Author Topic: Devil's Advocate: Non financial reasons to hold a job  (Read 6570 times)

bluebelle

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Re: Devil's Advocate: Non financial reasons to hold a job
« Reply #50 on: February 15, 2020, 12:50:30 PM »
I think it's all very personal.  We are FI but not RE, and that decision was based on the following:

1.  Staying married.  DH is a natural spendypants and wants a much higher level of luxury in retirement than our current investments would support, and has no desire to quit yet.

2.  Access to high-level, intellectually stimulating work in the area I've trained for.  I have a very low boredom threshold, and while I could volunteer or set up my own shop, I would not have access to the same brain-twister work I enjoy.  (This is also the big driver for DH: he is doing very advanced tech work that requires investments that start with a "B," so once he quits, that's all gone)  I also really, really like the people I work with -- and I'm an introvert, so that doesn't come easily.  And the work I do matters to them, too -- not just financially, but I have a big responsibility within the firm, and people appreciate my doing it.  Plus they think I'm wicked smart, which is good for my ego.

We're sharing the same life....except  I fear my DH will be the one that sits and surfs the web once RE

I don't seem to make friends easily - people seem to enjoy my company, but unless I make the effort, there isn't any social interaction - I get sufficient social interaction from work with the 5 minutes of fluff talk before a web-ex call starts (I work from home), or from the various on-line chat mediums the company uses.

I get alot of satisfaction out of what I do, it stretches my brain, and it is generally not too stressful.   I like being around people, but have not yet found my tribe outside of work.   I'm reasonably bright but fortunate that I'm not the smartest person in the room at work.....too often I am in social situations, and I keep trying to optimize things around me.