Some thoughts: 6 months in

[Bklyn55]

It is my 6 month FIRE anniversary. So far:

1. I am spending a lot less money than expected.
2. I have become a gym rat. Lost weight, sleeping well and feel great!
3. I have never been bored...not for one minute.
4. I appreciate things more. Time with family, a sunny day, a night out.
5. Enjoying new hobbies and volunteer work.
6. I have no desire to work, even part time.


I was VERY nervous to retire from a job I had over 30 years.
Happy to report that retiring early was the best decision I every made!

 

[omni550]

YAY! Another successful convert.

Glad you're enjoying retired life, Bklyn55.

omni

 

[Ready]

Nice to hear. I'm glad it's working out for you.

I've also noticed I spend a lot more time working out now than when I was working. I figure it's the least I can do to take care of myself now that I have all of this free time. I try to get between 2-3 hours of exercise per day. I'm below my high school weight, and it feels great.

Try exploring new types of exercise as well and see if there is something you enjoy doing that you haven't tried previously.

 

[KM]

Excellent summary! I'm four years into this FIRE gig and I still concur with each one!

 

[rodi]

What a great report Bklyn55.

I have to agree with you on every point. I've discovered lap swimming and have lost weight and toned up since I started... never found the time when I was working.

 

[foxfirev5]

Yep 18 months in and I couldn't agree more.
Lost 32 lbs, blood pressure and glucose levels down.
More than adequate income.
And to top it off its a beautiful sunny day overlooking the Atlantic with my DW, kids and grandkids. It doesn't get much better. What day is it anyway?

 

[IMATERP]

Yep 18 months in and I couldn't agree more.
Lost 32 lbs, blood pressure and glucose levels down.
More than adequate income.
And to top it off its a beautiful sunny day overlooking the Atlantic with my DW, kids and grandkids. It doesn't get much better. What day is it anyway?

Sounds Great.... Keep reporting back on the progress...

 

[street]

Great report and will agree with you on every point. I did gain a little weight in my retirement of 15 months. I don't understand why I gained about 8 pounds with all the activity I do but I eat better then I have in years and that is why. I get so much exercise since I retired that I never did while working.

I enjoy every minute of retirement.

 

[SH09022016]

Wow, I could have wrote that exact post myself! 1 year for me.

Congrats and good job Bklyn55.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Congratulations!
almost 2 yrs in for me.
I agree on 4 out of 6.
I'm spending right in the middle of the range I expected.
No weight loss, None additional anyway, i did manage to lose 15 lbs from the time I made the ER decision to when I actuality pulled the trigger, about a year long span there. I've never been much for exercise beyond the dog walking and what I get from a fairly active life. Will see what happens with some diet changes, may just get back on the weight loss track. Time will tell. i do thoroughly enjoy having my time be my own. The best part of ER.

 

[SamuelLigert]

It is my 6 month FIRE anniversary. So far:

1. I am spending a lot less money than expected.
2. I have become a gym rat. Lost weight, sleeping well and feel great!
3. I have never been bored...not for one minute.
4. I appreciate things more. Time with family, a sunny day, a night out.
5. Enjoying new hobbies and volunteer work.
6. I have no desire to work, even part time.


I was VERY nervous to retire from a job I had over 30 years.
Happy to report that retiring early was the best decision I every made!

Congratulations! Things really did play out well.

 

[Bklyn55]

Just a few more comments which may help others. The first few weeks of retirement were a bit disorienting. I was happy, but I found myself watching way to much CNN! Once I got into a morning routine at the gym, I started loosing weight and feeling better and having much more energy for the rest of the day. For those about to retire...I would suggest some structure to part of the day. I think it helps the transition.

 

[DrRoy]

1. I am spending a lot less money than expected.
2. I have become a gym rat. Lost weight, sleeping well and feel great!
3. I have never been bored...not for one minute.
4. I appreciate things more. Time with family, a sunny day, a night out.
5. Enjoying new hobbies and volunteer work.
6. I have no desire to work, even part time.

I'm at 6.8 months. Spending a little more than the original estimate because I can. Sleeping better. Haven't been bored either. More of the old hobbies - travel and photography. #6 to the max.

 

[Kristinia]

I am 2 months into retirement and agree with previous posters: was a bit disorienting and concerns of what to do with my time. Full disclosure here but I am still doing a bit of part-time work to help transition my previous duties but have found myself resenting the time I need to do to get these projects done. Think that was a good sign for me and that is I am done with w*rk...at least for Megacorp. Anyway I joined a yoga studio and am there most everyday. I have always loved yoga but now I work through the classes without the constant ‘to-do’ list of w*rk items in my head. It is freeing actually. There is no longer the guilt of spending time doing something like yoga or cycling, that I should have been working instead.

