I suppose most would call me a member of the Retirement Police, and I’m okay with that.
Let’s start by discussing the definition of retirement. Like, the actual definition and not one that’s made up to fit someone’s lifestyle. The actual definition of retirement is ceasing to work or withdrawal from active working life. It doesn’t mean leaving one job for another. It doesn’t mean quitting your cubicle for an entrepreneurial or remote gig. And it doesn’t mean you do odd jobs that you enjoy in an attempt to be flexible in times of market downturns. It means you do not work again, for someone else or for yourself.
Back in 2015, we were just starting our lives together. So despite being a little bit older (30s and 40s), we were in the midst of planning our wedding, looking for a bigger house, and spending money like crazy in restaurants and on anything else that struck our fancy.
I mean, c’mon, we were in love. And anyone who’s ever been in love can attest to that feeling of euphoria that makes you see the world through very distorted glasses.
Through a series of events, we realized we needed to get our financial act together so I did what anyone would do. I asked Google how to do that. What I found was the FIRE movement. Whoa. I was in love…and this is our story.
Show Notes:
Discussed in this episode:
- The various definitions of Retirement
- The dreaded corporate cubicle
- All the financial obligations and responsibilities we face (Cost of living, parents, children, retirement, college…)
- Health concerns
- Our FEAR of running out of money when we need it the most
- Suze Orman’s take on FIRE
Noteworthy links:
- Suze Ormans view of FIRE and why we mostly agree with her
- Suze Orman’s episode On Paula Pant’s Afford Anything podcast
- An in-depth read about why we stopped chasing FIRE for a happier life
