Author Topic: Is FIRE anything like college?  (Read 32731 times)

Gone Fishing

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Is FIRE anything like college?
« on: December 03, 2015, 07:32:18 AM »
As I approach FIRE, I can't help but think that it will be something like my college experience. I know college experiences vary, but mine was something like this:

I compressed all my classes into 2 days.  I could usually get most of my coursework done in those 2 days as well, so I was left with 5 school-free days.  I usually worked 10-15 hours/week during those 5 days which still left me with tons of free time that I spent socializing with friends, reading, walking/hiking, watching movies, cooking etc.   I would often look for things at the thrift store, build things out of salvaged materials, I also volunteered a bit.  In the summer, I worked a pie job at summer camp and traveled to go fishing/hunting and visit family.

Between my savings and part-time income, all my expenses (rent, food, utilities) were covered (still on parents' insurance) and I was left with a small but acceptable entertainment budget.

Many times I have felt my that my FIRE journey is nothing more than an attempt to return to this awesome time in my life.  Any others feel this way?   
« Last Edit: December 03, 2015, 08:05:18 AM by So Close »

Gyosho

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2015, 08:49:20 AM »
Yes! I loved college and am planning my retirement to be as close to my college experience as possible (without the poverty).

I have already lined up all the classes I want to take.

Financial.Velociraptor

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2015, 08:51:05 AM »
Yeah, its a lot like my university experience with a better food budget.  Not nearly as many smoking hot women to scam on though.  Maybe I should go back for PhD!

arebelspy

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2015, 10:16:44 AM »
Yeah, my wife and I compared our life to that ideal of a perpetual student, having student loans cover our living expenses and just getting to relax and fuck around (please no one jump on me about this idea, I'm not saying everyone is like this, but US).  Only we won't ever have loans to repay, and don't have to eventually face the real world.
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kendallf

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2015, 10:39:19 AM »
I think my college years differed substantially from those of you who've posted above.  :-)

My junior year in college marked the birth of my daughter.  I was working 30-40 hours a week, taking 18 credits of engineering classes most terms, and juggling baby care with my wife, who was also working and taking classes.  All while living in a trailer on the outskirts of town, which was the only housing we could easily afford. 

Not to say those were bad years; we had a lot of friends, went to a lot of parties, and generally seized the moment.  Not sure I have it in me to do that again now, though. 

MandalayVA

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2015, 10:43:30 AM »
Yes! I loved college and am planning my retirement to be as close to my college experience as possible (without the poverty massive amounts of drugs and alcohol).


FTFM  :D

Lady Fordragon

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2015, 02:10:02 PM »
Yes!  I, too, loved my college experience.  When I FIRE, it will definitely be like college, but with more traveling.

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2015, 11:15:23 PM »
Yeah, its a lot like my university experience with a better food budget.  Not nearly as many smoking hot women to scam on though.  Maybe I should go back for PhD!

I have thought about doing this more than once.. not for the same reason though.. cough..:)

Taran Wanderer

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2015, 01:40:25 AM »
I hope not.  I felt like college, at least after the first couple of weeks of the term, was a never-ending series of deadlines, crescendoing toward finals week, and I always seemed to have a Friday night or Saturday final. I still have uncomfortable dreams about it twenty years later.

steveo

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2015, 01:50:11 AM »
I view FIRE as very similar to how I lived for a number of years with next to no money and doing next to no work. I smoked a lot of pot and surfed. I was a terrible student.

I really liked that lifestyle and still today my favourite times are when I have the day off and go to the gym.

arebelspy

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2015, 02:02:07 AM »

I view FIRE as very similar to how I lived for a number of years with next to no money and doing next to no work. I smoked a lot of pot and surfed. I was a terrible student.

I really liked that lifestyle and still today my favourite times are when I have the day off and go to the gym.

Yeah, it's like that, but with money!

Drug use optional.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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MandyM

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2015, 07:02:26 AM »
I hope not.  I felt like college, at least after the first couple of weeks of the term, was a never-ending series of deadlines, crescendoing toward finals week, and I always seemed to have a Friday night or Saturday final. I still have uncomfortable dreams about it twenty years later.

This is me. I loved college as a whole and had many, many good times. But the homework, projects, exams, etc caused a constant buzz of stress in the background. 

