Recently, I had the pleasure of being featured in a MarketWatch article. My views on the blog exploded and so did many of the readers’ heads.
“She’s 27 and retiring with $200k in assets, most of those locked away in tax-advantaged accounts? Yeah, good luck with that. She’s not going to make it a year.”
That seems to be the common refrain from the comments in both the MarketWatch article and Yahoo! Finance version. (I left out the ones that talked about my relationship with my boyfriend because those are just rude.) Even @WuTangFinancial chimed in on the article which I guess makes me a Real Blogger now!
I wanted to address some things I saw mentioned repeatedly. I might be wasting my breath, but I want to say an attempt was made.
“$200k Isn’t Enough!”
They are totally right. If I were actually leaving work to retire, I’d have far more than $200k and $15k in cash. I’d be more like Tanja at Our Next Life with tons of cash to hold me through any downturns (like the correction we’re experiencing now).
However, I’m not leaving work to hang up a hammock in which I will laze by the sea with a Mai Tai in hand and play lots of golf. I don’t even know how to play golf but I wouldn’t say no to the hammock and fruity cocktail.
I am leaving W2 work to work for myself. I will be working my butt off on any number of hustles: stained glass, this blog, my podcast, freelance writing gigs, speaking gigs.….… the list is endless. I’m limited only by my creativity, drive, and time.
“She Had Help!”
They’re also kind of right, but also incredibly wrong. The kind of help they’re referring to was monetary help from my family to get through college and life after that. I only wish that had been the case, because that’s a lot easier than what I actually did to get through college debt free.
Instead, I hustled my way through high school and ended up with a full-ride scholarship for academics to the local state school. I didn’t know that was going to happen though, so I signed up with the Air National Guard and had them on standby to pay for school if my scholarship fell through. If you’d like to learn more about that time in my life, I wrote a couple of posts with all the great details.
I had other help, though. I had some amazing bloggers to look up to who inspired me to go down the crazy path of financial independence. I literally would not be in this position without them. You can find all the bloggers I recommend here.
“Good for Her, I Guess, If She Wants to Live a Deprived Life”
I don’t think my life is missing much of anything. I live a simple and modest life compared to the average American, but I am by no means suffering or depriving myself. I eat good food at home. I occasionally go out to eat. My boyfriend and I go on fun dates. Heck, we spend money on gas to see each other! I own a house. My car runs well and is paid off in full. I travel domestically frequently, and internationally once a year. I bought a purebred cat.
I’m pretty sure most of those things are things that Jacob Lund Fisker from Early Retirement Extreme would not do. I cannot live like that. I think about the future a lot more than most 27 year olds, but I don’t forget to enjoy the now.
To me, there’s no point in early retirement if you don’t have anything to do or anyone to do things with. That sounds intensely lonely and as an incredibly social person, I’m willing to delay my path to financial freedom slightly to have a richer experience of life. I know it doesn’t sound like it to the people reading the posts on Market Watch and Yahoo Finance, but it’s true!
“She Can’t Afford ______”
It’s not that I can’t afford whatever it is they think I need, it’s that I don’t see the need to buy it. Like my car. It’s a 2005 Pontiac Vibe with 172,000 miles on it. They think I drive this old high mileage car because I can’t afford it. In reality, I could buy a nice used car in cash today.
But here’s the thing. I don’t want to. I think my money is better served being invested for the future, or being saved up to live off of, rather than being tied up in a rapidly depreciating ‘asset’. I’m not even sure I want a new car, as soon I will be moving to a beautiful city with miles of bike lanes and an excellent public transportation system. I hope to not need a car at all.
I’ve also had people accuse me of being cheap, like that’s the WORST name they could call someone. I guess to them, it would be the worst label. I’m actually kind of proud of my level of frugality (which I don’t consider to be terribly extreme). Instead of buying a car windshield cover, I covered my windshield with a $.97 PVC clear shower curtain from Walmart. It worked perfectly this last week when we got over a foot of snow and I didn’t have to pay an extra $24 for it. It’s little things like this that add up into a big difference!
