Category: Have A Purpose

Have A Plan, Have A Purpose

Six Ways To Prepare For Our Early Retirement Lifestyle

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DW and I are now just 7 months from early retirement. I recently posed a question to a group of early retirees about the adjustment that takes place between the full-time working world and a life of early retirement.  During my many cups of coffee with friends over the last year, I regularly heard about a need to take the first full year of early retirement to adjust to the new lifestyle.  I have even heard it described as like the adjustment that comes from “leaving a bad relationship” or divorcing one’s longtime spouse.

I asked specifically about how long it took to adjust to not working? Continue reading “Six Ways To Prepare For Our Early Retirement Lifestyle”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation10 Comments
Have A Purpose

One More State Visit – Closing In On Fifty

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This Labor Day weekend, we are taking an unusual road trip.  We are planning to drive more than a half day out to Omaha, Nebraska, simply because it is one of the remaining three states I need to have reached all fifty.  I wrote about my overall quest a few months ago in my “Visit All Fifty States Quest”.

No one in our family would put Omaha on the top of list of exciting vacation destinations (sorry, folks from Nebraska).  But, like a trip we took to North Dakota a few years ago, I’m sure this trip will have  lot of unexpected fun and memorable learning about a state we know very little about. Continue reading “One More State Visit – Closing In On Fifty”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation3 Comments
Have A Plan, Have A Purpose

Change Stress & Early Retirement

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Will early retirement be a stressful life event?

Sure enough, the website VisualMD.com has a list of stressful life events shows retirement in the top ten causes of negative life stress (see above).  It’s not on the top of the list, but it is interesting to see it rated at about the same score as losing your job (getting married is the only other positive on the list).  

Where’s the joy in one’s new found freedom?? Continue reading “Change Stress & Early Retirement”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation6 Comments
Have A Purpose

Finding (Little) Purpose in an All-Day Meeting

Conference Room

I find myself spending a fair amount of time thinking about how life will be when I don’t go to work anymore with early retirement.  As I get closer to my intended “FIRE escape” date on April 1, 2016, it is entering my thoughts more and more. It is not that I am very dissatisfied with my work.  In fact, I am blessed with an interesting job and work with interesting people.  As much as anything, early retirement is an opportunity to devote time to pursuits that I find more personal meaning in, than pursuits important to MegaCorp. 

I was in a long, offsite meeting today – what I call “bell to bell”.   Continue reading “Finding (Little) Purpose in an All-Day Meeting”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStationLeave a comment
Have A Purpose

Starting an LLC for Early Retirement

I just got the paperwork back on the Limited Liability Company (LLC) I am setting up.  I’ll admit I don’t really know what I am doing, but I’m hopeful that it will be a useful structure to operate some limited, freelance, business activities in early retirement.  It’s also a signal to myself that I’m getting serious about actually leaving MegaCorp next April 1st.

My thought was that it would be good to have a business structure to allow me to make money as an independent contractor if the opportunities presented themselves in early retirement. I recently signed on for a three year term to be an outside director for the board of a manufacturing company, and while it is only a handful of work days over the course of the year, there is some income & expenses involved with the role.   Why not be prepared for other (limited) consulting roles that people may approach me with?  Continue reading “Starting an LLC for Early Retirement”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation4 Comments
Have A Purpose, health

Biking Into Early Retirement

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I did something last weekend I haven’t done in almost 25 years – I bought a new bike.  I got my last one right after I got married (almost 25 years ago) and although I haven’t put a ton of wear and tear on it, it just felt like a new one would make some sense right now.

We were going for a family bike ride downtown to see fireworks with friends of ours originally from Europe.  They love to go on bike rides.  I was getting all three of our family bikes ready and I noticed that my son’s mountain bike Continue reading “Biking Into Early Retirement”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation3 Comments
FIRE Countdown, Have A Plan, Have A Purpose

Early Retirement FIRE Escape – 8 Month Countdown

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Mr. FireStation had a productive month at the office in July, but is now just 8 months from his planned early retirement on April 1, 2016.  While June was largely consumed by a preparing for and enjoying a two week family vacation, July was all about work and making some post-work plans.

Our nest egg was quite secure through July with year-to-date results continuing to grow.  The three numbers I follow are: 1) the SP500, which is up +2%; 2) the International EFEA Index, which is up +6%; and 3) my former MegaCorp stock, which is up +9%.  With all three numbers up (and stock option leverage on MegaCorp), I am quite satisfied with how 2015 is shaping up and no big concerns have emerged.  At the same time, we protected about 25% of our nest egg in cash & bonds (our bond fund is -1% for the year).  All together, I think our portfolio is up +7% for the year.  That’s about +2 pts better than the end of June. Continue reading “Early Retirement FIRE Escape – 8 Month Countdown”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation4 Comments
Have A Purpose

Golf In Early Retirement

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How can a guy think about early retirement and not think about golf? They go together like peanut butter and jelly, don’t they? One problem – I don’t like peanut butter and jelly (peanut butter plain, thank you), and I’m not a very committed golfer either. Does this spell early retirement doom? I don’t think so.

First of all, I do golf and I do enjoy it. That’s why I picked the phrase “not a very committed golfer” to describe Continue reading “Golf In Early Retirement”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation1 Comment
Have A Purpose, health

Fitter or Fatter in Early Retirement?

Like many folks looking forward to early retirement, Captain Sparky is thinking about how he can become more fit.   Retirement goals are predicated on good health, and a lot of early retirees make it a priority. My health has always been good. I had my appendix out once, but that’s about it. I’m 49 years old, 6’ 2” and weigh about 215 pounds, which is down … Continue reading Fitter or Fatter in Early Retirement?

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation4 Comments