The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Post-FIRE => Topic started by: winterfi on November 14, 2018, 10:01:58 AM
-
For those of you have reached FI:
How has it changed your life in a way that you never realized it would?
Good or bad
-
One interesting result of being FI for the last few years is that on some level, I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
-
One interesting result of being FI for the last few years is that on some level, I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
Sounds like "Office Space" :)
-
One interesting result of being FI for the last few years is that on some level, I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
That's ironic. Honestly that should also apply to people on their way to FIRE with a decent pile of $FU. It's suprising how hard it is to internalize that mentality of not needing to care about the stuff that shouldn't matter.
-
One interesting result of being FI for the last few years is that on some level, I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
I still haven't accepted this. I'm conflicted because I know I'm more talented and experienced than people being promoted above me, but took myself out of the running almost two years ago with some health issues my wife has been going through. Now I just can't choose to work that much and the level of idiocy runs so deep in the company I couldn't tolerate working for the grandboss either.
-
One interesting result of being FI for the last few years is that on some level, I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
I still haven't accepted this. I'm conflicted because I know I'm more talented and experienced than people being promoted above me, but took myself out of the running almost two years ago with some health issues my wife has been going through. Now I just can't choose to work that much and the level of idiocy runs so deep in the company I couldn't tolerate working for the grandboss either.
There are other jobs at other companies, grasshopper.
-
My unexpected result is that I am far less frugal now that we are FI. I used to track every penny, balance check books, calculate my net worth all of the time. I don't sweat over bills increasing or unexpected bills any more. We eat out a lot more. I can absorb most of what life throws at me financially with grace since I can just make it up by delaying retirement even further.
-
One interesting result of being FI for the last few years is that on some level, I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
I still haven't accepted this. I'm conflicted because I know I'm more talented and experienced than people being promoted above me, but took myself out of the running almost two years ago with some health issues my wife has been going through. Now I just can't choose to work that much and the level of idiocy runs so deep in the company I couldn't tolerate working for the grandboss either.
There are other jobs at other companies, grasshopper.
I'm going to try the "retire early" part and stay in touch with my network if that doesn't work out
-
For those of you have reached FI:
How has it changed your life in a way that you never realized it would?
Good or bad
Interesting question....Trying to find the "best" ways to explain it here. The DW and I are still the same frugal, adventurous couple we were 10-20 years ago, only we take things much more slowly today. Maybe that's an answer in it self, don't have to hurry for (most) anything anymore.
That said, in no particular order:
1) The ability to travel almost anywhere in the world if we chose to.
2) Far less worry about loosing a *job* (Was laid-off years ago.)
3) Ability for home/ auto repairs without much worry about cost.
4) Less worry about how much we make (or don't make) and our relationship with money.
5) Just KNOWING that I could quit anytime I wanted...
-
Improved bowel movements. I'm convinced work related stress produces hormones that are binding agents. My stools are smoother and more vigorous. It a joy to squeeze one off now. Never would have expected that.
-
Improved bowel movements. I'm convinced work related stress produces hormones that are binding agents. My stools are smoother and more vigorous. It a joy to squeeze one off now. Never would have expected that.
2 words I don't want to see together when eating breakfast haha.
-
For me it's how easy it has been to bring in some side income. I feel like I have a constant flow of carpentry work and have even turned down a couple jobs because I simply didn't feel like doing them.
-
An unexplained desire for Grey Poupon and a butler.
-
Life has been much better than I ever dreamed it would be.
Money is insignificant. It’s just there. Nothing to think about.
-
Improved bowel movements. I'm convinced work related stress produces hormones that are binding agents. My stools are smoother and more vigorous. It a joy to squeeze one off now. Never would have expected that.
I experienced the same. :)
-
Better Health. I never realized how much my job was affecting my health. Sitting at a desk for 8-10 hours a day was causing chronic back and hip pain that went away when I retired. I recently saw a commercial that claimed that prolonged sitting at a desk could be as harmful to your health as smoking. I am inclined to believe it.
-
I have experienced both 1) the ability to speak up or otherwise be more confident in my positions due to not needing anyone else's approval and the resulting increase in competence and 2) the release of concern about small money decisions.
On both of those fronts I have a "boomerang" fear that I sometimes wrestle, that being that I will be too confident and piss people off and somehow get kicked out of my job and 2) that my lack of concern for money will somehow convert me into a spendthrift. I feel confident that is just self-doubt/fear talking so I carry on. Overall, it's been awesome.
-
Improved bowel movements. I'm convinced work related stress produces hormones that are binding agents. My stools are smoother and more vigorous. It a joy to squeeze one off now. Never would have expected that.
I experienced the same. :)
+3 funny but true!
-
Improved bowel movements. I'm convinced work related stress produces hormones that are binding agents. My stools are smoother and more vigorous. It a joy to squeeze one off now. Never would have expected that.
I experienced the same. :)
+3 funny but true!
Possibly +4, though it's too early to be certain that the calmness at the far end of my digestive system will turn out to be an enduring benefit of FIRE rather than a random fluctuation in the behaviour of a capricious intestine. Since I tended to be fine on vacation, I've long suspected that my innards disapproved of long days mostly spent seated at a desk and eating while I worked.
Also no mid-afternoon migraines. The headache was usually trivial, but the prodrome was an overwhelming feeling of fatigue which I really, really didn't need when I was trying to work.
And an overwhelming desire to sit very still and stare at nothing. I was warned about that, but I was determined that it wouldn't happen to me.
-
One of the things that I have learned to appreciate since retirement(one of so many), is while working I had a habit of wanting to get to the next weekend so I could do whatever I wanted with my day. I knew that time passes too quickly without focusing on the weekends. Now I control my time and cherish everyday.
-
Since you just said FI and not ER, it's definitely been not worrying about the little things. I feel like I have better control over my life and make better decisions because I can think more about the big picture and ignore *every little purchase*. The Finance Buff once said that the opportunity cost of his ER is similar to spending a significant amount to not work. On the flip side, I am FI but still like my work, so if I go to a new restaurant that sucks or feel ripped off for the quality, I don't stew over it like I did on the way to FI. Little luxuries like tipping well, using toll roads to save time, buying popcorn and soda at a movie theater, fast passes at amusement parks - I never would've thought I'd be a frivolous spender like this. I guess it is surprising that I got to FI, then got to 2x my FI number, and then the wealth building snowball just kept going... and yet, I still can't justify buying an overpriced luxury car nor do I want a more expensive house. Did put my daughter in private school and my wife can be a SAHP (she substitute teaches sometimes for fun), these are luxuries that I am grateful I can afford.
Now that I'm an expat, I'm glad I didn't ER yet, but I'm always on the lookout for a good time to start shedding the 35hr job (I'm in France). Work has a lot of nice perks and I enjoy the project and team I am currently with (and learning about my French colleagues is fun, as a tourist, you don't get quite the same openness and willingness to discuss at length in English). But it's nice to know I don't have to work if things aren't so rosy in the future, which will probably happen when I return to the US. Mais tu ne sais jamais!
-
I have struggled with depression my entire life. I've almost totally avoided medication due to side effects but I've kept it to a manageable level with very dedicated focus on treatment techniques that I learned in therapy during High School. About 2 years ago, two things in my life changed. I realized I was FI and I started meditating. The last two years of my life are the only 2 years I remember where I didn't have the cloud of depression either settled over me or hovering ominously nearby. It's gone - completely, totally gone - for the first time in my life. I don't know if it was the meditation (which has been shown to be about as effective as medication and exercise, the two best treatments) or if it's reaching FI and no longer worrying about my career or money. I'm not going to test it because I've found a number of other benefits from meditation and I'm sure as heck not going to "un-FI", so it will remain a mystery in my life as to which one (or if the combination) blew away my depression.
-
I've tried to grow my hair long since I was a teenager without luck. I tried special vitamins. Secret hair care regimens. I paid big money to be analyzed by a long hair expert. Most of this did nothing. (The long hair expert helped a bit.) After a while I accepted the idea that my hair would never grow much past my shoulders or upper back and went on with my life.
Now, without doing anything at all to encourage it, it is skimming my waist. Apparently my job was so stressful I was literally tearing out my hair and preventing it from growing. Who knew?
-
Improved bowel movements. I'm convinced work related stress produces hormones that are binding agents. My stools are smoother and more vigorous. It a joy to squeeze one off now. Never would have expected that.
Oh thank you, I needed that laugh! Whether you're honest or just being silly, I appreciate it. :-D
Also interesting to hear about meditation and depression. I've meditated regularly in the past but got out of the habit - sounds like a good one to start up again!
-
A little background, hurricane Micheal demolished our business, forcing our full retirement 5 weeks ago.
We had house and vehicle damage, and have spent some money on repairs but have only received $5k as
a courtesy check from the insurance company.
This morning I grabbed the small pile of bills and was about to pay them online, and noticed if I paid all the bills there
would be very little left in my checking account. This is my first notice that when the business is not running, the checking account doesn't get funded! :-)
I need to start figuring out how to keep money flowing into the checking account at least until the end of December.
My plan is to make a lump sum deposit into checking on January 1st and the see how much is left after one year.
Maybe I'll find an account that pays a little more than checking.
We expect to spend under $50k a year.
-
I am no longer interested in credit card rewards.
-
My financial life so optimized that I can buy whatever I want, because I never seem to want anything that I can't afford. It's pretty darn fun! Also, no more savings goals to hit. Whatever happens now is passive all the way, baby!
-
I have struggled with depression my entire life. I've almost totally avoided medication due to side effects but I've kept it to a manageable level with very dedicated focus on treatment techniques that I learned in therapy during High School. About 2 years ago, two things in my life changed. I realized I was FI and I started meditating. The last two years of my life are the only 2 years I remember where I didn't have the cloud of depression either settled over me or hovering ominously nearby. It's gone - completely, totally gone - for the first time in my life. I don't know if it was the meditation (which has been shown to be about as effective as medication and exercise, the two best treatments) or if it's reaching FI and no longer worrying about my career or money. I'm not going to test it because I've found a number of other benefits from meditation and I'm sure as heck not going to "un-FI", so it will remain a mystery in my life as to which one (or if the combination) blew away my depression.
Very interesting. My son (15 yo) had depression last year. I assume he will struggle with it for a long time. He is heaps better now and exercise has been the key.
-
Improved bowel movements. I'm convinced work related stress produces hormones that are binding agents. My stools are smoother and more vigorous. It a joy to squeeze one off now. Never would have expected that.
+5. I did not know how common this was until I read this thread.
-
I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
I had the exact opposite experience at work. After I started hitting those magical financial milestones and started seeking some higher purpose at work besides keeping my head down, I got absolutely reamed for it. My boss was angry with me. My coworkers thought I was nuts. "Why would you make waves?" they said. "Why can't you just follow along quietly like everyone else?" and "It's always sucked like this, you just have to endure it" became regular conversations with my peers.
So I think it's very dependent on your workplace. I was a federal employee and the federal system is very regimented, with every interchangeable cog serving a specific purpose and no opportunities for you to do anything else, go anywhere else, say anything else. The machine only works at all if you shut up and go back to your cubicle, no matter how broken it looks, because any dissent is perceived as disloyalty and you'll be branded as a problem employee.
Back in March or April I went to my boss to talk about my career progress, about where I was headed and what I needed to do to get there, and she was horrified that I wasn't happy with my current position. She told me I should be thankful to have my job, and reminded me that I could be fired on a moment's notice if I continued to ask questions. I went in to talk about promotions, and she basically threatened to fire me instead. That was the day I decided I was well and truly done. After that it was only a matter of time before I played out the rest of the game and the last few turns made it crystal clear to me that I was making the right decision by leaving.
So no, I did not find that FI made me a better employee. It made me a truly awful employee, by the standards of that workplace. I started saying "no" to some of the bullshit tasks they wanted done, and there is no more unforgivable sin than refusing to swallow the bullshit, on schedule and in triplicate.
On the bright side, RE has had much more positive effects on my life than FI did. My life is definitely better without a job weighing me down all the time. I highly recommend it.