Jump to This Conclusion
At the end of the day, I started this blog to showcase my journey to FIRE. I’m so glad I did, as I can look back on the last few years and see how my life and opinions have changed. For example, it’s become apparent to me with the switch to side hustles and the entrepreneurial lifestyle, that I will never retire early. In fact, I might not retire at all.
Instead, I’ll be living a financially independent life, free to do what I want and work on things that interest me. That’s a pretty radical departure from my 24 year old self that started this blog determined to save up a bunch of money and retire at 35!
If not being beholden to anyone sounds like the kind of life for you, stick around! I’d love to have company!
Great response, Gwen! I saw some of the comments and had to shake my head… you have a plan, you have businesses you currently run and ideas you will pursue, and a little frugality doesn’t stop you from living an incredible life 😉
I’m excited to follow along with your adventure and see what amazing things come of your big leap!!!
ps- this blog redesign is Ah-MAZING!
Thanks Mrs. Adventure Rich! Now’s the time to take chances in life! Glad you like the new layout 🙂
Your critics must have not comprehended your sense of entrepreneurial drive, which is what seems obvious to me and why I included you on my millennial bloggers list. You’ll be just fine! Best wishes as you continue to design your life on your terms!
Thank you for including me on the list! I’m going to make a decent living one way or another, you can count on that!
Why do I have the feeling you are preaching to the choir? Not that I think you are wrong! But the folks that left the comments won’t come back here to read your defense. Must be nice though to get you thoughts on “paper” thou! Rock on girl, you are doing very well!
Definitely preaching to the choir here, but I wanted visitors to see it if they continue to drop on by. It does feel good to get them out though!
Oh yeah your MarketWatch article was just another example of why the internet advice of “don’t read the comments” exists. PF blog comments excepted, of course 😉
Rock on with your incredibly well-thought-out plan and lifestyle of frugality, not deprivation!
I completely forgot there would be comments too. I spent more time than was probably wise refreshing them and laughing.… I couldn’t help it!
Good on You!! Keep doing your thing.
Be smart, be flexible, and be open to opportunity that presents itself.
Other wise… Efff em. Retirement is a strong emotion laden word that gets thrown around too much. Take the chance, see where you end up!
Just don’t take too much inspiration from us, we’re not role models… we’re beer guzzling lunatics.
You forgot crazy runner/bicyclists in there. Then again.….…. I’ve taken advice from worse people before 😀
Personally I’m envious of your bravery! I have a 6 month safety net plus a nice chunk of retirement savings and I know I’m too anxious to make the same move. I’m excited to follow along with you and hopefully I can become brave by osmosis!
The worst case scenario is I need to get a corporate job after a few months. This move has all the positives and few negatives. I have highly connected people to recommend me and will be in a city with excellent IT opportunities. Why not take a chance?
Good for you Gwen! I don’t have anything other than anecdotal observations to base this on, but it seems to me that the overwhelming majority of FIRE bloggers begin their journey desperately wanting the R.E. part, but over time that shifts to wanting the freedom that F.I. buys. Sounds like you’re finding that freedom through side hustles and calling your own shots. Congratulations!
I never thought I’d be “giving up” early retirement for plain ol’ financial independence, but the lure was too strong! I can’t resist! I think a lot of people bail when they see the opportunities out there. Who knows… maybe I’ll make it big and achieve RE anyways! The possibility is higher leaving my job, that’s for sure.
The more people yell and scream, the closer you know you have come to something important!
And I’ve only just begun 😀
You go, Gwen! It’s so important to continue to reflect on your personal life choices and why they work for you while others are trying to bring you down. Don’t let them deter you from living the life YOU want and have worked so hard for. Congratulations again on this huge milestone in your life! You are a true inspiration to the rest of us who are working hard to get to where you are now 🙂
P.S. LOVING this new blog layout — how have I not seen this before!?
Thanks for the kind words, Krystel! Don’t feel too bad about the blog update — it happened in January!
I think what you are doing is awesome. You may not be “retiring early” but I think you’re making an even better choice! Good luck with everything, and keep ignoring the haters.
Thanks J Savvy! I’m going to work my butt off to make sure it does actually work out!
Great response. I suspect your critics are merely attempting to justify their status quo position to themselves.
Precisely. This was my first major exposure to trolls. Past experiences with other peoples’ trolls taught me not to worry about what they say, but man. They can get nasty!
