Do you share or tell anyone about your ER dream???

[allwork&noplay]

I've kept it bottled up

I've stopped sharing my plans for early retirement since nobody seems to understand my desire for ER. They look at me as if I was crazy. Its not that I'm lazy. I just have so many other things that I enjoy doing outside of work. I've been keeping my desires bottled up inside and trying to just go to work and save everything that I can. That's why I'm glad I found this website. I need an outlet to vent my frustrations, seek advice, and share ideas.

 

[Goonie]

One of a guy at work saw me looking at this forum a couple of time since then he is making my life miserable... just a matter of time the whole damm office will know. He constantly bringing it up in groups with extreme negative tone and laughing about it.

too bad, i got another 15 more years of torture like this before i can ER. Do you share your dream with anyone? what's their reaction?? positve or negative?

enuff

I took my last j*b 30+ years ago, because it offered the opportunity to retire @ 55, with very good bennies. I let everyone there know from day one, that I planned to retire at the earliest possible opportunity! Since I was 19 at the time, some just smiled and walked away, others were more like "Yeah...Right! Like you'll ever be able to that."

During the last few years there, some thought I'd actually follow through with my goals. However, many figured I'd have to stay into my 60's, and laughed and made fun of my plans to FIRE, mainly because they were jealous and were in hock up to their eyeballs!

Who's laughing now?! They're still there slaving away, deeper in hock than before, saving nothing, investing nothing, living paycheck to paycheck, putting up with all of the BS!!!

Yeah! Who's laughing now? I am!!!

So, Enuff, let him have his day, and don't let it rattle you. You're day will come, and then he can kiss your @ss!

He who laughs last, laughs best!!! And you'll most likely be the one to get the last laugh in!!! Hang in there, and just keep smilin'......if he sees that he can't rattle your cage or jerk your chain, he'll probably just give up, and leave you alone.

 

[Goonie]

Next time the guy says something act a little peeved and loudly say something like, "hey, dick head, quit talking about me or I am going to tell everyone about those pre-teen sites you visit."

I had a close friend that was being continuously hassled by some dumb @ss. One night we were in a very busy restaurant and the guy was in there with some business associates and clients. My buddy walked by his table, and asked rather loudly, "Hey, man, did you ever quit beating on your wife?" Then he turned and walked away. He said after that, the guy never said another word to him.

(BTW, my friend had no knowledge of any abuse....he just posed the question so there was no easy way to answer. 'Yes', would infer that he had done the beating. 'No', would infer that he continued to beat her. And trying to explain that he never had beat her, might make it look like he was trying to cover it up.)

 

[unclemick]

Well a really creative and sadisdic *******(with cheap bastardhood tendences) would have a 'framed' picture of the interest rate curve on his desk/or cubicle wall - and carry a folded up raggedy, coffee stained, sheet of engineering graph paper with 8 and 10% stock return curves drawn with the old no 2 pencil - to be unfolded while lecturing extemporaneaously(and deliberately boringly) on the power of saving early and often along the curve.

heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh - not 'that I ever stooped to that' or got my jollies trying to rub it in or anything.

or Always liked Flip Wilson.

 

[Goonie]

heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh - not 'that I ever stooped to that' or got my jollies trying to rub it in or anything.

or Always liked Flip Wilson.

Glad you added that line, unc. I was just getting ready to ask if that was from personal experience.

The last 12 or 13 months at w*rk, I had all my cypherings in a note book, and at break/lunch time I'd drag it out and go over things and re-recalculate the figures. It drove some of my less-than-financial-suave co-workers bonkers! It was fun!!!

 

[unclemick]

Anyway, having told people about it, my vacations to various possible ER locations are pretty easy to explain. I am going to check out Huntsville, Alabama this weekend and several people have told me about things I should try to see while I am there.