-
I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
I had the exact opposite experience at work. After I started hitting those magical financial milestones and started seeking some higher purpose at work besides keeping my head down, I got absolutely reamed for it. My boss was angry with me. My coworkers thought I was nuts. "Why would you make waves?" they said. "Why can't you just follow along quietly like everyone else?" and "It's always sucked like this, you just have to endure it" became regular conversations with my peers.
So I think it's very dependent on your workplace. I was a federal employee and the federal system is very regimented, with every interchangeable cog serving a specific purpose and no opportunities for you to do anything else, go anywhere else, say anything else. The machine only works at all if you shut up and go back to your cubicle, no matter how broken it looks, because any dissent is perceived as disloyalty and you'll be branded as a problem employee.
Back in March or April I went to my boss to talk about my career progress, about where I was headed and what I needed to do to get there, and she was horrified that I wasn't happy with my current position. She told me I should be thankful to have my job, and reminded me that I could be fired on a moment's notice if I continued to ask questions. I went in to talk about promotions, and she basically threatened to fire me instead. That was the day I decided I was well and truly done. After that it was only a matter of time before I played out the rest of the game and the last few turns made it crystal clear to me that I was making the right decision by leaving.
So no, I did not find that FI made me a better employee. It made me a truly awful employee, by the standards of that workplace. I started saying "no" to some of the bullshit tasks they wanted done, and there is no more unforgivable sin than refusing to swallow the bullshit, on schedule and in triplicate.
On the bright side, RE has had much more positive effects on my life than FI did. My life is definitely better without a job weighing me down all the time. I highly recommend it.
Federal/union employment vs private/the rest of the world.
I’ve experienced both and having a hefty FU account has helped me thrive in private employment whereas it was a hindrance in my unionized job
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
I had the exact opposite experience at work. After I started hitting those magical financial milestones and started seeking some higher purpose at work besides keeping my head down, I got absolutely reamed for it. My boss was angry with me. My coworkers thought I was nuts. "Why would you make waves?" they said. "Why can't you just follow along quietly like everyone else?" and "It's always sucked like this, you just have to endure it" became regular conversations with my peers.
So I think it's very dependent on your workplace. I was a federal employee and the federal system is very regimented, with every interchangeable cog serving a specific purpose and no opportunities for you to do anything else, go anywhere else, say anything else. The machine only works at all if you shut up and go back to your cubicle, no matter how broken it looks, because any dissent is perceived as disloyalty and you'll be branded as a problem employee.
Back in March or April I went to my boss to talk about my career progress, about where I was headed and what I needed to do to get there, and she was horrified that I wasn't happy with my current position. She told me I should be thankful to have my job, and reminded me that I could be fired on a moment's notice if I continued to ask questions. I went in to talk about promotions, and she basically threatened to fire me instead. That was the day I decided I was well and truly done. After that it was only a matter of time before I played out the rest of the game and the last few turns made it crystal clear to me that I was making the right decision by leaving.
So no, I did not find that FI made me a better employee. It made me a truly awful employee, by the standards of that workplace. I started saying "no" to some of the bullshit tasks they wanted done, and there is no more unforgivable sin than refusing to swallow the bullshit, on schedule and in triplicate.
On the bright side, RE has had much more positive effects on my life than FI did. My life is definitely better without a job weighing me down all the time. I highly recommend it.
My experience was somewhat similar (I was also a Fed). Once I reached FI, I felt a lot freer about speaking truth to power. Turns out, power didn't really want to hear the truth. They wanted me to kiss their asses and tell them what they wanted to hear. So I really didn't experience a reduction in stress until I RE'd. The most unexpected result of that post-RE stress reduction was that I lost about 15 lbs without really trying. Though a lot of that was probably due to increased activity levels after I was no longer forced to sit in a chair for 9-10 hours straight every day.
-
Improved bowel movements. I'm convinced work related stress produces hormones that are binding agents. My stools are smoother and more vigorous. It a joy to squeeze one off now. Never would have expected that.
+5. I did not know how common this was until I read this thread.
+6. Though it only happened after RE, not when I became FI. Now I need to go take a crap...
-
I stopped going grey. The grey started to appear in my mid-thirties. Since retiring 8 years ago (FI for me came at the same time as RE, aged 50) no more grey has appeared, just the same couple of lighter streaks around my face. Complete lack of stress now, I reckon.
-
I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
I had the exact opposite experience at work. After I started hitting those magical financial milestones and started seeking some higher purpose at work besides keeping my head down, I got absolutely reamed for it. My boss was angry with me. My coworkers thought I was nuts. "Why would you make waves?" they said. "Why can't you just follow along quietly like everyone else?" and "It's always sucked like this, you just have to endure it" became regular conversations with my peers.
So I think it's very dependent on your workplace. I was a federal employee and the federal system is very regimented, with every interchangeable cog serving a specific purpose and no opportunities for you to do anything else, go anywhere else, say anything else. The machine only works at all if you shut up and go back to your cubicle, no matter how broken it looks, because any dissent is perceived as disloyalty and you'll be branded as a problem employee.
Back in March or April I went to my boss to talk about my career progress, about where I was headed and what I needed to do to get there, and she was horrified that I wasn't happy with my current position. She told me I should be thankful to have my job, and reminded me that I could be fired on a moment's notice if I continued to ask questions. I went in to talk about promotions, and she basically threatened to fire me instead. That was the day I decided I was well and truly done. After that it was only a matter of time before I played out the rest of the game and the last few turns made it crystal clear to me that I was making the right decision by leaving.
So no, I did not find that FI made me a better employee. It made me a truly awful employee, by the standards of that workplace. I started saying "no" to some of the bullshit tasks they wanted done, and there is no more unforgivable sin than refusing to swallow the bullshit, on schedule and in triplicate.
On the bright side, RE has had much more positive effects on my life than FI did. My life is definitely better without a job weighing me down all the time. I highly recommend it.
My experience was somewhat similar (I was also a Fed). Once I reached FI, I felt a lot freer about speaking truth to power. Turns out, power didn't really want to hear the truth. They wanted me to kiss their asses and tell them what they wanted to hear. So I really didn't experience a reduction in stress until I RE'd. The most unexpected result of that post-RE stress reduction was that I lost about 15 lbs without really trying. Though a lot of that was probably due to increased activity levels after I was no longer forced to sit in a chair for 9-10 hours straight every day.
I find this to be really interesting. I work in the private, entrepreneurial world as a attorney that owns my own firm. In that context I get all the benefits of going straight to the truth. It helps attract the right kind of client. It helps me discover the power in cases much easier and sooner. I use it to great effect with opposing attorneys. There are so many situations where other people try some BS that must work with other attorneys where I just immediately shut it down as BS. So, that is great. In the private world, FI is a true power to be used.
On the other hand, I do work with federal officials regularly. I tell you, federal officials are the most obstinate because of the bureaucracy and lack of ability to make independent decisions. I've been on the receiving end of the energy you describe where speaking up makes you a "problem." The context for me is interesting because they can't actually control me because I am a private attorney, hired by private people, they don't control my money, they have a really hard time getting rid of me and I can force them to write down their inanities in official court documents by posing them the questions they are in denial about. I've learned some don't like having to sign their name next to certain things they do when they can't hide it in word games and anonymity - when they have to own their part in doing something they know is not right. Also, I represent people they are usually attempting to really damage who have nothing to lose. So, working with the feds is a sort of "Alice in Wonderland" experience for me.
All of that is not political, btw. I think it has to do with the federal structure and could be directed at any administration - some worse than others.
Either way, FI is a great release of my self-imposed limitations of speaking the truth to everyone. But the reactions are wildly different.
-
I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
I had the exact opposite experience at work. After I started hitting those magical financial milestones and started seeking some higher purpose at work besides keeping my head down, I got absolutely reamed for it. My boss was angry with me. My coworkers thought I was nuts. "Why would you make waves?" they said. "Why can't you just follow along quietly like everyone else?" and "It's always sucked like this, you just have to endure it" became regular conversations with my peers.
So I think it's very dependent on your workplace. I was a federal employee and the federal system is very regimented, with every interchangeable cog serving a specific purpose and no opportunities for you to do anything else, go anywhere else, say anything else. The machine only works at all if you shut up and go back to your cubicle, no matter how broken it looks, because any dissent is perceived as disloyalty and you'll be branded as a problem employee.
Back in March or April I went to my boss to talk about my career progress, about where I was headed and what I needed to do to get there, and she was horrified that I wasn't happy with my current position. She told me I should be thankful to have my job, and reminded me that I could be fired on a moment's notice if I continued to ask questions. I went in to talk about promotions, and she basically threatened to fire me instead. That was the day I decided I was well and truly done. After that it was only a matter of time before I played out the rest of the game and the last few turns made it crystal clear to me that I was making the right decision by leaving.
So no, I did not find that FI made me a better employee. It made me a truly awful employee, by the standards of that workplace. I started saying "no" to some of the bullshit tasks they wanted done, and there is no more unforgivable sin than refusing to swallow the bullshit, on schedule and in triplicate.
On the bright side, RE has had much more positive effects on my life than FI did. My life is definitely better without a job weighing me down all the time. I highly recommend it.
My experience was somewhat similar (I was also a Fed). Once I reached FI, I felt a lot freer about speaking truth to power. Turns out, power didn't really want to hear the truth. They wanted me to kiss their asses and tell them what they wanted to hear. So I really didn't experience a reduction in stress until I RE'd. The most unexpected result of that post-RE stress reduction was that I lost about 15 lbs without really trying. Though a lot of that was probably due to increased activity levels after I was no longer forced to sit in a chair for 9-10 hours straight every day.
I find this to be really interesting. I work in the private, entrepreneurial world as a attorney that owns my own firm. In that context I get all the benefits of going straight to the truth. It helps attract the right kind of client. It helps me discover the power in cases much easier and sooner. I use it to great effect with opposing attorneys. There are so many situations where other people try some BS that must work with other attorneys where I just immediately shut it down as BS. So, that is great. In the private world, FI is a true power to be used.
On the other hand, I do work with federal officials regularly. I tell you, federal officials are the most obstinate because of the bureaucracy and lack of ability to make independent decisions. I've been on the receiving end of the energy you describe where speaking up makes you a "problem." The context for me is interesting because they can't actually control me because I am a private attorney, hired by private people, they don't control my money, they have a really hard time getting rid of me and I can force them to write down their inanities in official court documents by posing them the questions they are in denial about. I've learned some don't like having to sign their name next to certain things they do when they can't hide it in word games and anonymity - when they have to own their part in doing something they know is not right. Also, I represent people they are usually attempting to really damage who have nothing to lose. So, working with the feds is a sort of "Alice in Wonderland" experience for me.
All of that is not political, btw. I think it has to do with the federal structure and could be directed at any administration - some worse than others.
Either way, FI is a great release of my self-imposed limitations of speaking the truth to everyone. But the reactions are wildly different.
In my experience, it was mostly political ideology that drove the bullshit. Although the federal bureaucracy can be maddening at times, I've found that that is generally the case with any large, complex, hierarchical organization. What really ticked me off was when the political appointees in Washington pushed crap that folks at my level knew was wrong, but we had to do it anyway because that's what fit with the administration's ideology. I was around long enough to go through the entirety of one Democratic administration and parts of two Republican administrations. The Republicans seemed much worse, but the Democrats also did it to some degree.
-
In agreement with TimeForFIRE, although it is my wife that I encouraged to speak truth to power. She was working in the school system and saw all sorts of waste and abuse of power. Most teachers are too worried about their employment to speak up, but my wife came home day after day with tales about the nurse that clearly didn't like children (tell the Principal or Superintendent), the poor treatment of subs and new teachers (unpaid overtime like bus duty and decorating public areas), how technology is constantly bought but not used... It's pretty great to have a job you don't need, a whole lot of leverage to make our little part of the world a better place.
-
In agreement with TimeForFIRE, although it is my wife that I encouraged to speak truth to power. She was working in the school system and saw all sorts of waste and abuse of power. Most teachers are too worried about their employment to speak up, but my wife came home day after day with tales about the nurse that clearly didn't like children (tell the Principal or Superintendent), the poor treatment of subs and new teachers (unpaid overtime like bus duty and decorating public areas), how technology is constantly bought but not used... It's pretty great to have a job you don't need, a whole lot of leverage to make our little part of the world a better place.