Haters are always going to hate. It is very common for people to point fingers and claim that someone had special privileges or advantages. The better thing to do instead is to take radical responsibility and work for what you want instead of blaming others. J from Millennial Boss wrote a fantastic piece on it which I re-visit several times: https://millennialboss.com/2017/03/radical-responsibility/
Don’t pay attention to them Gwen. Rock on with your side hustles and podcast shows:)
J knows what’s up! I’m so happy you linked that post. I think everyone should read it at least once.…. and probably twice.
Retirement fund or Runway?
It seems that many conflate early retirement with self-employment or financial independence. If you’re a wage slave at the widget factory, and you save $200k while adopting a lifestyle of frugality, then you’ve got a runway with which you can quit WidgetCorp and do your own thing. Maybe you take off, catch a thermal, and spend the rest of the day soaring. Or maybe it’s a short hop to GizmoCorp whereupon you resume wage slaving (with some great experiences). You are in the pilot’s seat and greater savings plus greater frugality lengthen your runway.
Yeah I figure either way this will end well. Either I get to wear fuzzy socks every day and be my own boss, OR I go to GizmoCorp and get a pay raise! Win-win, really.
Best of luck in your new ventures, and ignore the haters. Happy you are following your dream!
But can anyone actually recommend resources to me for true ER? I don’t want to work for money, ever, as soon as possible, and more and more I realize the FIRE community is about making money outside traditional jobs, which is a laudable goal, although not one I share.
Anyone? Anyone?
I suggest Tanja at Our Next Life. They actually had the discipline to hang in until the end instead of saying ‘F it, I’m out’. You might also want to check out Retirement Manifesto or Justin at Root of Good.
Great blogs…but they are all making bank in retirement (ROG a bit less, although my guess is his blog will explode) via blogging. A laudable goal and amazing lives, but seems to require an income.
Preach! Don’t let the bastards get you down, honey!
Thanks MK. Hatas gonna hate and all that 😉
Love it! Those comments got toxic quickly! Sadly, thats the breaks sometimes for internet comment sections. Love the courage you’ve shown making this leap!
I’d say that’s the breaks most times for comments online on articles like these. The exposure was totally worth the trolls 🙂
I think it’s commendable that you are “cheap”. I get a lot of slack for it as well. My friends refer to me as cheap but I’d say i’m just frugal. I did cut a paper plate in half one day and I haven’t lived that down. Like warren Buffet I pay attention to how much everything is costing me. I don’t have it down to the penny like he does but I place a value on everything. It’s rewarding when you feel you’ve saved money. When I was first on my own I had tuna noodle casserole twice a week because I could make it for two dollars, and it was tasty. Vehicles depreciate so you are either making a payment or paying to get it fixed but I like ridding the point in between for as long as possible. Some people view it as hardship but I think living on limited means makes you more appreciative and resourceful. I love your blog and your straight talk. 🙂
I feel like cheap has negative implications. Like, wearing underwear with holes or trying to split a special meal out is cheap. Getting water at a nice dinner or eating tuna salad for dinner is frugal and helpful.
I’ve been fortunate to ride the line between payments and repairs well with this car. I hope to keep him in good shape for many years to come!
Right? There’s nothing wrong with not throwing your money away. No need to spend money just to keep up appearances, although it’s bad to be stingy
Tyler M Jones recently posted…Not All Funds are Created Equal: How to Evaluate the Investment Options in your Retirement Savings Plan
I’m proud of you! Keep up the good work.
Thanks Murtzy!!
Gotta love the comment section.Idiots,idiots and more idiots.Did they bother to read the whole article.Obviously they know nothing about long term investing, house hacking, property investing, living within your means and investing the balance,blogging,and monetising blogging.
I’ve been house hacking for approximately 17 years and as a result now have a £600,000 home fully paid for.Now continuing hacking so live for free and any additional money goes into my investments.Haters everywhere throughout my time but hey guess whose laughing my arse off now.
Keep it up Gwen.I read your blog every week
Wow, Allen, that is awesome! Well done. I’ll be you before I know it. Thanks for the comment!