Jon_Snow

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2015, 10:41:01 AM »
From my own experience...no.

I pretty much flamed out in college.

Done quite a bit better with the FIRE-thing. :)


StetsTerhune

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #13 on: December 04, 2015, 10:50:22 AM »
To me the best part about college wasn't that I had no responsibilities and enormous amounts of free time. It was that all my friends lived the same place I did and also had no responsibilities and enormous amounts of free time.

If I can recreate that in RE, then I'll be golden.  I'd really like to hear ideas on how to pull that off if anyone's got 'em.

Daisy

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #14 on: December 04, 2015, 10:57:53 AM »
I lived at home and worked part time the first 2 years in college. So I didn't have that partying experience.

What I'd like to recreate from college in FIRE is having control over my schedule and where I spend my time. No one activity took up 40 hours of my week. There was great variety.

Class time was only a few hours a day. You could skip a class but no one hounded you about it as missing a work meeting would. You could choose where to spend time studying after classes...at the library, a shady spot by the lake, at 2am if that's what you want. You controlled your time and no one was monitoring if you were "at work" or not.

Every semester things changed so if you disliked a class or instructor things would be different in just 3 months.

Plenty of time for fun music electives and intramural sports all in one place on campus.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2015, 11:01:23 AM by Daisy »

arebelspy

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #15 on: December 04, 2015, 11:35:27 AM »

To me the best part about college wasn't that I had no responsibilities and enormous amounts of free time. It was that all my friends lived the same place I did and also had no responsibilities and enormous amounts of free time.

If I can recreate that in RE, then I'll be golden.  I'd really like to hear ideas on how to pull that off if anyone's got 'em.

Seems like learning how to make new friends wherever you are would be the easiest way to ensure that.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

StetsTerhune

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #16 on: December 04, 2015, 11:51:51 AM »

To me the best part about college wasn't that I had no responsibilities and enormous amounts of free time. It was that all my friends lived the same place I did and also had no responsibilities and enormous amounts of free time.

If I can recreate that in RE, then I'll be golden.  I'd really like to hear ideas on how to pull that off if anyone's got 'em.

Seems like learning how to make new friends wherever you are would be the easiest way to ensure that.

Fair enough. Definitely something I'm going to have to work on in retirement. I never really have figured out how to make friends "as an adult" other than at work. Not that I've really tried, but finding people I like is difficult enough. Add in the hope that they have huge amounts of free time and live a nomadic existence.  Hopefully not impossible, but college was a lot easier :0)

jim555

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #17 on: December 04, 2015, 11:53:22 AM »
Drug use optional.
Not optional, only now we have the wrong drugs.  BP pills, statins, etc...  :)

arebelspy

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #18 on: December 04, 2015, 11:55:49 AM »

Drug use optional.
Not optional, only now we have the wrong drugs.  BP pills, statins, etc...  :)

I think your joke wooshed over my head.

I'm not sure what either of those things are. :)
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Roboturner

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #19 on: December 04, 2015, 11:56:00 AM »

To me the best part about college wasn't that I had no responsibilities and enormous amounts of free time. It was that all my friends lived the same place I did and also had no responsibilities and enormous amounts of free time.

If I can recreate that in RE, then I'll be golden.  I'd really like to hear ideas on how to pull that off if anyone's got 'em.

Seems like learning how to make new friends wherever you are would be the easiest way to ensure that.

Fair enough. Definitely something I'm going to have to work on in retirement. I never really have figured out how to make friends "as an adult" other than at work. Not that I've really tried, but finding people I like is difficult enough. Add in the hope that they have huge amounts of free time and live a nomadic existence.  Hopefully not impossible, but college was a lot easier :0)

Not to mention, i feel so many people are defined by their work.... don't you have any hobbies, no? not one?

arebelspy

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Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #20 on: December 04, 2015, 12:18:10 PM »
I did buy special knee braces for the Camino. Life savers!  Got rid of them after though. Don't need them for every day use, just the extreme of mountains day after day. :)
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

StetsTerhune

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #21 on: December 04, 2015, 12:53:59 PM »
Not to mention, i feel so many people are defined by their work.... don't you have any hobbies, no? not one?

