Early Retirement Extreme Forums

<r>Thank you, all, I've thoroughly read and considered your thoughts. This is the most incredible quality of the ERE forums, where discourse is at a high level and there is respect to boot.<br/> Frugaladventurer, et al., in particular reminding me that a year is not really long, I appreciate it. On ...

<r>I can see that this will be a rant. When FI and "retirement" are not readily understood by most of the population, I ask for your indulgence turning here.<br/> My boyfriend and I possess diametrically opposed views of what money is, means, and can allow us to do.<br/> Money is time. Very real, pr...

<t>I absolutely loved meetup.com and couchsurfing get togethers in college, but afterwards I found they actually contributed to the very frustration you're talking about.<br/> I understand how little interest we 20-somethings have in religion, but have you thought of finding a young, vibrant church?...

"...there were still weeks where I went out with 3 or 4 girls..."

"...my relative success was due to..."
I think the word "success" drastically overstates the reality you described

Of interest to FI folks:
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/09/ ... .obsolete/

<t>1. I've realized recently I need to already be careful with whatever "status" I project. Being self-employed, I don't have all the bits and pieces taken out of my paycheck like most people, and I literally just realized the other week that my take home disposable income, even after considering ta...

<r>I was thinking about this a few days back and came up with some rough numbers, as any good EREer would do, although I've started to mentally use the term FI, since, as discussed above, it's more descriptive of the reality many of us will face.<br/> I'm typically awake about 15 hours a day, or 105...

<r>I'm just revisiting this after a couple days, so many replies! Ego, your second post really had some excellent points to get me thinking, thanks for that.<br/> Secondarily, since I see many folks referencing emotions, and mine being one of the first posts, my apologies if I came across as emotion...

<t>I would wholeheartedly agree with celliott here, in that we can't all fit inside the same box. We haven't seen "the results of those who blindly followed the conventional wisdom," since the housing bubble was not caused by average people buying one home in which to live - it was caused by specula...

<r>Timely and relevant for me, thanks everyone for these posts. I've been dating more recently, and I should definitely pay less attention to whether they're FI compatible or not.<br/> One personal note while I'm here, there's this one guy I've seen a couple times who's a computer engineer but drive...

<t>For all the logic behind seeking FI, there are, sometimes, irrational decisions that I consider just fine.<br/> I have two small Sallie Mae student loans. They total about $1800 and I only pay $80 a month on them. The thing is, every couple months at least Sallie Mae does something wrong. It's ha...

<r>I've always thought of $70k as above average, though I think I learned that from conventional widsom. I feel incredibly rich saving a couple grand a month at least with my $50-55k pay. If I had the consumer desires of most, they could easily be fulfilled at my pay. In fact, I feel I could live a ...

<t>I have to ask if another job would really make you truly happy, or whether any work situation will eventually make you feel that way. I have what most would consider a wonderful job (musician full-time), but I certainly get tired of it when I see ERE and other interests I'd rather tackle, so I ju...

Where in France is rent so cheap? Your expenses are so wonderfully low. I'm surprised that you say 120€ is high for food for one month, I don't remember food in France being so inexpensive.
Welcome, by the way!

riparian, brilliant idea. Just looked up the local chapter and they build every Saturday morning and afternoon, anyone can volunteer. Busy this weekend, but will be trying it very soon. Thanks!

<r>There is a very successful young composer today (What's this? You can be a classical composer for a living?) who is unmatched in his success, with commissions from the biggest classical musical organizations on the planet, Hollywood scores, and, oh, a random Bjork album to his credit. He's barely...

This is the dorkiest thing ever - and it sounds great haha. I might pop in, after I walk one mile uphill both ways in the snow to the grocery store (you think I'm joking... ).

<t>My personal one is not accessible by most, and also can be somewhat stressful depending on the situation, but that stress is largely alleviated with time and experience. So, playing piano. I can't wait till I'm ERE or semi-ERE to just take the time to enjoy it while making decent money for it, wi...

<r>Thanks, George, since riparian's question pertains directly to me, too. Will be interested in other responses.<br/> Providence is rife with properties under 100k, and definitely under 200k, with undoubtedly repairs needed (a lot of the houses in this area are built in 1900-1920), but wonderful po...

<t>The first half of my 20s I was undoubtedly a nomad, always searching for something on the other side of the pond, absolutely in love with the idea of international, couchsurfed travel. Other cultures were better than mine.<br/> I've since come to feel a real need (or see the importance of...?) a ...