Hi, I am RootofGood! Retired at 33, life is good!

[Michread]

Justin - I just learned that my dh is eligible for a 457 too (in add. to 403b).  Never heard of it until I read your blog post: http://rootofgood.com/make-six-figure-income-pay-no-tax/

We'll be discussing that option - thanks!

[randymarsh]

^ Is your plan to spam the forum telling people that they should make more money? You must have missed the whole "life isn't about money" thing going on here.

[RootofGood]

Justin - I just learned that my dh is eligible for a 457 too (in add. to 403b).  Never heard of it until I read your blog post: http://rootofgood.com/make-six-figure-income-pay-no-tax/

We'll be discussing that option - thanks!

The fact that I can max a 457 AND a 401k was the only really useful thing I learned in 2 days of new employee orientation and all the days of subsequent mandatory "training" courses.  I think I reconfirmed with our plan sponsor 3-4 times that I could max out both.  Kind of a WTF moment. 

[RootofGood]

Sounds awesome, Root.  And btw, great blog.  God knows we need another personal finance blog.  I posted this on your blog as well, but I don't expect it to make it past the "moderation."

Do you ever think about doing something a little more useful with your law degree? I know that there are tons in need. Or is making a quick ($32) buck better?  I know MMM, Mrs. MM, and son *definitely* love the "make a buck" aspect.  Wondering if anyone out there is thinking of something just a little bigger?

-MD, JD

Hey, I just approved your comment.  I took it at face value.  So thanks, glad you liked the blog.  It's my baby (after my 3 real children, of course).

I'm a little confused about the $32 quick buck??  Is that a reference to something here at MMM or on my blog?  2^5? 

Sure, I've thought about doing something bigger with my law degree.  I'm a little busy right now with my kids and other personal interests, so I don't have time for any new projects at the moment.  I have a particular interest in a few different social causes that could use my services (I'll loosely and collectively describe them as "first amendment issues").  I haven't done the research to figure out whether there are part time paid or volunteer opportunities to assist with legal research, client interviews/counseling, drafting briefs, conducting investigations, or covert ops/guerrilla PR.  I could always start my own outfit I suppose. 

What did you have in mind for me?  A paid position or some altruistic volunteer work?  Thefinancialstudent suggests in his post immediately following your post that you want us to keep earning money.

Ultimately my time is my time, and I'm glad I have the flexibility to pursue what interests me until it doesn't! 

[RootofGood]

^ Is your plan to spam the forum telling people that they should make more money? You must have missed the whole "life isn't about money" thing going on here.

Thanks for pointing out what mdjd is all about.  I guess the mods removed his post! 

[medinaj2160]

I was wondering are you contributing anything to SS? If not, have you done any calculations to see how much SS will you get? I imagine you only have around 15-20 years of earnings.

thanks

[RootofGood]

I was wondering are you contributing anything to SS? If not, have you done any calculations to see how much SS will you get? I imagine you only have around 15-20 years of earnings.

thanks

We should get around $20-25k combined from SS at normal retirement age 67 (under current rules). 

Since the SS system is very progressive, we will still end up with a decent SS check.  Having 35 good years of earnings instead of 10-15 good years wouldn't increase the SS benefit proportionally. 

Since we are ~30 years from collecting SS, it doesn't factor strongly into our ER financial plans.  Our retirement budget is $32k per year, so if SS is still there in 3 decades, the SS will go a long way toward our retirement budget. 

[RootofGood]

Just wrapped up five months in early retirement. 

January was the best month so far.  A great mix of relaxation, productivity, living in the moment, reflecting on things, and enjoying the simple times with family and friends. 

I do a monthly "what I'm up to" on my blog partly to force myself to reflect on how I'm living life, and partly to keep a diary of sorts. 

Key highlights from the month: 

-Redoubled my efforts at foreign language learning.  Still plugging away at duolingo on the French lessons.  A helpful commenter on my blog suggested italki to find conversation partners, so I'll probably give that a shot, too.
-Blogging.  I'm spending less time lately on blogging, but it's still a great way to organize my thoughts and reflect a little on life.  And I like to share my ideas with others, get a little feedback, discuss, etc.  Hopefully some folks pick up some useful tips to streamline their finances and hit FI just a bit sooner.
-Exercise.  Still getting plenty of outdoor exercise even though it's the middle of winter.  Got to love the temperate South. 
-Social.  Lunches/dinners with friends and family.  Playdates and b-day parties for the kids.  Ample fun.
-Stuff breaking.  Holy crap I felt like a mega mustachian in January.  Everything broke and I spent a lot of time researching fixes and putting those fixes in place.  Without spending much money.  I probably saved $1000 in January alone vs. paying to have all the stuff fixed by "professionals".
-Cleared a bunch of waterfront land that had grown up over the last few years.  Lake view restored!  Wife very happy!

Looking ahead:
I signed up for a Coursera online course on Financial Markets.  This will be my first time doing a free course online.  The course info says expect 6-8 hours/week to complete the coursework.  Other than that, I have no clue what to expect so I'm going into the experience with an open mind. 

So far February has been going very well!  Early retirement = awesome.