Be sure to give us a trip report - haven't been to Huntsville since the early 90's. Since Katrina have a long time friend(we'll call her Blondie) who is in the Fort Payne/Gaylesville/Weiss Lake area - a tad too country for me but getting gentrified fairly rapidly.

heh heh heh

 

[spncity]

One of a guy at work saw me looking at this forum a couple of time since then he is making my life miserable... just a matter of time the whole damm office will know. He constantly bringing it up in groups with extreme negative tone and laughing about it.

too bad, i got another 15 more years of torture like this before i can ER. Do you share your dream with anyone? what's their reaction?? positve or negative?

enuff

This is like sibling rivalry. He'll only keep doing it if, in fact, you seem tortured and miserable due to his remarks.

If, on the other hand, you put on a smug smile, assume an exaggerated tone and retort, "Oh, yeah? Well as opposed to me, Jonesy here is going to work until he's 79 and then eat cat food because he doesn't be-leeve in saving for ruh-tire-mint!" that should shut him up!

 

[landover]

I think this is a problem with the forum since "Early Retirement Forum" displayed in bold on top of page and people can see it from far. I have seen people zooming their eyes on my computer.

So for people, still in rat race, there should be an option to change the display to something more presentable in general population like "Financial Planning" or something else. It will be a office-life saver. It can be set in user profile.

 

[Sam]

I think this is a problem with the forum since "Early Retirement Forum" displayed in bold on top of page and people can see it from far. I have seen people zooming their eyes on my computer.

So for people, still in rat race, there should be an option to change the display to something more presentable in general population like "Financial Planning" or something else. It will be a office-life saver. It can be set in user profile.

This is an excellent idea! Moderators, Andy, please consider this.

 

[spncity]

Other possible titles for "show"...

"Improving Productivity"
"Time Management"
"Getting More Done With Less"
"Bottom Line Strategies"

Okay - here's the workaround for all you work surfers:

Stick a big Post-It note over the top left part of your screen (where it will just cover up the big Early Retirement Forums title) with something like "Schedule Routine Dental Appointment" or "Pick up milk and bread after work" or some such reminder.

Bonus: You'll have plenty of milk and bread, as well as clean teeth. How many forums do THAT for ya . . . ??!

 

[Bigritchie]

When he runs around saying stuff like that, what he is really saying is "Do not give me a promotion, I cannot even manage my own house and personal finances, give it to my Co-worker here, he is much more responsible then I am!"

 

[Milkman]

One of the people at work (aged 67 and says he will have to work til he dies) made a negative comment about "...if he had all of my money." He lives in a lakehouse, has a 34' pontoon boat, drives a Cadillac, has a restored 60s vintage muscle car, and just bought a custom motorcycle. My reply to him was "If I had all of his toys, I would be scared too!" The conversation was a couple of years ago and he hasn't brought up the subject again.

Milkman

 

[ziggy29]

Not really. After the last couple weeks the "dream" is looking more and more to be just that...

 

[MasterBlaster]

Not really. After the last couple weeks the "dream" is looking more and more to be just that

There are having a sale on stocks this week and last and maybe for the next few months or so.

If you have any cash laying around maybe you could buy some more of those pesky stocks - on sale.

 

[Meadbh]

Scores of my nursing colleagues are ERing. They are eligible for good pensions and there is a labour shortage so they can come back to do "casual" work at their own discretion. This is becoming the cultural norm; we all attend the retirement parties and of course it is a topic of conversation in the staff lounge. However, among my physician colleagues, ER is still viewed as lunatic. The culture of working till you drop still prevails.

I personally keep my intentions pretty private. I would not want to burn any bridges too soon. As I hold a leadership position, I might become a lame duck if I was viewed as having a short half life. However I have been hinting to my boss that we need to work on succession planning.

 

[BobM]

I retired at 56 about 20 months ago. I selected my ER date (12/23/05) a little over 3 years earlier. I did not keep it a secret. I told everyone, especially my boss, for succession planning purposes. It was very important to me that I left on my terms, when I wanted to. I have seen too many people retire or quit in anger at a boss, dissappointment at not getting a promotion, etc. I guess it ultimately depends on individaual circumstances, but everyone I know (co-workers and family) had no issues with ER. Sure they are a little jealous, but it has certainly inspired my younger brothers and sisters to strive for ER.

