choose to work as much or as little as you want. That's where I am. Right now, I am working part-time at my pace and to my desires. I could quit and never look back, but as long as I enjoy it and it does not interfere with my other...

I concur with "Traineeinvestor" and say that Retirement for me is simply having the financial and personal freedom to choose. That's it, period the end.

I believe there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to what and how much to spend on one’s kids. However, I do believe that a parent should be balanced with respect to time and expense on one child vs. the other. In our case, we allocate what many on here might feel is too much for each...

I would have to agree on Asheville as an top option, but if you wanted a milder winter than how about Athens, Ga? You can be in mountain Trout streams or Bass filled lakes in 2 hours or less. Athens has a great arts scene and you can go into Atlanta for the weekend to hit museums and such. The...

We used to go more frequently, say three times a month. Now with Netflix, Apple TV, Redbox, Library, etc. etc. we only go for the decent serious special effects movies like Star Wars. If it's a drama or comedy, I would actually prefer to watch it at home. If I miss a part, I can replay. Once...

Jabbahop, I think it's a great idea, especially early in the transition. If you decided to try and do it later in life you may find it tough to get back in the saddle even if it's part-time. My transition into retirement has been a little rocky, as well. Not financially but mentally and...

I don't want to drop a dog in this fight but if you read the article properly it was directed at millennials, so I would have to agree that by the time they want to retire (20 to 30 years from now) and considering inflation, 2 million should probably be the goal, especially with limited pension...

This is great thread and I agree with the OP that those that have gone before should be more detailed on the challenges of transitioning into retirement. When I asked a couple years ago, I got some well thought out responses that were spot on but I also got "just do it, it's awesome" which I am...

This Q is targeted at those FIREd retirees who are 15 or more years out from collection of annuity, social security , and do not have a pension at all coming in today and will not have a sizable pension way out in time.. Ie, You rely on what assets you have right now. Are you doing anything...

Ha! not trying to stir up panic on this board, but wanted a broad sector of opinions from a contrarian view. Clearly, I got some and with over 75 people viewing I would say that others are curious as well. Panic, No, but certainly others like I are looking for real time data vs. media BS. That...

So, the Saudi's has orchestrated a drop in Oil to a 10 year low, China's false economy is finally coming home to roost and Japan and the Eurozone have stagnant growth. The FED is finally raising rates and I would be surprised if they don't raise another 50 to 75 bps in 2016, despite the bad...

I would echo all that has been said so far. I dipped my toes into the early retirement waters a couple years ago in my early 50"s in a similar situation to yours. Family of 4, house paid off, college funds in place and a solid Net worth. What I found after being in the shallow end of the pool...

I concur with Big_Hitter. I have St. Augustine and my grass looked like yours several years back. I had chinch bugs and some weeds. Watering was not the problem. Ended up just having the bad areas raked out and brought in new sod, then hired a spray service that included fertilizer in the spray...

Wow! This thread feels like it has gone viral within in this Forum. Here's my take on it all No one knows when their number will be called and we all struggle to know when to hold'em, fold'em, walk away and run. That said, as much as one invests in financial interests, one should invest as...

Yes, this is why my wife and I decided to keep part-time consulting gigs going. I have witnessed several people who retired at times when the market was peaking (2001, 2007) and then watched their portfolios drop definitively while needing the money. In all these cases, they ended up going back...

Our situation is similar to yours (we are 56 and 51) but we have 2 kids (1 college, 1 HS). Our NW is higher including a 500K house (no mortgage) but not including a passive business investment that throws off 25K per year. Also, have fully funded college expenses separately. We operate on...

Yes, it's nice being around with the kids and I like the slower pace that allows me the opportunity to do some things on a whim which is special. I can't deny that retiring early at a time with inflated assets prices does concern me, so being able to "kick the can" as they say on the SWR for a...

Update: So, took a pass on the lucrative opportunities but fortunately my and my wife's part-time consulting gigs have increased over the second half of the year whereby we ended the year having made about 50% of our needed income, thus with passive business income and some dividends we...

My career was in the civil/building and ultimately Real Estate Investment world. Everything that has been posted so far I agree with, but would add that he could complete his CE degree and then try out the field for a couple years. He will get good exposure to the industry and if he finds he...

I agree with many that rent vs. own depends on the location and circumstances and I have done both. Renting was a lot less hassle but never felt settled. We are semi-retired and own our home outright for the last 7 years. Did a full renovation 5 years ago and set it up for 25 years of little...

MichaelB, you may be right! It probably is more of how much is enough. But, is that not a dilemma? I mean that seems to be one the most sought after answers by this group and others on other retirement blogs. Some people are checking out in there 30's with a million dollars while others are...

It is a personal issue and no one can tell me what's best for me other than me or my immediate family. That said, I have found that some of my best decisions were made with the help of people who "have been there and done that". So, thanks to all who have commented. It is giving me some broader...

So, I am in my mid-50's and have been early retired now for almost 18 months. I have a good handle on my expenses and have seen my NW actually increase thanks to a good market and some part-time work that I have really enjoyed. Firecalc gives me a 100% success rate based on my NW and expenses...

I have incorporated all of the suggestions above. I calculated Capex expenses for the next 10 years assuming a 20% contingency then set aside a Capex fund that covers the maximum I might spend in any given year times 1.5, but I amortized the capex costs for the 10 year period to arrive at a line...

Interesting! I was just thinking of commenting at my one year anniversary of being FI and sorta RE'd. My disclaimer for "sorta" is that I saw my stepping out of the rat race as more of a trial run. I have not fully disengaged as I took on a few consulting gigs which paid nicely for limited time...