Talking to 'regular folks'

[Amethyst]

People react to everything in terms of themselves. So, a person who is angry inside about not being able to retire might say something sarcastic. Your former colleague sounded like she might be in the retirement zone, and you have given her hope!

I retired at 54 and not a single person has asked me what I do until I ran into a former colleague at the farmer's market last week and she asked what I was working on. I said "I'm retired" for the first time and her jaw dropped and she said "you rock!!" Then she gave me a high five.

!

 

[kcowan]

You just wait. Eventually they stop saying "you're too young" and when you get on the bus or are in a store, they assume you qualify. Once the bus driver asked for proof and I said "why thank you" but did not have to show proof.

 

[Katiek]

I live in an area with a lot of retired city workers like police and fire, so it's not that unusual to see a person who looks pretty young say they're retired. Sometimes it's followed with a question about what they used to do, more for chit chat than any real purpose. Only once do I recall anyone pushing the conversation further and the guy just said "it was time to go. I may take some part time work in the future if I see something I'd really like, but so far I'm enjoying retirement"

 

[Sojourner]

So, a person who is angry inside about not being able to retire might say something sarcastic.

Very true, and in my experience, a fair number of people fall into this category. I learned quickly when I semi-FIREd in my mid 40s not to say that I was retired. I am much more comfortable saying it now, almost a full decade later, but few people are able to comprehend (or appreciate) retirement in one's mid 40s. I found that it was much easier to say I was doing "consulting" work, and that was usually sufficient for most people. I also thought it was more considerate, as there was no risk of making someone feel slighted or aggrieved that I was "bragging" about being able to retire so early.

 

[Music Lover]

Lots of hand wringing and suggestions to lie over such a simple question.

Q: "What do you do?"
A: "I'm retired."

What's so difficult about that?

Agree, I don't get it. Someone once told me that I was too young to retire (in a snotty tone of voice) so I told them that they looked too old to still be working.

 

[pacergal]

Welcome to the forum and Happy Birthday.
Congratulations on retirement at 47, that's great!

As to any questions, I answer simply and honestly.
What do you do all day? you could list hobbies, volunteer work, interests.

Most folks are probably just filling in conversation and not asking for in depth answers.
If they ask how you retired so young, then you can get into the LBYM, savings/investing, etc if you wish. Their eyes will probably glaze over at that point!

 

[GravitySucks]

I tell people I’m unemployable, which is true nowadays.

So old now no one asks.

 

[Affinity4Investing]

I myself, am a full-time taxpayer, and for the days of the week that end in "y", I work overtime taking care of those who aren't in my unchosen field. No problem being honest about what I do. Most can sympathize.

 

[dixonge]

I retired at 47. I am 52 (today in fact). I struggle with how to answer the, "what do you do?" question.
My wife thinks every answer sounds snotty. I'm thinking of saying I won the little lotto a few years back. (Reality being we made lots and saved more never buying the BMW or McMansion)
I have jury duty coming up. Is retired even accurate?
Thank you for your time and thoughts.

I think a good answer is just to be kinda 'cute' about it. Something like "whatever I want" LOL - or maybe "I avoid answering questions like that, that's what I do." or maybe "I'm sorry, not allowed to divulge that info."

I think by being mysterious/vague you can communicate that it's not a topic you wish to get into. Let them imagine why, what the 'real' reason is. Maybe they will think you are uber-rich, maybe they will think you are a spy, maybe they will think you're handlingn money laundering for a drug cartel. Either way, they'll probably get the hint eventually...

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Tell 'em you sell life insurance. "Have you considered a whole life policy?" I bet that will stop any further prying.

 

[RetireRay]

I tell them I’m a portfolio manager (ours and my elderly mother), as well as a vacation planner and dog walker.

 

[DrRoy]

I say I am retired and don’t give it much thought.

+1

 

[ncbill]

I retired at 47. I am 52 (today in fact). I struggle with how to answer the, "what do you do?" question.
My wife thinks every answer sounds snotty. I'm thinking of saying I won the little lotto a few years back. (Reality being we made lots and saved more never buying the BMW or McMansion)
I have jury duty coming up. Is retired even accurate?
Thank you for your time and thoughts.

