A couple of years ago Barron's ran an article about a guy who did it with 600k; I wonder how he's doing?
Well, I guess "virtually impossible" might have been a bit strong. I guess I'd rephrase that as simply "way too risky." Sure, if you had the inflation-adjusted equivalent at that age and started retirement in 1982, you probably would have done just fine (assuming you went more conservative as you aged into the late 1990s). But I think without pensions or health insurance provided, you either have to live as a borderline pauper or get lucky in the timing of your retirement in order to have this be survivable.My original question inplied 1 million or less w/o fancy pensions, COLA products/add ons etc.
FIREd at 48. Net worth was way under $1M.Is there any one who has ER'd in the last year who is age 50 or less with 1 million or less in the coffers? Did the plan pay off ? Would you do it that way again? What have been the up-sides?
Without a pension and retiree health insurance, this is a virtual impossibility without either an austere lifestyle or at least a part-time j*b...
They still have earned income from the sale of stuff on their web site, so that doesn't completely count.Didn't the Kaderli's do it on $500,000 ?
My wife has caught the knitting bug. It ain't cheap. (Okay, cheaper than international travel even with some of today's travel bargains, but still...)Is OP's hobby international travel or knitting?
I have a coworker who's wife has the scrapbooking bug, talk about a money pit. I was sure he was exaggerating until I mentioned in a conversation with someone else who also knew someone who poured that much money into it.
I'm not really even sure what scrapbooking entails but sheesh.
See my by-line. I "retired" at 38 with a NW of about -$50,000 (yes that is a minus). Had COLA'd Retired Pay of about $10K, lifetime low cost medical care. 3 teenagers at home. All 4 kids are college graduates. Lived in VA, FL and OH and 30 years later NW is about $2.5MM - no inheritances, no windfalls. Just plugging along in life. Would I like to do that again? No, but it can be done today but would have to be about a $36K of retired pay, medical care, and a positive NW would help.
Perhaps you've described your strategy elsewhere, if so, can you provide a link? Otherwise, it appears that the laws of finance do not apply to you.
Thirty years ago you were $50k in the hole. So just plugging along you've averaged adding $83k annually to your net worth? On a small pension? Without inheritance or windfall?
Does OP live in California or Mississippi? Is OP's hobby international travel or knitting? Hamburger steak with ketchup or filet?
Expenses is the big variable here.
Or perhaps an income stream from something like, oh I don't know, uh..real estate with a property manager so it's passive!Without a pension and retiree health insurance, this is a virtual impossibility without either an austere lifestyle or at least a part-time j*b...
Without a pension and retiree health insurance, this is a virtual impossibility without either an austere lifestyle or at least a part-time j*b...
Special occasions I'll go hamburger steak with three little dipping cups one each of ketchup, horseradish, and soy sauce. We're talking 85% hamburger here, not the cheap stuff.Not the OP but Mississippi here and hamburger steak with ketchup.
I suspect you might be considered a reasonable fit for ziggy's "austere" clause.It's not even close to an impossibility. Most people retire with far less. If I were 49 with $500,000 or more in after tax savings i'd retire. I live in a low cost area where most live on $1xxx/mo. I've never had a continuous outflow that topped $1200/mo.