Well put. Not everyone’s path to financial independence will look the same and you are on your own journey to what will make you happy. Even if this means you won’t retire until a more traditional retirement age (highly doubt it with your drive) it’s your decision and honestly you are probably leagues ahead of all the haters with “only” 200k saved. Congratulations on this big step! You got this!
At this point, it came down to one question: which do I value more? Full freedom after losing most autonomy for 10+ years? Or doing some work that I fully enjoy with full control over my life? The answer was easy after that!
I don’t know, Gwen. A cat, not a dog?! Just kidding. It’s amazing how people will find fault with just about anything, especially the things that they can’t even dream of. It’s been great getting to know you and follow you on your journey. I’m always so inspired. I can’t wait to read (and listen!) more. I hope at least one mai tai crosses your path soon, too 😉
I’m one of **those** people. Actually I did get a lot of flack for that because I went with a breeder instead of a shelter. I can’t win!
I really hope we get to meet in person when I get back to Chicago!
Hi Gwen — I’m more of a lurker and consumer of lots of FI blogs but I’m quiet about commenting. But this was a great read and I had to comment. It’s awesome that you are taking a leap/bet on yourself. That’s actually one big issue I have with the FIRE movement — way too much risk aversion and not enough self-exploration in the accumulation phase, which I think can lead to problems down the line once you hit your magic number.
Your story is inspiring and one that I think is going to become more normal in the years ahead. Kudos to you for making such a big decision. Best of luck!
Thank you so much for commenting, Andrew! It’s very difficult for people to wrest themselves out of a comfortable job/company/lifestyle. It requires really living the principles instead of following them incognito. Takes a lot to do so. I hope more people follow in my footsteps!
Nice one! Yeah, this is why we opted to use Fully Funded Lifestyle Change, because we don’t see it as retiring. We’re too active to “not work” for 40 some odd years. Nice response to the haters out there!
FFLC is seriously one of the best phrases to come out of this community. It fits perfectly! (except mine might be partially funded at this point lol)
This seems to be a trend when people do interviews for mainstream media, but pretty much everybody in the FI community is cheering you on! I’m a year or two your senior and was on board with debt-free living, paying off my student loans two years ago, but only discovered the concepts behind FI this past year, and I’m super jealous I didn’t start earlier the way you did :). I think your approach follows JL Collins’ FU Money well, as you are using your independence to be a non-starving entrepreneur. I guess that doesn’t mimic the rags-to-riches paradigm closely enough for people to credit you with your good decisions. Why is that, I wonder? If one’s origins aren’t pure rags, then privilege is always assumed and used to discredit. I agree with the other commenters here — people just want to justify their “learned helplessness”.
There is very much a tendency to think of the FI life as deprived. My favorite concept from Jacob Fisker is that things rarely used are likely a waste of money, and this has whipped my finances into shape something crazy. I don’t feel deprived at all; in fact, I enjoy the things I do buy so much more, and the rest goes to savings and investments! People don’t get that, but you can’t expect them to, either (sadly).
Hi Scott! Thanks for all the positive thoughts! It’s like if there’s no struggle, everything after that is invalidated. Heck, some people have dismissed my entire journey because I got a $5k gift from my grandma. I’ve learned a lot about what I like to have around me in the year living with most of my stuff in boxes. I like displaying my stuff, but only if it’s not cluttered. I’ve missed more than I thought I would too. Strange the attachments we have with inanimate objects!
I am very excited for you! Most importantly, life is short. #YOLO
Happiness and living in the moment are the most important.
On the financial side of things, once you grasp how money works, (which you do), you will definitely make it work regardless of how much or little you have.
#YOLO (I wouldn’t be a proper Millennial if I didn’t say it at least once!)
“…and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate”
Do your thing. They’ll do theirs. If people intersect with each other to learn good new stuff, then awesome. If not, then it’s still okay.
Love that song for a reason 🙂 I think it should be my anthem!
Booo to the haters! I got my first haters last week and it sucks. Isn’t it crazy how much people assume about a person they’ve read about for … 45 seconds?
No no no.….. these people know me better than anyone else on the internet! Why else would they comment? .….…..ahahhahahahaha trolls are so ridiculous.
