Taking and Early Retirement Questionnaire for ESRBob's new book?

[ESRBob]

Hi all,
Am buried in drafts which is why I haven't been around much lately. If anyone would be interested in taking and thereby helping me fine-tune a questionnaire about ER for a new workbook I'd be grateful. PM me with an email address or fax number and I'll send the word file. (It is 3 pages long so not a fit to post here, and in any case I need to see the answers to each question for each person, not aggregates).

All confidential, no names needed, no salesperson will call! Should only take a minute or two. The data themselves aren't going into the book -- my challenge is creating benchmarks from scores for people at each stage in the FIRE journey -- early, close to pulling the plug and already ERd.

That should help readers later to see where they stand vis a vis your benchmarks, which I will share here when done.

Thanks much!

 

[Nords]

If anyone would be interested in taking and thereby helping me fine-tune a questionnaire about ER for a new workbook I'd be grateful. PM me with an email address or fax number and I'll send the word file.

Bob, you can send me one!

Can we pass it around to a few friends & neighbors?

 

[ESRBob]

Nords,
Have sent you one. And Yes pls -- feel free to send it around to others who are interested in the whole FIRE thing -- particularly interested in results from some who are just getting started, thx.

 

[Sandy]

Are you looking for those who are FIRE'd or for dreamers as well?

 

[ESRBob]

Actually more for dreamers and those anywhere along the path. The FIREd scores all tend to top out at the high end of the range -- it is finding more data points in the middle that is the current challenge...

 

[brewer12345]

So tell us about the new book...

 

[ESRBob]

Still going through the big edit process, but I've got my first draft pretty much ready in time to go away for a warm weather break in a week. It is a workbook companion to the first book, so has spreadsheets and worksheets on a companion CD ROM (and presumably downloadable, too) which are designed to give people planning tools which they can customize themselves to their own needs, rebalance their portfolio, estimate their spending needs in ER, get the various pieces assembled to put into FIRECalc etc..

Spreadsheet jocks such as yourself probably already have created most of this stuff, but some people find these templates a helpful leg up. Otherwise the book is essentially a more hands-on and detailed way of actually implementing the ideas that we talk about here a lot and which were in the first book.

 

[deserat]

Bob - of course you can send it to me - also, I could try and get a few people at my work to fill it out - heck I'd be interested in what they say

Bridget

 

[USK Coastie]

Bob please send me one also. Thanx to this forum I'll be able to move my FIRE date from 05/01/10 to 07/01/07.

 

[ESRBob]

Coastie -- that is just around the corner! Welcome. Send me a PM with an email address as we can't send attachments in the PM system here.

And Bridget -- sure -- coming at you. (I have your email) Main interest at this point is people in the planning stages and pre-ER. (The ERs around here have enough time to answer questionnaires in force, it seems ;-) )

Currently waiting for permission to air the identity of the top scorer -- the archetypal ER if you will --

 

[califdreamer]

Hey, that questionnaire was not only painless... it was kind of fun.

It will be interesting to see how to interpret the scores once the data are in.

 

[Sandy]

ESRB,

Sure, send me one.

Sandy

 

[Andre1969]

I'd be up for it if ya want to send me one, Bob. Email should be in my profile.

Hope I can help!
-Andre

 

[bosco]

All right, I'll fess up.

I got an email from ESR Bob a few hours ago that I am the new high scorer. Of course, some upstart might have come along and unseated me in the meantime. Even so, I was a bit surprised. I think it means something....like time to go!!!

I gave Bob permission to rat me out on the forum, but guess I'm quicker than him.... Or more likely, a higher score has come in. Not that it's a contest. In fact it has gotten me thinking---have I waited too long?

I'm planning to pull the plug on August 3 (recently moved it up from October). I'll have March and April off, so by my calcualtions, I have 111 more days to be employed (not deducting for Sundays or for the 4-day drunk at the Haines brew festival Memorial day weekend....If anybody is near Haines, Alaska Memorial day weekend, pm me. I know a great party. Plus, the ceremonial mooning of the first cruise ships from the beach!).

 

[Nords]

Plus, the ceremonial mooning of the first cruise ships from the beach!).

Around here we use the term "clothing optional".

For the beaches, not the cruise ships...

 

[bosco]

Around here we use the term "clothing optional".

For the beaches, not the cruise ships...

there are large boulders on the beach. The tradition is to stand on the boulders, drop the trousers, and slap the buns in defiance at the ships, ala Braveheart!

Generally, not warm enough, and maybe a bit buggy to just lounge around in the buff although it would be feasible sometimes.

A couple of folks were too eager to wait for a ship a couple of years ago and mooned a bayliner sportfishing boat. The girls on board responded by flashing their tits....

 

[REWahoo]

A couple of folks were too eager to wait for a ship a couple of years ago and mooned a bayliner sportfishing boat. The girls on board responded by flashing their tits....

And you know this because you were the 'couple of folks', or...?

 

[ESRBob]

Bosco's right -- he is the all-time high scorer, which means he had better get out of the job quickly or my whole questionnaire goes out the window Actually, he's scheduled to leave in a few months - maybe people are even _more_ ready for ER in the months before they pull the plug than they are once they're free?

To all those still waiting for questionnaires, thanks and I'll get to them soon, but got a bit overwhelmed there for awhile. (and 'had' to spend the day sculpting today, too)

 

[bosco]

And you know this because you were the 'couple of folks', or...?

nah, I'm a patient man and only moon when the time and tide is right....

but I got a pretty hilariious report when I got back from judging beer that day...

 

[bosco]

speaking of being ready to go, I got a call from the union business manager. I've been trying to deactivate myself from the union since I don't really plan to be here much longer and my heart's not really in it I've been a contract negotiater in the past and believe I've been useful in that role (very few of the other negotiaters seemed to understand the time value of money, but the administration sure did). They (the union) are trying to rev up for a strike. Fortunately for me, they can't strike before July 1, and I can leave anytime after June 29 without foregoing my pension bump-up from the last year of service.

I told the manager that, while I'd never cross the picket line, if they call a strike I'll just quit and abandon my post. No reason to dilute my high 3 years. He figured that would be just as effective.

Christ--I must really be ready to be out of here even to be thinking these things through!!

 

[crazy connie]

Bosco's right -- he is the all-time high scorer, which means he had better get out of the job quickly or my whole questionnaire goes out the window Actually, he's scheduled to leave in a few months - maybe people are even _more_ ready for ER in the months before they pull the plug than they are once they're free?

To all those still waiting for questionnaires, thanks and I'll get to them soon, but got a bit overwhelmed there for awhile. (and 'had' to spend the day sculpting today, too)

Gee that must mean I don't get a gold star? I already have the chest to pin it on. :

 

[SteveR]

Send me one too. I would be happy to file one out for you.

 

[ScaredtoQuit]

Are you still looking for people to critique the actual questionnaire? Or are you waiting to disseminate it among the Board population? Either way, I would love to help. Whenever I get into a discussion with anyone about retirement, I always refer them to your first book!

 

[SecondCor521]

Just wanted to stop in here and say it's a fun and easy questionnaire, and not really privacy-invasive at all...doesn't ask what your NW is, or anything like that. More it's about your habits and attitudes and preferences.

2Cor521

 

[SteveR]

I have not gotten it yet.