Monday, April 13, 2015

Thoughts on Early Retirement

It’s Impossible To Stay Retired Once You Retire Early

Let me provide a candid assessment of why I couldn’t stay retired and why I don’t think any early retiree will ever be able to stay fully retired.

Doing the impossible since 1999!

Freedom doesn’t feel as free when nobody is checking up on you.

Crazy as this sounds, I'm going to take the other side of that argument. Freedom feels most free when nobody is checking up on me. I especially dom't want to travel through checkpoints someday with stormtroopers asking to see my papers. That's not freedom to me.

I didn’t mind getting told what to do because being told what to do provides structure.

Somewhere, right now, as I type this, a politician is having a wet dream, lol. Sigh. Shame on me for saying that but I believe it.

If you manage to retire early, like sub 40 early, I bet you a steak dinner at the finest steak house in the world that you won’t be able to stay retired for more than three years.

That is a very, very bad bet. Work in the financial industry by any chance? Risk management? 25 sigma events? Do I get one steak dinner for every three years? Do I have to eat that many steaks all in one sitting?

I think I see the problem here. Although I do like steaks, I have no desire to eat one at the finest steak house in the world. That just seems like a lot of work. I value my free time way too much for that. Further, it is the kind of restaurant that would make me uncomfortable. I'm more of a shorts and t-shirts playing with the dogs kind of early retirement guy. Waste not, want not. It's called being content with what I have.

I do not require purpose to enjoy my life. We are all going to die someday. There is no master being keeping score to see who was most productive with their life. The hardest working locust will not become the king of locust heaven. That's what I believe.

Is it amoral? Is it selfish? Well, there would be no wars if everyone felt as I do. There would be a great many dog parks though, which would suck for the dog haters I guess. But then again, how could there be any dog haters if everyone felt as I do?

14 comments:

Mr Slippery said...

You are almost the perfect anti-consumer, a nightmare for retail, and according to economists, you don't exist. I think you should contact that author to collect on your steak(s).

Oh, Apple Watch is on sale now, something we can both ignore :)

Stagflationary Mark said...

Mr Slippery,

How are we both going to stand out as being unique and special if we don't buy the Apple Watch like the million other people who preordered it on the first day?

Here's a fun anti-consumer way to look at things. If I was the last person on earth, would I bother to hit the stores to loot a free Apple Watch? I think not. Seriously.

mab said...

In a system where credit (DEBT!) is the "lifeblood" of the economy, we can't "afford" alternative notions of affluence.

The best place to hide the truth is in plain view of the majority!

Rob Dawg said...

Where to start?

Don't worry. Be Happy.

Every poster here is likely 0.1% world wealth ranking. We all got here by "producing." The new world is all about financing. Leave that to your children.

Stagflationary Mark said...

mab,

Memory lane! Love that street! Doesn't even cost a penny to visit it. ;)

Stagflationary Mark said...

Rob Dawg,

Borrow a penny, pick it up, and all day long you'll have good luck!

The next day? Not so much.

whydibuy said...

" Don't want to travel through checkpoints someday"

HHMMMM. Where have you been? DHS checkpoints are now a regular feature of life on the southern border states and ,yes, they are growing more abusive and authoritarian each day.
Just review the many checkpoint encounters on utube of DHS goons demanding that a free citizen within this country answer questions and prove their innocence or else. It is a serious legal situation for citizens having to drive thru these roadblocks in their daily life.

Michael said...

Mark,

I never a watch on my day off. I dont set the alarm because my dog is pretty good about waking me up. I am not sure why anyone needs a watch from Apple.

Stagflationary Mark said...

whydibuy,

I said I don't want to travel through checkpoints. I did not say that they don't exist.

One needs only visit the airports to see the growth in checkpoints.

Once again, people checking up on me is not freedom. Not even close.

We are in complete agreement here.

He who gives up freedom for safety deserves neither. - Benjamin Franklin

Stagflationary Mark said...

Michael,

I wear a watch if I really, really *need* to know the time. That need happened one day quite a few years ago. ;)

I don't wear jewelry. I don't wear watches. I don't wear jeweled watches or jewelry that can tell time. Further...

I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. - Lloyd Dobbler, Say Anything (1989)

mab said...

Memory Lane?

How about Maiden Lane!

Which Maiden Lane? Take your pick! All well run "shell" companies.... I mean shell games have three choices!!!

Stagflationary Mark said...

mab,

The unsinkable Titanic sank on its "maiden" voyage, so the name seems fitting.

Ship of dreams, that one. And then, there's China.

Bridge too far: Bungling cruise liner captain crashes luxury liner on maiden voyage after 'not realising how tall ship was'

People gathering on the bridge to see the luxury ship off on its maiden voyage on Wednesday waved frantically in the moments leading up on the collision - but the crew on board apparently thought they were only trying to greet them.

dearieme said...

A watch with an alarm on it would be handy. "Time to take your pills", "time to stand up and have a potter down the garden", that sort of thing. But I suppose your dog knows when to take you walkies. And you're too young for pills. Just you wait.

Stagflationary Mark said...

dearieme,

I use my phone for alarms, and as of several weeks ago I'm old enough to take blood pressure medication. Sigh.

I also take Vitamin D, a multivitamin, and some fiber pills each day.