Early Retirement Extreme Forums

I once took a really useful career workshop called "Dependable strengths." In it, we did a number of brainstorming exercises to remember past activities & experiences that met the following three criteria: Something you're proud of, that you did well, and enjoyed. After considering thi...

I know you've gotten a lot of advice already, but I wanted to share my experience as a very short woman. I bought a bike from a local shop who asked what I wanted to do and did some fitting for me to make sure I'd enjoy riding it so I would actually ride it. After finding a light, right-priced frame...

@clarice yes, very good choice of topic, this does touch a nerve! The industry I work in is highly regulated and has a lot of safety and education requirements (safety is a good thing!). But sadly, I see that the education is mainly box-checking and not really meaningful, so it doesn't have the impa...

Thanks @wolf for alerting me to this thread. I posted in my recent ERE journal about how I'd just read David Graeber's BOOK bullshit jobs which is an entertaining, deeper dive into the topics introduced in his essay. Graeber identifies some categories of bullshit jobs such as importance inflation-- ...

Sorry, I've been away a while. What prompted me to log on today is that I just read a book called Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. So interesting. He first wrote an essay on the topic, so you could track that down for a general idea. Essentially, there is a proliferation of well-paid people who are d...

My co worker has lost 7 wedding rings over 27 years of marriage. Happened again just recently. She just goes to the mall and buys a new gold band. She has the wedding band gene, without a doubt.

I don't know if this fits the criteria, but it seems like a fail to me: People at my work who spend a few thousand to take the family on vacation to Disneyland, (or Vegas, if no children) every year or so.

On this forum, I always hear folks (including comments above) telling us to take care of ourselves, that virtually all serious health problems are caused by unhealthy lifestyle and that exercise and diet can prevent them. That's dangerous, magical thinking and a threat to your early retirement. Heal...

@sclass I'm glad you mentioned picky eating as being something innate, as opposed the the usual parent-blaming hypothesis that is so popular. My son was and is now as a young adult, a very selective eater. When he was at home, we did our best to offer a variety of healthy and interesting foods, but ...

Congratulations on a good year. 400 square feet is about the size of my tool shed and holds a lot. Is an outbuilding an option for you? I attended a class for work that suggested writing down at least thing we are grateful for each day. I thought it seemed like a fine idea, so I've been trying to do...

Hey now, Be nice everyone. :-) Young candidate that was popular= Obama. (past candidate, of course, just an example of how people feel about folks with shorter resume) Outsider= Trump Long history/one main job= Bernie I do stand by my claim that very few people have been all of the following: a firs...

Any person with ambition and a long resume will have some evidence of failure/bad decisions, etc. Some of it will look wise in the rear view mirror, some decisions won't. Hilary's worst problem seems to be having actually done a lot. Younger candidates, ones who sat on one job for a couple of decade...

Sorry, I don't have much to say about captive pets but Going back to the idea of the OP and pleasurable experiences that aren't that satisfying, has anyone read David Foster Wallace's essay called "Shipping Out: The (nearly lethal) comforts of of a luxury cruise."? If not, you should. It's...

Ego wrote:I was gearing up, but then said to myself fuck it let the idiots eat whatever they want.

+1

Truth is pretty subjective. Do I lie? I try not to, but sometimes I really have no idea what a true answer to an ambiguously asked question even is. And I also think that it's fine to leave non essential details out, or frame the answer to meet the needs of the audience as you, @7wannebe5, described...

I eat lentils weekly or more often as a delicious lunch and feel like I must evangelize on their behalf when people have difficulty with them, so... I recommend brown for good flavor and consistency and not requiring fussiness for positive results. I pre-rinse, but never soak. Add salt at the start....

@did Yes! I agree that in the beginning, I suspected that this might be "required" socializing and that's why I was feeling so much obligation. I have friends who work in big law firms and other such places where there is a lot of that kind of obligatory activity required if you want to ad...

@Jacob, reminds me of this theory I have about 'idea people" and 'follow through people." Some well-rounded people bring both skills together to first think of an idea, then take concrete steps to make the idea turn into a real event or product. Idea people come up with ideas but don't fin...

Bill Cunningham New York is a documentary about the photographer who died today at 87. He took fashion photos of regular people on the street and the rich and famous. Was never mean. Refused to become beholden to big money. Only means of transport was to ride a bicycle-- in Manhattan. His is A very ...

I agree that lying is not the right thing to do. and it is also a violation of my not-religious, but reasonably-robust personal behavioral code-of-conduct policy. An update on the situation: I never replied or responded to the invitation email, and now the whole plan seems to have dissipated through...