Retire Early and Enjoy Your Life!

I can only imagine the stress, thrill, tiredness, and excitement! Well, in my opinion, one of the key types of mindset for living longer and happy is having long-term goals! I hope you can achieve all your goals! I will do my best to achieve mine! I really enjoyed reading your perspective after 5 years of financial independence.

Keys to Retiring Early

My case for reaching FI is different in that I am not necessarily motivated by starting a family. My dream has always been to work on my own terms from the comfort of my home or a coffee shop. I am a little bit of an introvert in person and I find that being by myself recharges me. On the other hand, spending time in large groups drains me. Instead of being an employee, all I dream about is waking up early to make a coffee and work on managing my investment portfolio and blog from the comfort of my desk at home. I just want the fulfillment, freedom and flexibility from that lifestyle.

In my vision I can see myself blogging, investing, spending time with family and friends, travelling, and exercising to fill up the extra time. Further, there are so many additional luxuries to FI such as having more time to enjoy and prepare healthier food. Perhaps a family would be more fulfilling. However, at this point, all I know is that being away from the corporate office makes me a better person. It truly helps me appreciate people more. Other than the reasons mentioned above, the other part of my WHY is the challenge and process of achieving your goals.

Having something to work towards makes life more purposeful. Those are great goals! And goals that I had when I was younger as well. I will say that the freedom to do what you want and go to the coffee shop to work on your online business is amazing. Keep on trying to shoot for it. And good things will slowly come. You seem like a perfect candidate for this kind of thing. This is great Sam. Congratulations on hitting the 5 year mark!

While your topics and subject matter vary, each post seems to be well thought out, methodical and exudes the vision that you have painted for yourself so clearly! Please keep the articles coming! I really enjoyed hearing your adventure during the first years of retirement. I am in a bit of a different situation and wondering what you and others my have for advice. I have saved and saved and have a reasonable passive income. I have wonderful children who are well on their way to success. My husband and I have had a great life and planned for a future of travel and fun with early retirement.

The change in the plan is that my husband unexpectedly passed away. Now I am almost afraid to not work. My kids are great and I want to visit them, as well as travel. When your spouse passes it is somewhat like getting divorced as your friends that are couples see you different. My girlfriends still have kids at home. I am concerned about retirement and all alone will look like and yes, I do keep myself busy with hobbies and more but retirement brings a lot of available time.

I travel a ton on group tours, and meet wonderful people. I live in a condo, and I have excellent neighbors who I socialize with. I power walk miles a day, 6 days a week, so I am healthier than I was when I worked.

How to Retire Early - 6 Important Life Decisions

This is what I hope life will be like if I just get the guts to do it. I have been thinking about the group tours as well. I have done some travel on my own I do like the freedom of doing what I want but I have been considering a tour either through one of the active tour companies like backcountry or one affiliated with a university alumni group. Thank you for your insight. I do travel by myself without knowing anyone else on the tour. I meet really nice people. Travelzoo is a good aggregator, too. I sometimes book on my own or through Travelzoo, and sometimes through AAA.

One of the guys retired at the legal retirement age and his wife passed away soon after. I think to overcome this, you need to find your passion because eventually you will reach the retirement age and finding work may be difficult. Unless of course work is your true passion. Travelling sounds like the best one to start with. Yes, I think you may be right and travelling may be the answer at least initially. I am wondering how those people on HGTV manage to go to say London for a month, the Australia for a month and then they decide to journey to somewhere else all without a real plan.

In Europe they have the schengen visa, which allows you to enter multiple countries in one go. I know people without a plan and they are uber spontaneous! And when they arrive at their destination, then only they plan where to stay! Also check out what your hometown offers. For example, my hometown offers whale watching.

If ever you want a humbling experience, that is it!!! I do miss the banter with co-workers on occasion. I really enjoyed reading this post. Reaching this point feels different than I thought and in a really good way. I guess that with great FU money power comes great responsibility. All very insightful information from someone who has been on this road for 5 years. Flexibility was a big reason I left the traditional workplace 6 years ago. So much was getting pushed off to the short weekend, including chores, fun, and even a full night of sleep.

I spent the majority of the time surviving, not thriving. Must have been quite a pitch. That was in your mid-to-early 20s right? I may expand on the Bulldog Gin story https: I used to be under the impression the many people roaming the streets were probably unemployed. It took a while to realize they might be small business owners who actually have the time to enjoy a sunny day in the middle of the week! I enjoy the growth, but I enjoy the writing and connecting more. The folks roaming during the middle of the day have figured it out!