Amen.
-
I'll chime in on this.
Our organization is under one of those intensive "strategic reviews" by a big consulting group. Its basically the Bob's from office space. There's all this anxiety running around and some of it warranted.
I have zero concern. My only disappointment is that I'm sitting in a customer facing/revenue producing role and won't be eligible for a layoff. I fully expect the consulting group to tell them we have about half of the revenue producers we need. For whatever reason high level c-suite executives can't figure out that math.
-
I had the exact opposite experience at work. After I started hitting those magical financial milestones and started seeking some higher purpose at work besides keeping my head down, I got absolutely reamed for it. My boss was angry with me. My coworkers thought I was nuts. "Why would you make waves?" they said. "Why can't you just follow along quietly like everyone else?" and "It's always sucked like this, you just have to endure it" became regular conversations with my peers.
So I think it's very dependent on your workplace. I was a federal employee and the federal system is very regimented, with every interchangeable cog serving a specific purpose and no opportunities for you to do anything else, go anywhere else, say anything else. The machine only works at all if you shut up and go back to your cubicle, no matter how broken it looks, because any dissent is perceived as disloyalty and you'll be branded as a problem employee.
Back in March or April I went to my boss to talk about my career progress, about where I was headed and what I needed to do to get there, and she was horrified that I wasn't happy with my current position. She told me I should be thankful to have my job, and reminded me that I could be fired on a moment's notice if I continued to ask questions. I went in to talk about promotions, and she basically threatened to fire me instead. That was the day I decided I was well and truly done. After that it was only a matter of time before I played out the rest of the game and the last few turns made it crystal clear to me that I was making the right decision by leaving.
So no, I did not find that FI made me a better employee. It made me a truly awful employee, by the standards of that workplace. I started saying "no" to some of the bullshit tasks they wanted done, and there is no more unforgivable sin than refusing to swallow the bullshit, on schedule and in triplicate.
On the bright side, RE has had much more positive effects on my life than FI did. My life is definitely better without a job weighing me down all the time. I highly recommend it.
My experience was somewhat similar (I was also a Fed). Once I reached FI, I felt a lot freer about speaking truth to power. Turns out, power didn't really want to hear the truth. They wanted me to kiss their asses and tell them what they wanted to hear. So I really didn't experience a reduction in stress until I RE'd. The most unexpected result of that post-RE stress reduction was that I lost about 15 lbs without really trying. Though a lot of that was probably due to increased activity levels after I was no longer forced to sit in a chair for 9-10 hours straight every day.
Not FIRE yet, but as a current Federal employee, I'm kind of glad to read both of these. We're definitely at a point of FU money, and I've taken it as an opportunity to speak up to superiors in a way my coworkers aren't. It hasn't gone well (I haven't been impacted negatively, but nothing positive came of any interaction). As such, I've basically decided to keep my head down for the remainder of my employment.
I've become the stereotypical "do the minimum" Federal employee because anything more than that only brings attention I don't want.
-
I guess maybe I was RE all along, because it didn't really change anything for my family. We pretty much do the same fun stuff whenever we want to, I still do a little (20 hours/week) work because I enjoy it, etc. We still have the same craptacular 15 year old Kia that mostly just sits in the driveway. We still don't have a TV or a modern computer.
I guess I no longer pay much attention to paying $12 to do drop-in hockey or other minor things like that. But my wife still tracks all our spending because she's a nerd.
My track wasn't really normal, though, in that I was always (after grad school, anyway) self-employed. So I've never worked a 9-5 job in a cubicle. I'm sure things would be much different if that was the case.
It's funny in a way, because I spent a lot of mental energy on the FIRE quest over the years and now I've realized it was mostly wasted stress since it didn't really change my life much.
-W
-
Another unexpected result: I now love Mondays.
When I was working, Fridays were great and Mondays were a challenge. I looked forward to a relaxing weekend at home with the family.
But now that I'm retired, it's the weekends that are stressful. So much family stuff to do! Places to go. Homework to check, birthday parties, swim lessons, scouts, it's just craziness. Monday mornings are a welcome respite, a chance to finally lie on the couch and just relax without anyone shouting at me. No obligations. I have all day to get around to the things I want to do. The house is clean and finally stays clean. It's great.
-
Another unexpected result: I now love Mondays.
When I was working, Fridays were great and Mondays were a challenge. I looked forward to a relaxing weekend at home with the family.
But now that I'm retired, it's the weekends that are stressful. So much family stuff to do! Places to go. Homework to check, birthday parties, swim lessons, scouts, it's just craziness. Monday mornings are a welcome respite, a chance to finally lie on the couch and just relax without anyone shouting at me. No obligations. I have all day to get around to the things I want to do. The house is clean and finally stays clean. It's great.
+1. Exactly! And now my Sunday nights are relaxed, no more dreading Mondays.
-
Another unexpected result: I now love Mondays.
When I was working, Fridays were great and Mondays were a challenge. I looked forward to a relaxing weekend at home with the family.
But now that I'm retired, it's the weekends that are stressful. So much family stuff to do! Places to go. Homework to check, birthday parties, swim lessons, scouts, it's just craziness. Monday mornings are a welcome respite, a chance to finally lie on the couch and just relax without anyone shouting at me. No obligations. I have all day to get around to the things I want to do. The house is clean and finally stays clean. It's great.
+1. Exactly! And now my Sunday nights are relaxed, no more dreading Mondays.
I cannot wait to get rid of the sunday afternoon anxiety! I want to love Mondays too! Unfortunately, I am quite a few years away :(
-
Another unexpected result: I now love Mondays.
When I was working, Fridays were great and Mondays were a challenge. I looked forward to a relaxing weekend at home with the family.
But now that I'm retired, it's the weekends that are stressful. So much family stuff to do! Places to go. Homework to check, birthday parties, swim lessons, scouts, it's just craziness. Monday mornings are a welcome respite, a chance to finally lie on the couch and just relax without anyone shouting at me. No obligations. I have all day to get around to the things I want to do. The house is clean and finally stays clean. It's great.
+1. Exactly! And now my Sunday nights are relaxed, no more dreading Mondays.
I cannot wait to get rid of the sunday afternoon anxiety! I want to love Mondays too! Unfortunately, I am quite a few years away :(
This is enough of a thing for us that we actually have a Monday countdown, not weeks, days, or months. Today is officially Monday 323, even if unofficially it's probably closer to 230. I actually sometimes say "Monday 0" to talk about when we hit FIRE.
Another thought, if weekends are so draining when you're retired, what does that say about how much rest and recovery time working stiffs are actually getting on the weekends? A lot of working folks are doing the same amount of stuff on their weekends that are theoretically time to rest up for the work week ahead.
-
Another unexpected result: I now love Mondays.
When I was working, Fridays were great and Mondays were a challenge. I looked forward to a relaxing weekend at home with the family.
But now that I'm retired, it's the weekends that are stressful. So much family stuff to do! Places to go. Homework to check, birthday parties, swim lessons, scouts, it's just craziness. Monday mornings are a welcome respite, a chance to finally lie on the couch and just relax without anyone shouting at me. No obligations. I have all day to get around to the things I want to do. The house is clean and finally stays clean. It's great.
My wife was a SAHM and our son was already out of the house by the time I FIREd, so we haven't experienced this weekend/weekday role reversal. Instead, we just forget what day it is.
-
I had the exact opposite experience at work. After I started hitting those magical financial milestones and started seeking some higher purpose at work besides keeping my head down, I got absolutely reamed for it. My boss was angry with me. My coworkers thought I was nuts. "Why would you make waves?" they said. "Why can't you just follow along quietly like everyone else?" and "It's always sucked like this, you just have to endure it" became regular conversations with my peers.
So I think it's very dependent on your workplace. I was a federal employee and the federal system is very regimented, with every interchangeable cog serving a specific purpose and no opportunities for you to do anything else, go anywhere else, say anything else. The machine only works at all if you shut up and go back to your cubicle, no matter how broken it looks, because any dissent is perceived as disloyalty and you'll be branded as a problem employee.
Back in March or April I went to my boss to talk about my career progress, about where I was headed and what I needed to do to get there, and she was horrified that I wasn't happy with my current position. She told me I should be thankful to have my job, and reminded me that I could be fired on a moment's notice if I continued to ask questions. I went in to talk about promotions, and she basically threatened to fire me instead. That was the day I decided I was well and truly done. After that it was only a matter of time before I played out the rest of the game and the last few turns made it crystal clear to me that I was making the right decision by leaving.
So no, I did not find that FI made me a better employee. It made me a truly awful employee, by the standards of that workplace. I started saying "no" to some of the bullshit tasks they wanted done, and there is no more unforgivable sin than refusing to swallow the bullshit, on schedule and in triplicate.
On the bright side, RE has had much more positive effects on my life than FI did. My life is definitely better without a job weighing me down all the time. I highly recommend it.
My experience was somewhat similar (I was also a Fed). Once I reached FI, I felt a lot freer about speaking truth to power. Turns out, power didn't really want to hear the truth. They wanted me to kiss their asses and tell them what they wanted to hear. So I really didn't experience a reduction in stress until I RE'd. The most unexpected result of that post-RE stress reduction was that I lost about 15 lbs without really trying. Though a lot of that was probably due to increased activity levels after I was no longer forced to sit in a chair for 9-10 hours straight every day.
Not FIRE yet, but as a current Federal employee, I'm kind of glad to read both of these. We're definitely at a point of FU money, and I've taken it as an opportunity to speak up to superiors in a way my coworkers aren't. It hasn't gone well (I haven't been impacted negatively, but nothing positive came of any interaction). As such, I've basically decided to keep my head down for the remainder of my employment.
I've become the stereotypical "do the minimum" Federal employee because anything more than that only brings attention I don't want.
Yeah, I got my boss in big trouble twice during my last few months because he wouldn't "control" my candor. Luckily he was also FI and could have retired years earlier, so he didn't give a shit either.
-
My unexpected result is that I am far less frugal now that we are FI. I used to track every penny, balance check books, calculate my net worth all of the time. I don't sweat over bills increasing or unexpected bills any more. We eat out a lot more. I can absorb most of what life throws at me financially with grace since I can just make it up by delaying retirement even further.
Less frugal? This happened to us, too! We spent so much time frugally saving our hard earned money, that now we've got some distinctly spendy pants traits. But, at heart, we are mustachians through and through. I might spend more, but I still shop for a bargain while doing it.
-
Another unexpected result: I now love Mondays.
When I was working, Fridays were great and Mondays were a challenge. I looked forward to a relaxing weekend at home with the family.
But now that I'm retired, it's the weekends that are stressful. So much family stuff to do! Places to go. Homework to check, birthday parties, swim lessons, scouts, it's just craziness. Monday mornings are a welcome respite, a chance to finally lie on the couch and just relax without anyone shouting at me. No obligations. I have all day to get around to the things I want to do. The house is clean and finally stays clean. It's great.
+1. Exactly! And now my Sunday nights are relaxed, no more dreading Mondays.
I cannot wait to get rid of the sunday afternoon anxiety! I want to love Mondays too! Unfortunately, I am quite a few years away :(
This is enough of a thing for us that we actually have a Monday countdown, not weeks, days, or months. Today is officially Monday 323, even if unofficially it's probably closer to 230. I actually sometimes say "Monday 0" to talk about when we hit FIRE.
Another thought, if weekends are so draining when you're retired, what does that say about how much rest and recovery time working stiffs are actually getting on the weekends? A lot of working folks are doing the same amount of stuff on their weekends that are theoretically time to rest up for the work week ahead.
As I now no longer work on Fridays, I am already noticing the effect. I prefer to do any shopping in physical shops on Friday, as Saturday will be much more crowded. Also the roads are very crowded on working days. I live to have time off on a day that other most people work.
I also enjoy the Saturday much more. By then I have done the necessary shopping the day before and still have a whole day off after it. Three day weekends are so much better than to day weekends.
-
I prefer to do any shopping in physical shops on Friday, as Saturday will be much more crowded.
I went to the grocery store on a Saturday by accident last week. It was horrendous. How did I ever put up with that?
