Comments on: Reader Story: Re-Evaluating the Rat Race

By: TP

TP — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:22:39 +0000

El Nerdo, What community college did you go to?

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By: Miesha Brazington

Miesha Brazington — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 12:11:12 +0000

Everything is “in the cloud” I trust you are being funny, but in case you do not know, NOTHING is stored “in” the cloud. Again at Sterling Forest NY there are tons of IBM servers storing cloud data for a wide variety of firms. I have seen then, nicely labeled. Ann Taylor, etc. So these are not “in” a cloud but in a (GASP) IBM DATA CENTER!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG. So, the list DOES apply, doesn’t it?

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By: Jim

Jim — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 09:16:52 +0000

Oh honey,
Please do try dealing with this world intellectually and rationally. YOUR feelings really aren’t going to cut it. Seriously, you need to grow up and get over yourself.

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By: Peach

Peach — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 03:33:36 +0000

The fact that my post, directed at no one in particular, inspired such a rant from you is a case in point. You’re wasting your time attacking me just because I hit a nerve with you. Just try to be a nicer person online, and treat people the way you’d want to be treated. Wishing you the best. My sympathies for what you’re going through.

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By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:32:24 +0000

Peach,
Mean-spirited, snarky, sniping comments? I’m not seeing them. I suspect your dealing with a loved one who’s coping with a life-threatening illness is stressing you out – bad! Been there, done that, am still doing that. Dad with Parkinson’s – worse yet, Mom with Alzheimer’s. Lash out at the world if need be – better yet, go get a deep tissue massage. But don’t project your anger onto people who are honestly trying to help another human being. There’s not nasty stuff going on here that I can see. Just honest, hopeful advice.

Sorry you’re going thru whatever it is you’re dealing with. Just don’t be so myopic. Everyone is dealing with crap that feels overwhelming. You are NOT the only one doing that.

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By: Joe @ Retire By 40

Joe @ Retire By 40 — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:22:15 +0000

I’ll be 40 in 2013, but I might pull the trigger this year…

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By: Joe @ Retire By 40

Joe @ Retire By 40 — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:18:07 +0000

Thanks for sharing your experience. That’s really helpful for me. I’m pretty sure I’ll have to take at least a year off and experience self employment. If I don’t last, I’ll find another job. I don’t think it’ll be the end of the world. It’s great that you found what’s right for you. Do you think you would have found it if you didn’t take the year off?
Come by my blog and say hello.

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By: Peach

Peach — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:47:12 +0000

That’s such an important consideration. Good health isn’t guaranteed and it’s a priority to spend time with our loved ones. Sounds like you’ve thought this through and saved money for it. I may have missed it, but have you set a timeline?

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By: Peach

Peach — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:15:45 +0000

So many people are going through something similar, Rita. I agree frugality is the way to go. I used to hear about janitors and waitresses who saved thousands by living thrifty lifetimes but I think most of us are trying to adapt to a changing workplace, job loss and lower income. You are not alone. it helps that everywhere I turn, others are sharing their tips on making it in this economy. Hope to hear more from you in future about how you’re doing!

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By: Joe @ Retire By 40

Joe @ Retire By 40 — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:57:18 +0000

Jim, we are a bit late to the parenting game and just had a kid. thanks for the heads up.
I haven’t thought much about mom resenting spending less time with the kid.
If that happens, then I’ll have to figure something out.
The Mrs. is a workaholic type and she can’t be a stay at home mom. Perhaps if she want to spend more time with the kid, she can reduce to part time and I can pick up a part time job.

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By: KittyWrestler

KittyWrestler — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:57:11 +0000

And it’s also much easier for you to walk away from you job knowing that you don’t ever have to work the rest of life. I think you are on the path already. You just need a few more years to build substential wealth to get to that point.

Using myself as an example, I did the same thing you did. Walked away from 6 figure job, but only finding that it was quite hard and not a single mean to build more wealth anymore. I came back to the corporate world. Put much emphasis on building my divident paying porfolio and rentals, like what you are doing.

I still have to work a few more years until I pay off the remaining $450K mortgage on all my rentals including a commerical building. Once I did that, the renals and dividend will completely replace my 6 figure income + benefits, that’s when I will walk without hesitation.

I can retire now, with probably 40% replacement income generated from my rentals and stocks since I paid off 2 rentals already. Can I survive? Yes, but I probably wouldn’t be too happy about it.. I like having a large sum of left over cash to play with my family. So I am gonna work and wait.

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By: KittyWrestler

KittyWrestler — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:36:24 +0000

Anyone who thinks rental property is a bad idea never really understood it nor did it for a while to know how to do it.
It’s one of the best way to generate wealth as well as income. So if you think all the slumlords end up in court, you are so dead wrong!!!