You Rock, Gwen! As a father of three young women, I greatly appreciate the model you provide to millennials (My attempts to guide go about as well as those of Mr. JL Collins). Maybe slightly off topic for this post, but I recently listened to your interview on ChooseFI back from Sep 2017. I heard you mention Roth IRA’s as part of your strategy and was curious why you are choosing them over Traditional IRA right now.
Thanks Lane! Basically, I had enough in traditional accounts and wanted easier access to the money. I was going to do a Roth IRA ladder, but then changed my mind. I also wanted to put money in there while my taxes were relatively low as a hedge against high taxes later (since I have no idea)
The FI in FIRE is much more important than the RE. Retiring early should be a choice, not an imperative. We are much happier in life when we care less what other people think, and more about what we do. Kudos to you for not letting the slow witted or outright jealous move you off of your path.
I’ve just now started to realize this.….. words of wisdom you speak!
35 is still 8 years away for you! And it sounds like you’d be doing these side hustles when you got to full FI anyway, so I fully support this plan change 🙂
8 years is forever! No way do I want to wait that long. I would definitely be doing these side hustles, so why not start now?! Thanks for your support Angela!
Great write-up. FI/RE is made up of two concepts. If you’re able to pursue your dreams thanks to your frugal lifestyle and work ethic, I don’t see why anyone should be able to turn up their noses at it. I hope to see your stained glass and more blog posts as you venture away from the typical rat race. Cheers!
I’ll be sure to share all of my exploits with you all! I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Christine beat me to it, but haters gonna hate. They are just envious, jealous even, of your enviable position. What they fail to consider is the hard work and dedication you put into making this plan a reality. Keep working your plan to continue to create the life you want. Let ’em hate!
Thanks Cody! I will keep working! I’ll show them all what they dismissed 🙂
I read the article in MW but you had not been on my radar up until then. I would never piss on people’s personal path, but I must admit I do think it’s a bit early for you. However, with that said, having the freedom to focus on your strong points and your passion is an advantage that most people never get. I’m sure you’ll make the most of it. I’ll be following along.
Thanks, Jim. This is earlier than I thought too.… but I am young and have plenty of time to recover if it is too early. Thanks for coming over and commenting!
Shake it off, shake it off 😉
She’s my fav (or was. Not a huge fan of this new album)
I would not listen to them. I think what you are doing is awesome and hope to do something similar one day. I am early in my fire journey just having found the fire community over the past summer. I have always been a good saver so even though I am just starting this journey I am in pretty good shape. Between my savings and my taxable vanguard account I could maintain my current life style for 2–3 years if I stopped working today. Once I grow my net worth and start generating some passive income I hope leave my W2 job too.
Keep up the good work.
I’m listening so I can prove them wrong later. Watch me go! Good luck on your financial journey!
Mistake #1 was reading the troll‑y comments.
As Joel from FI180 says, “What’s the worst that can happen? You have to go back and get a job. Big deal. Your worst case scenario is everyone else’s everyday life.”
I just had to, I couldn’t help it! Joel is full of wisdom. I hope to one day be like him 🙂
Shitting all over someone else’s goals and dreams is my favorite kind of Internet rudeness. Your response is perfect. Don’t let the haters get you down!
Thanks Piggy. Fuck off, haters!
Here here! Not that you needed to answer those crappy comments to prove anything though. You’re livin’ your life your way and if they don’t like well… too bad. I imagine that you will be plenty busy getting ready to FIRE and then even more busy once you go into side hustle mode to even pay attention to that kind of nonsense. Keep doing you.
This last month has been absolutely insane. I’m so busy, I can hardly breathe most days. It’s be the best kind of busy though 🙂
Gwen , sounds like some big changes are on the horizon!
I’ll keep following along.
But you will have to explain that whole windshield curtain thing. I didn’t follow.
When the forecast calls for snow, I put a clear shower curtain over the windshield and tuck the ends into the doors. Then when it snows, all I have to do is open the door, flip the snow off the windshield, and put the curtain back in the car. It saves SO MUCH TIME. But, it does look a little weird… especially if said shower curtain has big blue circles on it instead of being clear lol. Apparently, there are products out there that do the same thing but are designed to do so. They look better.… and cost 20x more than mine did.
Power to you for responding head on! Even negative press is good press if it starts a discussion.