It's much better at 10am on a weekday. Just me and a bunch of gray-hairs, plus the occasional stay at home parent with young children in tow.
-
I prefer to do any shopping in physical shops on Friday, as Saturday will be much more crowded.
I went to the grocery store on a Saturday by accident last week. It was horrendous. How did I ever put up with that?
It's much better at 10am on a weekday. Just me and a bunch of gray-hairs, plus the occasional stay at home parent with young children in tow.
Agree. The other thing I wonder how I put up with is rush hour traffic - accidentally got stuck in it yesterday and was surprised at how low my tolerance has already gotten for sitting in traffic!
-
I didn't quite realize how much my life had become a dichotomy of doing for work and doing for family, with 0.1% leftover for self-improvement/enjoyment time....the 0.1% which of course could be completely and enjoyably filled just with going out for dinner or taking a walk. Now that I am slowly transitioning from FI to FIRE I realize all the things I had once thought of as my interests/hobbies/etc are all things from 20 years ago, before the job and family consumed it all. I wouldn't at all say I'm afraid of being bored....I just don't know which interests to tackle first that I never considered doing for lack of time.
-
Less frugal? This happened to us, too! We spent so much time frugally saving our hard earned money, that now we've got some distinctly spendy pants traits. But, at heart, we are mustachians through and through. I might spend more, but I still shop for a bargain while doing it.
Agreed. Eating out is done in a mustachian way (assuming that's possible) - coupons or boxing up half our meals for leftovers, going to restaurants on "special" nights, etc. I still rarely shop for stuff...but when I do, I try to make sure I'm getting a deal. I'm much more likely to spend money on an experience than stuff (but use Groupon to save a few bucks). I'm more generous with my money now as well - more charitable giving and more hosting get togethers at our house.
-
When I'm in traffic and someone is driving badly, I actually feel sorry for them. Imagine spending all that frustrating time in a traffic jam. The poor blokes deserve sympathy, not the bird.
-
Another unexpected result: I now love Mondays.
When I was working, Fridays were great and Mondays were a challenge. I looked forward to a relaxing weekend at home with the family.
But now that I'm retired, it's the weekends that are stressful. So much family stuff to do! Places to go. Homework to check, birthday parties, swim lessons, scouts, it's just craziness. Monday mornings are a welcome respite, a chance to finally lie on the couch and just relax without anyone shouting at me. No obligations. I have all day to get around to the things I want to do. The house is clean and finally stays clean. It's great.
Absolutely this. My kids just had a 5 day weekend and I was looking forward to Monday when they head back to school. I actually took off Sunday for a 5 mile hike not worried that I had a bunch of stuff to get done. I knew it would be easier to do it during the week when I was by myself.
-
Another unexpected result: I now love Mondays.
When I was working, Fridays were great and Mondays were a challenge. I looked forward to a relaxing weekend at home with the family.
But now that I'm retired, it's the weekends that are stressful. So much family stuff to do! Places to go. Homework to check, birthday parties, swim lessons, scouts, it's just craziness. Monday mornings are a welcome respite, a chance to finally lie on the couch and just relax without anyone shouting at me. No obligations. I have all day to get around to the things I want to do. The house is clean and finally stays clean. It's great.
Absolutely this. My kids just had a 5 day weekend and I was looking forward to Monday when they head back to school. I actually took off Sunday for a 5 mile hike not worried that I had a bunch of stuff to get done. I knew it would be easier to do it during the week when I was by myself.
Now that I am FI, I work a lot less. Also, my wife is an accountant and works in our own business and works less than half-time. So, we have two adults working 40 (or less) and 15 hours a week. I also take the last Friday of every month off of work. 12 extra three-day weekends in a year means more opportunities to experience what you are talking about. More time on the weekends changes your head space. I often try to think how my peers (young families) feel with two people working 40+ hours a week, picking up kids, commuting 30 minutes each way, etcetera. I can't imagine they feel good.
Anyway, I am chiming in to concur. More free time to accomplish the everyday stuff without having to cram it into tiny windows of opportunity between work, school, kids is awesome. Much better than having a bigger house, newer car, brand name clothes and restaurant meals.
-
But now that I'm retired, it's the weekends that are stressful. So much family stuff to do! Places to go. Homework to check, birthday parties, swim lessons, scouts, it's just craziness. Monday mornings are a welcome respite, a chance to finally lie on the couch and just relax without anyone shouting at me. No obligations. I have all day to get around to the things I want to do. The house is clean and finally stays clean. It's great.
+1. Exactly! And now my Sunday nights are relaxed, no more dreading Mondays.
I cannot wait to get rid of the sunday afternoon anxiety! I want to love Mondays too! Unfortunately, I am quite a few years away :(
Another thought, if weekends are so draining when you're retired, what does that say about how much rest and recovery time working stiffs are actually getting on the weekends? A lot of working folks are doing the same amount of stuff on their weekends that are theoretically time to rest up for the work week ahead.
I've been thinking about this statement, and as a working stiff I'm very intrigued. I'd be interested to hear from more RE people on if they feel weekends are as equally restful as they were when working, but now they have a new frame of reference of what 'restful' really means because now the weekdays are TRULY restful, and they now realize weekends never really were all along.
If that's the case, that's one more reason I'll be looking forward to FIREing.
-
I'd be interested to hear from more RE people on if they feel weekends are as equally restful as they were when working, but now they have a new frame of reference of what 'restful' really means because now the weekdays are TRULY restful, and they now realize weekends never really were all along.
It's hard to say for sure, but they certainly don't feel as restful as they used to compared to my week. My weeks are super laid back now, though.
Part of the difference is that I now have a lot more time and energy to devote to my family voluntarily. I like to cook, and now I get to make dinner for everyone every night and that is more work than it used to be when I could microwave mac and cheese with hot dogs in it or just order a pizza. I still get to plan specific activities with the family on the weekends, but that part is pretty much the same as it was before except now a weekend activity doesn't mean my lawn doesn't mowed and the grocery shopping doesn't get done until next week. Like my family activity time is maybe a little bit more time consuming than it used to be, but all of the random household maintenance stuff that used to get shoehorned in around the edges now gets scheduled at regular times that are more convenient. Things like taking this kids for allergist or orthodontist visits, for example, no longer mean that my entire day is effectively shot. I no longer do grocery shopping at 10pm. My tires needed changing so I just went and changed them, instead of looking at my calendar to find a free day some time in the next month.
As a side effect, I get more sleep now. I'm also a lot more tolerant of things like bad traffic and long lines, because I'm not constantly rushing through whatever I'm doing. I can wait, I have time! Are you a super impatient bad driver who insists on making illegal left turns in front of me? Go right ahead, I'm sorry your life is so shitty today. I'll wait until you're done.
Even in cases where I have deliberately introduced more work into my retired life, like cooking family dinners, I'm not bothered. I do that voluntarily, because it's how I want to be spending my time. Yes it would be less stressful to just take the kids to McDonalds, but that always felt like a parenting failure on days when it seemed necessary.
-
As a side effect, I get more sleep now. I'm also a lot more tolerant of things like bad traffic and long lines, because I'm not constantly rushing through whatever I'm doing. I can wait, I have time! Are you a super impatient bad driver who insists on making illegal left turns in front of me? Go right ahead, I'm sorry your life is so shitty today. I'll wait until you're done.
This is an excellent point as well. I mean I always got pretty good sleep. I found out long ago I function very poorly on anything less than 8 hours. But I have become much more patient now. I routinely let people in front of me at the grocery who might only have a few items, because hey it's the middle of a Tuesday and I'm in no rush. I've put over 200 miles on my E-bike this year transporting my daughter to gymnastics. With a full time job I would have been crunched for time and likely too worn out to bother with the bike.
I have a physical therapy appointment schedule for late morning tomorrow. Something that would have stressed me out trying to fit it in after a full 8 hour day and having to get a child off to some activity.
-
I just resigned so FIRE is new to me. But we have both been home together on leave for quite some time now.
Honestly, I have been shocked at how busy we are! So many errands and little things to do. My current theory is work expands to fill in the available time. I do cook, but still haven't gotten to the point of more elaborate meals regularly. I still cook from scratch a lot but have defaulted lately to simpler meals.
Another surprising thing is how busy teens are. Half my day is taken up driving my DS16 to and from his co-op job, supervising his homework and teaching him organization skills (recently diagnosed with ADHD), and then whatever DD17 needs (lately that is a lot of college open houses and endless career discussions).
How on earth did we manage when we worked?!
One completely unsurprising thing is just how much I enjoy sleeping in :) I think I worled so hard to FIRE primarily because I hate getting up early lol.
Sent from my LG-K373 using Tapatalk
-
I guess maybe I was RE all along, because it didn't really change anything for my family. We pretty much do the same fun stuff whenever we want to, I still do a little (20 hours/week) work because I enjoy it, etc. We still have the same craptacular 15 year old Kia that mostly just sits in the driveway. We still don't have a TV or a modern computer.
I guess I no longer pay much attention to paying $12 to do drop-in hockey or other minor things like that. But my wife still tracks all our spending because she's a nerd.
My track wasn't really normal, though, in that I was always (after grad school, anyway) self-employed. So I've never worked a 9-5 job in a cubicle. I'm sure things would be much different if that was the case.
It's funny in a way, because I spent a lot of mental energy on the FIRE quest over the years and now I've realized it was mostly wasted stress since it didn't really change my life much.
-W
That is true for me as well. For many (like me), I think the FIRE thing is really about our own lack of a sense of security that gets funneled into some people's (my) relationship with money. I really could have had the same attitude my entire life. I realized that before I got to a "magic number." As I came to better understand that reality, I was able to drop the "FIRE" goal and be happy with being debt free with massive savings, control of my earning, work conditions and time.
-
-snip-
One completely unsurprising thing is just how much I enjoy sleeping in :) I think I worled so hard to FIRE primarily because I hate getting up early lol.
I was just the opposite. Once I went FIRE, I started getting up naturally with the sun or even earlier. With nothing to dread, I look forward to the day and morning now. I do find I enjoy an afternoon nap especially if it is cold or rainy out.
-
I stopped responding to coupons.
-
That is true for me as well. For many (like me), I think the FIRE thing is really about our own lack of a sense of security that gets funneled into some people's (my) relationship with money. I really could have had the same attitude my entire life. I realized that before I got to a "magic number." As I came to better understand that reality, I was able to drop the "FIRE" goal and be happy with being debt free with massive savings, control of my earning, work conditions and time.
I could have stopped working completely, but I realized I *already* ride my mountain bike, rock climb, tutor kids who can't read for shit, go to musicals, play hockey, go on vacation whenever I want, etc as much as I want to. Since I like what I do, I just do it a bit less and don't stress too much about it.
My wife and I have discussed fostering or adopting more kids, which wasn't as much in play before FI, so I guess that's a meaningful change. But due to my MIL moving in with us, that plan has been pushed back a bit.
-W
-
I suffer both from anxiety (GAD) along with bouts of depression. Been that way since I was born. The closer we get to FI, the less anxiety and depression affect my day to day behaviour. Currently, we have enough in savings to go 2 years with no income and then our investments can provide a decent passive income. With my wife working and investment passive income, we can be fine for now until retirement.
That realization allows me to accept daily stress at work with an FU attitude and in turn, makes it much more bearable. I enjoy my job much more when I don’t need my job!
-
I am at an FI level but continue at megacorp since I am not sure how I would spend my time if I were to leave and also I hope to be married, children someday so it would feel hard to leave with that unknown.
I have found that a promotion or raise isn't too motivating to me know so I tend to put in the least time and focus on things outside of work. Im not sure if this is a common feeling or an indication I should make a work change. I don't want to be this complacent but don't have the hunger to compete for promotions. I'm 36. Anyone else with similar experiences?
-
I am with you.
I am at an FI level but continue at megacorp since I am not sure how I would spend my time if I were to leave and also I hope to be married, children someday so it would feel hard to leave with that unknown.
I have found that a promotion or raise isn't too motivating to me know so I tend to put in the least time and focus on things outside of work. Im not sure if this is a common feeling or an indication I should make a work change. I don't want to be this complacent but don't have the hunger to compete for promotions. I'm 36. Anyone else with similar experiences?
Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
-
I am at an FI level but continue at megacorp since I am not sure how I would spend my time if I were to leave and also I hope to be married, children someday so it would feel hard to leave with that unknown.
I have found that a promotion or raise isn't too motivating to me know so I tend to put in the least time and focus on things outside of work. Im not sure if this is a common feeling or an indication I should make a work change. I don't want to be this complacent but don't have the hunger to compete for promotions. I'm 36. Anyone else with similar experiences?
What you could do... and I say this because it's where I'm at... is find a smaller company that's small enough to not have any upward mobility, but has really good work/life balance and is pleasant/stress free. If I had a desire to move up I'd have to find a new job to do so, but since I don't care, I like not having to either climb the ladder, or get weird looks for not trying to climb, because there is no ladder to climb. Lots of benefits to a good small company if you don't care about moving up (which is usually the biggest drawback to them).
-
I am at an FI level but continue at megacorp since I am not sure how I would spend my time if I were to leave and also I hope to be married, children someday so it would feel hard to leave with that unknown.
I have found that a promotion or raise isn't too motivating to me know so I tend to put in the least time and focus on things outside of work. Im not sure if this is a common feeling or an indication I should make a work change. I don't want to be this complacent but don't have the hunger to compete for promotions. I'm 36. Anyone else with similar experiences?
It is very natural not to be motivated by raises. But if you don't get them for some years, you will end up with an income far under your market rate. If you are still in the accumulating phase, this might matter. If you are just cruising your way towards FIRE and want to work at a low stess level, then it might be worth it.
-
That is true for me as well. For many (like me), I think the FIRE thing is really about our own lack of a sense of security that gets funneled into some people's (my) relationship with money. I really could have had the same attitude my entire life. I realized that before I got to a "magic number." As I came to better understand that reality, I was able to drop the "FIRE" goal and be happy with being debt free with massive savings, control of my earning, work conditions and time.
I could have stopped working completely, but I realized I *already* ride my mountain bike, rock climb, tutor kids who can't read for shit, go to musicals, play hockey, go on vacation whenever I want, etc as much as I want to. Since I like what I do, I just do it a bit less and don't stress too much about it.
My wife and I have discussed fostering or adopting more kids, which wasn't as much in play before FI, so I guess that's a meaningful change. But due to my MIL moving in with us, that plan has been pushed back a bit.
-W
It's why the idea of "RE" is attacked by the "outsiders." We "insiders" should also remember that quitting work is one path that is open to those who choose it. It seems to be most popular with people living in corporate or government jobs where due to the large, complex nature of their organization they can not really exert control over their work conditions.
A second path is creating a work situation that is completely on the terms of the person who is FI. Those terms can literally be anything and discovering the correct balance is a process that plays out over time. In entrepreneurial situations, small business situations or many other random possibilities, it is possible to find the power to create your own work conditions that can be flexible, dynamic, and constantly bent to the creative vision for an individual's use of their own time. If someone creates that kind of work situation there is no need for "RE."
It seems to me that people who "drop out" of the corporate/government types of situations sometimes struggle with their newfound freedom because they are not used to exercising their creative powers. If their frugality muscles are strong, their individual decision making/creative powers are, sometimes, atrophied - because they were not valued in their work situation. As has been noted here by other posters, sometimes those ideas/tendencies are actively discouraged/suppressed by co-workers and supervisors.
On the other hand, a person who flexed their frugality and creative powers simultaneously can end up in a "better" position - if only they can realize it! It took me longer than it should have to have that epiphany, let go of the RE idea and simply enjoy and be grateful for my good fortune.
-
I appreciate the thoughts. The small company route is something I hadn't thought about but makes sense. Really I think I need to create some goals (working and personal) which will give me something to work towards and perhaps things will become clear. Taking action hasn't been my strength.
-
That is true for me as well. For many (like me), I think the FIRE thing is really about our own lack of a sense of security that gets funneled into some people's (my) relationship with money. I really could have had the same attitude my entire life. I realized that before I got to a "magic number." As I came to better understand that reality, I was able to drop the "FIRE" goal and be happy with being debt free with massive savings, control of my earning, work conditions and time.
I could have stopped working completely, but I realized I *already* ride my mountain bike, rock climb, tutor kids who can't read for shit, go to musicals, play hockey, go on vacation whenever I want, etc as much as I want to. Since I like what I do, I just do it a bit less and don't stress too much about it.
My wife and I have discussed fostering or adopting more kids, which wasn't as much in play before FI, so I guess that's a meaningful change. But due to my MIL moving in with us, that plan has been pushed back a bit.
-W
It's why the idea of "RE" is attacked by the "outsiders." We "insiders" should also remember that quitting work is one path that is open to those who choose it. It seems to be most popular with people living in corporate or government jobs where due to the large, complex nature of their organization they can not really exert control over their work conditions.
A second path is creating a work situation that is completely on the terms of the person who is FI. Those terms can literally be anything and discovering the correct balance is a process that plays out over time. In entrepreneurial situations, small business situations or many other random possibilities, it is possible to find the power to create your own work conditions that can be flexible, dynamic, and constantly bent to the creative vision for an individual's use of their own time. If someone creates that kind of work situation there is no need for "RE."
I think it has at least as much to do with the individual's temperament as it does the type of workplace. My main motivation for FIREing was to be truly free to do whatever I want, whenever I want, without any obligations to bosses, colleagues, customers, etc. In an entrepreneurial situation, a person is going to be compelled to put in a lot of hours to keep customers satisfied and keep the business going. My general sense is that people in small company environments are putting in way more time than people who put in their 40 in the corporate or government cubicle. And even if you are passionate about whatever it is the company does, you're still going to be spending the bulk of your time doing compulsory tasks that, in and of themselves, are not really things you would choose to do if your time was totally yours to control. I had had enough of time pressure stress, so I knew this path was not for me.
But some folks don't do well with a lot of unstructured, solitary time on their hands, and I totally get that they would prefer the small company work situation over FIREing and then trying to figure out what they are going to do with themselves. To each his own.
It seems to me that people who "drop out" of the corporate/government types of situations sometimes struggle with their newfound freedom because they are not used to exercising their creative powers. If their frugality muscles are strong, their individual decision making/creative powers are, sometimes, atrophied - because they were not valued in their work situation. As has been noted here by other posters, sometimes those ideas/tendencies are actively discouraged/suppressed by co-workers and supervisors.
On the other hand, a person who flexed their frugality and creative powers simultaneously can end up in a "better" position - if only they can realize it! It took me longer than it should have to have that epiphany, let go of the RE idea and simply enjoy and be grateful for my good fortune.
As a former government employee, this was not my experience at all. Although the big bosses didn't like it when I pointed out the emperor's nakedness, in other respects I had to exercise a high degree of creativity on a daily basis. We were constantly bombarded with way too much to do, not enough resources to do it, and an almost daily stream of shifting priorities and emergencies. We were expected to develop creative solutions to all of this with very little assistance and guidance from above. In fact, this expectation of working miracles on a daily basis is one of the big things that burned me out and prompted me to FIRE. I have not struggled at all with my newfound freedom - I've exulted in every minute of it, even during the occasional boring lull.
-
You know @Monkey Uncle, I think you are right. Those generalizations about the character of the employment are too broad. Like you said, government work can be creative and some small business/entrepreneur types never exercise their power to create their ideal work conditions. I actually just gave a talk to a group of solo attorneys about how they can organize themselves to have more freedom. So I should have been able to see my mistake earlier!
Since we are talking about post-fire discoveries or, maybe, post FI discoveries. Maybe the idea could be modified to simply be that people who RE and find themselves with a lot of time on their hands do have to begin creating their new reality. I guess for me, the post FI discovery was about how much freedom there really is and that I do affirmatively choose to keep working - but only under certain conditions. That realization is what forced me to think creatively about exactly what conditions those are and what I want my life to be like. Pre-FI, I was just being frugal and earning money and that was good enough. I think the post-FI/RE struggles for many people revolve around this issue and those who have not had the freedom to create their own time schedule - in whatever their job - have to learn how in order to successfully navigate RE.
-
For reference, I achieved FI and became semi-retired in March, 2017. My unexpected results are listed below, in no particular order:
- I basically stopped frequenting the MMM forums
- I spent way less time monitoring and optimizing expenses and investments
- I found that most people are not openly curious about my semi-retired lifestyle, despite the fact that I am 32 years old. If they wonder, it seems that most people have inhibitions against asking about my finances.
- It is surprisingly hard to meet other people, who have a similar lifestyle.
-
For reference, I achieved FI and became semi-retired in March, 2017. My unexpected results are listed below, in no particular order:
- I basically stopped frequenting the MMM forums
- I spent way less time monitoring and optimizing expenses and investments
- I found that most people are not openly curious about my semi-retired lifestyle, despite the fact that I am 32 years old. If they wonder, it seems that most people have inhibitions against asking about my finances.
- It is surprisingly hard to meet other people, who have a similar lifestyle.
1. I still hang around because I want to help others get to FIRE. I found the journey to FIRE to be damn lonesome,
because places like this didn't exist until I was almost to my goals. Also because DH still works and his mom and her
pal, Al Z. Heimer, live with us. It's great to be able to hang with like-minded people, any time of day or night.
2. Me too, which is so nice after all these years of optimizing every penny.
3. I have found the same to be true. People don't care that much. If you keep quiet about it, they tend not to ask, which is
fine by me.
4. This is totally to be expected, especially because you are so young. Some suggestions are to volunteer for things that
happen during the work day, because all the volunteers will have similar availability. It's a great way to get to know
people casually so you can decide it you want to befriend them. I volunteer at the library and the theater. They
have a hard time finding volunteers for the school shows on weekday mornings, so I'm part of a regular cadre who do
those and it's always fun.
ETA: Sorry about the wonky spacing. I just tried to fix it, but in Preveiw, it looks fine.
-
Some suggestions are to volunteer for things that
happen during the work day, because all the volunteers will have similar availability. It's a great way to get to know
people casually so you can decide it you want to befriend them. I volunteer at the library and the theater. They
have a hard time finding volunteers for the school shows on weekday mornings, so I'm part of a regular cadre who do
those and it's always fun.
Thanks for the suggestions!
-
I volunteer at the library and the theater. They
have a hard time finding volunteers for the school shows on weekday mornings, so I'm part of a regular cadre who do
those and it's always fun.
I like the idea of daytime volunteeting at the theatre. I love shows but not enough to pay for them so getting to watch for free would be well worth it for me.
Sent from my LG-K373 using Tapatalk
-
I gained weight. That's my most unexpected result.
I expected to lose weight, because I'm no longer at the office where there was always a bowl of candy and often a bunch of muffins or cookies, especially at the holidays. But I gained weight instead, even though I don't keep that stuff at home.
I didn't think I would eat more at home, but apparently I am. I increased my structured exercising as well, but apparently not enough to offset the increased food intake. And I didn't think I moved around that much by going to work as a cubicle dweller, but apparently the amount of walking to and from the car and the ladies' room was enough to make a difference.
-
I gained weight. That's my most unexpected result.
I expected to lose weight, because I'm no longer at the office where there was always a bowl of candy and often a bunch of muffins or cookies, especially at the holidays. But I gained weight instead, even though I don't keep that stuff at home.
I didn't think I would eat more at home, but apparently I am. I increased my structured exercising as well, but apparently not enough to offset the increased food intake. And I didn't think I moved around that much by going to work as a cubicle dweller, but apparently the amount of walking to and from the car and the ladies' room was enough to make a difference.
I too have already noticed a couple of extra pounds creep on since I FIREd 5 weeks ago. I’ve been snacking more during the day than I did at the office...I’ve treated this 5 weeks like a vacation, but now I need to put more effort into my eating habits and getting more active.
-
I gained weight. That's my most unexpected result.
I expected to lose weight, because I'm no longer at the office where there was always a bowl of candy and often a bunch of muffins or cookies, especially at the holidays. But I gained weight instead, even though I don't keep that stuff at home.
I didn't think I would eat more at home, but apparently I am. I increased my structured exercising as well, but apparently not enough to offset the increased food intake. And I didn't think I moved around that much by going to work as a cubicle dweller, but apparently the amount of walking to and from the car and the ladies' room was enough to make a difference.
