Have A Plan, Have A Purpose

Things To Look Forward To In FIRE

I recently saw a few threads on Reddit where people were asked to answer the question “What are you most looking forward to in FIRE?” (financially independence & retired early).  There were dozens of comments.  I’ve been early retired over 9 years now, but I still love reading what people are enjoying / looking forward to, so I thought I’d share some of the best comments today.  

Many people wrote about what they are looking to get AWAY from …

  • “Not having to go to a job I hate!”
  • “No longer need to put up with awful people”
  • “Don’t have to live on my company’s stingy 2 weeks of vacation”
  • “Get away from bad boss & bad company”
  • “Getting out of reactive mode & anxiety about things coming up”
  • “Not have to listen to people on Zoom calls”

Some wrote about RELAXING and being comfortable … 

  • “Every day being like a weekend”
  • “Taking a nap in the afternoon”
  • “I’m looking forward to not doing anything!”
  • “Freedom to spend time with family & friends in more meaningful ways”
  • “Reading books under a big blanket”
  • “Sleeping in!”

Most had ACTIVITIES they wanted to spend more time on … 

  • “Travel the world on my own schedule – not my company’s”
  • “More time for running & hiking – long distance / destination races”
  • “Pursue music full time as an artist”
  • “Take cooking classes & make big crazy meals for my friends”
  • “Be a better golfer”
  • “Be more involved as grandparents”
  • “Host dinner parties with our friends”
  • “Do a cultural / language immersion living overseas”
  • “Spontaneity – even jumping on a plane on a whim”
  • “Teach college classes in areas that I’m an expert”
  • “Take lessons and learn to play the guitar”

No, no one said they wanted to write a personal finance / early retirement blog for the next 9 years.  I guess I am uniquely odd for doing that.  🙂


I would have said I’m looking forward to travel adventures, learning more about the world, and spending more time with my wife, family & friends.  I’ve been able to do SO much of that since we early retired that I feel really blessed.

What do you most like to do in early retirement / what are you looking forward to?

Image: Pixabay

12 thoughts on “Things To Look Forward To In FIRE”

  1. I love being available for my family and friends. No more nasty dilemma’s on meeting work obligations vs. helping those you love.

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    1. Agree – I hated those work / home balance dilemmas. I was fortunate to work for a considerate MegaCorp that had a saying, “Family first. MegaCorp second. Except sometimes.” Sometimes still happened, but at least it was viewed as the exception to the rule.

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  2. I definitely got away from the bad work situations you described by retiring. The CEO brought in a Manager that was by far the worst reprobate I ever worked for during my career, a bean counter who thought he knew more about engineering than an engineer. In the reprobate’s honor I created Klaus’ Magic Quadrant of Asses. On the X axis, I rate someone either a Dumb Ass on the left side or a Smart person on the right. On the Y axis someone is rated either an Asshole on the bottom or a Nice Person on the top. This person was clearly in lower left quadrant rating both an Asshole and a Dumb Ass.

    Ironically, after retiring the company found the replacement Mr. Reprobate hired were not able to complete the work I was doing and were failing an audit. The CEO knew I despised Mr. Reprobate and threw me crazy consulting money. My consulting contract even stipulated that Mr. Reprobate was barred from communicating with me. Just what the micro-manager needed to create some good old fashioned cognitive dissidence.

    There are many positive to retiring early. Just yesterday, I was thinking about how I like to get to spend my time. To me, being retired is a chance to be a teenager again. Gym class, check, lifted weights with my stereo and reading between sets and went on a hike with my personal trainers (dogs) afterwards. Auto shop class, check, worked on a car restoration project with the tunes playing. Home Ec, check, cooked dinner and hung out with my chic (wife).

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    1. I love that “Reprobate Matrix”. I was fortunate in that the MegaCorps I worked for hired a very high quality of people. There was always politics and disagreements, but people were (for the most part) smart & considerate.

      As for retirement activities, I do think it’s funny how easily our childhood comes back to us in retirement. As you know, I called it kidulthood. A second childhood… With an adult size checkbook!