I have been a landlord for the past 20 years. Not a single time I ended up in court. There is work. But it’s truly the 4 hour per month work. But it takes a lot more time to learn the business right to minimize the amount of work you put in.

It’s not as easy as most people think, but it’s also not as doomed as you think it is..

I can retire any time because of my rental properties. But unfortuantely, I love my job so I am doing it to make money and have fun and watch my rentals getting paid off one by one by my tenants.

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By: KittyWrestler

KittyWrestler — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:27:56 +0000

I also want to add that unless you are prepared to handle the emotional aspect of not having a paycheck coming in every month. It can get very stressful.

When I took a year off from corporate world, I blogged, sold stuff on eBay and did a few other random things. Not knowing exactly I would have was a culture shock to me. And I didn’t mentally prepare for it.

But, I think it will take a person to walk down this journey to truly understand the pros and cons of both worlds.

I walked both, so I could make a clear choice at the end of the journey.

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By: KittyWrestler

KittyWrestler — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:22:21 +0000

I did exactly what you wanted to do Joe. I worked for IBM for 10 years. Got so tired and burned out, I thought I hated the entire engineering field or the corporation. So I quit and started blogging full time.

I only lasted one year. Not because of money, but lack of social aspect of life. I felt isolated, not respected cuz I am technically “joblsess”. The lack of routine and not able to tell if it’s Monday or Sunday wasn’t as fun as it sounded either.

So I went back to the engineering field, but for a completely different type of business. I joined a mutual fund company and designing systems for them. The people are awesome at this new place. No more 100% travel. Money and beneifts are fantastic. But most importantly, I picked up new skills at this firm, more specifically, I moved myself away from large computing system that IBM does to more Cloud and Mobile system based technolies.

I am so happy now. I still make 6 figures. I got a lot more time in my hands. I got married, I had a baby. Life is great. And I don’t ever want to quit engineering field.

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By: Joe @ Retire By 40

Joe @ Retire By 40 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 04:38:07 +0000

Jim, I really appreciate your comment here. I know it will be almost impossible to get back into the field. My co-workers who left are having a very difficult time finding employment.
Giving a lucrative salary is kind of crazy in this economy…

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By: Peach

Peach — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:06:09 +0000

I’d like to say that the mean-spirited comments and petty criticism in some of these posts is frustrating. I started reading this blog a few months ago and overall, the stories have been interesting and I’ve been able to contribute my thoughts and pick up several pointers. This is the second email where there’s been a lot of snarky comments and nasty remarks and for those of us who work all day and have limited time to spend online, it takes toooo much time to wade thru all the negativity to get to the truly helpful responses. I’m NOT an engineer making six figures but I’m still able to learn a few things from this writer’s experience. I think there are some similarities with being ready to consider a change no matter how much you make. At first I was going to pass this one over but I’m glad I read it because I’m actually cheering for him and hoping he carefully plans and makes the best move for himself. Anyone who’s had a loved one who’s coping with a life-threatening illness knows just how important these decisions are. And how great it is to discuss your options. it would be great to read genuinely helpful comments instead of a lot of sniping. That’s my $.02.

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By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:48:52 +0000

Joe,
Just so you know, when I said what happens if/when your wife becomes resentful that you’re staying home with the kid while she’s at work, I wasn’t insinuating that you wouldn’t be contributing enough, and therefore, she’d be resentful. I am talking about real life experiences, where the mom will on some level resent not being home with her baby – regardless of the amount of your contribution. Just a heads up.

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By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:42:27 +0000

Joe,
I get the whole “health concern” – that I really, really do understand. However, the older you get, the harder it is to keep on top of your game – job-wise. And giving your son a debt-free education is one helluva gift. I never had that and neither did my spouse. We’re giving that to all of our kids. I understand the wanting to be a HUGE part of your child’s life ’cause their little for such a short time. However, financial security is huge. My spouse and I worked flex hours to ensure we were with our kids as much as possible and still be financially secure. I also gave up having to be a perfectionist. That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done ’cause I was always the “go to” guy. Well, I’m not that guy anymore, but I am still making 6 figures working 4 days a week. Granted the 4 days I do work are LONG, but that frees up almost 1/2 my week to do as I please. And once I gave up having to be the “best”, wow did things at work stop being so difficult. Hence, I was more relaxed and actually learned to start liking my job (and coworkers) again. Still hate the politics, but that’s just a part of life. I’d just hate to see you walk away from that job only to find yourself needing it or something like it a few years down the road and to discover that you’re no longer qualified ’cause you haven’t kept up your skills AND you’re older and much less likely to be hired.

