Author Topic: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?  (Read 21764 times)

Ozstache

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #50 on: June 16, 2017, 05:22:10 PM »
Unfortunately, a social worker doing our home study won't accept any of the answers above ("I'm unemployed" or even "I'm retired" from a 32 year old would be huge red flags I'm sure)

Won't living in an RV that looks cosy enough for two, never mind three, also raise a red flag?

jim555

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #51 on: June 16, 2017, 07:04:31 PM »
Normally I would say retired, but that gives away that you have substantial resources.  So I am thinking unemployed is a better answer if you want to obscure your financial situation.

nawhite

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #52 on: June 17, 2017, 06:59:27 PM »
Unfortunately, a social worker doing our home study won't accept any of the answers above ("I'm unemployed" or even "I'm retired" from a 32 year old would be huge red flags I'm sure)

Won't living in an RV that looks cosy enough for two, never mind three, also raise a red flag?

Lol yes it would but we're planning on moving back into a sticks and bricks house before we start the adoption process.

Nudelkopf

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #53 on: June 17, 2017, 07:40:33 PM »
I'm in a funny place where my wife and I are thinking about adopting a kid at just about exactly the same time as we'll hit our FIRE number. Unfortunately, a social worker doing our home study won't accept any of the answers above ("I'm unemployed" or even "I'm retired" from a 32 year old would be huge red flags I'm sure) and if the process takes 2 years to get matched and another 6 months to finalize, I really don't want to keep working that whole time.
"I work in finance", or "I manage finances"... It's true. You manage your own finances!

pa2016

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #54 on: June 18, 2017, 06:47:38 PM »
Society is biased -- when a married woman quits her job, the general assumption is that she will depend on her husband financially. I FIRE a month ago. I have 2 kids and coworkers just assumed that I quit to take care of the kids (which is true) and that I will depend on DH financially (which is not true !!!). Since I still drive a 2000 Honda Civic, no one thinks that I am somewhat financially doing well.
To answer the question in the subject line, I just say I work from home... which I had been doing for a while right before I quit. And since DH is still working and I have 2 kids to manage, I usually don't get any further questions 🙁

RyanAtTanagra

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #55 on: June 19, 2017, 11:11:41 AM »
Read this old post on ERE today:
http://earlyretirementextreme.com/tough-to-answer-what-do-you-do-for-a-living.html

The first line made me laugh:
"It is tough to answer because it implies a presumption that is wrong much like “when did you stop beating your wife?”

cheapass

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #56 on: June 19, 2017, 01:05:34 PM »
... most don't assume I have a lot of money. 'Cause you know if I DID I'd be living the rich life ;-).

Got money? Better spend it!!! Oh shit, now I don't have money anymore.

Plina

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #57 on: June 25, 2017, 06:55:55 AM »
Unfortunately, a social worker doing our home study won't accept any of the answers above ("I'm unemployed" or even "I'm retired" from a 32 year old would be huge red flags I'm sure)

Won't living in an RV that looks cosy enough for two, never mind three, also raise a red flag?

Lol yes it would but we're planning on moving back into a sticks and bricks house before we start the adoption process.

Just tell that you inherited money and are independently wealthy. Therefore you have all the time required to stay home a couple of years with your child.

Cassie

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #58 on: June 25, 2017, 03:03:58 PM »
I was a social worker many years ago and you just need to prove that you can support a child.  So if you have a bunch of $ invested and you are living off the interest I don't see that as a problem.

Zariana

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #59 on: June 25, 2017, 10:17:34 PM »
"I'm a scientist."

It's a life philosophy as well as a job.

A border control officer argued with me recently that I was a 'manager' based on what my job description is. No, still a scientist.

riotnerd

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Re: When non-mustaches ask you: What do you do?
« Reply #60 on: July 27, 2017, 11:02:56 PM »
I've struggled with this too in the 5 months I've been retired.  I'm young (35) so I feel a little tinge of guilt when an older/working class person asks me so I'll sometimes just say "software" or "I used to be in software but I'm taking a break".  On the other hand if it's someone more on my peer level or someone I don't mind having the inevitable conversation with, I'll go with retired or semi-retired.  I also need to work on my answers to the followup question "what do you do all day"...since part of me wants to sound like I'm still being a productive member of society and part of me wants to sound like I'm doing lots of fun stuff!  (The truth is somewhere in the middle while still wasting a bit too much time online).