Meanwhile my life just feels like one giant, elaborate hobby. And I'm not even actualy retired yet!

shelivesthedream

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #22 on: December 04, 2015, 02:15:01 PM »
To me the best part about college wasn't that I had no responsibilities and enormous amounts of free time. It was that all my friends lived the same place I did and also had no responsibilities and enormous amounts of free time.

If I can recreate that in RE, then I'll be golden.  I'd really like to hear ideas on how to pull that off if anyone's got 'em.

Me too. We have made friends with a great couple who live in our building now and I love being able to go down to their flat without even needing to put shoes on. I have been mulling over three possible solutions for this:

1. The obvious one of make new friends with your neighbours. It's a bit hit-and-miss though - you can't expect to be besties with everybody and what if you live next to boring people? I am including only the people within a two minute walk as "neighbours", though. The next street doesn't count for the ultimate reliving-your-halls-days experience.

2. Subtly (or overtly?) persuade all your friends to retire early too and decamp somewhere en masse. Most of our friends are pretty good savers but I have yet to seriously discuss early-retirement-level savings with them. Lots of them think they wouldn't know what to do without work (or rather, the structure of work - that they would just sleep all day and play computer games all night).

3. Buy a big house and rent bits out to your friends. This is my ultimate fantasy, that we could magically buy a huge house and rent sets of rooms out to our friends at an advantageous rate so they'd all want to move in.

Goldielocks

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #23 on: December 04, 2015, 02:49:24 PM »
As I approach FIRE, I can't help but think that it will be something like my college experience. I know college experiences vary, but mine was something like this:

I compressed all my classes into 2 days.  I could usually get most of my coursework done in those 2 days as well, so I was left with 5 school-free days. 

Hmm  I think my university experience was different... indeed...  !!!!  I shall henceforth think of you as a kid-genius.

Let's see -- what the schedule would have looked like for me, if it was possible to schedule:  Four year engineering degree:
     6 classes / term x 4 hours/wk scheduled class time on average (some few like English were only 3 hr per week, but most courses had either a T.A. required hour or a lab each week) = 24 hr / week scheduled.

That's 12 hrs / day of scheduled class time over 2 days.   No homework time and I definitely needed to study this stuff to understand it. (no genius here) 
--Oh, This does not include the terms where I had to take 7 classes, or the summer survey course that started before spring exams were completed--.

I would say that it was not possible to complete this degree in 4 yrs, with only 2 days per week, but 6years might be do-able on 2 heavy school days / week (assuming you could get your classes), and taking summer classes to reduce the load.  (I worked in summer at jobs away from the university for better pay)
 

StetsTerhune

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #24 on: December 04, 2015, 03:12:46 PM »
2. Subtly (or overtly?) persuade all your friends to retire early too and decamp somewhere en masse. Most of our friends are pretty good savers but I have yet to seriously discuss early-retirement-level savings with them. Lots of them think they wouldn't know what to do without work (or rather, the structure of work - that they would just sleep all day and play computer games all night).

3. Buy a big house and rent bits out to your friends. This is my ultimate fantasy, that we could magically buy a huge house and rent sets of rooms out to our friends at an advantageous rate so they'd all want to move in.

2. I've been trying this for years, but it feels like a losing battle. I've got a few hopefuls still, but no one that seems terribly likely.

3. This is convenient, my wife and I may need a base in the UK in the next few years. Can we get the friend's rate?

shelivesthedream

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #25 on: December 04, 2015, 03:57:01 PM »
3. Buy a big house and rent bits out to your friends. This is my ultimate fantasy, that we could magically buy a huge house and rent sets of rooms out to our friends at an advantageous rate so they'd all want to move in.

3. This is convenient, my wife and I may need a base in the UK in the next few years. Can we get the friend's rate?

Absolutely! As soon as we magically buy our fifteen-bedroom mansion with en-suite bathrooms that isn't in the Outer Hebrides.

ETA: The way I see this working so it's a pleasant experience for all concerned is as follows:
1. Each person or couple gets a bedroom and a small private sitting room. Ideally one bathroom per person/couple but I think up to four people could share a bathroom if they each had a washbaisin in their sitting room.
2. The ground floor has a big communal kitchen, a dining room, a sitting room, maybe a second sitting room/games room/library/whatever.
3. Rent is approximately half that of a one-bedroom flat in the local area. It goes into a communal fund which pays for...
i. A cleaner to come in an clean the whole house once a week. (Sanity money.)
ii. A gardener to mow the lawn. (Ditto.)
iii. Repairs/maintenance on the house and garden.
iv. Decoration and furnishing of the ground floor/communal areas.
v. Bills. (Electricity, gas, water, internet.)

