How old were you when your retired early?

[roscaroo]

Hello ERs,
I am doing some research on early retirement. I hope people in this forum can help me. I'd like to know the following:

1. How old were you when you retired early?
2. How much do you spend annually? Is that less or more than you anticipated?
3. What is the size of your nest egg? Do you think you have enough?
4. Do you have health insurance? If so, how much do you pay monthly?
5. Do you do anything in retirement to make money (other than investments)?
6. When you worked did you enjoy your job?
7. What do you say to people when they ask "What do you do?"
8. Why did you retire early?
9. Do you have a pension? If so, how much per year?
10. Do you collect Social Security? If so, how much?
11. If you had it to do over again, what would you have done differently?
12. What books on early retirement would you recommend?
13. Why do you think you were able to retire early and so many other people are not?
14. How old is your car?
15. Do you own a home? If so, is it paid off?

If you would prefer that your answers not be placed for all to see in the forum, you can reply to me confidentially and anonymously at retirementresearch@yahoo.com

Thank you very much.
Roscaroo

 

[brewer12345]

Compiling a nice little marketing database, I presume?

 

[roscaroo]

No. I am doing some writing which may end up as a book.

 

[kat]

 

[brewer12345]

No. I am doing some writing which may end up as a book.

Riiiiiggghhhhttt...

 

[Nords]

Welcome to the board, Roscaroo.

I am doing some research on early retirement. I hope people in this forum can help me. I'd like to know the following:

I hope we can help you, too. But before I answer your questions, I have a few of my own...

Have you read Bob Clyatt's "Work Less, Live More" or the Kaderli's "Adventurer's Guide" CD? If you haven't read them then you should at least be prepared to tell your publisher how your book is going to be better than their products. Or how is your book going to avoid overlapping their subjects?

Have you searched this board's 148,000+ posts for any of the keywords in your questions? Perhaps it'll help you focus your survey a little more tightly.

Speaking of your survey, how big a sample size are you hoping for, and who's entering/validating all of that data? Have you thought about doing your survey on a website like this one, where presumably you'll be able to crunch the data without re-entering it? Or, failing your ability to run up a website, have you investigated this board's polling feature?

What other writing have you published? Where can we read samples of your work?

If you're using this board and its posters to benefit your book (and presumably its profits), how are you going to deliver a quid pro quo? Servers & bandwidth ain't free...

 

[LOL!]

Don't worry about all the stuff nords wrote. He's working on his own book as well.

 

[renferme]

Retired at age 57.5
yes, I have a pension
when asked I say " retired from *&^%$ Corp, and now working part-time for the Pittsburgh Pirates as an Event Supervisor"
Health insurance through my old company.
retired early to get away from the "crap" at work.
Enjoyed my job until about 5 years or so before I retired then became bored with it and burned out.
Not collecting SS yet, 2 more years,
size of nest egg: NOYB, same with size of pension.
6 year old car,
why could I retire early: saved and invested like crazy.
How much spend yearly: don't know, but my investments are going up.
Home not paid off, but will do so when I begin collecting SS.

 

[AltaRed]

Agree with Nords. The OP needs to roll up his/her shirt sleeves and do some homework on the posts in this forum before getting a bit more focused on the questions.

Notwithstanding that, many of the questions are too personal to provide answers.

 

[kat]

I agree with you Alta, and what Brewer was trying to say....

I know authors and journalists, and they don't work this way. It takes time, understanding and hard and dedicated work. It SEEMS the OP wants a shortcut, and it's not my kind of book.

I apologize if I'm wrong.

kate

 

[dex]

How much ar you paying for this information?
Usually people get paid when they take part in a consumer survey.

 

[Nords]

Don't worry about all the stuff nords wrote.  He's working on his own book as well.

Just as soon as I condense all my posts into a few pithy chapters...

... sounds like a lot of work.

 

[unclemick]

Hmmm

Jan 1993
Layed off at 49 - while unemployed it slowly dawned on me that work sucked.
2003 - discovered this forum while surfing with my trusty webtv. Now I are a high class ER.

Although some will say I've reached old phart territory.

heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh

 

[roscaroo]

Interesting responses. Thanks!.

Nords. Just answer the bloody questions. If I ever get a book published that makes money I'll send you (but only you) a lump of coal. There's your quid pro quo. And here I was thinking that all you ER types already had enough money. Boy was I wrong.
R

 

[MJ]

1. How old were you when you retired early?
not young enough

2. How much do you spend annually? Is that less or more than you anticipated?
more than I thought i'd spend

3. What is the size of your nest egg? Do you think you have enough?
apparently a lot more than yours

4. Do you have health insurance? If so, how much do you pay monthly?
yes, a lot more than I want to pay

5. Do you do anything in retirement to make money (other than investments)?
nah.

6. When you worked did you enjoy your job?
yes and no

7. What do you say to people when they ask "What do you do?"
what ever pops into my mind

8. Why did you retire early?
why not!

9. Do you have a pension? If so, how much per year?
no

10. Do you collect Social Security? If so, how much?
later. a nice amount

11. If you had it to do over again, what would you have done differently?
a lot of things

12. What books on early retirement would you recommend?
yours, of course

13. Why do you think you were able to retire early and so many other people are not?
lucky, I guess

14. How old is your car?
pretty old

15. Do you own a home? If so, is it paid off?
no. I just sold it

Hope this helps.

