It’s finally my last day of full-time work on Tuesday (17th July 2018), which means that the following day, Wednesday 18 July 2018, is my first day of my semi-retirement years. This also happens to me my 45th birthday, sounds auspicious.
Just a few thoughts on why I had to quit, how I managed to quit full time work at the age 45, and on what I'm going to do next.
This is also basically my leaving speech, which I'll be delivering in half an hour or so at work!
Why I had to quit work
It’s got everything to do with what’s happening to the line of work I’m in… teaching.
Firstly, funding cuts have just meant a steady increase in workload every year for the last several years. It’s just no longer possible to have a life outside of work and meet the unreasonable demands of the job. It simply isn’t worth the money, it hasn’t been for ages.
Secondly, marketisation induces stress and anxiety in everyone, and I can’t go on passing the shit down anymore.
Thirdly, we all know that exams have very little to do with the positive aspects of education, and I’ve managed to get myself into a position now where I can educate without any of the unnecessary stress of exams or results.
If you like this sort of 'why I quit teaching' thing - this post provides 10 reasons why I quit in much more detail.
How I’ve managed to semi-retire at age 45
It’s mainly thanks to a book called ‘early retirement extreme’ by a guy called Jacob Lund Fisker. He pointed out that most people spend 90% of their income and only save 10% towards their retirement, and suggested that we’d be better off inverting this ratio - if you can learn to live off 10% and save 90%, then assuming you can go on living off the same amount of money, you would then be saving enough for 9 years of retirement every year.
Obviously that’s not feasible for most people - but I set myself the target of 50-50 ratio a few years back, managed 60-40% and as a result I’ve got a big fat wad of cash in the diversified investments that’ll easily las me from about age 54 to 60 (when my TPS kicks in). That's also required me to be frugal, and avoid relationships and kids, or in early retirement terms, ‘the lock in’.
I’ve also set up a couple of blogs one centered around sociology revision revisesociology.com and this steemit blog in which I focus on more personal stuff, and together they're earning me pretty good money, and that’s enough for me to live off, and I haven’t even really started with either of them yet, plenty of room for growth.
Finally, I’m gonna have to move out West - I can’t afford to live around here, and thankfully now I’ve quite I don’t have to, because I find the unnecessary middle class pretensions of Reigate utterly detestable.
If you like this sort of 'early retirement extreme' thing - this post provides more details about my plan and progress.
What I’m gonna do next….
I’m gonna spend August looking for a house somewhere west or north - I’m gonna see what the market offers me….. If I find a nice detached wreck in Wales, I’ll do the whole self sufficiency thing, if I find an nice town house in a university town, I’ll rent it to students and go digital nomad.
For money I’ll be blogging - I’ve got lots of interests and thankfully platforms that pay me for writing, so I’m just gonna develop my craft….. I think there’s plenty of scope for developing truly multi-media sociology resources with my own personal twist to them, totally unconstrained by exam boards, syllabuses, or any educational institution.
I'll probably start each day around 5.30 a.m. go for a walk or run, then ablutions, then listen to Radio 4 over croissants and coffee and decide what I want to blog about for that day. Besides that I don’t know what I’ll be doing, making it up as go along basically…
If you like this 'what am I gonna do next' thing, follow me and connect, I'll be writing lots more on this in the next few weeks and months.
Heck yeah! FREEDOM!
Get yourself a nice fertile plot of land and go crazy with the garden. Also, when I am in the UK and metal detect parks and such I come home with a good amount of quid. Plus it is fun!
Really? With the netal detecting I mean. I never thought it might actually be a profitable hobby!
Yeah, with all your high denomination coins its like a piggy bank underneath the park ground. The biggest common coin we have here is 25 cents, which is like 20p. You have 50p then 1 and 2 pound coins!
I made in the range of 4 or 5 quid an hour while having fun treasure seeking. Of course, you would eventually have to move on to a different area.
Congratulations on your early retirement. Best wishes in your future endeavours. I am sure it will all work out according to your plan. Cheers!
Congrats!
Congrats on getting out of the rat race! You can also consider moving to a low cost country, granted its a big change, but why not try something different? That's what I did and am loving it. YOLO!!!!
I might do... but the plan is buy in the UK first, then I can rent that out and then rent long term abroad, maybe.
I really admire you and it’s something I would love to do. You mentioned that you couldn’t have relationships or kids . Relationships in particular. True relationships cost money but are they worth sacrificing for your ultimate goal? What do you think?
I'd never criticse anyone for putting a relationship/ kids before early retirement - it's worth the sacrifice for most people!
Congrats on the early retirement and we hope everything does end up going to plan. Take back the freedom to do what you want to do in life. 😊
Good to hear you 'finnally' freed your self! All the best with your endeavours! I'll be here to see and cheer you on.
Happy Semi-Retirement Karl.
If you need help looking for that good life wreck in west Wales give me a shout...
Host of The Alternative Lifestyle Show on MSP Waves Radio.
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Cheers and I will do! Heading out to view a few properties next week.
Cheers and I will do!
Heading out to view a few
Properties next week.
- revisesociology
I'm a bot. I detect haiku.
@revisesociology you were flagged by a worthless gang of trolls, so, I gave you an upvote to counteract it! Enjoy!!
Thank you so much, although it was only 1 downvote from a 15 SP account with very depleted VP... still don't understand why they flagged me.
Congratulations on the early retirement! We are all jealous but equally happy for you. :)
Goodluck mate.....i think it good to be retire than getting stressful life.....
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The 50-50 seems like a good goal since im just starting out with my career. Hope i could do this too later in life.
Good going. Too bad you have to move. Who needs kids?
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