Early Retirement Extreme Forums

<t>I'm divorced and own a large 4 bedroom home (2350 sf). It is half paid for. It may seem excessive, but it is perfect for multi-generational living - my 81 year old mother lives with me, and right now, my 26 year old son does too. (I have three children in their early 20's, so others may bounce ho...

<t>I would find out if the door from the garage to the outside that they walled off, needs to be restored? Seems like it might be a safety issue, having that exit.<br/> If that's the case, then I imagine replacing that doorway and door could easily cost $750 or more. The rest of the work should be m...

Why don't they ever do these studies looking at DEBT and unhappiness? I bet they would find a much more robust correlation there.

How would it affect your career? Would you easily be able to resume working at the same salary, or would you need to start back at a lower level? Any risk of losing skills during that time?
Also - how serious are you about your "couple of business ideas"?

Bought for cash, of course

<t>I'm like you, djc. I've found that in the car range I tend to buy (low-end Hondas or Toyotas), if I find a good sale on a new one without all the extra bells and whistles (usually a loss-leader sale, and I don't need or miss any of the extras)that it's a better deal for me than a couple years old...

Also - check your vitamin D levels and make sure you get enough to put your vitamin D level in the upper quartile - this can reduce risk of most cancers by 60-70%

www.grassrootshealth.org

<t>About 17 years ago, the last real estate slump in my area. There were homes available in a nearby area for as little as $120k - homes that would have rented for about $1200-1500 at that time. I knew it was an excellent time to buy, but figured since we didn't have the spare cash to make a down pa...

<t>Don't forget, too, potential sweat equity.<br/> If you're handy, and can buy a "cosmetic fixer" - a place that is basically sound, but needs prettying up - you can add quickly to your equity in a home. HOWEVER - you need to make sure it is sound (plumbing, electrical, roof and foundation problems...

<t>Actually, I used to live in La Jolla, a very pricey and desirable elite area of San Diego, and in both real estate downturns of the last 20 years, saw houses in my neighborhood drop by 30%. Again, I refer you to the lender's higher mortgage rates on jumbo loans - they know the risk is greater for...

<t>Read the Tightwad Gazette books by Dacyzyn for some great ideas on raising kids economically. <br/> But, in general, be aware that lots of the cheapest recipes out there are wheat-based; and wheat may well be poisonous for many of us. I'd recommend leaning towards rice and potatoes instead for yo...

<t>Tylerr....you said:<br/> <br/> " I know that is very expensive, but I swore I would never buy a condo again unless it was in the very top neighborhood of a city where housing crashes don't affect the price much. In other words, I'd want my investment to be protected during a downturn in the marke...

<r>Ask your doctor to check your iron levels - with diabetes occurring fairly young in your family, you may carry the genes for hemochromatosis (iron overload). This can be one cause of type 2 diabetes.<br/> ALso - check out <URL url="http://www.marksdailyapple.com">www.marksdailyapple.com</URL>. A ...

<t>Lol -<br/> <br/> I don't think it's so much a reflection on whether women would date an ER guy. It's more a commentary on trying to read between the lines of online dating profiles. They're figuring "retired" in a young guy is code for unemployed. Just like I figure a guy who says he's looking fo...

<t>It's interesting, reading the comments - it's obvious this article makes many people REALLY uncomfortable - perhaps because they are so afraid to think that THEY could do the same - or are looking for some excuse why it couldn't possibly work, so they don't have to examine their choices.<br/> The...

<t>I was just thinking about this this morning! I doubt I'll have as much problem as a younger person would, since I'm already 56 and won't retire for a few more years. <br/> But I'm single, and was thinking about the fact that most of the men I would date (often they're a little younger then me, as...

And hopefully, they didn't thoroughly discourage the viewers who are gonna see this and think "Hmmm, wonder if I could do that??"

<t>DG -<br/> <br/> Good job! I know it's frustrating, the way they edit it down to a soundbite and skip the more important things you probably said - but the mere fact that you managed to come off as a normal guy is an accomplishment!<br/> I agree, the financial adviser was lame - she could have mad...

Yeah, I like the idea of a big emergency fund first. There's a lot of comfort in having enough cash in the bank to see you through a bad year. Stuff happens.

<t>First, if it's money you anticipate needing in the next 3-4 years, I wouldn't put it into the stock market.<br/> If you're investing for the very long haul, stocks are good, most people would advise mutual funds or maybe better, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) that track the total market. Few indivi...