TH...just some questions for you (given that you are the expert)...how much money did you make (range is good enough) to ER? How long has it been since you ERd? And what are some of the things that you do to stay 'unlooped' and fulfilled. I just want to know how the early years of ER are to prepare for what lies ahead...both mentally and physically....
I made stupid money, and spent almost all of it. My W-2's for the last three years of working were all close to a million a year and my lowest in the last 6 was $289k. But like I said, I pissed that away in an amazing display of ridiculousness. I think I spent 10 years humming robert palmers "big time".
Most of my nest egg came from company stock options that I sold almost the minute they matured and reinvested, and a big chunk came from opportunistic real estate purchases and sales. I bought in weak markets, held on until prices were strong, and then sold and moved to another promising but not yet popular area. I could have done MUCH better with the real estate if I'd taken bigger chances.
The critical things in early ER are to establish productive routines, because we ARE routine based critters. Strong italics on the word "productive". Indulge yourself in things that you like that are inexpensive. I took up kayaking and rollerblading, both of which I really enjoy. I spend 2-4 hours a day reading both online and off. I picked up cooking and worked to improve my skills until the wife started saying "lets eat in tonight...I like your cooking better". I got a couple of dogs because for the first time in my life I felt like I could spend enough time with them to make it worthwhile. I bought a batch of good quality tools and challenged myself to learn how to fix my own cars and house stuff.
I think you can see that some of these were indulgences of "new luxuries" (see the post "the new luxuries") that I could enjoy based on having more time on my hands, and some were things I took up that I enjoyed AND saved me money.
Lastly, make sure YOU keep up ties with friends and family. Its easy when leaving work to let the ties that bind you slip off. You're out of sight and out of mind. Expect that some of those "business friendships" will disappear. Put in the time to keep the rest healthy. Nobody will say it to you, but they're saying to themselves "he has all the free time, HE should be setting up all the play dates!".
What you dont want to end up is the guy sitting in a chair staring at CNN all day and going back to work in a year.