Early Retirement or Slacker

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Okay so perhaps my DH and saved too much into retirement accounts to make retiring shortly feasible. However long term I think it'll work out.

But in the other thread where I talked about moving closer to our families and somewhere cheaper, someone on the thread said I have to stop being a housewife and work and give myself purpose in life.

Okay maybe so, but if my husband and I stop working in say 5 years and "retire" early then are we slackers? I ask seriously because I know my family will critisize and chastisize us for not working.

[Nika]

If they can be sure they won't have to support you later because you retired too early, than it does not concern them.

If you don't require anyone's support (including gov. assistance) than what you do is really your business.

Having more time is fine. Also, there are possibilities of working part-time at something you like, for less pay than you get now. Like a ski instructor or whatever activity you enjoy.

[phantom]

In my opinion, a retired person is not a slacker for being retired if any of the following are true:

- The person has physical limitations that prevent him from continuing to work a job
- The person has put effort into accumulating funds to support himself in retirement
- The person puts effort into managing the way that the funds supporting his retirement are invested
- The person puts effort into keeping expenses low to make the funds he has stretch farther
- The person spends time doing activities that he believes benefit others

If you're going to call a retired person a slacker just because he hasn't hit some physical limitation that stops him from working or some magical age, you might as well call every young, healthy employed person who spends a few hours doing something other than eating, sleeping, or earning more money a slacker too.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Nika that's a good point about working at what you like. What if you like what you do though?

Phantom I guess it's not being contributory.

[BuckyBadger]

Is this a real thing that people are experiencing? Really, actually experiencing?

If someone works hard enough that they are able to retire early using their own money and social security (which is just taking back money that has already been contributed)I can't imagine anyone calling him or her a "slacker."

I plan on retiring early and it never crossed my mind that someone would call me a slacker. I really can't think of anyone who would. If I'm living on my own money and social security I'm certainly not living off the government dole. And there's nothing in that that makes me a slacker.

[bjl584]

If you can afford not to work, then who cares what your family thinks?

While they are out brushing the snow off their cars in the dead of winter getting ready for work, you will be still in bed. Or sitting in the kitchen with a nice cup of coffee looking outside at the snow. You can even text them and tell them all about it if you so choose. Just to rub it in a bit.

[MonkeyMama]

Meh. Who cares what anyone else thinks. There is more to this life than paid work. There is a LOT more to this life.

I don't think there is *anything* slacker-ish about raising children, personally. That in itself is a full-time job.

I presume that your parents will eventually come around. They likely won't understand up front, but give it some time. I think it is amazing what our parents (& friends' parents) have been willing to accept given a long period of time.

Because of society's general reaction to the idea of early retirement, I personally wouldn't overly-advertise if we did make that choice. There is an element of attitude, and also just not wanting to be looked at as a giant dollar sign. (Just read the thread about if both spouses should work - lots of nasty attitudes towards those who do not work).

[jIM_Ohio]

Okay so perhaps my DH and saved too much into retirement accounts to make retiring shortly feasible. However long term I think it'll work out.

But in the other thread where I talked about moving closer to our families and somewhere cheaper, someone on the thread said I have to stop being a housewife and work and give myself purpose in life.

Okay maybe so, but if my husband and I stop working in say 5 years and "retire" early then are we slackers? I ask seriously because I know my family will critisize and chastisize us for not working.

I'd ask this on the early retirement forum, people there have dealt with this.

First issue is see the difference between financial independence and retirement. Some people retire because they want to stop working. Some people retire because they want to do something else. You need to define your retirement. For me, lots of time for charities, white water rafting, skiing and craft beer consumption.

Second issue, is it sounds like your financial house is in order, but your priorities in life might not be entirely clear. If you search within yourself, you know what you will like, what you will enjoy, focus on that.

If you need approval of others for #1 or #2, you will fail regardless of decision.

[feh]

Is this a real thing that people are experiencing? Really, actually experiencing?

