what brought you out of the closet?

[donheff]

I just looked back and saw that I sorta came out the day I joined. I replied to a mortgage thread. I pretty much lurked for a month after that and then posted an intro describing myself as a lurker:

Hello, I have been lurking for awhile...
...and have enjoyed many of the posts I have read. By and large you seem a very welcoming and tolerant bunch so I am anticipating this will be a nice place to visit...

I still agree with my early observation about the nature of this board's regular participants so I my visit has become an extended one.

 

[Khan]

I registered almost 2 years ago, already retired. I think I found this from REHP, which I found from TMF, which I found from Yahoo financial back when mammoths roamed the web.

I don't recall exactly, but I probably registered because I wanted to comment on something after viewing for a week or 2.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Lazy, in thinking back, I wouldn't be all that interested in reading something like this forum without contributing my paltry thoughts at the same time. It is the interactive nature of this medium that makes it so compelling.

I have no insight into those folks who lurk forever. I think I read for a week before I posted my first time. But until lately, my posts were few and far between, as, unlike CFB and Nords and the other wonderful resources here, I have knowledge of but a few things, and find this forum to be my best resource for everything from fire ant control to muscle car pictures! Plus, I love the annuity discussions. jk.

 

[donheff]

until lately, my posts were few and far between, as, unlike CFB and Nords and the other wonderful resources here, I have knowledge of but a few things...

I never let that stand in my way. If you don't know what you are talking about just raise your voice

 

[Purron]

I found this forum when I was pretty sure I wanted to ER by just "googling" about retirement. I lurked for a couple of weeks then joined in. Even though I was pretty sure I was on solid ground, I needed some support and found it here.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Thread title is hysterical, Lazy!

Lazy, in thinking back, I wouldn't be all that interested in reading something like this forum without contributing my paltry thoughts at the same time. It is the interactive nature of this medium that makes it so compelling.

I have no insight into those folks who lurk forever. I think I read for a week before I posted my first time. But until lately, my posts were few and far between, as, unlike CFB and Nords and the other wonderful resources here, I have knowledge of but a few things, and find this forum to be my best resource for everything from fire ant control to muscle car pictures! Plus, I love the annuity discussions. jk.

I like this post, Sarah--I feel like I really don't have much to contribute--so many people here are smart and witty and also have such varied backgrounds and points of view that sometimes I'm intimidated, but I like to throw in a boring stupid post now and then just to see if I can kill a thread.

Someone hit me over the head with the 4% swr (the lightbulb went on over my head when I realized in simplest terms that that rate would make your $ last 25 years assuming no inflation, no growth). They recommended FireCalc about 4 years ago, and that led to this website.

 

[kumquat]

I thought I knew the answer, lazy. So, to verify these thoughts I searched my posts starting from the first. Got the true answer which is:

Damned if I know.

 

[laurence]

Thread title is hysterical, Lazy!



I like this post, Sarah--I feel like I really don't have much to contribute--so many people here are smart and witty and also have such varied backgrounds and points of view that sometimes I'm intimidated, but I like to throw in a boring stupid post now and then just to see if I can kill a thread.

Someone hit me over the head with the 4% swr (the lightbulb went on over my head when I realized in simplest terms that that rate would make your $ last 25 years assuming no inflation, no growth). They recommended FireCalc about 4 years ago, and that led to this website.

I feel the same way at times, that the expertise and drive for knowledge of some of the posters makes my contributions a little pointless. But I think the "everyperson" posts really help flesh out a community and give you a sense of the median/average member on the board, and what's working for them.

 

[calmloki]

Think i was surfing around checking out Vixen motor home travel after one went on Ebay locally. Somehow went from there to the old trailer park down in S. Arizona: Welcome to the Shady Dell! . Then trailerparks in the southwest, then the Kaderlis, then the Early Retirement home page, then here. Or something like that. Had asked a question on the Fatwallet board about ways to improve our money utilization and was ratpacked by a bunch of little no-money kids that found me too much of a braggart. Rude. This seemed more civil, more of a peer group.

 

[Nords]

It sort of screwed me up a little bit though. I had never heard of or contemplated a Safe Withdrawal Rate. I had never considered finely tuned multiple asset allocation strategies, buckets, or never ending discussions about mortgages, annuities and social security.
How little I knew and/or worried about...

I know, I know, it can all be terribly confusing... so I recommend you do a keyword search for "annuity"!

 

[W2R]

Personally I wasn't really looking for an EARLY retirement forum - - I already knew that I would be at least 61 before I could retire.

