Author Topic: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!  (Read 6662 times)

Giro

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I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« on: March 23, 2015, 08:12:37 AM »
In order to FIRE, I need about another $300K.  My plan was to get it saved over the next 4 years but I want it NOW NOW NOW! 

I need ways to get those green soldiers!  I'm doing credit card churning for the first time ever to make a buck but we are talking tiny pebbles and I need boulders! 

Thinking of selling some jewelry that I inherited.  I also have some handbags that I bought when I was young and stupid.  I will check ebay.  I have a scooter in the garage that I never ride and I'm craigslisting that bad boy today. 

Why oh Why did I waste all of those years spending frivolously when I could have been saving ! 

Damnit I hate this job.  I wonder what a smart-mouthed 9 year old would go for.  (kidding!)

vent over.  carry on.

unless you have some awesome ideas for making serious bank in very short order.

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2015, 08:17:56 AM »
Get a different job?

Giro

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2015, 08:20:03 AM »
To quote one of my all time faves "I don't think I would like a different job."

but yea.  I've only been at this job for a few months and I don't wanna go anymore.  I moved jobs for the money.  ugh. 

It's not horrible.  It's not even bad at all.  I think I'm just lazy.

deborah

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2015, 08:41:38 AM »
Make a list of all the reasons you like the job and read it every day before going to work - it's called positive feedback, and it is supposed to actually work.

Retire-Canada

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2015, 08:55:30 AM »
Two things you can do:

1. look for additional savings opportunities in your cost of living. You might have to move to a different place or live in an RV, but if you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to FIRE now that $300K deficit = ~$12K/yr you need to not spend.

2. Looking at it another way that $300K deficit is equivalent to a $12K/yr or $1K/month part-time job. At $25/hr that equals 10hrs/week. Get that part-time income and quit the main job.

If you get better than 4% inflation adjusted returns from your investments that $300K deficit will sort itself out given a bit of time.

-- Vik
« Last Edit: March 23, 2015, 08:57:37 AM by Vikb »

Giro

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2015, 09:13:32 AM »
awesome responses...thank you.

I know I get into that downward spiral of negativity sometimes.  I think of my cubicle as my jail cell and it's downhill from there. 

So here are my good things list.

At least I'm inside and not outside because it's very chilly out today.
I am leaving for the gym in a few minutes which is right inside the building.  I'm going to go lay in the sauna for a break for a few minutes to warm myself up before my workout! 
My boss hasn't been at my desk at all this morning chatting.  She's a talker so avoiding her is always a good thing! 
My internet is working efficiently and I'm able to surf around the web.
I have a nice turkey lunch ready and waiting for when I get back from the gym. 
The carpet doesn't smell that bad today and I think most folks took their trash out last week.
I found a pen that actually writes in the supply cabinet this morning.

:)  this is kinda fun.


My budget is pretty darn bare bones.  I'll keep my no spending spree going tho.  I haven't really spent much of anything since I got back from my vacation.  I am thinking of forgoing all future vacations until I FIRE.  I'd rather be retired.

I could look around for part time gigs that might be fun. 


2Birds1Stone

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2015, 09:16:58 AM »
If your budget is pretty barebones, how is your current stash?

$300,000 would be half of my FI #.

A side gig might be able to speed things up dramatically, and it will give you even less time to spend $$.

Cookie78

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2015, 09:18:49 AM »
To quote one of my all time faves "I don't think I would like a different job."

but yea.  I've only been at this job for a few months and I don't wanna go anymore.  I moved jobs for the money.  ugh. 

It's not horrible.  It's not even bad at all.  I think I'm just lazy.

I feel exactly the same way. I don't even hate my job. I actually have it pretty sweet. I just hate having a job right now. To be fair, 'right now' is a bad time for me to be making any life decisions. Or, for that matter, decisions about what I like or don't like.

Make a list of all the reasons you like the job and read it every day before going to work - it's called positive feedback, and it is supposed to actually work.

Going to try this. Thanks!

I certainly have reasons:
Awesome boss
Great environment
Positive coworkers
Learning opportunities
Low pressure
Great benefits
Every second Friday off
No micro-managers
Flexible environment
Decent pay

Maybe it's not the job that's the problem.

mm1970

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2015, 09:27:18 AM »
In order to FIRE, I need about another $300K.  My plan was to get it saved over the next 4 years but I want it NOW NOW NOW! 

I need ways to get those green soldiers!  I'm doing credit card churning for the first time ever to make a buck but we are talking tiny pebbles and I need boulders! 

Thinking of selling some jewelry that I inherited.  I also have some handbags that I bought when I was young and stupid.  I will check ebay.  I have a scooter in the garage that I never ride and I'm craigslisting that bad boy today. 

Why oh Why did I waste all of those years spending frivolously when I could have been saving ! 