I hope at some point the mainstream financial community wakes up. Sitting in my advisors office 10 years ago, in my early 20’s, I was told I needed to save millions to retire at 65 and over $1000 a month (half my income at the time). Now I’m saving half my income but I plan to retire just after my 40th birthday. Keep doing what you’re doing and slowly we can change the mainstream opinion.
One doesn’t change the course of a river in a day. It takes day after day of slowly carving a new path. That’s what we’re doing!
They’re just jelly… let ’em stay jelly.
They’re peanut butter and jelly!
You are joining the dark side of those who do work that they want to do and might not ever retire and I love it! I’m proud of you and everything that you have accomplished and can’t wait to see where this year takes you. Pay no attention to the haters, they’re gonna hate, hate, hate, since they got nothing better to do. I wonder how many of those people made the rude comments from the musty cubicle at a job they despise while also drowning in debt.
I’m blushing. Thanks for the kind words, Mrs. Wow. All I can say is I have the best of mentors to emulate! <3
Gwen,
Keep doing on what you believe in. Do not bothered by external opinion. This is your life and you lead it based on your own preference.
Ben
Thanks Ben. They’re not bothering me.….… they’re inspiring me!
Excellent article and congratulations on the exposure of your work even if a few Neanderthals came to the party.
There is no doubt in my mind you will grow and excel in all your endeavours.
Thanks Keith.
You go, girl! So excited for you (and Erik). I know each of you will continue to do great things individually and I can’t wait to see what you do as a team. All the best to you!
It’s going to be a wild ride! Buckle in!
Great post! I am sure those 200k will surely grow with that kind of attitude! Keep doing what makes you happy 🙂
If it would help them grow, I’d croon nursery rhymes to them… but I’m told that would only serve to make me look even more ridiculous, so I am not doing that.
“I’m limited only by my creativity, drive, and time.”
This.
I think many people sleepwalk through life and don’t take a step back to have a moment of clarity and realisation like you’ve had.
Good luck and I look forward to reading about the next exciting chapter of your journey as it unfolds!
HH
Thanks HH! I could very easily fall into that trap if I stayed in this location at this company. Very few people leave, and really there’s no real reason too. I’m glad I get the chance to see other parts of the world and how they work!
I’ve been reading MarketWatch for a long time. Way back when it use to be called CBS MarketWatch. I read the comments once in awhile. Majority of them are negative comments. I would not put too much weight into the negative comments that were left for you.
Thanks Steve. In one ear and out the other! I don’t even remember the vast majority of the comments now, a month later.
“To me, there’s no point in early retirement if you don’t have anything to do or anyone to do things with.”
This is I think what makes the “extreme frugality” version of FIRE such a psychological challenge for any single individual who doesn’t have a tight knit local social circle. I think even the biggest introvert out there still desires some socialization. And more often than not, at least initially, that is going to cost $$$.
Shame on the writer for going for clickbait when you instructed them not to use the word retirement, but I guess that’s not a shocker.
I’m pretty friendly and make new acquaintances easily, but it gets old after awhile. I’m willing to pay a bit more now to ensure better social connections later.
Stay true to yourself and the rest will fall into place! Likely many of those trolly comments = mind blown. If they can’t fathom it, then why should you be able to do it. Besides, you’re super young and can afford to make mistakes (even in early W2 retirement!). Congrats on getting picked up on MW.
“I can’t do it, so OBVIOUSLY it’s impossible” lol. Thanks Michael! It was a surprise for sure.
Phenomenal post Gwen. Sad that it is even necessary to have to justify yourself to the naysayers. If it is any consolation, those negative comments suggest that you are onto something worthwhile. Normal is what many of them are living, and normal sucks. Keep up the good work. Like you, I am all in on the FI part of FIRE. So many other things I plan to do in life that I do not see the RE part being a necessity.
Thank you Mr. WLBalance! I like to drink the haterade 🙂
There is no wisdom in retiring so early because money is not going to be enough a few years after you have actually taken the retirement. The right time to think of retirement will be at least by the end of 40s. Even at this stage it will look too early to retire.
We’ll just have to see, Paul!
