Alternatives to:

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: JEDI
graduate college at age 22
work till 60 while (hopefully) accumulating retirement $
live off pension till you die

if i could do over again, i would have:
- dropped out of school at 16,
- work 1yr in construction (learning how to fix up a house),
-- max out 401k/IRA/Roth
- work 1yr in a garage (learning how to fix up a car)
- get my GED
- get my mcse
- get computer job making $75k at 18 (during the .com era b4 the tech crash of 2001)

- retire in my 40's due to:
-- power of compund interest of retirement funds (i started 6yrs earlier than college grads)
-- earning at least $300k more than college grads since i was making $75k each yr during the 4yrs you were loading up w/student debt buying a college degree
-- wisely investing that $300k head start

- Live the last HALF of my life in retirement


if u can start over again, what would your alternatives be to school for 2 decades, work for 4 decades, then retire?

Edit:
re-read the post:

1) your 75/k year salary at 18 years old would last until Q3 of 2000
2) 300K you 'invested wisely' circa 2000 ... do I need to say more?
3) I have yet to see construction / garage job that will contribute to 401K

Why is that? You think everyone was laid off at the "crash"?

Yeah, a high school drop out with an MCSE wouldn't have to worry about getting the axe in that situation.

 

[PrinceofWands]

I don't think I'd do anything different.

I focused on hedonism from age 14 till about 24. Traveled, lived life to its fullest, etc. Now I'm finishing school and I'll start working in my first career soon (probably about the time I'm 38 or so). Probably work there until I die, or at least till I get canned and then I'll crawl off somewhere and die.

I think we pretty much live backwards. I see no real point to being retired when you're older and don't do much of anything anyway. Enjoy life early when its fun, pay for it later.

The only changes I would make are about my ex, not about my work, school, or play.

 

[bennylong]

The choice to is to today or live for tomorrow. I think I'm going to cash out of my 401k and live for today. As a short man, I don't think I will live past 40.

 

[StageLeft]

It's sad that somebody would distil their entire life down to its monetary aspects as if the years spent preparing for work and those spent working are done for nothing but to satisfy a retirement.

I'm 32, I believe I can retire at 45.

The key to early retirment is saving cash + 401K/IRA. My cash savings will need to last until I'm 62, and then I can begin withdrawing retirment savings.

Retirement for me means moving to a small town in America where the cost of living is insanely low and also living frugally. From 45-62 or roughly 17yrs can I live off of $50K per year, if so that would require about 565K while earning a conservative 5% interest.

Sounds like a sh*t retirement to me. I could also "retire". I could "retire" next year if I wanted to "live frugally" on the government's teet, for example. I have no idea why people set this goal of "retiring" like it's the be all and end all to life. Do you know how many people retire and then realize it sucks and go onto work? A damn lot of them, actually. It seems to me that a lot of people with good incomes fall into this category in fact because what gave them the good income in the first place was perhaps a rewarding job on some level (as opposed to a terrible one that they begrudged every day of their life). If you have to take a significant cut in standard of living, then what the hell kind of retirement is that? When i retire, whether it's at 55 or 70, I will have the money to spent my retirement comfortably and do things I want to do and have the money to do them. There would be nothing more pitiful than somebody who voluntarily retired and has taken such a cut in standard of living that they can do little more than watch tv all day and feel so happy about being so awesome that they retired even though their retirement sucks.

Yeah, a high school drop out with an MCSE wouldn't have to worry about getting the axe in that situation.

Yeah really!

What would I do differently: maybe get a Business degree instead of a bachelor of science in psyc...otherwise, not much. I have, so far and knock on wood and all that, cruised through life being blessed at many corners and I'm thankful for how well it's gone and is going (maybe I'm just good at forgetting the bad). And no, I won't be retiring early. I don't care.

 

[Mo0o]

Personally I have no interest in retiring early. WHy not just pursue something you actually enjoy? Then again, I"m going into a field that requires 10 years of training so the notion of retiring early is silly to me.

 

[OS]

if you don't like to work, just save up six figures, move to like thailand and retire with a bit of part time work.

 

[bennylong]

Originally posted by: OS

if you don't like to work, just save up six figures, move to like thailand and retire with a bit of part time work.

But what if you're not a pedophile? There's nothing for you..

 

[novasatori]

Originally posted by: bennylong

Originally posted by: OS

if you don't like to work, just save up six figures, move to like thailand and retire with a bit of part time work.

But what if you're not a pedophile? There's nothing for you..

:laugh: