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."
Choosing Semi-Retirement Now
Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now
Well done! I've just done the same, starting Monday I'll just be working three days a week.
- jennypenny
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Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now
That's cool!
Part time work also seems like it would be easier to explain to people than early (full) retirement.
Part time work also seems like it would be easier to explain to people than early (full) retirement.
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Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now
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!
Hats-off and good luck to you!
Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now
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.....
Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now
Good for you!
Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now
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.jennypenny wrote:That's cool!
Part time work also seems like it would be easier to explain to people than early (full) retirement.
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.
Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now
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.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!
Re: Choosing Semi-Retirement Now
What you did is inspiring. I also believe in living here and now more than killing myself to optain FI in the future.