Could it be that you as a working person had a fair amount of stress in your life? Maybe that gave you a higher metabolism than you have now.
-
I gained weight. That's my most unexpected result.
I expected to lose weight, because I'm no longer at the office where there was always a bowl of candy and often a bunch of muffins or cookies, especially at the holidays. But I gained weight instead, even though I don't keep that stuff at home.
I didn't think I would eat more at home, but apparently I am. I increased my structured exercising as well, but apparently not enough to offset the increased food intake. And I didn't think I moved around that much by going to work as a cubicle dweller, but apparently the amount of walking to and from the car and the ladies' room was enough to make a difference.
I'm a cubicle dweller and most days my head gets noticeably hotter than the rest of me because of concentrating as hard as I can for 8 hours straight. There is a reason the brain uses more energy than any other organ in the body.
-
I gained weight. That's my most unexpected result.
I expected to lose weight, because I'm no longer at the office where there was always a bowl of candy and often a bunch of muffins or cookies, especially at the holidays. But I gained weight instead, even though I don't keep that stuff at home.
I didn't think I would eat more at home, but apparently I am. I increased my structured exercising as well, but apparently not enough to offset the increased food intake. And I didn't think I moved around that much by going to work as a cubicle dweller, but apparently the amount of walking to and from the car and the ladies' room was enough to make a difference.
I too have already noticed a couple of extra pounds creep on since I FIREd 5 weeks ago. I’ve been snacking more during the day than I did at the office...I’ve treated this 5 weeks like a vacation, but now I need to put more effort into my eating habits and getting more active.
Me and DH predict that we will gain a bunch of weight the first year we're out then be in great shape after decompression. Does anybody that's been FIREd a while have any experience with that one way or the other?
-
I didn’t gain weight when I FIREd, or if I did, I lost it.
-
"FI" didn't change much for me. But when I added the "RE" part....then shit got real.
FIRE surprises include not only the extent to which I could improve my fitness, but probably more importantly, the SUSTAINABILITY. There have been blips or regressions in the past 4 years - usually the second half of Summer, and predictably, the Holiday Season - but largely, the immense personal satisfaction of a body that feels and performs excellently is more than ample to provide the discipline to keep it up.
Another one which has caught me off guard (but also delighted) has been my growing desire to find and form my human tribe. Oh, how this forum has been an integral tool in this quest. This is a journey I am excited to keep exploring.
Also....absolutely stunned at how my "May as well give this a try once I have all this time" attitude towards vegetable gardening has morphed into "My relationship with my land and appreciation of Nature will NEVER be the same again".
I probably worked 5 years beyond the point I was "FI"...and my misery was everpresent. For some, and this includes me....RE IS THE THING.
-
I gained weight. That's my most unexpected result.
I expected to lose weight, because I'm no longer at the office where there was always a bowl of candy and often a bunch of muffins or cookies, especially at the holidays. But I gained weight instead, even though I don't keep that stuff at home.
I didn't think I would eat more at home, but apparently I am. I increased my structured exercising as well, but apparently not enough to offset the increased food intake. And I didn't think I moved around that much by going to work as a cubicle dweller, but apparently the amount of walking to and from the car and the ladies' room was enough to make a difference.
I too have already noticed a couple of extra pounds creep on since I FIREd 5 weeks ago. I’ve been snacking more during the day than I did at the office...I’ve treated this 5 weeks like a vacation, but now I need to put more effort into my eating habits and getting more active.
Me and DH predict that we will gain a bunch of weight the first year we're out then be in great shape after decompression. Does anybody that's been FIREd a while have any experience with that one way or the other?
This more or less was what happened to me but it took a long time for the decompression. I gained weight the first year I was FIRE and have been slowly (ever so slowly) losing it this year. My fitness is also getting better. There are a lot of reasons for that, the most important being that there are other things higher on my priority list than fitness and eating right.
-
We definitely spend a little more now. We got a Costco membership and are trying out some of their prepared foods, which is kinda silly since neither us of work now and have oodles of time to meal prep.
I find myself smiling without meaning to. I don't remember when that last happened...College maybe?
People aren't *that* interested in our finances (though a surprising number remember us mentioning MMM close to a decade ago and ask if that's what happened). My parents, in particular, seemed to have warmed to our unexpectedly unconventional lifestyle really quickly.
I'm not lonely. I moved to a new place and don't really have close friends here, but I'm involved in some groups based on my interests and that sates my extroversion bug enough.
I'm becoming a better mom. Having a lot of time with my kids is letting me figure out how to be really good at this. I know some parents do better when they're working, and I thought I was probably one of those. Turns out, nope.
-
"FI" didn't change much for me. But when I added the "RE" part....then shit got real.
FIRE surprises include not only the extent to which I could improve my fitness, but probably more importantly, the SUSTAINABILITY. There have been blips or regressions in the past 4 years - usually the second half of Summer, and predictably, the Holiday Season - but largely, the immense personal satisfaction of a body that feels and performs excellently is more than ample to provide the discipline to keep it up.
Another one which has caught me off guard (but also delighted) has been my growing desire to find and form my human tribe. Oh, how this forum has been an integral tool in this quest. This is a journey I am excited to keep exploring.
Also....absolutely stunned at how my "May as well give this a try once I have all this time" attitude towards vegetable gardening has morphed into "My relationship with my land and appreciation of Nature will NEVER be the same again".
I probably worked 5 years beyond the point I was "FI"...and my misery was everpresent. For some, and this includes me....RE IS THE THING.
I fully expect that I will want to find my tribe when I get there. I think I really do want to now, but it's buried under living day to day. My coworkers are good folks, but I just don't feel a real connection to them.
I had a big garden a few years ago, but I overdid it. I didn't even plant one this year. I may go back to it, though, when I have a lot more time. I enjoyed it, but I have enormous respect for folks who eat mostly what they produce themselves. It's so much work.
I gained weight. That's my most unexpected result.
I expected to lose weight, because I'm no longer at the office where there was always a bowl of candy and often a bunch of muffins or cookies, especially at the holidays. But I gained weight instead, even though I don't keep that stuff at home.
I didn't think I would eat more at home, but apparently I am. I increased my structured exercising as well, but apparently not enough to offset the increased food intake. And I didn't think I moved around that much by going to work as a cubicle dweller, but apparently the amount of walking to and from the car and the ladies' room was enough to make a difference.
I too have already noticed a couple of extra pounds creep on since I FIREd 5 weeks ago. I’ve been snacking more during the day than I did at the office...I’ve treated this 5 weeks like a vacation, but now I need to put more effort into my eating habits and getting more active.
Me and DH predict that we will gain a bunch of weight the first year we're out then be in great shape after decompression. Does anybody that's been FIREd a while have any experience with that one way or the other?
This more or less was what happened to me but it took a long time for the decompression. I gained weight the first year I was FIRE and have been slowly (ever so slowly) losing it this year. My fitness is also getting better. There are a lot of reasons for that, the most important being that there are other things higher on my priority list than fitness and eating right.
Yeah, I guess just because you don't have a job any more doesn't mean you're not still really busy. I'm glad to hear thinks are improving. Maybe you're not completely done decompressing yet.
If I had more time, I would probably cook more. I cook healthy food, but it takes a lot more time and work than throwing a frozen pizza in the oven.
-
I gained weight. That's my most unexpected result.
I expected to lose weight, because I'm no longer at the office where there was always a bowl of candy and often a bunch of muffins or cookies, especially at the holidays. But I gained weight instead, even though I don't keep that stuff at home.
I didn't think I would eat more at home, but apparently I am. I increased my structured exercising as well, but apparently not enough to offset the increased food intake. And I didn't think I moved around that much by going to work as a cubicle dweller, but apparently the amount of walking to and from the car and the ladies' room was enough to make a difference.
I too have already noticed a couple of extra pounds creep on since I FIREd 5 weeks ago. I’ve been snacking more during the day than I did at the office...I’ve treated this 5 weeks like a vacation, but now I need to put more effort into my eating habits and getting more active.
Me and DH predict that we will gain a bunch of weight the first year we're out then be in great shape after decompression. Does anybody that's been FIREd a while have any experience with that one way or the other?
As I noted earlier, I lost about 15 lbs in the first few months of FIRE, without really trying. I'm coming up on my one year anniversary, and the weight hasn't come back yet. Hopefully it's gone for good.
-
I gained weight. That's my most unexpected result.
I expected to lose weight, because I'm no longer at the office where there was always a bowl of candy and often a bunch of muffins or cookies, especially at the holidays. But I gained weight instead, even though I don't keep that stuff at home.
I didn't think I would eat more at home, but apparently I am. I increased my structured exercising as well, but apparently not enough to offset the increased food intake. And I didn't think I moved around that much by going to work as a cubicle dweller, but apparently the amount of walking to and from the car and the ladies' room was enough to make a difference.
I too have already noticed a couple of extra pounds creep on since I FIREd 5 weeks ago. I’ve been snacking more during the day than I did at the office...I’ve treated this 5 weeks like a vacation, but now I need to put more effort into my eating habits and getting more active.
Me and DH predict that we will gain a bunch of weight the first year we're out then be in great shape after decompression. Does anybody that's been FIREd a while have any experience with that one way or the other?
I'm down over 50 pounds. Can finally put on a 38 inch pair of jeans.
-
When you work you have stress eating, at least for me. I have lost a lot of weight since the stress is gone.
-
When you work you have stress eating, at least for me. I have lost a lot of weight since the stress is gone.
Yes, definitely.
-
Also....absolutely stunned at how my "May as well give this a try once I have all this time" attitude towards vegetable gardening has morphed into "My relationship with my land and appreciation of Nature will NEVER be the same again".
I had a big garden a few years ago, but I overdid it. I didn't even plant one this year. I may go back to it, though, when I have a lot more time. I enjoyed it, but I have enormous respect for folks who eat mostly what they produce themselves. It's so much work.
My garden has become bigger and more demanding in each of my 4 years of FIRE - each season I couldn't help myself from building new raised beds. Last season it had reached a point where I felt it was too big, and needed a certain amount of attention that started to prevent from doing some of the OTHER things I love do in this new life I had worked so hard to craft. I have even toyed around with the idea of letting the whole thing lie fallow this year. But I think I can scale things back a bit to a point where I can find the balance between the demands of the garden and freedom to pursue some of my other hobbies and allow for some Summer travel too.
When you work you have stress eating, at least for me. I have lost a lot of weight since the stress is gone.
Yes, definitely.
This was the key for me. I was a classic stress eater. Despite the fact that my job was HIGHLY physical, this fact could not overcome the trainwreck that was my diet. I have mentioned somewhere else (my Journal perhaps) that the fellow on the "Supersize Me" documentary was an amateur compared to my own fast food exploits. Once I removed the cause of my stress (job) the change in my dietary habits changed virtually overnight. My physical activity now comes from my hobbies and my neighbourhood gym, not the meat grinder that was my job. My hardest days in the gym are an absolute joy compared to my hardest on that job.
60 pound weight loss overall for me, and I have largely been able to keep it off apart from perhaps a 10 pound fluctuation here or there.
-
60 pound weight loss overall for me, and I have largely been able to keep it off apart from perhaps a 10 pound fluctuation here or there.
I wasn't overweight while working, and my level of stress eating was pretty minimal. I have gained about 5 pounds in retirement, not because of stress, and despite my increased activity level. I now have more time to cook and I think delicious food is one of life's greatest pleasures, but it does come with the side effect of added calories. Just by virtue of spending most of my day within 30 seconds of a fridge full of amazing things to eat, I think I eat more now than my newly increased activity level can offset.
In addition to eating more in retirement, I also sleep more, exercise more, read and write more, and spend more quality bedroom time with my spouse. All things considered, I'm not complaining.
-
60 pound weight loss overall for me, and I have largely been able to keep it off apart from perhaps a 10 pound fluctuation here or there.
I wasn't overweight while working, and my level of stress eating was pretty minimal. I have gained about 5 pounds in retirement, not because of stress, and despite my increased activity level. I now have more time to cook and I think delicious food is one of life's greatest pleasures, but it does come with the side effect of added calories. Just by virtue of spending most of my day within 30 seconds of a fridge full of amazing things to eat, I think I eat more now than my newly increased activity level can offset.