 

[uncledrz]

Interesting responses. Thanks!.

Nords. Just answer the bloody questions. If I ever get a book published that makes money I'll send you (but only you) a lump of coal. There's your quid pro quo. And here I was thinking that all you ER types already had enough money. Boy was I wrong.
R

Maybe its that the people on this board don't like to be mined for information by someone who hasn't done his/her work beforehand. More likely that the people on this board just don't like to be mined for information.
Sort of like the "friend" who asks to come over for a visit-- and then tells you how he's going to make you rich. (read Amway).

 

[Eagle43]

I was 103 years old;  I got caught shagging a 26 year old secretary.  They canned me.  8)

 

[Martha]

Interesting responses. Thanks!.

Nords. Just answer the bloody questions. If I ever get a book published that makes money I'll send you (but only you) a lump of coal. There's your quid pro quo. And here I was thinking that all you ER types already had enough money. Boy was I wrong.
R

After a nasty post to one of the moderators, I think you might poison your pool of responders.

Your questions are very personal. A series of polls would work better.

 

[Nords]

Nords. Just answer the bloody questions.

Well, that's pretty inspiring & motivating! How's that approach working for you in the rest of your research?

And here I was thinking that all you ER types already had enough money. Boy was I wrong.

The board gets a lot of posters claiming to be researching this or writing that. Over the years we've noticed that the well-known journalists/publishers (like Michael Maiello from Forbes or the staff at Nolo) tend to introduce themselves to the board and to explain what they're doing. They don't take your approach. I think it's fair for a respondent to expect you to demonstrate your credibility.

Many of the answers to your questions can be determined by spending an hour or two searching through the board's earlier posts. Some of the answers are even in the form of polls which have already tabulated the data. Again I'd think that a writer would get better results by taking a little time to investigate what's already there before asking people to supply more info.

The experienced researchers also tend to use websites to collect data rather than your approach. I'd rather spend my time clicking radio buttons in a website survey and seeing the results than typing answers that have to be transcribed again, verified, manipulated, and so on.

Not all of us ERs have enough money, although I'm happy with what we've got. My question was directed more toward your support of Dory's E-R.org server fund. He devotes a lot of time, effort, and cash to enable you to ask your questions. I think it's appropriate to throw a little lagniappe his way...

But, hey, maybe you'll get a better response over at Greaney's board.

 

[haha]

Roscaroo,

If you are a man, get the hell out of here. If you are a woman, post a picture, preferably nude, but maximum coverage is a small Bikini.

Then if we like you, I think you'll get lots of cooperation.

Ha

 

[brewer12345]

Interesting responses. Thanks!.

Nords. Just answer the bloody questions. If I ever get a book published that makes money I'll send you (but only you) a lump of coal. There's your quid pro quo. And here I was thinking that all you ER types already had enough money. Boy was I wrong.
R

Go away, *******.

 

[roscaroo]

All,

When I asked my questions, I did not expect to get answers. Who, after all, would post their net worth on a board? No one did. The questions intentionally provocative and were asked to see what the response would be and to get an idea of the personalities.

While I didn’t actually think that anyone would answer, I was surprised how quickly angered respondents were. I thought ERs would be mellower. I was also surprised at how many people wanted money for their answers or were upset at the thought that someone might profit from the answers.

Here are some of the responses:

1. If you're using this board and its posters to benefit your book (and presumably its profits), how are you going to deliver a quid pro quo?

2. How much are you paying for this information? Usually people get paid whenthey take part in a consumer survey.

Next there were responses that accused me of just being lazy or insinuated that I wasn't entitled to ask the questions, to wit:

1. The OP needs to roll up his/her shirt sleeves and do some homework on the posts in this forum. It SEEMS the OP wants a shortcut.
2. Maybe its [sic] that the people on this board don't like to be mined for information by someone who hasn't done his/her work beforehand.
3. I think it's fair for a respondent to expect you to demonstrate your credibility.

What’s that all about?

And then of course there was this classic response:

Go away, *******.

I’ve been ERed for 2 years now, and have been working on a book. This experience has given me an idea to study the personality types of ERs. Are all ER so testy?

Sorry I got everyone so pissed off.

Going away,

R

 

[Martha]

All,

When I asked my questions, I did not expect to get answers. Who, after all, would post their net worth on a board? No one did. The questions intentionally provocative and were asked to see what the response would be and to get an idea of the personalities.

Well, that isn't very nice.

 

[spideyrdpd]

Maybe you need to go check the definition of provocative ?
Of course if your post wasnt provocative enuff the response to Nords was.

I did like the use of the word bloody though

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Dang, all the snappy answers are already taken, although mine was going to be pretty close to Brewers...

I predict a short and unhappy career in writing for this fine fellow...followed by a long and unhappy career asking "would you like fries with that? I'm just asking because I wanna be provocative and see how you'll respond!"