Why does it seem like everyone wants to retire early?

[Anonymous]

I want to actually have time to travel. Like take an RV trip around the US, or go to Asia for a few weeks. I just don’t have enough continuous time off to do that.

[Anonymous]

If I had European type leavenof 25+ days a year and the office was half closed in August then I'd work longer. As it's, my 20 days a year are spent either eith sick kids or limited travel in short spurts. So I'm resting at 55 to enjoy life

[Anonymous]

What is your definition of early?

[Anonymous]

Retire early while you are youngish so you can enjoy your life. Early retirement is the way to go, unless you still have kids to raise.

[Anonymous]

Being acutely aware that I closer the end than the beginning of life. 56. Would like to make the most the next 2-3 decades. Not be chained to a desk and computer.

[Anonymous]

I gave up a lucrative job early in my career so I can take a job that pay descent. This turned go be the best decision I have made. At 45 today, I make $180k at a low stress job, no overtime, no clients to deal with, no travels etc. So I am not burned out at all. At the same time I devote time to my hobbies and travel once a year.

What burned me out though was my marriage. I wonder how many people are actually stressed from their marriage as opposed to their job.

Perhaps retiring early from a bad marriage is what most people should aim for lol

[Anonymous]

Americans don't want to retire early, corporations push them out. This country is full of sh**t. One one hand our stupid government tells up to work until 70, but good luck finding a corporation that will keep you post 59. Yes a lot of people would love to work longer so can save more for retirement. But our corporations which have now reached an absurd level of power and influence dispose of us as soon as we reach a certain age when we supposedly become toml expensive to invest in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want to retire because my job as a college professor has changed massively from what it was when I entered the profession. It is almost entirely a different animal today. Admissions standards are lower, students are less prepared, everyone is only interested in the explicitly vocational aspects of my field and we spend much too much time combatting plagiarism. Our class sizes keep getting bigger and our service requirements are out of control because there are so few full time faculty. most of our administrative leaders are not academics and they don’t understand what we do. Every few years they bring in a new team of lame consultants who don’t understand academia and they come up with even more bizarre tasks for the faculty accompanied by new and wacky jargon. I am just not sure I can take another round. I am sixty. t

This is so depressing. I am your age and I understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have three kids so my dh jokes we will never retire. One was a surprise so we will be in our sixties when he’s in college!! But our jobs have decent work life balance and frankly hanging out with our kids is more exhausting than work which usually feels like a nice break.

You have to be careful about early retirement. It’s like an oasis illusion. When you feel less useful you end up declining very quickly. You need to have some ‘jobs’ lined up like volunteer work or grandparent duty that keep you connected to the society around you, especially younger people.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I had European type leavenof 25+ days a year and the office was half closed in August then I'd work longer. As it's, my 20 days a year are spent either eith sick kids or limited travel in short spurts. So I'm resting at 55 to enjoy life

Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being acutely aware that I closer the end than the beginning of life. 56. Would like to make the most the next 2-3 decades. Not be chained to a desk and computer.

Agree.

[Anonymous]

My FIL was a teacher and did not like how they had to start “teaching to the test.”

[Anonymous]

Early retirement became my goal. I chose a range of disturbed and mentally ill managers. Eventually, I chose better by learning what to look for.

But I decided I do not want to work for toxic companies and toxic employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Americans don't want to retire early, corporations push them out. This country is full of sh**t. One one hand our stupid government tells up to work until 70, but good luck finding a corporation that will keep you post 59. Yes a lot of people would love to work longer so can save more for retirement. But our corporations which have now reached an absurd level of power and influence dispose of us as soon as we reach a certain age when we supposedly become toml expensive to invest in.

Yes. I’m telling my kids to focus on being able to retire by 45 or 50 even if they choose to work longer.

Better to be prepared for ageism and layoffs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because Americans are becoming lazy and value leisure over industry.

Why are you here? We don't need you to insult us and simultaneously want to be us. Go (or stay) home. There's a reason we are the best country in the world and ta not because we are "lazy". If you are here already, leave! Go to a place where people work hard and get rewarded. China? North Korea?