When I googled on something like "retirement forum", I came up with the usual bunch. I lurked at Morningstar Diehards for a while (before the splinter off to make the Bogleheads). At that time it cost $5 to join so I could post, though, and I was too [-]cheap[/-] [-]thrifty[/-] [-]frugal[/-] [-]pennypinching[/-] LBYM'y to pay that much. Kept reading and reading, but sitting quietly was a bit of a challenge and I wanted more.

Eventually I decided to try this forum. The reason I focused in on this one, was that it was about the right size with about the right number of daily posts to be interesting. I really don't like those boards that just get 5 posts a day, y'know? And then if there are too many posts, it is difficult to keep up. Plus, the board seemed to have a good mix of educational posts versus posts sharing personal experiences. Initially I thought I might be too old for the ER forum, but CFB assured me that I probably wouldn't be booted off.

I am not shy about posting, so it didn't require anything special to draw me out of the closet. I have enjoyed participating in message boards, and before that, usenet, for a long time. My usual procedure upon first arriving at such a site is to read intensively for a couple of weeks or so, to try to get a feel for what is going on, and then post. So, I did. I think my first post was on a thread asking if we cut back on spending for retirement. Nothing new or earthshaking. It was time.

 

[Cattusbabe]

Great thread Lazy. We never outed because we were never in. DH and I found this site just before my MIL passed leaving us with enough money to FIRE. We did not want to blow it. We had cleaned up our financial acts prior to the inheritance. Had gotten out of debt and had the emergency fund and budget down. We set about saving and figured with our SS and a small pension we'd be ok. When caring for my MIL during her final years we learned something was coming and it was an order of magnitude from what we were used to handling so we had to smarten up fast. But who do you talk to who would not try to take you for all you have. There is a lot of bad advice floating around out there. When looking advice on financial planning I stumbled into a link to firecalc. The rest is history. The advice here has saved us from making poor choices and given us the confidence to FIRE and know that we can manage our money and stay comfortably retired for the rest of our lives.

 

[bbbamI]

I need to add one more thing...I was searching for a forum that not only talked about finances, but bacon as well. I feel at home now.

 

[unclemick]

I was dinking around with this webtv thingy I bought on sale at K Mart and ran across Dory36's - 33% That's My Story article via his forum on The Retire Early Homepage.

Got me to thinking - if Dory would would tighten a tad - he could almost be as cheap an SOB as my SO thought I was in our fish camp over Lake Ponchartrain.

Been downhill ever since. Every time this forum begins to get too classy - I try to loosen em up.

Although I will be the the first to admit the pancake stacks are sheer elegance/genious?

heh heh heh -

 

[rogersteciak]

I was stressed out from an assignment and decided to take a sabbatical after it ended (I was just crossing the 4% SWR threshold at the time, which meant I could afford to take my time to get my head together before deciding what I wanted to do next).

Then I read Bob Clyatt's newly published book Work Less, Live More and decided I was in early semi-retirement instead. It was from his book's Web page that I found this site. I had also been following The Retire Early Home Page and other resources for many years, so the concepts about financial freedom and independence were not new to me.

Then I got some assignments again (they just fell into my lap) and decided I was in a working sabbatical and early semi-retirement both at the same time. But I don't care what I call it because being able to FIRE and accept only those assignments I like gives me financial and career alternatives I never had before.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Frankly, having been here since 2004, I can't recall why I joined. I must have felt especially frustrated at work. I found FireCalc which told me I could retire in 5 years. Well, it's almost 5 years hence, and i can only say semi-retire, perhaps, but definitely not ER, surf, drink, post here full time, and remodel my house full time like some people.

 

[Htown Harry]

I lurked for a month or two, then there was a gap of three months between joining and making my first post.

My first contribution was to a subject I could relate to and speak on with some confidence...one of REWahoo's infamous "Texas critters" threads.

Starting my first thread took several months more.

Looking back, the interesting thing about that extended time was that I was struggling with an increasing toxic w**k environment. I spent my evenings thinking about jumping overboard from my Megacorp job one way or another. Finding this forum with so many forward-thinking people helped steady my financial thinking while I stood at a career crossroads.

Yes, the topics can get a bit repetitive at times, but I can't overstate benefits that this noobie lurker got from learning about Firecalc, PenFed, individual health policies, 4% SWR, LBYM, asset allocation, etc. Without making a single post...

Now I check the board most every day to see what's new. Only posting once or twice a week, but still grateful for all of the good advice and bad jokes delivered by the many regulars.