Whatever you do – best of luck. I would urge you to think long and hard about what’s in your family’s best interest and to see if you can’t find ways that work for you that make your job satisfying without the adverse health effects. Mind over matter can go a really long ways.

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By: Joe @ Retire By 40

Joe @ Retire By 40 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:08:32 +0000

Thanks for the suggestion Tyler. To be truthful, I’m tired of the engineering field in general. My expertise is very niche and the field has a huge moat. I can’t start a company in this field. I can become a consultant or contractor, but then I will still have to work for the big guys. I know a few of my co-workers who left and it is very difficult to even get contracting jobs in this field. I’ll have to move to the Bay area to even get a chance at working for a small company.

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By: Joe @ Retire By 40

Joe @ Retire By 40 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:58:31 +0000

You caught that!
I like blogging, but it is just part time work. I will be a stay at home dad when I leave my full time job. How about this – I love staying home and raising the kid. cheers!

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By: Farm Mom

Farm Mom — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:23:33 +0000

I was 30 when I “retired” from the cube farm. My situation was very similar; it was so hard to leave the big paycheck. But totally worth it to live out my values, my dream and dedicate my life to my family. I am very blessed and grateful that my husband has a steady job to provide for our family. I won’t kid you, though. We’ve had to make some major adjustments and cutbacks because we are living on less than half of what we were used to and we faced some major (huge) unexpected expenses. It hasn’t been easy. Totally worth it though. Totally. Best of luck to you!

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By: Rita

Rita — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:17:52 +0000

I understand all the comments. They are well thought out and all possibilities. I also am on the senior end of things. There comes a time in your position where not much if anything is new anymore. I’ve been shoved around like I’m a youngster without experience and treated with much disrespect. Because they wanted me out. You look at the possible years you have left to live and find that living frugally looks good in comparison to what you do each day. It is dog eat dog out there. I have retired and live much more frugally than most would want to. My health after this first year of retirement is somewhat returning. I have plans to earn extra income. For now I am cleaning out my home. Having garage sales and finding a focus for the rest of my life. I want to minimize. Keep what I love and get rid of the rest. I would hate to come up to the end of my life and be snuffed out like a candle without having had this chance to breath & live.

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By: Anne

Anne — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:00:51 +0000

Maybe you just hit the nail on the head! Maybe that’s what got under my skin.

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By: Cara

Cara — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:55:51 +0000

I did something similar: I negotiated a part-time arrangement where I could work three days a week and have more time for writing fiction. Fiction writers tend to be more realistic than many bloggers about how much money they can make from their writing. Every single author I’ve contacted, including a few NYT bestselling authors, told me, “Don’t quit the day job.”

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By: bobj

bobj — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:03:52 +0000

Hate my job.. Love my paycheck.
was going to leave..but my accountant said instead of retiring, it would be better to keep working and have one hellva time spending the money I make and stop funding retirement (that way the retirement funds keep building)
..the plan seems to be working, however I feel your pain.

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By: Joe @ Retire By 40

Joe @ Retire By 40 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:46:18 +0000

Some of my engineers friends enjoy their job and that’s great for them. I also know some that hate working at this company, but they keep coming to work everyday. It’s not easy to let go of a good paying job.

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By: Joe @ Retire By 40

Joe @ Retire By 40 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:43:13 +0000

That’s good constructive advice.
We’ve been banking all my paycheck for over a year now and at this point don’t need it to survive. You are right that building wealth is much easier with the 6 figures paycheck.

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By: Joe @ Retire By 40

Joe @ Retire By 40 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:39:47 +0000

Health is one huge consideration for me. I didn’t talk about it much, but quite a few people in my group passed away. I can’t blame it all on stress, but I know my health is deteriorating as long as I stay in this stressful position. I’d rather be a bit poorer and be around for the family than 6 feet under.
Thanks for sharing.

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By: Joe @ Retire By 40

Joe @ Retire By 40 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:35:19 +0000

Jim, you job sounds really stressful. Hope you can handle 10 more years with minimal side effects.
I’m pretty sure I can’t stick it out another 15 years. I’ll go nuts and my health will not hold up.
Yes, we do have a kid. We are contributing to the 529 now, but will probably have to cut back with the income reduction. He can always get a loan if needed. Hopefully, in 18 years the rental income will cover his tuition. Or else we’ll sell some of the rentals.
As for the Mrs. We’ll see, but I’m pretty sure I’ll contribute enough to the family to not be resented.

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By: celyg

celyg — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:52:21 +0000

What stuck out to me is that nowhere did I read “I love blogging and this is what excites me!” — it feels like blogging is going to be just as boring down the line. Maybe the benefits of not being corporate will alleviate that, but it’s still a job.

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