Retired? Do you feel sorry for people who have to work?

[Forced to Retire]

Recently my financial picture has improved 100% (see my other post), and I have been doing lots of thinking about work and financial struggle. I have had lots of memories about the days of toil when I was always scared to death, that I would lose my job, never work again and become homeless.

For most of my adult life, I allowed myself to be bullied by bosses and evil coworkers because I was just scared about not having any money. One time I did challenge an evil boss and he fired me on the spot and had me blacklisted in the industry and I ran out of money. Finally, I found something in another city but I looking under my bed and in coat pockets for change! (All my credit cards were over the limit!)

Now that I am retired and don't have to work, I feel sorry for people who have to work to survive. Can you relate?

 

[ponyboy]

I feel sorry for people who have to work really hard and get low pay in return. Not everyone has the same opportunities growing up. Its really really difficult if not impossible for them to ever get ahead. Those are the ones I feel for.

I dont feel sorry for those who are working and making 6 figure incomes and still cant save a penny. We know plenty of married couples who have $200k+ combined incomes and are up to their eyeballs in debt. Those people I couldnt care less if they have to work until they die.

 

[athena53]

Like ponyboy, I feel sorry for the people who never made much, maybe had a few setbacks (long period of unemployment, major medical expenses) and never could put much money away. I see a lot of this in my church, where there's a lot of variety in what people do/did for a living.

I don't know too many of the ones who spend every dime when they could save, although I was married to one once. If you HAVE to have 2 shiny SUVs in your garage and your family cell phone bill is $400/month and you can afford cruises and Disney World on a regular basis but you have no savings, no, I don't feel bad that I have more, and I will resent it if my taxes are paying for your Medicaid nursing home.

 

[aja8888]

Recently my financial picture has improved 100% .................... I feel sorry for people who have to work to survive. Can you relate?

Let's see. you have gone from $300K (or was that $400K), no job, 60/40 asset allocation. or is that 50/50, and now the jackpot in 12 threads. What's your secret?

 

[Big_Hitter]

Let's see. you have gone from $300K (or was that $400K), no job, 60/40 asset allocation. or is that 50/50, and now the jackpot in 12 threads. What's your secret?

I'm not impressed until I see a thread that he's down to 12% body fat.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

In a word no.

 

[braumeister]

Not to mention that he lives in both Fairfax and Alexandria, VA.

 

[scrabbler1]

Because the awful commute was the main reason I retired, I fell sorry for my former fellow LIRR (commuter rail) riders whenever I hear a transit report which includes a problem on the trains, a fairly frequent event.


As for the work itself, I have found myself far less interested in work-related stories from my friends, especially those about workplace politics.

 

[eytonxav]

I feel sorry that many in the younger generation, through no fault of their own and despite education and hard work, do not have the opportunities that I had during my career. I don't feel sorry for those that are in a hostile job situation and unwilling to take actions to change or get out of their situation.

 

[RobbieB]

No, have never felt sorry for people who are working.

Have felt sorry for people unemployed due to globalization.

 

[Sunset]

I admire folks who work compared to the street beggars I see at the traffic lights, especially the one who could barely put down her cell phone between light changes.

 

[Ronstar]

No I don't feel sorry for working people. If they saved more , they could retire.


Sent from my iPhone .using Early Retirement .//82339)

 

[Bestwifeever]

Not at all.

 

[jimnjana]

I don't feel sorry, I appreciate their work ethic.

 

[harley]

Not to mention that he lives in both Fairfax and Alexandria, VA.

Alexandria is in Fairfax County.

 

[MichaelB]

Alexandria is in Fairfax County.

And all this time I was thinking he was in Egypt - and working for the VA.

 

[aaronc879]

I feel sorry for people who have to work really hard and get low pay in return. Not everyone has the same opportunities growing up. Its really really difficult if not impossible for them to ever get ahead. Those are the ones I feel for.

I dont feel sorry for those who are working and making 6 figure incomes and still cant save a penny. We know plenty of married couples who have $200k+ combined incomes and are up to their eyeballs in debt. Those people I couldnt care less if they have to work until they die.

+1

I feel sorry for the people who work extremely hard for ~$20K/yr with no pension or sick days and minimal other benefits. They work just as hard(or harder) as those with big salaries but get treated like garbage.

 

[braumeister]

Alexandria is in Fairfax County.

I know, but in an earlier thread he specifically said he lived in "Fairfax, VA" which is a town rather separate from Alexandria, which is his profile location.

Right now I am burning through cash but when I get Social Security at age 62 next year I will have an income of $2500 a month with about $1250 in Social Security and $1250 in 5% annual withdrawals. A figure almost impossible to live on in very expensive Fairfax VA.

 

[Calico]

+1

I feel sorry for the people who work extremely hard for ~$20K/yr with no pension or sick days and minimal other benefits. They work just as hard(or harder) as those with big salaries but get treated like garbage.

+2

 

[Cricky]

Alexandria is in Fairfax County.

Alexandria is an independent city, not in any county. Part of Fairfax County adjacent to the city is also referred to as Alexandria, but that isn't part of the city (the same thing happens with Falls Church).

 

[youbet]

Can you relate?

No I really can't. Your circumstances (in aggregate gathered from your many recent threads) are weird. I couldn't begin to relate to it all.......... But thanks for asking.

 

[eta2020]

Now that I am retired and don't have to work, I feel sorry for people who have to work to survive. Can you relate?

Why? You are almost 62. You are retired by age not by FI (As your name suggests)

I would understand if you were 50.

 

[Elbata]

A thought I find interesting: One can retire as early as their 30s and never ever have to worry about working ever again.

 

[aja8888]

Why? You are almost 62. You are retired by age not by FI (As your name suggests)

I would understand if you were 50.

He was 62 four years ago when he was posting on City-Data forums.

 

[harley]

Alexandria is an independent city, not in any county. Part of Fairfax County adjacent to the city is also referred to as Alexandria, but that isn't part of the city (the same thing happens with Falls Church).

Interesting. I knew about Falls Church, but I used to live in a part of Alexandria that's in Fairfax County and never realized another part was separate. I just looked at a map, and that's a really weird boundary. I guess it makes sense to somebody.