What's the status symbol for the FI/ERE crowd?

[stand@desk]

And if you are a man, your beard.

[Peanut]

I have tan lines on my feet from my sandals.

That strikes me as a clear marker that one lives a life of leisure.

Ha, I have these too but from hanging out in the parks for hours with my kids. It sure beats some alternatives, but I'm not convinced mine is a life of leisure, especially in covid times.

[guitarplayer]

It's not a 'symbol', but I asked someone at a party where they worked. They simply replied, "They don't".

Yes, I had this situation as well though in a very different context. I was in an intentional community where the managers of one house were a couple with four kids. The woman would sometimes say that she does not work, it's just life she is involved in. There would be maybe 5-6 teenagers with autism living in the house as well, many volunteers from all over the world.

When I think about it, it was a very busy environment but very rich in what earlier some mentioned as 'wealthy' status symbols. Like eating with candles made in the candle studio, on wooden boards made in the wood workshop, every morning singing, lots of festivities, theater etc.

One time there was a Christening of a child and I have been asked to play something on a guitar. Then later I thought about it, it's pretty cool to have a community around when you can ask people for such favours.

[ertyu]

I’m a simple man. Show me that SWR.

[IlliniDave]

Interesting thread. Regarding common/popular (fat) FIRE I suspect it's the second comma and strategic fine appointments in life: approved vehicle makes/models, lots of overseas travel, etc., but all of it comfortably affordable.

I really don't know about ERE. I don't have much status in the realm, being sort of a frugal fatFire person. That all my appliances and one of my HVACs were > 20 years old, and my vehicle fast approaching that, was in a sense my avatar among colleagues I am friendly with, but entropy is beginning to put a stop to that. From a few years observing here, highest status comes from actually retiring rather than talking about it for years on end like I have. Maximizing DIY in a sense for the sake of DIY (really for the breadth of skills encountered) is something that is more characteristic here compared to elsewhere. Fluency in certain branches of jargon seems to be one too.

[stand@desk]

Another status symbol, drinking your black coffee at home in front of your standing workstation, having the time to enjoy an extra cup or two, instead of drinking it in a to-go cup or thermos cup en route to work carrying your attache case.

[ertyu]

Does it count if my workstation isn’t standing

[stand@desk]

A standing work station is an absolute must have (of course if you can't stand then it doesn't, but if you can, you absolutely should). It fits perfectly into the ERE-method.

[Jason]

Not caring about status symbols. Not because they don't exist, but because they have to be explained. And who has time for that. Unless you possess some type of missionary zeal. Driving a beater can mean you know better. It can also mean your broke ass. The same way you can own or lease a Beemer. There's simply no way to communicate the message unless you really care about communicating the message. I guess that's the purpose of the board. But then it's preaching to the choir. It's just an alternative version of the Dave Ramsey "spending money you don't have to impress people you don't like." It's just self PR and at the end of the day everyone is too concerned with their own PR to care about your PR.

[1taskaday]

Waiting for the week day morning rush hour work/school traffic to pass so that you can go cycling for the day.

Sitting alone having lunch (next to your bike) week days outside busy supermarkets or park benches... reading the ERE forums...knowing nobody.

[unemployable]

Waiting for the week day morning rush hour work/school traffic to pass so that you can go cycling for the day

I had a friend point out to me how I plan all my travel around off-peak times. For example when I go down to Denver to visit him it's always before or after rush hour. Or how I shop for groceries only on weekday mornings.

[1taskaday]

I know Unemployable...this is a luxury no money an buy!

[sky]

The EREers that I admire the most are those living without a car.

Good walking shoes?

[BookLoverL]

I think the things that most impress me are:

- sense that however someone's life is set up, it's set up exactly the way they want it to be set up, and they could change extremely easily to a different set up if they felt like it, and they're not spending a second doing anything they haven't personally decided to do

- skills to make cool things from nothing/from raw ingredients/from scrap without spending

- they look like they feel alive

[chicago81]

A really nice $0 hair cut performed by yourself (or partner), perfected after multiple attempts

[guitarplayer]

A really nice $0 hair cut performed by yourself (or partner), perfected after multiple attempts

This, performed without electricity (exclude skinhead hair style)

[Jean]

Being healthy enough so that you don't even have to cut your hairs for them to look good.