hi from chris

[chrisdut]

I am a 36 year old civil engineer, married, and have three kids. I am also a partner at the consulting firm where I work. My wife and I are debt free and generally live below our means. Our respective retirement plans are maxed out and we are putting back enough for the kids college. I just found this site and the Retire Early Home Page (REHP) within the past few days and already came across some good information and advice. I am obviously new to the early retirement thing but have always favored financial independence over material stuff. Don't get me wrong, we still live a comfortable lifestyle and the retirement budget WILL include golf course membership fees etc.; however, we try not to go overboard. I always thought true wealth was having the TIME and money to do the things you want instead of having to work to pay for things you bought.

I still remember my parents having a discussion with a neighbor friend of theirs when I was 5 or 6 years old. He had been laid off fom his job and was talking about all his efforts to find work. I remember saying something like "why do you want to work when playing is more fun ?"...I remember my dad saying something like "children are meant to be seen and not heard ". Even 30 years later, I would rather play .

I already have had some questions answered at the REHP, but another one just popped up. Have the early retirees found people with similar interests in their general age range. If I retire at 48, just can't see my golf foursome being me and three guys in their 60s and 70s. I can honestly say that I only know one person under the age of 60 who is retired (and he retired on disability and is not supposed to be golfing .

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

chris,

You have to be able to amuse yourself. Check out Paul Terhorst's book.

I think a guy with three kids would have no difficulty filling his days. I met a Microsoft early retiree who volunteered at his kids' (my kids', too) Jr. Hi School. A lot. After all, raising your kids is the most important thing you can do.

Ed

 

[chrisdut]

I agree that raising your kids is the most important job...but when I am 48, my youngest will be 19 and hopefully off to college. What is the name of the book?

 

[REWahoo]

If I retire at 48, just can't see my golf foursome being me and three guys in their 60s and 70s.

Chris, several years ago a I went fishing with a couple of guys from work. Bill was in his mid-30's and Carl was about my age at the time (50). Bill had a favorite restaurant he wanted to take us to for breakfast. It was a small, hole-in-the wall place that looked like it had been there for 100 years. After the waitress took our order Bill said, "Man I really like this place, it's so homey. Just look at our waitress. Just like having your mom serve you breakfast."

Carl and I looked at the waitress, who appeared to be in her early 50's. Then we both looked at each other and broke into a big grin. Carl said, "Bill, whaddya' mean remind you of your momma? I was thinking she's kinda hot!"

My point is by the time you are 48 us old farts more seasoned golfers won't have 30 years on you, only 10 or 15. That's not a terrible stretch if you're really serious about golf I would think.

And not only that, but the 50ish waitress at the 19th hole might just turn you on!

(Oh yes, welcome to the forum... )

 

[chrisdut]

rewahoo:

good story...made me laugh . I was only half serious about the golf foursome thing. I was just wondering how many early retirees are out there. There does not seem to be many here in PA. Maybe they all live in the Carolina's or Florida. I did a google search under "early retirement" to find this site, and yet with 300 million americans there are less than 2000 members.

 

[Nords]

There does not seem to be many here in PA.

Welcome to the board, Chris.

I can answer part of your question because I grew up near Pittsburgh. If you can afford to retire early, then why the heck would you want to spend the rest of your life in Pennsylvania?!?

You're not gonna find a lot of 40-somethings on the golf course. If that's important to you then you'll have to find a lot of unemployed friends (who probably can't afford the greens fees) or doctors & bankers who golf on Wednesday afternoons.

But you may be surprised to learn that the only difference between you and those people old enough to be your parents... is their age. They have the same retirement-portfolio concerns, the same health insurance issues, and perhaps even the same golf handicaps. If they've been retired for a while, they may be mentally a LOT younger. Jarhead has been an ER'd golfer for nearly two decades and he's the youngest 60-something I've ever met.

Or you could move to Hawaii. I'm here, JB is on Maui, we know of a couple local wannabes, and the surfing lifestyle meshes very well with ER...

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Chris,

"Cashing in on the American Dream: How to Retire at 35" by Paul Terhorst. See review below:

http://www.retireearlyhomepage.com/rebooks.html

Paul and his wife are in our pantheon of saints.

The book is our of print, but you may find it on-line. I found it at www.abebooks.com

 

[48Fire]

Hi Chris, your story sounded similar to mine, so wanted to reply. It actually gave me the incentive to register, and I posted at intro today.

I am in Engineering, too, and I just can't see myself doing it forever. The stress was always an issue, and as I have hit 45, now, my blood pressure is starting to creep up. Fortunately, I am in pretty good shape financially, so I hope to transition to ER over the next few years.

The past year I have explored the softer side of the ER, and I have come to similar concerns that you have on the golf foursome. I have gone golfing as a single during the week a few times, and all of the others seem to be in their 60's and 70's or older. While I appreciate the diversity and wisdom that they bring, I need some younger companions, too.

I am hoping that some of the forum's like this will provide us with the opportunity to communicate with other ER's. I think that given that the younger ER's are likely to be more thinly spread out, we may have to become more creative in our golf foursomes, and travel further.

Anyway, good luck on your journey, and thank you for the opportunity to reply!

 

[Dawg52]

I will be retiring in a just a little over a year and I too have concerns on hanging out with an older crowd. I do play golf with an older group but I also enjoy a group my age or younger. One thing I plan to do is join a fitness center and that should give me the opprotunity to mix with people of all ages. As far as golf is concerned, there are lots of people that take off on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Also weekends give you another opprotunity to play with younger people. Just have to be flexible when you schedule your recreation.

Good luck with your plans!

 

[brewer12345]

I will be retiring in a just a little over a year and I too have concerns on hanging out with and older crowd. I do play golf with and older group but I also enjoy a group my age or younger. One thing I plan to do is join a fitness center and that should give me the opprotunity to mix with people of all ages. As far as golf is concerned, there are lots of people that take off on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Also weekends give you another opprotunity to play with younger people. Just have to be flexible when you schedule your recreation.

Good luck with your plans!

Hey, Dog, get with the times! Less than a year to go for you, based on the tag for your avatar...

 

[Dawg52]

Hey, Dog, get with the times!  Less than a year to go for you, based on the tag for your avatar...

Oh yeah. I need to change that. I agreed to work through the first qtr of 2007. Our year end audit usually runs through then so I said I would help out the new guy during his first audit. I'm just an old softy.