As I've posted before, I just tell 'em "I'm unemployed."

Love dressing down, nothing slovenly, e.g. jeans & a nice, comfortable shirt.

Plus driving the nearly 20-year-old sedan I just got back from our youngest (finally bought their own vehicle) to see how others treat me.

 

[harley]

I like "I'm between jobs". And it's true! I used to work, and eventually I'll be compost, or a bookend, or something like that.

 

[Koolau]

No one cares about me anymore (76) but back in the day, when I said I was retire, people would say "You're so lucky." I'd always tell them "Luck had little to do with it. I planned it."

 

[Gumby]

No one cares about me anymore (76) but back in the day, when I said I was retire, people would say "You're so lucky." I'd always tell them "Luck had little to do with it. I planned it."

Whenever anyone has ever said that to me, which has not been often, I always reply "Yes, I am."

 

[W2R]

Whenever anyone has ever said that to me, which has not been often, I always reply "Yes, I am."

I just smile and say "I worked so hard for so many years to save what I needed for retirement, and it is SO worth all the effort! Best time of my life. "

But, usually nobody is surprised that I am retired, any more. I don't color my hair because I like the white color the way it is. It matches Frank's hair color, too.

 

[flyingaway]

So you have retired for 5 years and still don't know the answer?

But you survived, tell us how did you do that?

 

[Koolau]

I just smile and say "I worked so hard for so many years to save what I needed for retirement, and it is SO worth all the effort! Best time of my life. "

But, usually nobody is surprised that I am retired, any more. I don't color my hair because I like the white color the way it is. It matches Frank's hair color, too.

Heh, heh, I would have to color my hair WHITE to match DW. Full disclosure: I am going white but mostly at the temples. When I get a hair cut, it looks like I'm well on my way to white, but as my hair gets longer, it covers the white. I don't much care either way, but I'm too cheap to get hair cuts, so DW eventually cuts mine.

 

[MC Rider]

Agree, I don't get it. Someone once told me that I was too young to retire (in a snotty tone of voice) so I told them that they looked too old to still be working.

Excellent response. Zing!

 

[marko]

Agree, I don't get it. Someone once told me that I was too young to retire (in a snotty tone of voice) so I told them that they looked too old to still be working.

Good one.

My HR director actually told me that I'd get tired of sailing my boat all summer, fall at my apartment in Paris and skiing the Alps all winter. I said "Jim, listen to yourself for a minute" and left it at that.

 

[audreyh1]

Thank goodness I haven’t had to answer the icky “what do you do” question in a very long time. But when I did I talked about hobbies and travel.

My HR director actually told me that I'd get tired of sailing my boat all summer, fall at my apartment in Paris and skiing the Alps all winter. I said "Jim, listen to yourself for a minute" and left it at that.

another good one!

The thing is, even if you do get tired of doing those things, you can simply do something else. It doesn’t mean you have to go back to w*rk!

Whenever anyone has ever said that to me, which has not been often, I always reply "Yes, I am."

Same here! Luck definitely played a part for me.

 

[Out of Steam]

Love dressing down, nothing slovenly, e.g. jeans & a nice, comfortable shirt.

I pay more attention to my clothes now than I did when I was working. Just another one of those multiple hobbies needed in retirement.

 

[Music Lover]

Good one.

My HR director actually told me that I'd get tired of sailing my boat all summer, fall at my apartment in Paris and skiing the Alps all winter. I said "Jim, listen to yourself for a minute" and left it at that.

A co-worker once told me that she didn't want to retire because she thought she'd get bored. I told her that I'd rather be bored at home than at work. That being said, I've never really been bored since I retired.

 

[aaronc879]

A co-worker once told me that she didn't want to retire because she thought she'd get bored. I told her that I'd rather be bored at home than at work. That being said, I've never really been bored since I retired.

If I had a job where I had so little to do that I got bored then I might not feel the need to RE. Unfortunately I have only had difficult jobs where I was never bored at all. I have always been overworked at work, I would love to be bored.