Going against rush hour is a huge happiness booster. Excellent message about retiring early and the stigma that it has. The money is just a tool used to accomplish that. Working on my tools now: The vast majority of Americans hate their jobs, and part of it is because of the soulless and pointless nature of modern work. We dedicate our time, health, and lives to an employer for the privilege of continuing to be able to do so. I had this moment at , especially after happened a couple years earlier.

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Then I had the same moment in I felt little purpose at work anymore. Had to move on. So much happier now being able to connect with normal folks looking to get ahead. A buddy of mine recently left education to focus on his burgeoning real estate empire. It was a difficult decision for him because he loves kids, but it has allowed him to focus on his own family and still work on projects that benefit kids in need. So long as we know our Why front and center, life has so much more meaning. For me Early Retirement is about choices.

I passed my 5 years anniversary last October. Except I only retired at 56, so only a few years early. No negotiated exit package though! Those 5 years have just been amazing. I feel so much richer in body and spirit as a result. I even started a blog a few months ago. I dream of 1, page views a month, let alone , a month! Erith, I smile reading your comment! Well done on your ER journey as well and congratulations for doing so.

Great job taking the initiative to start your site. Growth can be huge, so cherish it! Have not ruled out PT work was a financial analyst then IT project manager at the end of my career. Sorry to hear about the involuntary downsizing, but 31 years is a good run! Hopefully they gave you a decent severance? You are feeling more of the temporary ego hit and routine disruption, which is totally normal.

Be unemployed and proud I say. Think about all the income taxes you are saving too: Thanks for sharing your experiences Sam. Hey Sam — Congrats on the big milestone. As always, appreciate the wisdom here as we prepare to pull the plug later this year.

What do you think your biggest lesson has been since retiring? Has retiring been better than you expected or met your expectation? The fear in your head is greater than reality. We are taught to be conservative, but it is the calculated risk-takers that make great strides.

Good luck on your side hustle! Thanks for the great articles. We are now actually financially independent! The problem is that my husband refuses to leave his job. Our friends also mocked me last month for discussing it. Here in Canada, we have maternity leave for one year, so I was planning on retiring once maternity leave was over in ten months.

So unless I can convince my husband to stop working — we will both work for the sake of working. I will continue to live my retirement dreams through your blog. Knowing yourself and taking good care of people who matter to you is vital to a good life. I kept stashing the corporate salary away every month, and accrued a tidy sum in that time. Great post about the reality of early retirement! I am currently on a mini-retirement stint. I stay at home with my 3-yr old daughter but also doing an online MBA program education grant with income.

So effectively, FI has moved down a couple of years. It was weird at first to not go to work but once school started, I felt that my life was more balanced and that I absolutely made the right decision. Which life insurance startup did you interview with? I am in the Bay Area too and did interview with lots of startups over the years. HealthIQ was one of them and is in the life insurance business. Wondering if that was it. What I like is how honest you are about that change in perspective. Your email address will not be published. Don't subscribe All Replies to my comments Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.

You can also subscribe without commenting. Sign up for the private Financial Samurai newsletter! Hi Jim, Being able to leave the workforce by the time your daughter turns 14 is awesome! Haha — just noticed the MartyMcFly name… nice! Just a good reason not to take on too much debt risk like that early on in your career.

How long do you plan to stay in big law for? Congrats on 5 year anniversary. Love your content and research. If you doubled your investment return to The age at which you can enjoy freedom from full-time employment with some degree of security is dependent upon the following life choices. At the turn of the 19th century, destitute British noble families regained their fortunes by trading titles for American cash. Nouveau riche American fathers were happy to wed their daughters with accompanying dowries to bankrupt English lords in return for an adopted lineage.

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Picking a fabulously wealthy partner has always been a common method of achieving financial freedom. One partner who is miserly and another who is a spendthrift may find preparing for an early retirement difficult and frustrating — and likely un-doable. Be sure your potential mate shares your values and ambitions, and is willing to make similar sacrifices when and if necessary to achieve your mutual goals. However, children are expensive. Fortunately, adding children is not quite as costly: These numbers do not include college expenses.

Generally speaking, it is more expensive to live in a big city than a smaller town, on one of the coasts rather than in the middle of the country, and in the North instead of the South. Conversely, moving from a high-cost area where you may have been employed, to a lower-cost area for retirement is a common strategy. Many Americans elect to retire and live in a smaller country to stretch their retirement savings.

