Early Retirement Extreme Forums

I ran cross country and track in high school. And while we didn't have much equipment we HAD to buy, there was a lot of peer pressure to constantly be buying new shoes. You weren't cool unless you had trainers, training flats, cross country spikes, mid distance spikes, and long distance spikes. On t...

When I hear or read things like this, I see it as a sign of extreme institutionalization. You've gotten to the point in life that you can't entertain yourself without a boss telling you what to do. I hear guys complain about their job all the time but follow it up with "but it sure beats laying...

I too am big on containers. Everything in the house that I consider mine is in a container. My clothes are in a plastic bin stowed under the bed, my valuable possessions are in a locked footlocker, my toiletries are in a case, and my tools are in the classic red flip top tool box. I'm obsessed with ...

I'm 27...turning 28 in August. Always felt like an old soul though.

I have a trunk with my most prized possessions in it. Once I'm certain my wife and our pets are safe, and if there's still time, I'd grab it. With the contents of that trunk, there's nothing else I own that I would miss. And to be on the safe side, I have a list of all the contents of the trunk. Sho...

Initially, yes, but I wouldn't say its a lifetime requirement. I may be wrong, but I doubt sexual attraction is still a requirement among couples who've been together for 60 years. And if it isn't at that point in life, it must be something that slowly fades as a requirement.

Part of the problem is that you've been raised by society to believe you can lose at life. Or for that matter you can win. The truth is you can do neither. All you can do is live it (and in some tragic cases, choose not to live it.) We all have our own opinions. In my opinion the goal of life is hap...

I have two that pay for themselves. 1) Playing guitar. A beginner can get some equipment, learn a few chords, and be making money pretty quickly if they put themselves out there. I was making money at it almost as soon as I started. If you're willing to do the grind, you could make a few hundred buc...

My wife and I met when we were both "starving artists." She was making her living selling paintings to galleries in a tourist town, and I was making my living playing music. Jacob once made a blog post about living like a student. I thought it was a great post, though for me it reminded me...

I manage a car shop in Sedona, AZ. Most of our clientele are retired rich folks. Lots of insurance and real estate salesmen. A real dull lot. I know two doctors through work. Both are miserable people. Both were pushed into the idea of salary chasing at a young age; one admits he'd really rather be ...

Check out Tucson. I don't think walk-score gives it a good enough score, but I think that's because its factoring in all of Tucson proper. Down town and University district Tucson fit your needs of being easily walk-able (though better with a bike...great biking town), its cheap (cost of living inde...

When I first moved to Tucson in college, I found a great 1970s steel framed ten-speed at a garage sale. It needed a lot of work of get it up and running, but it quickly became my road warrior. Now, I do all of my city commuting on it. Who knows how many miles I've racked up on it by now... A good vi...

What does this have to do with ERE? Nothing, except that I find myself thinking that I'll have more "fun" when I retire, but I realized that I won't if I don't learn more about how to "play" now. In my world, play has everything to do with ERE. Maybe not the process of becoming ...

Love it. thanks

I think I had a bit of self-pity before I found my way to ERE. I was in my mid-20s and my family called me a bohemian. I was working as a part time journalist, making little money, riding a bike everywhere I went, living in a tiny apartment, reading books for entertainment...and had allowed myself t...

RADIOACTIVE FOOD! There's no evidence it causes any harm. I prefer to minimize use though. This is where we stand. We got rid of out microwave. 1) I don't like the idea of radioactive food, even if the science proves it doesn't cause cancer 2) Its a big, ugly, noisy, gaudy contraption I'm glad I do...

I don't know of there is a perfect response. My plan is to continue accumulating and investing money, even in retirement, allowing that money to compound upon itself. With time, hopefully that builds into enough of a small fortune to help defend myself and my family in such a scenario. I suppose tha...

I have a few heroes, but lately, they've been everyday people I meet or know who are living the simple, sustainable life to its fullest. For example, last year I took a trip to Italy. I stayed a few days in Maniago, and while I was there I met a gentleman named Filli. Maniago has a traditional, cott...

I worked minimum wage jobs. It sucked.

I've always looked at skills as status.In high school and college, I ran track. The fastest guy on the team or the conference had the most status. I've since taken up competitive bowling, and the best bowlers have the most status. I've tried my hand at woodworking and beer brewing, and the guys who ...