 

[Goonie]

I retired at 56 about 20 months ago. I selected my ER date (12/23/05) a little over 3 years earlier. I did not keep it a secret. I told everyone, especially my boss, for succession planning purposes. It was very important to me that I left on my terms, when I wanted to. I have seen too many people retire or quit in anger at a boss, disappointment at not getting a promotion, etc. I guess it ultimately depends on individual circumstances, but everyone I know (co-workers and family) had no issues with ER. Sure they are a little jealous, but it has certainly inspired my younger brothers and sisters to strive for ER.

Same here, I wanted them to have ample time to hire someone, so I would have enough time to train them. I gave 'official' notice 14 months before my ER date, and they finally hired my replacement 4 1/2 months before that date. He was trained, but not as thoroughly as he should have been. But due to the dragging of their feet for over 9 months, the guy got the short end of the stick, even though I did all I could.

I left on good terms (more or less), and as far up the ladder as was possible. They even had me back on Tuesday for their 'end of summer' steak fry. So it appears no one had any hard feelings! BTW, I'm the only who has ever been invited back. I must have left a decent impression an them.

 

[Enuff2Eat]

many of you mentioned the "don't ask don't tell" policy, i tend to agree what i say is more likely to hurt me then help, espcially when u talk about ER.


enuff

 

[citrine]

Enuff:

It is absolutely a shame that one would get ostracized for talking about and planning early retirement; however, if that same person was buying a yatch, or a Mcmansion....everyone would be applauding that decision.
What a screwed up bunch of priorities.
I agree with Goonie...keep planning and one day you will be laughing at your co-worker.

 

[Eyerishgold]

I haven't really shared my desire to RE with anyone other that my wife. She, of course, is 100% committed to helping us get there. We're both extremely frugal and we live well below our means. Because we hardly ever spend our money our friends assume we don't have any. I suppose it'll be quite a shock to most of the people we know when we RE in 17 yrs at age 45. I've always wanted to RE as soon as possible and I'm happy to have a wife who bought into my "crazy" plan.

 

[Andre1969]

Any discussion of early retirement wouldn't go over too well in my office. To give a little perspective, here's a rundown on my officemates...

1. An old guy in his 70's who's originally from some tropical paradise locale where it's cheap to live. He's having a house built down there and will retire, eventually. I guess.

2. A lady who's about 64-65. She retired from the federal gov't a few years ago, and gets a pension of at least $60K per year, but cries about how she can't make ends meet and how hard it is to live in this area. So she works 3 days per week to help get by. She rents a modest apartment, drives a Toyota RAV-4, so it's not like she's living an extravagant lifestyle. So I dunno where the money's going. Every time the price of something goes up, she has a hissy.

3. Another lady who's about 45 and delusional. Thinks that one day God will give her her reward. Makes me think of the old joke about a reverend holding out his hands in prayer calling out "Lord, give us what we deserve" when an overhead sewer pipe breaks... I hear her constantly on the phone with her creditors, whining every time she has a late fee on something. She pulls it every month with her condo association, it seems. She also said to the old lady in our office... "Wanna double your money in 5 years? Buy a condo in my neighborhood!" Ummm, yeah, right. Just because it doubled over the past 5 years DOESN'T mean it's gonna do it again!

4. A workaholic dude in his early 40's. Recently married, recently bought a house. Thankfully a modest one, so he's not in over his head. He's in the reserves and about to retire, but also in the process of starting up his own business. He's said several times that he plans on still working when he's in his 60's. If it's your own business and you ENJOY what you do, I can understand that, at least.

As for me, I'm 37, and plan to be out of here before my 46th birthday.

 

[Goonie]

I agree with Goonie...keep planning and one day you will be laughing at your co-worker.

Like I mentioned, I went back for a steak fry the other day, and the general consensus among all of the guys was that the "Good Ship Lollipop" was taking on water and sinking fast! My consensus (along with a huge, silly grin) was "Hey guys....you're scr*wed!!! Who's laughing now?!

 

[Enuff2Eat]

i guess i am not in it for the "last laugh" , i just don't want to be laugh at and also just want to get the heck out of the jOb before i hit the "regular" standard of 65 years old.

thank god for this forum, yeah... i learn so much from this site.



enuff