Choosing Semi-Retirement Now

Say hello!!
Post Reply
keithHudd
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:38 pm

Choosing Semi-Retirement Now

Post by keithHudd »

About a year ago, I first ran across ERE, and it blew my mind. I had always been a cheap person, but this was just next-level stuff. I starting making my own ERE plan, thinking I could get my fat-stash a little quicker than 5 years because of previous savings.

But several deaths in my family, including my father on the second day of the school-year, made me re-evaluate life. I didn't hate my job, but I hated the amount of time I was working. As a debate coach, I was putting in 80 hour weeks. The activity had become hollow for me, and so I was killing myself for other people's ambitions.

So I went what I'll call ERE plan B -- cut my expenses to ERE levels and semi-retire. In the piece My Four Hour Work Week, Jacob writes "Aside from being financially independent, I also maintain a 4 hour work week just to prove that you don’t need to accumulate six figures of net worth to leave a full time career."

I'm a teacher by trade. I'm enjoying the mini-retirement of Summer Vacation. When I go back to school, I will be working half days. Not a four-hour work week, but reliable holidays and weekends off bring it down to much less than the norm (97% people who are employed). I like the standard set down by Thoreau: " to maintain one's self on this earth is not a hardship but a pastime, if we will live simply and wisely."

chenda
Posts: 3289
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:17 pm
Location: Nether Wallop

Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now

Post by chenda »

Well done! I've just done the same, starting Monday I'll just be working three days a week.

User avatar
jennypenny
Posts: 6851
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm

Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now

Post by jennypenny »

That's cool!

Part time work also seems like it would be easier to explain to people than early (full) retirement.

IlliniDave
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 7:46 pm

Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now

Post by IlliniDave »

I admire people who can go this route. I could probably endure it if some point after ER I wound up in a tight situation, but having to count on ongoing employment-derived income at the outset would probably cause me anxiety. Thinking about it does, anyway. Personal quirk.

Hats-off and good luck to you!

Did
Posts: 693
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:50 am

Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now

Post by Did »

Congrats. One bit of advice I give to people is to start by working a four day week. People insanely love a three day weekend and its trivial to live on four fifths of a salary. This gets them thinking about what could be.....

Dragline
Posts: 4436
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:50 am

Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now

Post by Dragline »

Good for you!

keithHudd
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:38 pm

Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now

Post by keithHudd »

jennypenny wrote:That's cool!

Part time work also seems like it would be easier to explain to people than early (full) retirement.
Well, you can say you are "self-employed" if you're in the full ERE situation. That will probably sound better. They don't have to know how little time you spend in that employment.

I get weird looks as is with this half day thing. But I smile and explain that my house is paid off, and that is smaller than most people have grown accustomed to. etc.
Last edited by keithHudd on Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

keithHudd
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:38 pm

Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now

Post by keithHudd »

IlliniDave wrote:I admire people who can go this route. I could probably endure it if some point after ER I wound up in a tight situation, but having to count on ongoing employment-derived income at the outset would probably cause me anxiety. Thinking about it does, anyway. Personal quirk.

Hats-off and good luck to you!
I guess it is worth pointing out that I like teaching (at least a lot of the time). Like a lot of things, as you get down of curve of diminishing returns, it gets less and less fun. I think I'll be able to stay pretty fresh after a few hours of teaching.

Eureka
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:03 am

Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now

Post by Eureka »

What you did is inspiring. I also believe in living here and now more than killing myself to optain FI in the future.

Post Reply