 

[whitestick]

Had one of those countdown clocks on my computer ticking off the time till retirement, and one day, did a search to see if I could validate my assumptions about being able to retire at 65/66, with a slight thought about 62. Found this forum, and lurked for several months, then became somewhat frustrated as the topics kept getting close to what I wanted to know, but would veer off, when it got close. Started posting, questioning, and commenting, to get more granular information, and began to realize that I could even retire before 62, if I wanted to. When Mega-corp came along with an early out, I reran my calculations and stepped off the deep end.
Appreciate every ones answering my questions, and even some of the arguments, which just confirmed my resolve, and my plans. So far, the plan is working - did somebody say the market was down or something the last year or so? Didn't notice.
Back to the good life.

 

[Linney]

I found the Retire Early Home Page and devoured the content each month. Looking for more, I started reading the discussion boards some days, kept coming back again and again until it became a daily habit. I lurked for years before signing up as a member. What 'brought me out of the closet' was that I needed some financial advice and I felt I could trust this forum to provide balanced input on the question.

I don't post very much because work still sucks up too much of my time and energy. (woo hoo! I'm recently surpassed 200 posts, amazing!) Too often I can't even read all the posts I want too, much less take the time to compose a posting. I'm still on track for early retirement in 2009 or 2010 and can't wait to get there.

--Linney

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i think this comment could become a classic:

back when mammoths roamed the web.

which when yahoo searched, just as suspected, i got "we did not find results". and when i google your quote, i found only your original. nice thinking. the community heard it here first.

i certainly can relate to the intimidation of coming out of a closet. when i came out in real life, my college roommate told me that i didn't just come out, i poured out. but even when you don't think you have a drop to contribute or when what you do cuts cross current, you'd be surprised how accommodating a body of water can be. so you drop in and test the waters. either the banks will burst, a little might splash out or the level will simply rise while the waters find new depth.

(waiting for hfwr's water closet remark--sorry, beat ya to it bud.)

there have been some really excellent responses here. i would also like to invite into the pool current lurkers who might even be reading this thread but haven't logged on. come out, come out wherever you are.

 

[Khan]

i think this comment could become a classic:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Khan
back when mammoths roamed the web.

which when yahoo searched, just as suspected, i got "we did not find results". and when i google your quote, i found only your original. nice thinking. the community heard it here first.

It was spontaneous. As I was typing I was thinking about my internet history and how it seemingly stretched back to the Pleistocene.

 

[Dawg52]

When I first stumbled on the forum, I really didn't get much out of it. But as I got closer to retirement, I ran my numbers over and over through Firecalc. As a result, I became more interested. Also a good place to pick the brains of experienced early retirees.

 

[Achiever51]

This is the one and only forum I participate in, so it must have something special to keep me coming back. Bacon? Texas Critters? More military lingo than I could possibly follow? T-Al's always interesting "projects"? Good suggestions about travel, RVs, Wiis, whatever....

Anyway, I found the site after finding FIRECalc -- which helped convince me that retiring early was something that I really could do! And after lurking for a few days, I wanted to be a part of this by posting.

I feel very comfortable here, even if I don't post for awhile because I'm trying to get more done around the house this summer. Whenever I return, though, it's easy to get back up to speed. Nice group of webfriends here.

 

[Moemg]

By the way great thread Lazy !

 

[flipstress]

so, was it a question you thought you’d have answered? a quality you thought you could contribute? a statement that rubbed you the wrong way? a desire to reach out for a like-minded poster? an opportunity to correct error on the internet?

what brought the lurking you out of the closet?

I think I lurked without signing up as a member for a few months in 2004. I found the way here from TMF's RE forum, the one founded by intercst. I had a question for Dory36 and was informed he was no longer posting there and had founded this board. It was about the same thing that unclemick mentioned--Dory 36's needing only 33% or 1/3 of gross to retire.

I like this board's being more organized as far as topics go than the TMF forum. It seemed there were less posts, too, and I could easily find what was of interest to me. I found the posters smart and funny, and there seemed to be a level of respect most of the time, like with friends in the real world.

Still, it took me a while to post because I didn't feel like I had much to contribute and was more on the taking side rather than the giving side, i.e., that of learning. But then, maybe words of support, friendship, and warmth are enough to offer once in a while, so that's what my posts are about.

My first post was to give someone advice about how to meet people to date (--how ironic, coming from someone who hasn't had much dating experience, one who had to ask a friend what it means when a guy friend brings you flowers when you invite them for supper at your house And I was over 30 at the time And I still can't be sure what it means without considering other clues and factors, the whole context of the friendship...)

My second post was to ask for more details about a home-theater set-up.

In addition to the other positives mentioned, the helpfulness of other posters made me comfortable to post more. This is the only board in which I actively participate.