Hello and thank you

[scott]

Hello fellow ER dreamers, wannabes, debaters...

I've been lurking for about 4 years, I think. Finally decided to say hello and thank you. The posters on this forum have helped me tremendously in both thinking and finance.

I've shifted my investments around to use Vanguard Index Funds within an asset allocation framework. It's worked great, and allows me to be pretty much at ease as the markets gyrate. In a way, I already knew this stuff, but it was this forum that got me off my butt to actually implement.

Regarding my thinking, this forum's effect has been both good and bad. The good is that I more clearly see the possiblility for a life beyond work. The bad is that I more clearly see the possibility for a life beyond work.

Anyway...thanks.

Ranger

[samclem]

Ranger,


Yep, reading the posts here affected me in the same way, and helped me make the decision to jump off the full-time work train.

Any thoughts now as to your timeline?

samclem

[scott]

Samclem,

Thanks for the reply.

Regarding timing, I think about it every day. Basically I'm OK now financially, although if I hang on for one more year a couple things hit, and two more years another couple things hit. I'm pretty committed to one more year, so I figure I'll do that and then see which way the wind is blowing.

Work is OK, not bad, just kind of flat. The problem for me is that, with only one life to live, isn't it better to move on to a new (hopefully) more fulfilling chapter. Actually the career has been good. I've enjoyed it, made good money, had a lot of good experiences. But it's kind of run its course in terms of giving me satisfaction. Part of it could be age too (46).

I really enjoy reading this forum everyday - food for thought.

Ranger

[SteveR]

Welcome to the "other" side of the board.

After 4 years of lurking you must feel like you have come out of the closet.

Yes, the good and bad side of FIRE is that your mind gets to play with the options of self entertainment once work is no longer your major daily activity. Most folks I know would like to be able to retire "early" but have no concept of what that really means. They will most likely continue to work until age 65 or 66 and hope it will be enough.

ER requires a modification of this thought process. The earlier one comes to believe ER is truly possible the better their chances of being able to put together a plan to actually get there. Implementation of the plan is also critical as is knowing when you have "enough" so you know when to stop working. How one gets there is a very individualistic approach and there is no "one size fits all" plan. Along the way one needs to ponder what you want to do in ER rather than what you have to do while working. Just retiring to sit and watch TV all day might be some folks idea of retirement but many here would rather still work than turn into a mindless couch potato.

ER is what you do after you realize that work is preventing you from doing the things that are important to you.

FI is the application of a plan of action that causes you to accumulate sufficient assets to fund an adequate income stream while in ER.

Good luck.

[scott]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveR Welcome to the "other" side of the board. After 4 years of lurking you must feel like you have come out of the closet. .

Yea, it's funny. I feel like I know many of the people here, but no one knows me; I've been a ghost. Hopefully by "coming out of the closet" it'll help me figure out if ER is really for me, or if I'm just bored and playing with the idea.

Actually that's not really true. I know I am going to go out early - the only question is how early.

I know many people for whom work is their life, and at one time I admired that. Not any more. I now feel that devoting ones life to work, in most cases at least, is just a copout. Fear of "coming out of the cave", to reference an interesting analogy I read here awhile back, is what keeps most people working - not a profound love of and satisfaction in their work.

I've had this discussion with DW and she agrees. If I had many lives then, MAYBE, it would make sense to just keep going with work. But I don't, at least that I know of. So Im quite sure that I am going to get out while I still have a shot at an Act II.

Ranger

[SteveR]

I think fear is a big factor in some people's desire to keep working long past the point when they really "need" to keep working to build an adequate nest egg.

Here are a few of the ones I see most:

Fear of running out of money with no paycheck.

Fear of losing your "self worth" because you don't have a title or subordinates anymore.

Fear of being bored or getting bored in retirement.

Fear of being with our spouse too much.

Fear of becoming a lazy couch potato.

Fear of no longer having a structured schedule in your life.

Fear of losing your work skills just when you find out you have to go back to work again due to some family emergency.

Fear of losing your friends and being alone with nothing to do all day.

There are many others I am sure.

[73ss454]

Steve,

Your right, all of the above for me. But this year I'm going to give it a shot.

[dex]

Ranger,
Your fears are my fears and plus some.

So after 4 years of reading the boards; who is your favorite poster?

[scott]

Steve,

Great list. I'm reminded once again that although my case seems unique, to me, it's not.

Dex,

Tough to say, different people have helped in different ways. Some provide good financial advice, some help me frame the go/no go issue, some are entertaining, and, as in the real world, some...

Ranger