It is virtually impossible to retire early if you consume all or a bulk of your income for living expenses. It was almost if I finally woke up from a dream. Real life is now…finally. Things never work out like we thought, right? It was hard to exercise regular in the first few years because our kid was home. Exercise is just one of them.

Looking forward to reading that post. Interesting stuff, that sticky sauce analogy sounds about right, congrats on washing it all off.

Final Word

Good to hear you are spending time doing what you want, on the things you believe in. Kinda depressing to read on my lunch breaking, knowing I need to go back to work for 4 or 5 more hours today. Life is short, retire early and enjoy it…makes a heck of a lot more sense to me and you! The sticky sauce analogy is a good one.

Even though we retired three years ago at age 44, we have a daughter in college who requested that we maintain the house until she graduates. Not unreasonable I guess. I completely understand, but I am sure that you are counting down the days…oh, the things that we do for our kids, right? You summed it up perfectly. Understand what you want out of your time alive, and then go out and get that life with all your heart. We really have nothing to loose. Way to chase your dreams. It just grows ever more tiresome to keep having to live your life crammed into 2 out of every 7 days.

And, I completely agree. But grocery shopping is like a quest! Haha, at least at our grocery store. Thanks for the comment, Felicity! My wife, however, can walk right down the aisle and pick things out almost immediately. I might get it tattooed on my arm for motivation and to show people every time they question my pursuit of ER!

Early Retirement Five Years Later: Reflections On Life After Work

I am so glad you wrote this post! I have been wondering how much of what you think you will do in retirement actually carries through. My current day dreams revolve around hitting the road with my dog and not coming back until I have taken a peek under every corner of this country.

I once thought I would walk across america as Peter Jenkins once did, but I have since decided a car would make more sense…my dog is getting old I would never admit that it could be me getting old! I am living vicariously through you two! Yeah, so many things are different about the things I do. I am working on my own plan. Trading time for money! I want the time.

I have days, I might be able to do it a bit sooner! Amen to that, Ricardo! You made a great decision to begin prioritizing your time over money. Life is so much more fulfilling that way! Thanks for sharing this with us Steve. Thanks for taking the time to read and look! I have found that there is a lot of wisdom in slowing down. Sounds like a fantastic future.

Cheers to slowing it down more. BTW, who is going to take care of the dogs when you all decide to go abroad? Awesome thoughts on your experience. My wife and I were talking about this just yesterday and it is cool to read about shifting priorities! Washing an airstream sounds like something I would rather do then go to work. Steve, I imagine the beauty of retiring early is you really can do just what you want. I like the idea of taking more time to do simple things like grocery shopping. Seems like a nice way to enjoy the day, live in the moment, and be mindful. I enjoy the conviction and aunthenticity in your writing style.

I find your blog inspiring and enjoy the sense of purpose in which you live your life. Thanks Mark, appreciate your feedback very much! Keeping things as authentic as possible is definitely a motivating factor for us. Glad it comes across! Prior to retirement we had preconceived notions of how we were going to spend our days — gardening, woodworking, etc.

Instead we travel full-time in a motorhome and love it. I flew to DC Wednesday and flew back Thursday- 6 hour flight, because I have to work today and all weekend. I was feeling anxious about the entire thing and it was a mental and physical drain…so yeah, I hear you about not working. The working out is interesting. I suspect I would be the same. Get in what I need and then get out…no long days at the gym for me. Also noticed the Cardinals cap. Congrats on getting Larry Fitzgerald back for one more year! Although I think he would be better served joining my new juggernaut in Philly;.

I was over the moon when I heard Fitzgerald was coming back for one more year. What an amazing receiver. There are far too many studies that show mortality rates increase sharply the day people retire. And why I built side gigs that are every bit as mentally demanding as my old job, but are also many less hours per week. But what if they retire at 65 and have the cleanest car on the block? My husband and I just returned to work after a six week break.

It highlights how much work takes from us as we sit there like short-tempered zombies in the evening. That sticky sauce is hard to wash away. The most remarkable early retirement surprise I've experienced - Retirement Wow. Yep, yep and yep. I am really starting to feel the full energy drain of work. As a people manager for the last 30 years I am pretty much all peopled out …… just need to hang in there for a few more to reach FIRE.

I retired at age 35 — here are 7 lessons I learned working in the corporate world BeleggersAcademy. They are not just low income but many cannot even rely on a steady low income as hours and even whole jobs get cut. These people can live very nice lives and have plenty left over to save. The future is bleak for most Americans.