Damnit I hate this job.  I wonder what a smart-mouthed 9 year old would go for.  (kidding!)

vent over.  carry on.

unless you have some awesome ideas for making serious bank in very short order.
if your smart mouthed nine year old is like mine, you'd have to pay someone...

TheGibberingPotato

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2015, 09:40:54 AM »
To quote one of my all time faves "I don't think I would like a different job."

but yea.  I've only been at this job for a few months and I don't wanna go anymore.  I moved jobs for the money.  ugh. 

It's not horrible.  It's not even bad at all.  I think I'm just lazy.

Assuming you're already on track with all of the basic FIRE strategies, and if you're job isn't all that bad, and you think it's partially just your inability to deal with a job... and you have 4 years to go...

It might be a valuable life lesson for you to just suck-it-up and deal with it.  Will you even be able to maintain your happiness in retirement with that type of attitude?

Maybe realize that you can either be miserable between now and FIRE attempting to accelerate as much as possible, or you can chill the F out and try to enjoy the ride while it lasts and then FIRE.

I can relate to how overwhelming a job can be, even when you're somewhat close to the end and occasionaly boughts of paranoia set in.  I sometimes wonder if I have anxiety issues...
Sometimes in those situations it helps to sit back, take a deep breath, and remember that in all likelihood your life is already pretty good.

FIRE me

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2015, 10:16:42 AM »
In order to FIRE, I need about another $300K.  My plan was to get it saved over the next 4 years but I want it NOW NOW NOW! 


No helpful suggestions here. Just some seriously genuine sympathy because we are in the same boat.

I've quit many jobs when I didn't get treated like I deserved. And I always found a equal or better job in a very short time. But now I'm older (wrong side of 50), good paying jobs are harder to find, and I have only a couple of years to FIRE.

Most days, I think I will not be able to continue eat Company shit for that long. What a sweet day it will be when I walk out of there for the last time!

GuitarStv

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2015, 11:08:44 AM »
Look at your savings rate.  Look at your target number for retirement.  Work out exactly how many days you have left to work.  Each new morning you can decrement that number. Remembering that is how I get through the bad days. . .

Exflyboy

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2015, 11:33:16 AM »
I have a lazy streak too.. i can remember a number of times that no matter what I did I just couldn't motivate myself to work.

I almost had to convince myself that if I didn't dig deep I was going to get fired... I managed somehow to pull it together and perform somewhat.

Things got really bad around 2008 (happened to coincide with the great recession) and I had to find another job within the same company.. I also used this as a motivation to to go get my professional engineering license. That was some of the hardest work/study I have ever done and it took me 2 years while working full time.

I then took a different job 80 miles away, some incredibly interesting work.. somewhere during this time I became FI.

So yeah I totally get the problem...  You just need to trick yourself into finding motivation.. It can be done..

Giro

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2015, 11:40:57 AM »
love this post.  you guys are awesome.

From a financial perspective, "we" could both retire now.  My DH has about $400K stash and a full military pension.  I have about $300K stash and no pension what so ever.  We use his insurance (Tricare) and live rather dirt cheap for our income.  I save about $60k a year.  He saves about $75k a year.  No debt.  Just taxes.  lots and lots of taxes. 

But you see, he's a government man.  He did 24 years in the Air Force and only retired when he met me and got married and didn't want to move around every 3 years.  And the next move for him of course, was to go into civil service.  SOOOOO, he sees a second pension coming in a few years and is fairly easy to please at work and in life.  Me on the other hand....well, I'm a different animal.  I like being at home.  I like hanging out and lazing about.  I like going to the gym for 2-3 hours just because I freakin can. 

I don't have enough to retire on my own.  I would feel too guilty to rely on him to pay the bills.  Right now, we split everything and save save save.  I have three children (two in college).  He has none. 

He thinks we should have "millions when we retire".  He supports me in my FIRE journey but he also holds out hope that I'll come to my senses and work until I'm 50.  he wants to work until he's 55 or so. 

Lunch was delicious.  still no visits from boss.  WOO

SenoritaStache

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Re: I'm losing it at work - need to retire NOW!!
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2015, 12:02:28 PM »
I totally understand you!! Almost 2 years ago I left a job I was completely miserable in.  It was like breaking up with an abusive boyfriend, after I was kinda traumatized for about 1 month, I kept telling myself I can make it I can do it..but I knew that I just couldn't bare it anymore.  I toke a 3 week vacation to my mothers home town, out of the country.. No cell phone, emails computers or anything.  Came back and applied for a different job.  Now I still wish I was FIRE now, but at least I have a way better job than I had.  Now I CAN make it, and I think that I should be FIRE in less than 5 years.  Just keep going if you can, if not apply at other jobs, you might get lucky!!! I know that I did 😊

 

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