Hi, 46 years old from Sweden

[Isoman]

Hi,

I am an 46 years old single male living in Sweden. I have read this site for 6 month now and my problem is that I am boored and stressed at my work and are thinking about my retirement .

I like to read about you lucky guys( and women) who have taken the step to early retirement. Also i like to read about what to do once FIREd.
I will continue to read this forum and trying to give something back to it even if I am not FIREd yet.

My plan is to work a couple of more year before retirement, maybe between 50 and 58, depending on health, money and work satisfaction.
Depending on my investments i may or may not be financially ready. In Sweden taxes on wages are very high and VAT and other taxes like on gasoline also very high making money out of work is only for the top 1 % earners like a CEO of a big company.

In Sweden health care is free, as long as i stay in the country I have very low cost for healthcare maximum i think is about 250 $/year. My salary are decent but after taxes not anything to brag about, compared to US salaries. Most of my money are from the stockmarkets and i hope a can make some more before retirement.

My problem is that i problably want to do extensive travel/spend much/move abroad in my retirement. That is going to determing my FIRE date.

My current standings:

Loan : 0 $
Privat pension plan : 380.000$
Condo/apartment: 300.000$
Stockmarket: 1.300.000$
Cash: 15.000$

And some swedish version of SS from about 62 to 65 years old at 1500/month.

Happy to be here

 

[Alan]

Welcome Isoman I look forward to hearing about how you progreess towards your goal in Sweden.

 

[MichaelB]

Hi Isoman and welcome. What destinations do you have in mind for your travel?

 

[Meadbh]

Welcome Isoman! Of course taxes are very high in Sweden but your country is consistently ranked near the top in terms of quality of life. I haven't visited but would love to learn more about Sweden!

 

[Purron]

Welcome! Seems to me it might be difficult to move out of Sweeden due to the health care you have there. I'm sure you've heard how much we're stuggling with the issue of health care here in the United States.

Otherwise, you seem to be in very fine shape financially. Where are you interested in traveling or possibly moving to?

 

[Alan]

Welcome! Seems to me it might be difficult to move out of Sweeden due to the health care you have there. I'm sure you've heard how much we're stuggling with the issue of health care here in the United States.

I think he should be okay moving to other countries in the EU. There is also the European Health Insurance card available to citizens of the 27 countries that make up the EU for temporary travel abroad. (apparently 188 million folks carry the card).

The European Health Insurance Card - EU

 

[Isoman]

Thanks for all the quick feedback

Alan: Thanks for the welcome

MichaelB: I traveled alot when i was younger, but havent traveled much laterly..to much focus on work. And since we have an cold and dark winter here in the nordic region many ppl dream of warmer climate. I want to travel in the southern europe ( Spain; Italy and Greece), caribian islands aswell as to asia(Thailand, Indonesia; Malaysia). I also want to travel to the US , infact i have only been 1 day in chicago before going to Acapulco in Mexico. So i want to go to Disneyland ( how is that ).

Meadbh: Agree Sweden is a good country to live in. And infact we dont have a recession here in sweden like you have in the US. Gouverment finance is good and industry is doing well. So in the end I maybe be staying home.

Purron: Agree free health care is really good espesially when planning on future expenses. And yes i have read about the problem of the stuggling with the issue of health care here in the United States. I read alot about the US and your problem and i hope the US will recover in the future.

 

[travelover]

Welcome Isoman. Our politicians have told us of the hard and miserable life that you live under socialism, so don't be afraid to share your tales of oppression - we will understand.

 

[Isoman]

Alan free health care eu

Yes Alan you are right.

As long as I go to an EU country, but :


I think i read somewhere that you need to be 62 year to be entitled to free health care as an retired person couldnt find it just now.

 

[Purron]

Welcome Isoman. Our politicians have told us of the hard and miserable life that you live under socialism, so don't be afraid to share your tales of oppression - we will understand.

 

[Isoman]

Travelover

psss....cant speak they are monitoring me.
Dont want to work in the salt mine.

 

[Alan]

Welcome Isoman. Our politicians have told us of the hard and miserable life that you live under socialism, so don't be afraid to share your tales of oppression - we will understand.

I see it all the time when I am visiting relatives in England. At least all that goose stepping keeps them fit (of course they don't call it that but have a government ministry dedicated to it).
government ministry

 

[keegs]

Hej och valkommen

 

[Purron]

psss....cant speak they are monitoring me.
Dont want to work in the salt mine.

OK, so they have evil bosses in Sweeden too. Well at least you can get on this forum and chat. Hopefully, they haven't blocked your access to you tube at work. That's all that kept me from going crazy when I was in cubicle hell.

By the way Alan, did you know they have a feline division?

 

[Isoman]

Keegs: Tackar så mycket

I really like monthy pyton and the english humor. Fawlty tower is my favorite TV serie together with Dr Who.

 

[MichaelB]

Lots of Monty Python around here - you'll fit right in.

 

[Alan]

By the way Alan, did you know they have a feline division?

That is really cool !!

 

[Alan]

I really like monthy pyton and the english humor. Fawlty tower is my favorite TV serie together with Dr Who.

In 1983 I worked on a project in England that included 4 guys from Sweden (Stockholm) being on-site for the best part of a year. They had a great sense of humor and fitted right into the project team. It sounds like you may be from the same mould.

 

[Isoman]

This is some of my taste of humor:Monty Python fish dance

YouTube - monty python - fish dance

and Alan i see you are born in UK, have you lost your english humor.

 

[grasshopper]

Valkommen, my grandparents were from Sweden. One day I would like to see Sweden.

 

[Isoman]

Thanks grasshopper,

Many swedes left for the US due to starvation and to seek a future over there, most sweden i think went to the north of US to states like Minnesota, Illinois and michigan if my memory serves me correct.

 

[Alan]

This is some of my taste of humor:Monty Python fish dance

and Alan i see you are born in UK, have you lost your english humor.

I have lost neither my English humor or my accent and I have met plenty of Americans with a similar sense of humor, but have nearly got into trouble a few times with some that don't. for example, I was walking out to the car park one evening after work and happened to bump into the company president who asked me how my citizenship application was progressing. I told him that it was going very well and the only thing left was the lobotomy. He didn't laugh

 

[Purron]

I can attest that Alan has not lost his sense of humor and is a good sport when teased. About pants. Or lack thereof

 

[keegs]

 

[MichaelB]

Isoman – excellent Python reference.

Purron – what’s this about you and Alan’s pants? Pics and details are called for.

Any doubts about Alan’s sense of humor will be quickly dispelled after a short visit to the funny jokes thread.