Early-retirement wannabe

robin61

Nationwide8 wrote: »

P.S.If people see others retiring "early" maybe think...what sacrifices have they made to enable themselves to do that ? and would you be willing to do the same.

I think a lot of people keep working because they focus on how much they will lose by retiring early rather than working out how much they will need and at what point they can meet those needs. You need to be able to do that and then not get bogged down with thoughts about how much more you could've had.

gallygirl

missyrichards wrote: »

I find it strange that so few people seem interested in retiring early. I think the YOLO mindset is firmly entrenched with some people.

The YOLO mindset was firmly entrenched with me too - I didn't want to spend it working .

Thrugelmir

missyrichards wrote: »

I find it strange that so few people seem interested in retiring early.

I'm happy to continue to work and therefore travel (in style) while I'm fit and healthy enough to do so. I've no wish to live a life of a hermit simply to escape the rat race earlier.

Goldiegirl

Thrugelmir wrote: »

I'm happy to continue to work and therefore travel (in style) while I'm fit and healthy enough to do so. I've no wish to live a life of a hermit simply to escape the rat race earlier.

There's no need to live like a hermit when you retire early, unless you want too, of course.

The early retired have drawn a balance between time and money, and for the people who opt to retire early, the time is more valuable than the money.

I retired 8 months ago at the age of 54, so it's early days for me as yet.

But I love having the time to go out for days and see more of this country. Plus I've got the time for longer holidays that would never have been possible while I was working. I'm going on a cruise for 5 weeks in February, and I'm really looking forward to that.

Maybe if I was still working I would have booked a better cabin..... But if I was still working I wouldn't be going anyway, as I'd never have been able to take 5 weeks off.

I suspect for most early retirees the sheer joy of never having to work again outweighs not travelling first class.

Everyone makes their own choices, and I would never criticise someone who feels that early retirement isn't for them.

But early retirement is the ultimate freedom, and, although we may be on reduced incomes our lives are much richer, and we 'do' much more than when we worked. We even leave the house sometimes!

gfplux

The discussion over wether to retire (early) or not is very complex.
Before I retired 17/18 years ago at 52 I thought it was ONLY about planning to have enough money.
Now all these years later I realise there are things I NEVER thought about. Today for me there are two things that contribute and add or detract to life after retirement that I and I think most do not take into account.
That is the fitness of the body and the attitude of mind.
We all know that when you are young you think you will live forever and that "risk" is just living life.
What I have come to understand is that although we perhaps realise in our 40's and 50's that we can die and that living on the edge is just too dangerous. This is an ongoing process in our 50's, 60's and 70's.
You will never ever get back your vigorous body and mind set of your 50's and you can either spend that time working or some of it retired.
Frankly I could go on and on but it is very boring to people who still on their journey to early retirement.
To those people I would just urge to add this into their calculations.
We all know the famous saying "if I only knew then what I know now"
That is very true of life post retirement.
I am convinced that I am fitter physically at 70 than I would have been because I have had the spare time to take part in physical activity that I had no time for when I worked.

ManofLeisure_2

Very wise words indeed Gfplus.

I retired nearly 5 years ago and haven't looked back. I probably would have plodded on a little longer, but my wife's brush with cancer was a wake-up call. Although she has been given the ''all clear'' she has never truly recovered (physically and emotionally) from her ordeal.

Life is short and each day is truly a blessing

missyrichards

gallygirl wrote: »

The YOLO mindset was firmly entrenched with me too - I didn't want to spend it working .

Very true.:p

gfplux wrote: »

Now all these years later I realise there are things I NEVER thought about. Today for me there are two things that contribute and add or detract to life after retirement that I and I think most do not take into account.
That is the fitness of the body and the attitude of mind.
We all know that when you are young you think you will live forever and that "risk" is just living life.
What I have come to understand is that although we perhaps realise in our 40's and 50's that we can die and that living on the edge is just too dangerous. This is an ongoing process in our 50's, 60's and 70's.
You will never ever get back your vigorous body and mind set of your 50's and you can either spend that time working or some of it retired.

I'm not 40 yet but I know that you can age faster than you would hope. My husband had cancer and that made us evaluate our future. I don't want him working longer than about 55 if all goes well.:)

seven-day-weekend

gallygirl wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Early retired in Spain and dutifully learning the language . They have two verbs for 'To Be' - Ser and Estar - you choose which one based on permanence, amongst other things. Fellow student said 'soy cansado' - I am tired. Young teacher said 'no, it should be 'estoy cansado' as it's only temporary'. Whole class (we're all of a certain age ) piped up 'no it's not' :rotfl:.

If in doubt, retire to Spain. 'Nanna naps' have an official name of siestas here

:rotfl::rotfl: We retired to Spain too, for eight years, in our mid-fifties, We are back in the UK now and in our mid-60s. I keep telling people that the nap I take in the afternoon is 'because I got used to the siesta in Spain'. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.:)

We have downsized to a bungalow and supplement our income with house/pet-sitting. my husband does musical gigs with his mate and I volunteer at a Job Club so we have plenty to do.

Now we are getting all our Pensions we have enough income and don't have to worry about savings, but when we were in Spain we had only my husband's Teachers Pension to live on, so had to live quite frugally, so we did learn to live on very little.

atush

Just put of interest (as so many are keen to go off) why did you return?

ognum

Thrugelmir wrote: »

I'm happy to continue to work and therefore travel (in style) while I'm fit and healthy enough to do so. I've no wish to live a life of a hermit simply to escape the rat race earlier.

We retired early and use the time to travel(in style) and be away for as long as we want when we want.

I have yet in retirement to travel in anything less than a buisness class cabin, long and short haul and am out of the country for probably 5 months a year, we are fit and healthy.

Why do you believe early retirement equals living like a hermit?