Is work just too much fun?

[sv2007]

I never, ever interact with my coworkers after work. The closest I came is one time when I ran into my receptionist at WalMart while shopping.

Of course it gives you more time. There's no debating that. If you get an extra 8+ hours in your day, you've got more time. How you manage and use that time is up to you.


Most people don't have stock options at their job. I don't. I don't even have a retirement plan at my job.

We are very different, almost all my friends were once co-workers of mine. Same with my wife. So wife and I have different sets of friends. Now that I have a kid, some friends are due to the kid, but they aren't close friends (yet). In fact, I learned how to ride a motorcycle because a co-worker also wanted to learn. I first piloted a helicopter because a co-worker flies. I've taken so many co-workers to the shooting range (I'm a 2A supporter and what better way than to spread the love) that I can't even begin to count. And it just goes on and on!

As for time, working and retirement doesn't affect my free time too much. Maybe it is because I do a lot of programming just for fun at home anyway. The key is, once you make a break thru, you'll realize that you do have enough time for everything you want to do. I'll say want I once heard, which changed me: you'll always have time to do things that are important to you.

As for not having stock options/RSU with some jobs, that's too bad. It may be the best kept secret for path to wealth. Here, you don't have to be super good at anything else besides what you do and you can still get rich (i.e. no need to run a company or whatever). It is what's driving the house prices around here; people use stocks for down payments.

[DaveInPgh]

There are very many hobbies that one finds during adulthood. Many bring on life-long friendships because you and your friends depend on mutual support, so in a way you trust them with your life. These are not child's hobbies; no these are not stamp collecting.

I may actually have experienced more than most on this board in terms of life experience; at least that is generally the case at work with coworkers. I'm like the jack of all trades but master of not many.

Different strokes for different folks.

Personally, I have no interest in a hobby that requires me to trust a friend with my life. I will stick with running.

[disneysteve]

As for stock incentives, it applies to pretty much everybody in tech here (even HR people). Pick a decent company and work there for 5-7 years, you'll probably have $500k-$1m in stock alone

That's great, but you need to understand that you are talking about a tiny fraction of one percent of the population. You are very fortunate to be in that select group but it certainly isn't advice that applies to the population in general, even here where most of us are relatively higher earners.

Every job, work very hard in the beginning, the rewards are very good when you establish yourself early.

That might be true at your job, but it's fantasy to suggest that it's true at "every job".

There are very many hobbies that one finds during adulthood. Many bring on life-long friendships.

I agree with you on that. I know many examples of people stumbling into hobbies that they knew absolutely nothing about previously. A perfect example is a friend of ours who is a reconstructive surgeon. Somehow (I don't remember the story), several years ago he got introduced to the sport of knife throwing. Now this is a white Jewish guy from the suburbs who had probably never picked up a knife outside of the kitchen. Suddenly, he is throwing knives, axes, tomahawks, and more and competing in and winning competitions all around the country. And along the way, his wife, a petite suburban housewife, got into it as well and now travels and competes also.

We are very different, almost all my friends were once co-workers of mine. Same with my wife. So wife and I have different sets of friends.

Yes, we're different in that regard. I have exactly zero friends from my current or past jobs. My wife has exactly zero friends from past jobs (she isn't currently working). Our friends are almost all either from our synagogue or from the Disney fan community that we are active in.

As for time, working and retirement doesn't affect my free time too much. Maybe it is because I do a lot of programming just for fun at home anyway.

It doesn't matter how you use your free time. It's still free time. Whether you use it to sleep, watch TV, play video games, travel, cook, exercise, or program, you have A LOT more free time when you aren't working for a living.

[corn18]

Your humble bragging is not very subtle.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I think that for many people myself included working isn't fun. But it's necessary. But then for others it's a calling. I've meet teachers who love what they do and work even when they have to pay for childcare. Glad people love what they do.

But just because you love what you do and do it, doesn't mean financial rewards are at the end of the rainbow. I have quite a few family members and friends who love what they do but it's not lucrative.

