9/19/2011 11:03:37 PM

^ haha

9/20/2011 12:24:07 AM

Quote :

"Are your parents old enough to be your grandparents? My husband's and mine are. Seriously, I have a 1/2 brother who was already in college when I was born. Maybe we'd feel differently if we weren't in our 20s worrying about how we're going to care for elderly parents. Maybe I'd also feel differently if I had started on a career before having children. Maybe I'd also feel differently if my family lived a lifestyle that required 2 salaries to make ends meet. But as it is, I'm very happy staying at home with my children without worrying about sending them to a daycare, arranging time off for appointments, finding a sitter or someone to pick them up from school when they're sick, and all of the other problems that come up when both parents are working. Like I said before, career is just a secondary goal. I don't need one to feel fulfilled or successful. I feel just fine about leaving it until later in life and joining the workforce once I have an empty nest. "

I can totally understand this. My parents are young but my parents-in-law are not. My mother-in-law is almost the same age as my grandmother And since my grandmother lives a very active lifestyle, I think she's in better shape health-wise. It's always in the back of my mind what happens if one of them dies before they can see their grandkids or before we're really ready to deal with all the legal fun that comes with a parent dying. I think it sucks my husband has to go through that in his 20s.

And no one can deny juggling young children and a job kind of blows. I remember my dad would work day shift and my mom night shift because they couldn't afford daycare but also couldn't afford to have one person not work. That was never fun as a kid. I worry about not having enough time for my own kids while working sometimes.

9/20/2011 8:36:48 AM

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
? John Lennon

9/20/2011 1:04:55 PM

Retire at age 50.

9/20/2011 1:06:25 PM

I would like to retire by the age of 50 as well.

My job (solo attorney) gives me the possibility of doing something like this by way of the "rainmaker" case...or several smaller versions of those would work as well. But realistically, even given the best circumstances, I'll likely top out at $200-$250k. But even that will take me about 15 years to reach that point consistently. The last attorney I worked was bringing around that and working at the age of 63. But he squandered his several big personal injury cases on stupid toys and bad investments. He could have retired 10 years ago if he hadn't done that. Well actually, he could retire now, but his wifey just left him and work is the only other thing he knows. Through some luck and sound investments, I MIGHT be able to retire around 50...but we'll see.

Having said that...I don't know if I want to practice law for that long. I keep thinking that something will come along that I actually enjoy (I don't hate law...but I definitely don't love it) and I will have the opportunity to switch careers. But for now, gotta pay the student loan and mortgage. So I'll keep grinding it out.

9/20/2011 1:16:48 PM

I am hoping to get a PGA tour card in the next 5 years.

9/20/2011 1:23:56 PM

If I buy a house within the next 3 years and continue to avoid the twin threats of marriage and children I'll be in pretty reasonable shape to make it assuming the bottom doesn't completely drop out of the market and I'm not a fool with my investments.

I'm pretty sure I'll work well past age 50, but it'll be because I want to, not because I have to, which makes all the difference in the world.

9/20/2011 1:25:15 PM

if you're avoiding a family, why on earth would you buy a house?

9/20/2011 3:06:20 PM

I can definitely understand that some people don't want to get married but I don't understand why that is automatically a threat to early retirement.

9/20/2011 3:12:30 PM

I bought a house and I'm not looking to have a family any time soon.

9/20/2011 3:19:37 PM

^^ This. Honestly if you marry a good woman with some sort of financial sense and together set some goals, then marriage should not be a negative on your life goals. Plus if she has a good job, then you should be able to knock out a mortgage quick and then start really piling money into your retirement accounts if retiring early is your goal.

9/20/2011 3:40:26 PM

Quote :

"I can definitely understand that some people don't want to get married but I don't understand why that is automatically a threat to early retirement."

I don't think marriage is...but having kids are...or at least can be depending on how you plan to "finance" them. Like whether or not you want to pay for their college or send them to private schools. I mean, that could completely wipe out your retirement. I plan on sending my kids to public schools and don't plan on paying for their college (although I will if things go really well with my career). I will help them with repaying their loans if they have difficult finding a job, but I'm going to go pony up $30K a year off the bat.

9/20/2011 3:53:34 PM

^^ exactly. A lot of my gfs are the breadwinners in their marriages. In most cases, the husband enjoys a much more comfortable lifestyle than he did when he was single ... and with a stronger financial safety net/savings. There are a lot of ambitious young women who make six-figure salaries and also want to find love.

Prob not the norm, but if you marry someone with a similar work/career ethic, then you'll prob easily stay on the 50 y/o retirement path.

And not all women want kids.


[Edited on September 20, 2011 at 3:55 PM. Reason : h]

9/20/2011 3:53:50 PM

Quote :

"if you're avoiding a family, why on earth would you buy a house? "

In my case, I bought a house basically so I could have a garage and a driveway w/ parking pad to keep all my toys, and so I could play my electric guitars as loudly as I wanted to. I had rooms in my house in New Bern that were totally empty and unused--I just kept the doors shut to them (unfortunately, they don't build small houses that aren't shitty and/or in shitty neighborhoods).

It's up for rent right now; I should be able to clear a $250/month profit after property management fees/insurance/property taxes, minus whatever I have to spend on paint/carpet/whatever else the tenants fuck up above their security deposit. Of course, that doesn't count writing off mortgage interest on taxes, either, so hopefully that will balance out the ongoing repairs.


I'm about to buy another house down here in FL. Same deal, I need a garage and audio privacy. If it wasn't for that, I'd live in a 2BR apt. On the other hand, it doesn't cost much more to buy a pretty damned decent house right now than it does to rent a nice apartment, and I don't think you can rent a house as cheaply as you can buy it at the moment.

9/20/2011 6:41:34 PM

This thread makes me wonder what the point of life is.

9/20/2011 6:47:05 PM

What, did you miss it the first time?






(i laugh every time i see that picture)

9/20/2011 7:08:30 PM

^that is pretty much my plan in life. Except the trees part, I can do without that.

9/20/2011 7:24:56 PM

Quote :

"i get by, make plenty of money for me, but honestly it feels like i've been spinning my wheels for the last 9 years. where did i go wrong? "

I don't think you did anything wrong :-)

I use to have a plan, but now I live by the seat of my pants If I plan and make all these goals and I don't achieve them, I will feel like the guy that posted that quote.

I have accomplished a lot: graduated with my BS and my MS, gained some great experience, ran a few 5k races, spend time with my friends and family, and I have a pretty decent job. Its not a job I want for the rest of my life and it doesn't have to be.

As for the now, I am planning on running more 5Ks (more suited towards charity), join a soccer team and play with my brothers, applying for grad school to get a PhD, pay off some debt, save some money, go on a few trips. I am not married, but if I get engaged, good; if not, keep on keeping and not worry about it. If I don't get into grad school, well, I continue to develop my career and come up with plan B.

I feel like life is all about accomplishments AND failures and when you have a setback, its your opportunity to learn from it and take it to a more positive direction. Life is way too short to be worried about what you haven't accomplished; you should be thankful about what you have and look forward to what you will accomplish :-)

9/20/2011 7:41:17 PM

Quote :

"This thread makes me wonder what the point of life is."

whatever the fuck you want it to be

9/20/2011 10:33:00 PM

When I graduated from college I would of never guessed that I would be working in finance for the feds in NOVA. I hated fianace/accounting all those type of classes when I was in college....6+ years and counting.

9/20/2011 10:39:02 PM

9/21/2011 12:13:02 AM