Since I bought the house with my magical house-buying money, I would administer this fund. But since the money appeared by magic to let us buy this house, all the rent would go to the central fund and not to me. This would be a non-profit enterprise! Furnishing and decoration of the individual bedrooms and sitting rooms are the individual's responsibility.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2015, 04:06:13 PM by shelivesthedream »

arebelspy

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #26 on: December 04, 2015, 08:35:05 PM »
Or trade chores. No reason why someone there can't mow the lawn, unless you and all your friends are 90 or something.

The cleaner might be a good idea, since people have different cleanliness standards.

I'd rather have a plot of land where everyone has tiny homes, rather than one big house, personally.

You all are describing Epicurus, BTW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg_47J6sy3A
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

steveo

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #27 on: December 05, 2015, 02:47:30 AM »

I view FIRE as very similar to how I lived for a number of years with next to no money and doing next to no work. I smoked a lot of pot and surfed. I was a terrible student.

I really liked that lifestyle and still today my favourite times are when I have the day off and go to the gym.

Yeah, it's like that, but with money!

Drug use optional.

I can't wait. I haven't smoked pot for years and I don't intend to start back up again but I can see myself having a great time just living each day like it is the weekend.

steveo

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #28 on: December 05, 2015, 02:49:58 AM »
You all are describing Epicurus, BTW.

My favourite philosopher. A very mustachian way of life a long time ago. He makes me realize that there is nothing new under the sun.

crazy jane

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #29 on: December 05, 2015, 04:44:24 AM »
Or trade chores. No reason why someone there can't mow the lawn, unless you and all your friends are 90 or something.

The cleaner might be a good idea, since people have different cleanliness standards.

I'd rather have a plot of land where everyone has tiny homes, rather than one big house, personally.

You all are describing Epicurus, BTW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg_47J6sy3A

Thanks.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #30 on: December 05, 2015, 05:44:48 AM »
Or trade chores. No reason why someone there can't mow the lawn, unless you and all your friends are 90 or something.

The cleaner might be a good idea, since people have different cleanliness standards.

I'd rather have a plot of land where everyone has tiny homes, rather than one big house, personally.

You all are describing Epicurus, BTW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg_47J6sy3A

Eh, I'm learning my lessons from the first time round. Better to all chip in to pay someone than to end up squabbling over someone not have done their share of communal chores. House harmony would be the priority here.

cerat0n1a

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #31 on: December 05, 2015, 09:58:40 AM »
Absolutely! As soon as we magically buy our fifteen-bedroom mansion with en-suite bathrooms that isn't in the Outer Hebrides.

You'd be surprised how cheaply places like that go for in some of seaside resorts. I'm not even talking about Blackpool or really run-down places, I've seen quite a few hotels/ex B&Bs in lovely places at not too unreasonable prices because there are hardly any buyers looking for them.

I just randomly looked at Lynton in Devon, as it's one of my favourite places in England and there are straightaway a couple of examples. e.g:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/commercial-property-for-sale/property-35695494.html
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33322167.html

Of course, that's still a fair old sum and you might struggle to get a mortgage for such an unconventional scheme, but between a few friends, what you (jokingly?) described might be possible


StetsTerhune

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #32 on: December 05, 2015, 11:37:58 AM »
Isn't there a movie where Justin Long doesn't get into college, so he starts his own? [sounds of googling] Yup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accepted

Anyone want to do that? I don't want to do any of the work, I just want to show up.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #33 on: December 06, 2015, 03:50:07 AM »
Absolutely! As soon as we magically buy our fifteen-bedroom mansion with en-suite bathrooms that isn't in the Outer Hebrides.

You'd be surprised how cheaply places like that go for in some of seaside resorts. I'm not even talking about Blackpool or really run-down places, I've seen quite a few hotels/ex B&Bs in lovely places at not too unreasonable prices because there are hardly any buyers looking for them.