In addition to eating more in retirement, I also sleep more, exercise more, read and write more, and spend more quality bedroom time with my spouse. All things considered, I'm not complaining.
One of my secret weapons is that liking all kinds of food means that I like healthy food, too. The problem is that healthy food takes so much more time and effort to cook than the terrible prepackaged stuff. I only have so much time and energy to spend behind a cutting board. I've been kind of burned out on my garden the past couple of years, but the actual truth is that I was burned out on cooking it. 2/3 of the garden work was actually in the kitchen. Next year I'm going to give more produce away. My garden may become a big agricultural operation once I'm FIRE.
-
60 pound weight loss overall for me, and I have largely been able to keep it off apart from perhaps a 10 pound fluctuation here or there.
I wasn't overweight while working, and my level of stress eating was pretty minimal. I have gained about 5 pounds in retirement, not because of stress, and despite my increased activity level. I now have more time to cook and I think delicious food is one of life's greatest pleasures, but it does come with the side effect of added calories. Just by virtue of spending most of my day within 30 seconds of a fridge full of amazing things to eat, I think I eat more now than my newly increased activity level can offset.
In addition to eating more in retirement, I also sleep more, exercise more, read and write more, and spend more quality bedroom time with my spouse. All things considered, I'm not complaining.
One of my secret weapons is that liking all kinds of food means that I like healthy food, too. The problem is that healthy food takes so much more time and effort to cook than the terrible prepackaged stuff. I only have so much time and energy to spend behind a cutting board. I've been kind of burned out on my garden the past couple of years, but the actual truth is that I was burned out on cooking it. 2/3 of the garden work was actually in the kitchen. Next year I'm going to give more produce away. My garden may become a big agricultural operation once I'm FIRE.
The chopping and slicing gets to me too, so I got a hand powered drawstring pull vegetable chopper and now I find it’s no big deal to whip up all sorts of veggie dishes that previously would have taken an hour of prep. You have to be okay with it not looking as pretty as deliberately sliced or grated veggies, but I’m fine with it. I showed it to one of my friends who also complained about the time behind the cutting board and she is so enamored with it that she bought one for everyone she knows.
-
60 pound weight loss overall for me, and I have largely been able to keep it off apart from perhaps a 10 pound fluctuation here or there.
I wasn't overweight while working, and my level of stress eating was pretty minimal. I have gained about 5 pounds in retirement, not because of stress, and despite my increased activity level. I now have more time to cook and I think delicious food is one of life's greatest pleasures, but it does come with the side effect of added calories. Just by virtue of spending most of my day within 30 seconds of a fridge full of amazing things to eat, I think I eat more now than my newly increased activity level can offset.
In addition to eating more in retirement, I also sleep more, exercise more, read and write more, and spend more quality bedroom time with my spouse. All things considered, I'm not complaining.
One of my secret weapons is that liking all kinds of food means that I like healthy food, too. The problem is that healthy food takes so much more time and effort to cook than the terrible prepackaged stuff. I only have so much time and energy to spend behind a cutting board. I've been kind of burned out on my garden the past couple of years, but the actual truth is that I was burned out on cooking it. 2/3 of the garden work was actually in the kitchen. Next year I'm going to give more produce away. My garden may become a big agricultural operation once I'm FIRE.
The chopping and slicing gets to me too, so I got a hand powered drawstring pull vegetable chopper and now I find it’s no big deal to whip up all sorts of veggie dishes that previously would have taken an hour of prep. You have to be okay with it not looking as pretty as deliberately sliced or grated veggies, but I’m fine with it. I showed it to one of my friends who also complained about the time behind the cutting board and she is so enamored with it that she bought one for everyone she knows.
Yes! Or a food processor works well for this, too.
Also, if you don't mind vegan recipes, these only have 8 ingredients each, but they are really big on flavor and taste like they were much more complicated: thevegan8.com
-
One of my secret weapons is that liking all kinds of food means that I like healthy food, too. The problem is that healthy food takes so much more time and effort to cook than the terrible prepackaged stuff. I only have so much time and energy to spend behind a cutting board. I've been kind of burned out on my garden the past couple of years, but the actual truth is that I was burned out on cooking it. 2/3 of the garden work was actually in the kitchen. Next year I'm going to give more produce away. My garden may become a big agricultural operation once I'm FIRE.
I have the same challenge when finding wild food. I pick a lot of edible mushrooms (and inedible ones for studying as well). I have also started picking some greens and seaweed. The work you have to do afterwards is immense. Mushrooms grow mostly in the few autumn months. You need to spend hours searching them and then hours cleaning and cutting for the drying machine. Greens need to be sorted, washed and frozen or pureed. I am still not sure what is best to do with seaweed, but it should be preserved some way or another.
My MIL used to complain a bit about her vegetable patch. She had a lot of lettuce in it. All the crops would be ripe and edible in the same week. It was much more than she could prepare for her family in that week.
On the other hand, I also know en person in my neighbourhood who lives mostly off her vegetable garden and doesn't need to buy vegetables in the shop. I get the impression she doesn't have a very busy life otherwise and can prioritize this hobby.
-
Linda: The easiest solution to "vegetables all ripe at once" is to spread out the planting. Don't sow all of your lettuce on the same day, spread it out over a few weeks. You can also use multiple varieties with different maturation rates.
I like to sow things like carrots and beets a bit too crowded, then eat the thinnings (after a quick rinse - rarely do they make it inside...) to get them to the right spacing.
-
Since deciding to morph my LSL into retirement, I've mentioned this to just a few people. I've spent 34 years in a highly specialised area of medicine and don't have anything much in the way of transferable medical skills that wouldn't lead to a malpractice suit. And as a wily downshifter I've pretty much optimised my job to my preferences.
My biggest surprise is that just about everyone has come up with an unworkable suggestion of more medical practice I could do e.g. work in a small private hospital locally with very few patients (i.e. not many billable hours), whilst doubling my insurance/registration costs, needing to maintain the same amount of CPD but in the private sector I would have to pay for it out of pocket AND be on call 24/7. Umm, no, I'd lose money as well as sleep. OR several suggestions to just "do a bit of family medicine" on the side...( same problem with the costs sides, not to mention lack of skill set). And finally a left of field email from a friend of my brother suggesting I get involved in his medical charity work.
NO people, just NO! Did you not hear I'm 60 years old and retiring from the practice of medicine?
-
NO people, just NO! Did you not hear I'm 60 years old and retiring from the practice of medicine?
My dad was a doctor. He was a pathologist. He was sacked at about 60 and just decided be couldn't be bothered to work again. He hasn't even contemplated working again. My mum has just this year retired (about a month ago & she was a nurse) but is already talking about going back to work or what she is going to do.
My FIL was financially independent and retired at 40 due to being a hedge fund manager and the fund went bust. He intends to keep working until the day he dies. He runs his own business now and does so much - more than me.
Some people just think you have to work and for some reason some people need too. It makes no sense to me.
-
Since deciding to morph my LSL into retirement, I've mentioned this to just a few people. I've spent 34 years in a highly specialised area of medicine and don't have anything much in the way of transferable medical skills that wouldn't lead to a malpractice suit. And as a wily downshifter I've pretty much optimised my job to my preferences.
My biggest surprise is that just about everyone has come up with an unworkable suggestion of more medical practice I could do e.g. work in a small private hospital locally with very few patients (i.e. not many billable hours), whilst doubling my insurance/registration costs, needing to maintain the same amount of CPD but in the private sector I would have to pay for it out of pocket AND be on call 24/7. Umm, no, I'd lose money as well as sleep. OR several suggestions to just "do a bit of family medicine" on the side...( same problem with the costs sides, not to mention lack of skill set). And finally a left of field email from a friend of my brother suggesting I get involved in his medical charity work.
NO people, just NO! Did you not hear I'm 60 years old and retiring from the practice of medicine?
This SO chimes! When I announced I was done with family medicine and had handed in my notice, I got so many suggestions of ways I might find joy in continuing to practise medicine, as if for some reason people who knew sod all about the realities of my job or the way the practice of medicine is structured thought they could offer me inspirational "solutions" to something that wasn't even a problem, or couldn't cope with the thought of me being retired. Some of those "solutions" were eye-rollingly inappropriate.
As it happens, a small amount of highly suitable post-retirement medical work presented itself to me without any effort on my part and I'm enjoying it for now. The professional fees did make me hesitate and if this work dries up I won't look for anything else.
-
For those of you have reached FI:
How has it changed your life in a way that you never realized it would?
Good or bad
1) Simplified tracking expenses. Before FI (and for the first 2-3 yrs after FI) we were tracking expenses on a category basis. Categories were things like groceries, eating out, utilities, property tax, insurance, car repairs, vacation expenses, gifts, etc... This was tracked by keeping every single receipt and carefully cross referencing with credit card and bank statements. I typically updated the expenses tracking spreadsheet every 4 months and this process would take a good 2 - 3 hours. Now we have abandoned the categories and instead track outflows from our financial accounts. We have 2 bank accounts plus a PayPal account that is used for paying bills and withdrawing pocket cash. No more categories, just a single expenses number. This new process takes about 30 min to track 12 months worth of transactions.
2) Loosed up the purse strings. Before FI we always bought the cheapest, most filling item on the menu - now we order what is most desirable to eat. Before FI we would study Consumer Reports and Craigslist for months to find a reliable, and depreciated, used car with moderate mileage. Now we buy new cars that are FUN and comfortable. Before FI all of my reading came from borrowing library books or buying used books. Now I poke the 'buy' button on my Kindle from the comfort of my couch without hesitation. Before FI we rarely shelled out $100/yr total to charities - now we have several organizations we support every year for thousands of dollars. Small $ changes and big $ changes.. you get the idea.
3) Stopped looking through an exhaustive list of every product. For example when buying headphones. Before FI I would look at EVERY headphone option Amazon had in my price range. Now I look at 3 or 4 options and if one of them is acceptable for covering the features I want then I stop and poke the buy button. Very rarely does my purchase turn out badly. What I really regret is the hours I lost in the past looking through far too many options.
-
Although this is thread is in the Post-FIRE section, the OP clearly states "FI", not "FIRE" or "RE".
I've been FI for several years, not even sure exactly when I first hit it because my goal was always to save far more than that. At the market high in Sept. of this year, I hit 3X FI and am still around 2.8X FI since the recent drops.
What changed? Really, nothing at all for the first few years of being FI, and then I started thinking, planning, and talking more about FIRE over just the last couple years of being FE as my stash grew to a more desirable level. I've always had a high savings rate, but I've actually tightened up the spending even more since I've hit FI, although being FI was not the reason for the drop in spending, but rather a change in my feelings about what seems like wasteful spending, even though I was already pretty frugal to begin with.
If the question was about FIRE, I couldn't quite answer yet, but in the future, I imagine I would have a lot more to say about the significant changes in my life.
-
I've been reviewing my household energy expenditures and have discovered an additional unexpected consequence of being FI: my utility bills have gone up considerably.
My house is now occupied basically all day, instead of just a few hours around the edges of the workday. My furnace and heat pump run more often. Household electronics get used during the day. I'm no longer relying on employer-provided toilet paper for approximately 60% of my total usage. I cook on my own kitchen appliances at lunch time instead of in the office break room, and I generate more dishes.
It's not like my bills have doubled, but they are definitely notably higher than they were while I was working downtown. I suppose that anyone who works from home most of the time has experienced this same effect, but it's not one I had anticipated before I retired.
-
I can’t wait to FIRE and have the high utility bills issue :)
-
Well if you're doing it right you'll spend a lot of your time doing things at home that will keep you warm and maybe even lower those bills.
I spent most of my morning in my unheated garage, playing with tools. Of course, my budget for saw blades and router bits has increased an infinite percentage in the past six months, too. Whatever you find to keep yourself busy might come with its own costs.
Not that I mind.
-
I seem to be developing a "make my day" mentality at work.