Hey, Gwen. I read the article the day it came out, and as soon as I was done, I knew you were going to catch grief from the masses. The author did a poor job of explaining your situation and the tenets of FIRE/FIOR. Boo MarketWatch.
Yeah she lumped me in with the other two who are genuine early retirees. Too bad, because they could’ve hated on a lot more than just the retire part! They really missed out.
Hi there, Gwen! Good job in making this response! I have read those comments too, and I think you can take that negativity from a different perspective and make it as a way to check your plans in mind. Prove them wrong, girl! I think they are just jumping into conclusion of their own; maybe they think that you would go on a vacation spree when you have said that you will retire. Hope your response will be enough for them to shut their mouth and focus on their own. Since they are not offering any additional suggestions or solutions, don’t mind them. The important thing is you know what you are doing, and you are not missing any vital parts of retirement planning, such as healthcare. I’ll be staying positive that, as a woman, you’ll be able to handle healthcare issues of retirement gracefully. And that in due time, sometime in the distant future, you’ll be able to utilize Medicare, Medigap and other sorts of options that will help you manage your health needs to maintain your financial wellbeing for even longer periods of time. Good luck! And keep up the good work! Proud of you!
Thanks Leonardo! I absolutely will prove them wrong. Watch me go!
In human life how much money you have earned for future those are not enough for that time. With your expectation list, an insufficient feeling will touch you in future. And it is also not worth living to spend a big span of time for a better retirement.
Thanks for the comment Norah.
“Haters gonna hate!”
Ahh internet trolls…so much fun to tweak. We had our share of 1000 hate comments on our media articles, and boy were they angry! (Some even racist).
The fun thing is that the longer you are retired/semi-retired, the less you give a crap about the haters. You just become more and more confident over time and it’s super easy to ignore them and go back to your awesome life.
Ignore the haters, Gwen! You are awesome and living an awesome life!
WIth such excellent people like yourselves to follow, I’m sure I won’t have any issues. Thanks for paving the way!
I left my full-time W2 job with 100% covered benefits a little over 4 years ago at 26. I immediately increased my $10,000 the first year and almost $30,000 the next year, all while doing work I actually enjoy now. Having the freedom to say “I’m going to take a few weeks off” without worrying about work piling up for you when you get back is great.
Ironically, you made the same comment about me as people on marketwatch did about you.
I too own my home (3bd/1.5ba), my car, and my dog, which is also a purebred insofar that matters. All paid in cash. I have 20 years experience cooking at home as do my wife, so we’re good at it. If we go out, it’s into our garden to pick some very fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers. Maybe we eat out…side, that is, sitting on garden furniture I built myself for a fraction of the cost. We do regular cross country drives to see family. However, I’ve been to 14 countries and about 1⁄3 of all the states, and travel now feels like eating a 6th serving of ice cream, so I don’t do that anymore, unless I get paid (interviews, etc.). But I understand the desire to see the world.
Since everything is fully owned, we spend $11,000/year between the two of us. Our capital income from dividends alone (ignoring gains) is $29,000/year but we see no need or want to spend more.
When I was blogging, we lived in a motorhome (before van-living became the cool thing) about an hour from Oakland, CA. I practiced Japanese swordsmanship three times a week for three years, learned bicycle mechanics (fixing bikes for a shelter), raced on a 35′ yacht out of Berkeley in the San Francisco Bay (and occasionally under the Golden Gate and out into the Pacific Ocean) and won regattas some too. Also played roller hockey (center forward, won 4 seasons in a row). After I stopped blogging, we moved to Chicago. I got to try working on “wall street” and check that off my bucket list. I learned woodworking. We bought the house and fixed it up (still ongoing)—I’m currently building and installing a vanity for the bathroom (total cost for everything …$30). This might not be your kind of fun with restaurants and dates, but it is my kind. It’s all relative and people often presume. Don’t judge, lest… and all that.
Well looks like I was wrong! I’ll admit that fully. I guess I don’t know what you’ve been up to recently since you’ve stopped blogging, so my only defense is in the way you used to live. Nice to see you still lurk in the community 🙂
Good that you are not being too depressed by these kinds of comments. There are generally worth your time and as written in the other comments, most of them are simply jealous. Good luck keeping up with your new goal!
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