FI, but not retired

[sisca]

Hi, guys. This is my first post here, but I have read most of the blog already. While we agree on most of what MMM writes, and we are financially independent, we still work.

Let me first give you some background. We are a 30 something couple, with two kids. We both have jobs we love, that pays well and most importantly, the hours are extremely flexible, to the point where we could get by without sending the kids to kindergarten. Also the kindergarten is a whopping 100 yards from the house, the same goes for school, sports center, swimming hall etc. The only thing that is not really within walking distance is shops, but I kind of view that as a positive feature as well. We have decided to send the kids to kindergarten part time and roughly 4 days a week . We also live fairly close to work, where the commute is 10 minutes for me and 20 minutes for her.

Life hasn't always been as it is now, and before we had kids, we both worked considerably longer hours and that paid for much of the freedom we have today, for the most part it paid for a house that is bigger and more expensive than it should be.

We are quite aware of our furtunate situation, where both current jobs are very well paid and also extremely flexible. We spend roughly 80 % of my paycheck (which is the smaller of the two), and save the rest of mine and all of hers, so the stash is growing at a healthy pace and is already at a size I think could support us.

The thing is none of us are ready to give up our jobs, at all. I view our stash as Fuck You money, disaster money, freedom money, whatever money, and not as a way to retire, at least not now.
Life has been good to us, and we view ourselves as happy and most fortunate. But we are not ready to retire. Between the two of us, we took a year off after having each of our two kids. And at the end of those years, we were both quite keen to get back to work. We missed it!

Are we missing something here? Is retired life really that much better?

[rjack]

Are we missing something here? Is retired life really that much better?

Yes, it is much better in my opinion.

What happened when you tried it for a year? Did you get bored? Overwhelmed? What?

Also, be careful with how you define "retired". It doesn't mean that you do nothing. It means that you are free to take up new challenges and adventures.

[ashem]

Taking care of kids 24-7 would probably make most early retirees dream of going back to work.
You might want to give it another try when your kids are in school.

[plantingourpennies]

Mrs. Pop and I could be in a similar spot by our mid 30's, and we have relatives who could have retired in their 40's, but chose to "work" until their mid 70's.

If you've found an activity that you enjoy and get paid good money for, I wouldn't give it up until something more interesting came along!

All of us should stop using the term "retirement." It is just a meaningless phrase. What is important is that you've found an activity that you find fulfilling, and you have enough money in the bank to support you indefinitely while you follow your passions.

Best,
Mr. Pop

[sisca]

Thanks for the replies.

Ashem: Good point, and worth a thought for sure.

rjack: When we had time off after child birth, we both got a bit bored, yes. Both of us kinda missed the challenges of work, the chance to discuss fields of professional interest with likeminded in person etc. The people we work with, the whole thing really. But we also both cut down hours significantly, to have more balance between work and family life.

plantingourpennies: Yeah, you are spot on to what I am thinking. We choose to work. I also have relatives who tried retiring and failed miserably, and are now in their 70s still working. They just figured they were at their happiest with a combination of work and leasure. I also shared an office a few years back with two mid 60s men who retired and then was offered to stay on and work as much or little as they wanted as long as they could give one week notice of their plans, so we could tap into their considerable experience and network. And it worked out great.

[pac_NW]

Hi Sisca - I very much relate to your situation.  It sounds like you have the best of both worlds - plenty of time for your personal priorities and working flexibly in a role you enjoy.  I am struggling with, let's call it, the down-sizing of a job, where I really love my work, but it does take too much of my personal time.  Financially secure, still working and want to move to something more flexible.  How did you do that?  Are you in the same role as helped you get to your FI state and changed it to be more flexible?  Or did you make a move to a new role?  Really interested in how you made the move to more flexibility.

[sisca]

It was a little bit of both. A few colleagues and me started a subsidiary of the company I was working for, and ran if for a few years. Eventually someone bought it and offered us to stay on, but most of us also got the option to go back to old company in better jobs (note: none of us had any stake in the company or subsidiary, we were just give a chance to play with the company's money). We had learned some new skills, which I guess they found valuable and  we to a large degree got to design our own jobs. I guess it was a combination of very hard work for a few years, luck and a company that really wanted to keep us.

My wife always had flexibility, she just cut back hours. Also a result of them really wanting to keep her that allowed her to cut back that much, I guess. Otherwise they feared they would loose her completely.

When I talk to people, I find that a lot of employers are more willing to discuss these things than most think. But working fewer hours is only half the answer, getting to work many of them at a time of your choosing is the other half. Going home early to spend time with the kids is great, but occasionally I do have to catch up after they go to bed.

[Nords]

Are we missing something here? Is retired life really that much better?

No, it sounds like you're not missing a thing.  I'm envious!

If you love what you do, then do it as long as you love it.  It's even easier when you're financially independent.

Most employees feel tied to their cubicles by debt or a consumerism lifestyle or by the fear of the unknown job market.  They have no desire to be there in the first place, let alone have the flexibility to choose. 

I've been enjoying retirement for over a decade.  In our case the dissatisfiers of work are far more hassle than the benefits of working:  rush-hour commuting (even by bicycle), workplace attire, relatively fixed workplace hours, department meetings, crisis management, bosses, deadlines... it's a long list.  The only occupations that seem compatible with a beach-bum surfing lifestyle are handyman and freelance writing/blogging. 

It's great that you've found an avocation you enjoy and can meld into your lifestyle.  It's even better to have the financial independence to soar serenely above it if they change the rules on you.

[Jamesqf]

I don't think you're missing anything at all.  I certainly don't plan to ever retire (barring some major disability), especially as I see too many acquaintances whose conventional retirement consists of sitting in front of the TV sucking down beer (and not even good beer) or playing golf.  My neighbor retired about 18 months ago, and I swear he's aged at least 10 years since.

Financial independence just means that I have a lot of freedom to choose my work, and the hours I spend doing it.  I don't have to stick with a boring job or tyrannical boss because I have to pay this month's bills.

[twa2w]

You are not missing a thing.  Retired the first time at 42, went back to work and retired the second time last year at 55 and already back to work again.  Likely work until 75 or 80 then retire for the next 25 or 30 years.  Although I really don't call it work.
The money pile keeps growing but thoroughly enjoying life without dipping into it - actually still saving about 90% of my takehome income and living off my spouses smaller income.  She retired at 39 but went back to work several years ago as well and absolutely loves her 'job'