For example, 2 years ago I started a research project with a university. I had to take the project proposal through innumerable review boards and the administrative bureaucracy took a whole year to get everything in place. I'm sure the process cost more than the value of the project. The project itself went well, and now it's wrapping up. The bureaucracy wants me to follow another low value process to wrap it up. They want me to fill in another form, and I ask, "What happens if I don't fill in that form? Will you *not* make the final payment to the university? I'm pretty busy, it'll take a couple of weeks to look at your request."
They wanted me to go before a review board to assess my qualifications. I asked them, "what happens if I don't go to the review board?" They said, "Well nothing. We can't promote you though." A promotion would add more stress and a lot of international travel.
This feels very strange as I've always been willing to work the bureaucracy to get things done. But now I just view it as days or weeks of my life that I'll never get back. In the past, little conflicts like this would cause me stress, but they barely show up on my emotional radar anymore. I'm able to focus on the parts of my work that align with my personal value system. I haven't slept this well since high school.
So far, I'm not getting any push back at all from my management. And I don't really care. If someone doesn't like it? Fork 'em.
-
Weekdays for me are MUCH less stressful then weekends now - and my weekends have never been particularly stressful. Just the rush of people out trying to do everything with everyone and go everywhere stresses me. I really love weekdays and the more relaxed vibe and less crowds. TGIM!!!
This is what I notice already, working 80%. I often use that free weekday to do shopping or visit a skiing trail that is otherwise very crowded. We save the weekend days for doing outdoor stuff in less crowded places and for avoiding shops. The difference is very noticeable. Shopping without thousands of others is much more pleasant than in the weekend. And skiing my favorite trail without having to pass people every meter is also very pleasant. It really makes me long to have my whole life like this. It feels a bit like summer vacation. Then we tend to travel around in the country to places where it is less crowded and life is just at an easier pace. We can shop at a convenient time when it is not crowded.
-
My utilities have actually gone down more so because 2 kids have gone off to school and Now instead of going to the gym coming home and showering I am taking nice long showers at the Y . Still have 2 at home but I also have eeked the furnace down 2 degrees because the warmer wanta bees are the ones that left. Not to mention lights are shut off with me being home and even like the dishwasher is used half the time.
My grocery bill has obviously dropped as well but we decided we deserved it and put a little more into our entertainment budget. As long as I meet or beat our budget every month I am happy.
I am the most happy that April will be 4 years and "This is working". I had my reservations and concerns its who I am but so far so good if not alot better.
-
We get invitations for free dinners sponsored by financial planners at least twice a month! Not sure if this is a result of being FI or a result of being over 50...
-
We get invitations for free dinners sponsored by financial planners at least twice a month! Not sure if this is a result of being FI or a result of being over 50...
I blame AARP. I get stuff from them at about the same rate. We use a PO box that gets checked twice a week at most, so it really does seem like I get something age, investment, or insurance related every time I get the mail.
-
One interesting result of being FI for the last few years is that on some level, I care less about how others perceive me at work so I show up more authentically and I speak truth to power...the results? Promotions and faster growth within my career. It's interesting how not being dependent on the job for security has freed me to perform at a higher level.
Sounds like "Office Space" :)
I was just thinking about this today, and it is ironic. I think of all the years I worked so hard and logged long hours trying to work my way up and just have to shake my head. Not trying so hard was the key to success after all.
-
The amount of people that occupy stores during work hours. I always had a fantasy that I would have these places to myself when I was no longer a smuck working a job and could go there during working hours. Nope. Don't these people have jobs? Ha
-
Around here its young/middle aged people in coffee shops. And we have a lot of coffee shops. Not SAHMs with kids, not working remotely on a laptop. Just 20/30/40yr somethings sitting around. Why aren't they working? Unless there are a lot of early retired people around that I never knew about.
-
People in shops during working hours:
- pensioners
- shift workers
- part timers
- students/high schoolers without a full time schedule
- people on occasional day off
- people on vacation or sabbatical
- people on (paid) sick leave who aren't sick enough to have to stay in bed
- people shopping in their lunch break
- people on parental leave
Edit:
- people who are unemployed
- people on disability money
- people on their way to a meeting
Since I am a part timer I have also been surprised by the amounts of people in shops or in ski trails. Lots of people who are young or quite young, as well as traditional pensioners. But there are really lots of people working shifts. And also lots who have time off for various reasons.
-
The amount of people that occupy stores during work hours. I always had a fantasy that I would have these places to myself when I was no longer a smuck working a job and could go there during working hours. Nope. Don't these people have jobs? Ha
I find that if we go to Walmart before 10:00 am on Monday - Thursday, we have the place almost to ourselves. If we go after 10, or pretty much any reasonable hour on Friday, it's crowded. But we live in an area that has a higher than average proportion of retirees, unemployed, and people on disability.
-
^
You forgot all of the people who don't work from offices.
Many times that I'm out for coffee or lunch during work hours, it's for meetings/business. Even if I'm out alone, I'm probably just between meetings and either preparing or killing time.
-
You can tell if it’s a weekend or weekday just by the number of people in and out of stores, gyms, etc. I am amazed at how busy I can keep myself. I knew I would not get bored post FIRE but I can really fill up my schedule, sometimes without even leaving home. How did I have time to work before? The best part is that everything is optional. I don’t have to be or do anything I don’t want to in that busy schedule of mine. Busy by choice instead of mandatory busy. There is a difference.
-
You can tell if it’s a weekend or weekday just by the number of people in and out of stores, gyms, etc. I am amazed at how busy I can keep myself. I knew I would not get bored post FIRE but I can really fill up my schedule, sometimes without even leaving home. How did I have time to work before? The best part is that everything is optional. I don’t have to be or do anything I don’t want to in that busy schedule of mine. Busy by choice instead of mandatory busy. There is a difference.
Amen to all that. Occasionally, I run out of something on a weekend and have to go to a store. When this happens, I just try to roll with it. It's so nice to know it's an anomaly.
-
You can tell if it’s a weekend or weekday just by the number of people in and out of stores, gyms, etc. I am amazed at how busy I can keep myself. I knew I would not get bored post FIRE but I can really fill up my schedule, sometimes without even leaving home. How did I have time to work before? The best part is that everything is optional. I don’t have to be or do anything I don’t want to in that busy schedule of mine. Busy by choice instead of mandatory busy. There is a difference.
Amen to all that. Occasionally, I run out of something on a weekend and have to go to a store. When this happens, I just try to roll with it. It's so nice to know it's an anomaly.
That is how I feel if I find myself in rush hour traffic. Thank god I don't deal with this regularly.
-
Improved bowel movements. I'm convinced work related stress produces hormones that are binding agents. My stools are smoother and more vigorous. It a joy to squeeze one off now. Never would have expected that.
I experienced the same. :)
+3 funny but true!
Possibly +4, though it's too early to be certain that the calmness at the far end of my digestive system will turn out to be an enduring benefit of FIRE rather than a random fluctuation in the behaviour of a capricious intestine. Since I tended to be fine on vacation, I've long suspected that my innards disapproved of long days mostly spent seated at a desk and eating while I worked.
Also no mid-afternoon migraines. The headache was usually trivial, but the prodrome was an overwhelming feeling of fatigue which I really, really didn't need when I was trying to work.
And an overwhelming desire to sit very still and stare at nothing. I was warned about that, but I was determined that it wouldn't happen to me.
It's got me talking to myself!
Another four months on, I still haven't had a single migraine or even a significant mid-afternoon energy dip, and my innards have been angelic except on a few occasions when I've known exactly what I've eaten that I shouldn't have ... and the evenings of the two days when I've ended up spending 12 hours sitting at a desk.
I can still spend a great deal of time doing nothing at all.
I've gained some weight! Just a handful of pounds, but I didn't expect that, especially as I'm running 50-60 miles a week and doing some cycling and climbing too. I always used to say that when I didn't have to go to work I'd be very slim because at home I'd move more and there's always something I'd rather be doing than eating, but the other side of the coin is that at home there's always something nicer to eat than the desk drawer snacks I had at work and I'm not burning calories from stress.
I have not, once, gone shopping or to a local tourist attraction for recreational reasons, or watched daytime TV.
-
I've gained some weight! Just a handful of pounds, but I didn't expect that, especially as I'm running 50-60 miles a week and doing some cycling and climbing too. I always used to say that when I didn't have to go to work I'd be very slim because at home I'd move more and there's always something I'd rather be doing than eating, but the other side of the coin is that at home there's always something nicer to eat than the desk drawer snacks I had at work and I'm not burning calories from stress.
You have probably replaced some fat tissue with muscle tissue. Muscle weighs more. Have you noticed whether your clothes are sitting looser or more tight?
-
I have not, once, gone shopping or to a local tourist attraction for recreational reasons, or watched daytime TV.
Hmmm, does grocery shopping count? What if I watch something from the DVR while I fold laundry in the afternoon after I grocery shop? Seems some less exciting but essential life duties must still be attended to post-FIRE. The difference is I can do these things whenever I want, which is nice. Hope your FIRE experience is all you hoped for and more!
-
I've gained some weight! Just a handful of pounds, but I didn't expect that, especially as I'm running 50-60 miles a week and doing some cycling and climbing too. I always used to say that when I didn't have to go to work I'd be very slim because at home I'd move more and there's always something I'd rather be doing than eating, but the other side of the coin is that at home there's always something nicer to eat than the desk drawer snacks I had at work and I'm not burning calories from stress.
You have probably replaced some fat tissue with muscle tissue. Muscle weighs more. Have you noticed whether your clothes are sitting looser or more tight?
It's not muscle. Even if I had started doing resistance training from scratch rather than ditching weights for a while and doing shedloads of cardio instead, a woman of my age who doesn't take steroids is only capable of building a few ounces of muscle in a period of few months. It's just a small layer of contentment :-)
-
I have not, once, gone shopping or to a local tourist attraction for recreational reasons, or watched daytime TV.
Hmmm, does grocery shopping count? What if I watch something from the DVR while I fold laundry in the afternoon after I grocery shop? Seems some less exciting but essential life duties must still be attended to post-FIRE. The difference is I can do these things whenever I want, which is nice. Hope your FIRE experience is all you hoped for and more!
Grocery shopping still has to be done, of course, just as it did before. And I do enough housework to avoid squalor but haven't had a notion of ripping the house apart and redecorating it or even cleaning the places that you can't see from the middle of a room.
Most of all, I like getting up in the morning, taking my time over breakfast, pottering around a bit, going out for a run mid-morning, which is a good time for me, and taking my time over lunch. And having evenings. Evenings are an underrated pleasure.
-
I have not, once, gone shopping or to a local tourist attraction for recreational reasons, or watched daytime TV.
Hmmm, does grocery shopping count? What if I watch something from the DVR while I fold laundry in the afternoon after I grocery shop? Seems some less exciting but essential life duties must still be attended to post-FIRE. The difference is I can do these things whenever I want, which is nice. Hope your FIRE experience is all you hoped for and more!
Grocery shopping still has to be done, of course, just as it did before. And I do enough housework to avoid squalor but haven't had a notion of ripping the house apart and redecorating it or even cleaning the places that you can't see from the middle of a room.
Most of all, I like getting up in the morning, taking my time over breakfast, pottering around a bit, going out for a run mid-morning, which is a good time for me, and taking my time over lunch. And having evenings. Evenings are an underrated pleasure.
Nice schedule. I especially like your cleaning strategy.
-
I unexpectedly found out that the IRA contribution (and therefore the deduction) can not exceed your "compenstated" income.
I have very little compenated income now (from a sporatic consulting gig).
-
I unexpectedly found out that the IRA contribution (and therefore the deduction) can not exceed your "compenstated" income.
I have very little compenated income now (from a sporatic consulting gig).
That just hit us with the 2018 taxes. I can't give a full IRA contribution because, <ahem> I didn't make enough money in earned income. It's shifted to nearly all passive income. That was a surprise to me, and a nice reminder that we are really, truly FIR now.
I've just resigned from representing a friend in a real estate sale... one more nail in the working girl coffin. I had an immense feeling of satisfaction knowing that what I did was not in my personal financial best interest (giving up income), but was the true and right thing to do for my friend, who lives far enough away that I felt I was not the best person for the job. Wow, that's a great feeling.