For all of you on the fence - do not fear. Time is not infinite and you want to make sure that your time is spent doing what you want. No regrets (or regerts depending on whether you have seen the Snickers commercial!)...

 

[cooch96]

I love these posts. Keep ‘em coming!

 

[Bir48die]

I'm a year and a half in. Sure there are times when I just don't have a plan. First thought is "I need to do something constructive" then I come to my senses. First year I went all out with projects but have mellowed since.

I just love the flexibility. Last Sunday I got a 8:00 p.m. text to see if I wanted to go fishing the next morning. Had a great day on the water and salmon hitting the rod all day long. Today I have 45 minutes to decide if I'm golfing.

 

[ttvjef]

Great thread;
I'm four months in and agree with you. I too use the gym in the morning to kind of set some structure. Enjoy it and am actually getting muscular .
Not spending much money, have taken a couple trips, abd ride my bike alot.
Was concerned about the weather changing but I think I'll be just fine. My spouse is still working, making a pretty good buck and covering health insurance. Plan is for two more years then both of us will be Er'd.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I am at 5 years. After year one we started spending more on travel and that has been fun. I also have been teaching an online college class that I love. I can do it from anywhere that I have internet. Life is good!

 

[whatnot]

I really love reading these posts. Especially now that we are about 6 mos. from pulling the trigger. I am getting quite anxious about whether or not we are making a good decision.

 

[inmygardn]

Thinking about retiring is the worst part. I ran every calculator and was very stressed about making the decision to retire. Two years in I can only say why did I wait so long? I can’t imagine going back to work now.

 

[Live And Learn]

It is my 6 month FIRE anniversary. So far:

I was VERY nervous to retire from a job I had over 30 years.
Happy to report that retiring early was the best decision I every made!

I love a happy retirement story ! And I'm with you - I have no desire to ever work again !

 

[Scuba]

Thinking about retiring is the worst part. I ran every calculator and was very stressed about making the decision to retire. Two years in I can only say why did I wait so long? I can’t imagine going back to work now.

Exactly my experience!

 

[CoolRich59]

Thanks. This post is just what I was looking for.

Ever since my recent "epiphany" (see here if interested), the wife and I have been seriously focused on accelerating retirement.

To our surprise, we are in much better shape financially than I realized. Plus, we have done a pretty good job cutting spending.

We have run different FIREcalc scenarios and the results are about 95%.

So, while the "idea" of early retirement is quite pleasant and exciting, I am reluctant to actually execute. I don't know if my anxiety is uncertainty over the economy, or fear of actually stopping w@rk and not having a paycheck.

Of course, I suspect it's the latter. I have been working since I was 15, and left home to live on my own when I was 17. I have held a j@b (sometimes two j@bs) without interruption for over 42 years, w@rking part-time through college and full-time through law school.

The idea of being the "breadwinner" is so deeply ingrained that the thought of actually retiring triggers feelings of anxiety.

So, thanks again for this thread (and this forum), because it's helping me build up the nerve to actually say "I'm done".

 

[FreeBear]

DW and I are almost 3 years into FIRE. At has been a slow adjustment, esp. for me. We spent the first year unloading a house, including doing much of the manual w*rk. The second year was a time of recovery. This year, we realized that we need to get on with our new lives. We started traveling extensively, at least from our perspective, and it has been a blast. The rising market sure makes it easier to spend $$$.

For the first 2 years, I was plagued by w*rk-mares, unpleasant nightmares about w*rk. Recently, these have abated, both in frequency and intensity.

Also, I've largely lost that sense of "guilt" that I should be doing something "productive". Now I realized how precious my remaining days are and make no excuses for enjoying them with beautiful DW.

I guess I'm a slow learner, but I'm finally settling into FIRE. For 2018, we're planning a mega cross country road trip, something I've been dreaming about for decades!

 

[doneat54]

I'll add, 9 months in. I am truly never bored (but I know myself and my hobbies and that is no surprise) and I never worry about money. I log into 401Ks and pour over spreadsheets, but never find any reason to worry (today!). DW is still working and struggling a bit sometimes, but we can work through that if need be. Not sure I have found my rhythm yet, a few surprising health issues have me concerned, but seeing the appropriate specialists. Waking up every morning thinking "what do I want to do today?" is still the best.....