I just randomly looked at Lynton in Devon, as it's one of my favourite places in England and there are straightaway a couple of examples. e.g:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/commercial-property-for-sale/property-35695494.html
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33322167.html

Of course, that's still a fair old sum and you might struggle to get a mortgage for such an unconventional scheme, but between a few friends, what you (jokingly?) described might be possible

Oh wow, that's fabulous!

The aspect of this scheme which I don't think is realistic is coordinating ten people to save up and then pool their money to buy a house. The aspect which I do think is realistic is ten people living together in one well-thought-out house to have enough privacy but also the benefits of living in a community. The people could either work locally, commute or save up enough to FIRE! The difficult bit would be finding the right house in the right location, and then saving enough money to buy it outright (to avoid complex legal ownership situations or individuals reneging on their part of a mortgage).

redbird

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #34 on: December 06, 2015, 12:24:59 PM »
Heck no. At least, not for my situation. I did not have generous family to pay for college for me and I was unwilling to get in debt for it. So I went to college part-time at nights and worked full-time during the day. It was terrible. I had pretty much zero time to myself and it was extremely stressful.

For me, FIRE means I have the ability to make my own schedule, which feels like a first in my life. I am not bored and don't see myself getting bored anytime soon.

NearlyThere

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #35 on: December 06, 2015, 02:02:38 PM »
I hope not. I love college so much but looking back I wasted 3 years partying. I graduated with a very high grading, but I wish I'd participated more in the clubs and societies rather than going drinking a few nights a week.

Don't get me wrong, I hope there's plenty of fun in early retirement, but I want it to be productive too

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #36 on: December 06, 2015, 06:36:34 PM »
If FIRE is like college for me then I am sure my wife would divorce me.

Trudie

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #37 on: December 06, 2015, 07:54:45 PM »
I often long for my graduate school days.  I had no money, but I had time.  I wrote the free/cheap bus system everywhere, my car often sat unused for days at a time.  My mind was engaged.  If I wanted to have happy hour margaritas I could.  There was some pressure; I mean, figuring out "life" in your twenties and maturing are just part of the challenge.  So, I see FIRE as similar to college, only better.  I probably will spend my free time in a lot of the same ways, only less stressfully.  On the bright side, I won't have to worry about debt or a job.  On the downside, there will be some problems/stress (health, but hopefully not too soon as I'll be running like a badass).  I already have my 529 account started and will be taking community college classes in all kinds of fun stuff -- although I'm not sure if I want to do any more tests.

patrickza

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #38 on: December 06, 2015, 11:45:24 PM »
I loved college. I only had classes half the day at most, so I spent a lot of time hanging out with friends, making new friends, and some evenings working. I'll probably still do something productive in FIRE, maybe learning a new language or two, but I don't want any more exams in my life ever!

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #39 on: December 07, 2015, 03:38:10 AM »
I loved uni (college) as I didn't do any work for about 85% of the time. :D

I hope FIRE will be like that except I hope I stop having the recurring dream that I have an exam coming up and I haven't revised. I still have that dream at least once a week!

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #40 on: December 07, 2015, 12:42:28 PM »
My college experience had lots of down time as well. I was all about stacking classes into 2 or 3 days a week. I fold me good friends we're moving near once we FIRE that I thought it would be a period of awesomeness that would rival those four years of college. We're all so looking forward to it!

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #41 on: December 09, 2015, 01:01:30 PM »
Booze I am good with

Video Games I am good with

Weed should be easy enough to find once I FIRE

Where are the Horny Hotties.  I would even take 40-50 year old Horny Hotties.

All of my old flames have new names. Or discovered Jesus, Or gotten all proper and prude.  The fatter my wallet gets the better looking I become though I have discovered that. 

Not retired yet but looking forward to the college life style + good food

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #42 on: December 15, 2015, 02:44:09 PM »
Jumping in after only reading the first few posts. I've thought about this before. It seems to me that most of the fun of college was having so many of my peers on a similar schedule. We all had free time and lived together or just up the hall. In FIRE most of your peers are going to be working 5 days a week. It'd be even more pronounced in a rural town like I'm in now where there's few couples our age anyway. I'm hopeful it'll be even better than college; just different I think.