If someone works hard enough that they are able to retire early using their own money and social security (which is just taking back money that has already been contributed)I can't imagine anyone calling him or her a "slacker."

+1

There's no law that says one must work if they are under 65 and physically able. Being financially independent and having the option to do what you want with your time should be a goal, not a cause for scorn.

[snafu]

People who are 'financially free' and no longer need paid work for funding their needs and wants are not obliged to fulfill any imagined expectations of family or friends. Your parents may be delighted to have you nearby and with time to relieve them of onerous tasks and enjoy delightful visits. You are reaching out to extended family with the move so you may be judging their reaction prematurely. DH may choose to seek employment that he desires particularly if there is a network in place to assist since so many jobs are never advertised but filled on referral by friends or staff.

Since it's rarely cost efficient to move major belongings like furniture and appliances across country, you might begin planning what could be sold and how it would be replaced in your new location.

[disneysteve]

If you can afford not to work, then who cares what your family thinks?

Meh. Who cares what anyone else thinks.

I agree. As soon as I can afford to retire, I'm retiring, regardless of how old I am at the time.

[EEinNJ]

There's a scene where our hero Homer is laying on the couch with a beer, saying "mmmm....Retirement" with a thought balloon above his head, with a picture of him laying on the couch, drinking beer....

If you can afford it, why not? You will find things to do if you want. If your family is critical, it's probably because they're jealous!

[TheKayla]

someone on the thread said I have to stop being a housewife and work and give myself purpose in life.

Wow, that really bothers me. That would be how I would feel personally as well if I didn't work, but it seems very ignorant to assume that anyone who would assume others with different lifestyle preferences and different wants needs to feel the exact same way. I think a reasonable person would just respect someone else's decision about what they want to do with their life, and only focus on their own life.

Just do the numbers, and if they make sense, you can do whatever you want -- after all you only get one life! Don't worry about having to work just because others say you're lazy if you don't. If early retirement and you not finding work is do-able and is inline with your goals, then go for it. Just make sure you have a reasonable back-up plan in case of financial turmoil, and make sure you have enough in retirement. If you were having to borrow from others just to live, that would be financial irresponsibility, but otherwise, its merely a personal choice.

[disneysteve]

someone on the thread said I have to stop being a housewife and work and give myself purpose in life.

And you took them seriously? Shame on you. My wife is a "housewife" and has abundant purpose in life. She (and I) feel no overwhelming need for her to get a job just for the sake of having a job. That makes no sense at all.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Yep, there will be people who judge you negatively. In the case of family, sometimes what feels negative may be their concern for whether you really truly will be secure for the rest of your lives and able to take care of your kids. The older ones, especially, may have seen things happen where someone once on the top of the world takes a nose dive, maybe so far as to become poor.

Sometimes when out of ignorance people judge me negatively, I sort of enjoy the power of the secret that my life is not at all what they think it is, and I can just brush off their negativity like insignificant dust.

Once I had house guests from across the country. A woman I'd been friends with for 25+ years and her husband. Their visit was several days long, and so one day I had to excuse myself for a while to go do my online work. My friend's husband's face lit up with surprise and, clearly, approval.

"You work?!", he asked excitedly. Mind you, I had not felt any judgement from him beforehand. He just thought I did not work, and finding out that I did caused his esteem for me to soar. Maybe even he did not know that whether an adult has paid work makes a difference to him. But it did. So even someone who only had friendly words and with whom I had a lot in common was negatively judging, if only subconsciously.

I do think that the younger you are the more you will run into negative judgement. Honestly, as the parent with the longer kid-hours, don't you already? I imagine the early retirement judgement will be twice what that is. Well, except maybe people will give you credit for having _earned_ enough to retire, thereby "proving" yourselves to be worthwhile contributors, *ahem* "makers not takers.* Yes, some will think you are some sort of "takers." Too bad for their ignorance. Brush off that dust.