You just happened to stumble upon a lucrative career. And no it's not wrong to pick a career that doesn't pay well because you like it.

[sv2007]

You just happened to stumble upon a lucrative career. And no it's not wrong to pick a career that doesn't pay well because you like it.

I don't think it is wrong to pick something that pays less. I think if you read my posts, you'll find that I didn't pick this career based on pay. I picked it because it is something I love to do, and that's the advice I give to others -- find your passion and make it your work.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

That's good for you and lucky it's lucrative. But most jobs aren't so lucrative. And many people punch the 9-5 clock for a job that they are okay with and some love. Unfortunately it's not lucrative enough to retire early. Retire yes with careful planning but not necessarily early.

[Drake3287]

Some of what you write I can agree with. I worked for 32 years before being able to retire at a full pension and I loved and enjoyed almost everyday of work during that time. I can almost count on one hand as to how many times I called in sick during all those years.

Lucky for me many of my co-worker friends also retired within a year of me so keeping in close contact is easy and a good excuse for going out to lunch.

As for retirement life, I couldn't be happier and everyday seems like a vacation.

[sv2007]

I'm not sure why money is so important as this post is more about working a job that I love.

Retirement? Frankly, had we not invest our job earnings better than index fund returns, we'd never be able to retire. But bcause of our investments, we don't need our job incomes to sustain for our lifestyle. So I work more or less because I like to work.

As I've said before, picking a job based on pay isn't smart. Pick a job that you truely enjoy, one that you do as a hobby even before working for real is the way to go. Wife retired many years before me, she's not passionate about her job even though she's got 2 advanced degrees (including a doctorate); she THOUGHT she'd like her job but guess not. Here's the deal, do something you've always liked to do since childhood, and I think you'll be fine.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

It's not so easy to choose a career. Even ones you love sometimes you leave and do something else. I have to say that i did go what I liked but I don't like it now. So now what?

[sv2007]

It's not so easy to choose a career. Even ones you love sometimes you leave and do something else. I have to say that i did go what I liked but I don't like it now. So now what?

We all make mistakes; it is how we handle/fix the mistakes that define our outcomes. You must like something else right? Go there. Look within. Now, if you like do something but you aren't all that good at it (e.g. play basketball or guitar lead), then you obviously should look elsewhere and pick another thing that you like. But people are generally very good at what they like to do because they've put in endless amounts of practice (fun).

[QuarterMillionMan]

This thread is very entertaining. I haven't been visiting this site much but I need to get back with it, work keeps getting in the way. I wish I were retired.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

This thread is very entertaining. I haven't been visiting this site much but I need to get back with it, work keeps getting in the way. I wish I were retired.

So you can go to Vegas?

[QuarterMillionMan]

You got that right LAL (lol). Looking forward to my next trip to Las Vegas for thanksging and a Honolulu trip during the same time.

[cornfieldj]

I'm on the fence about what I'll do when I hit what could be considered retirement age. I was asked to write about how and why the idea of retirement is changing.

Obviously everyone's situation is different. Some will continue working at least part-time because of the money. Some because they have some dream job they've always wanted to try.

But I was surprised to hear from so many people that they tried retirement and didn't care for it. Most people said they were exhausted after a lifetime of work. They wanted to do nothing. And then, after about 2 months of doing nothing, the boredom set in.

He's not in my story but one of the happiest "retired" people I know is my cousin's husband. He had to be at work by 6 or 6:30 am every day. His last few years he started doing some board work for his old college. He was involved with a nonprofit.

When he left the desk job, he started teaching part-time for his old school for free (because he was on the board of trustees). He loved doing it. They asked him to do it full-time (for pay). He left the board, works a few days a week teaching and is really happy.

I realize not everyone can carve out something like that - and may well not want to. But the one thing I learned from this story is, when you retire, you have to make sure you have something to retire to.

It doesn't work out as well if your main thing is that you no longer work.