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      1. You really see this in action when RMDs start kicking in. There is a TV show “Graveyard Carz” that restores old Mopars, sometimes from total junk. The clientele are paying a hundred thousand or more to get a perfectly restored version of their dream car when they were teenagers that they couldn’t affprd. Plum Crazy Cudas, Vitamin C Orange Roadrunners, Sublime Lime Challengers and Tor Red Chargers.

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      2. There is a huge MOPAR show in MN each summer. I’ve been to it a couple times. We were always into GM cars, but the MOPAR brands were much more fun & creative … the Road Runner licensing, Super Bee branding, and even now with the Hellcat & Demon.

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  3. Initially I had one comment planned, but then I read the comment from Klaus which adjusted by thinking.

    There are many people in positions for which they are unsuited and spend much of their time and energy on less productive activities.  I had my share of employees who simply didn’t view the big picture of You work for 25-40 years so why not do something you enjoy.

    I don’t view myself as a practitioner of FIRE given that I stopped wage work at age 57.  I had enough to live, my wife is seven years older than I and the opportunity to do consulting and gig work was appealing.  I will add that upper management at my workplace wasn’t the same as it had historically been, but I will say that I was at the top of my career and many were envious of my position, authority and independence.  I did have a few employees a couple of levels below me who made life shall we say, challenging.

    I find the ability in retirement to take longer trips, a much lower stress level and the ability to help others to be beneficial and rewarding.  I consult 300-700 hours annually and I serve on my HOA board, which appreciates the experience that I bring.

    I am wired to need some brain stimulation regularly so the consulting fits the bill, along with speaking at risk management conferences once or twice each year, no I don’t track the time spent developing the presentations, but they are fun to prepare and I think my audience learns a few things or at least hears a different perspective.

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    1. Agree – on many points!

      Enjoy what you do. I was blessed to have some really interesting jobs at MegaCorp. Most of the people I worked with were similarly enthused for the opportunities we had to manage big, well-known consumer brands. I had a boss who would say, “enjoy what you do … with any job, there are going to be some tough chapters. Enjoying what you do gets you through those times.”

      Looking at stats on when people retire, I’d definitely give you credit for ‘retiring early’ at 57. Anything in your 50s counts by my reckoning. The average age of retirement is 62 in the USA, so you are 5 years ahead of a majority of people.

      300-700 hours of consulting a year works out to 6–12 hours a week. If you enjoy it, that makes a nice sized hobby! We all have time for a few big hobbies in retirement, so why not have something you are professionally interested in as one of them?

      We’re getting ready for an overseas trip now. We’re all packed up and ready to go with a day to spare. This won’t be a rush around and see the big sights trip, either. More a relax and enjoy some places – old & new.

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    2. You don’t have to be a specific age to qualify as FIRE. FIRE is about achieving Financial Independence through saving and investing. FIRE is the opposite of becoming retired because you get laid off or your health gives out. Besides, 60 is the new 40.

      Quite a bit different keeping mentally engaged consulting because you like it versus working full time because you have to.

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  4. I am looking forward to not having the work soundtrack on in my head. Regardless of the time of day, or week, its always in the background playing with some issue – even if they don’t matter.

    I am looking forward to being curious about new things and to explore them if i like them on to move on to the next one if I don’t like them.

    I am looking forward to the time and mental energy to hopefully rehab small injuries, like my knee. Hopefully focused consistent exercise will get it back to 10 mile hike status

    I am looking forward to spending more time with my boys and wife on some new trips

    I am looking forward to “new”. Work gets in the way

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    1. Your first and last line really speak to me. You are right that the MegaCorp “soundtrack is always playing”. Even now, when I have lunch with a former colleague, they are busy recounting the new verses & chorus of the latest MegaCorp song. It’s very consuming.

      At the same time, yes – work gets in the way of a lot of life. 45-55 hours a week is 4-5 really fun hobbies. As I said when I left, “there’s a big wonderful world out there, and I’m tired of missing it because I need to be in the office!”

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