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #43 on: December 16, 2015, 09:27:57 PM »
I worked pretty hard in undergrad between classes, extracurriculars, part time jobs, research positions, etc.  Quit drinking hard when I was 18 (dropped the light recreational drug use at 16).  Had to get serious back then to land some scholarships and earn some cash money! 

Now law school was a different story.  I fucked around quite a bit in law school.  So yeah, FIRE is kind of like law school.  Except you don't have to get up and go to class, or cram for exams, or pretend to give two shits about anything. 

So on second thought, it's nothing like law school either.  :) 

It's more like those summers in high school.  You have some cash in your pocket, plenty of free time, a car, a tank of gas, and ultimate freedom.  And you're invincible.  :)  Except I worked summers during HS, too.  But I've seen movies where kids screwed around all summer and got into all kinds of hijinks. 

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #44 on: December 17, 2015, 12:39:14 AM »
I worked pretty hard in undergrad between classes, extracurriculars, part time jobs, research positions, etc.  Quit drinking hard when I was 18 (dropped the light recreational drug use at 16).  Had to get serious back then to land some scholarships and earn some cash money! 

Now law school was a different story.  I fucked around quite a bit in law school.  So yeah, FIRE is kind of like law school.  Except you don't have to get up and go to class, or cram for exams, or pretend to give two shits about anything. 

So on second thought, it's nothing like law school either.  :) 

It's more like those summers in high school.  You have some cash in your pocket, plenty of free time, a car, a tank of gas, and ultimate freedom.  And you're invincible.  :)  Except I worked summers during HS, too.  But I've seen movies where kids screwed around all summer and got into all kinds of hijinks.

Man, you didn't get to screw around in high school or college?  Bummer.

Luckily you can now though!

So you might say... these are the best days of your life?
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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #45 on: December 17, 2015, 09:15:41 AM »
Man, you didn't get to screw around in high school or college?  Bummer.

Luckily you can now though!

So you might say... these are the best days of your life?

Well, I don't want to oversell my work ethic, because I was pretty lazy. Just very busy much of the time.  Plenty of recreating though throughout HS and undergrad.  But yes, these days I have much less structure in my schedule than I have at any time in my life since age 4.  I was always working or going to school (or both) without more than a 1-2 week break occasionally. 

Even with 3 kids, there is still way less structure and work in my days compared to the rest of my life.  8 am and 3 pm pick up/drop off time for school and a 5-6 pm "kids must be fed" time is pretty much it (and sometimes they scavenge food for themselves). 

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #46 on: December 21, 2015, 01:25:35 PM »
Man, you didn't get to screw around in high school or college?  Bummer.

Luckily you can now though!

So you might say... these are the best days of your life?

Well, I don't want to oversell my work ethic, because I was pretty lazy. Just very busy much of the time.  Plenty of recreating though throughout HS and undergrad.  But yes, these days I have much less structure in my schedule than I have at any time in my life since age 4.  I was always working or going to school (or both) without more than a 1-2 week break occasionally. 

Even with 3 kids, there is still way less structure and work in my days compared to the rest of my life.  8 am and 3 pm pick up/drop off time for school and a 5-6 pm "kids must be fed" time is pretty much it (and sometimes they scavenge food for themselves).

would you say it is comparable to weekends before FIRE? I think now weekends can be nearly stressful and even look forward to Mondays, esp rainy weekends. I have been thinking about this; now i think weekends are like this b/c we want to do a family activity when we both really just need personal/quiet time but in FIRE all the time is family time and getting personal time would be the thing where we each do one/half day a week. How does this work?

Mine are twins 3 1/2 and 1yo

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #47 on: December 21, 2015, 02:37:50 PM »
Ha, married with 2 kids, I don't see how I could ever go back to the "responsibility free" days of college. Wishful thinking :)

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #48 on: December 21, 2015, 07:39:26 PM »
Ha, married with 2 kids, I don't see how I could ever go back to the "responsibility free" days of college. Wishful thinking :)

They are at school a good part of the day;)

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Re: Is FIRE anything like college?
« Reply #49 on: December 22, 2015, 11:30:13 AM »
Ha, married with 2 kids, I don't see how I could ever go back to the "responsibility free" days of college. Wishful thinking :)

They are at school a good part of the day;)
Just got to have the beer pong table cleaned up by the time the bus gets home.