49 Working Days to Go, Goodbye 1 Million Pounds
I’ll miss work. My contracts over the past couple of years have had me working with a dedicated, professional, fun and interesting group of people. The project I’m currently managing is complex enough to keep me engaged, while simple enough for us as a team to consistently deliver good results. It’s self-affirming. Yes, I will miss work. Nevertheless, in 49 working days I’ll retire alongside Ju, both of us at the age of 43.
It would be a lie to say I’m not counting the days. Each evening brings me closer to climbing back into our motorhome, everything we need carefully chosen and packed inside, and taking to the open road again with no ‘return to work’ date. I know what it means to hit the road, as we’ve done it before, albeit previously always on a time-limited basis. It means the drug of freedom is just around the corner, within touching distance. The investments we now have in the UK will, with a reasonable degree of certainty, mean we can both look forwards to a lifetime of travel, or whatever else we choose to do, in comfort and free of financial fear.
A friend asked me today how I feel about being so close to this ‘freedom point’. In all honesty I expected over the past months I would be ecstatic by now, but I’m not. I do get a rush of excitement from time to time, but I’ve been here before, more than once, and the lack of exuberance has been a common feature at this stage in the game. I suspect it comes from the way in which I function: I tend to go all-out, taking on risk, putting up with situations I’d prefer not to be in, working and training over long hours, living the job. Finally by the time it gets close to the point this pays off I’m just too knackered to get overly excited about it.
There’s an additional side to it this time: we’re not just quitting work for a bit. We’re done with it. At least in the traditional sense of commuting to an office for a living. Putting it bluntly, this means we’re jacking it in at the peak of our earning capability. If we both worked for another 12 years, to get us to a more ‘reasonable’ retirement age of 55 we could potentially earn a combined one million pounds. We both have high-value skills and a relentlessly positive attitude, so unless hit by ill health that’s a very realistic sum of money. Since our outgoings are already covered by investments, we’d pay tax, then see the rest of that cash in the bank (well no, in more investments). That’s money we’ll never see though. No matter how well planned our existing situation is, that is one wide-eyed choice to be making.
Our decision is made of course, and has been for some time: we’re out of there.
This might seem like a stupid and naive position. Reading it back, it even sounds like it to me. However, off in the background behind all of this is a serious amount of thinking, preparation, self-education, planning, planning and more planning. And further behind that is a blinding, burning light of desire. A why. Something we both care deeply enough about to carefully inspect that ghostly one million pounds and turn away, leaving it for someone else. The ‘why’ is the pull of freedom. Freedom to travel the Earth in our own way and at our own pace. Freedom to meet new people. Freedom to ponder new ideas. Freedom to spend time together, to give our time, to breathe deeply, to walk slowly. Freedom to never commute again.
So there it is. I will miss work. I’ll miss the steady income. I’ll miss the camaraderie. I’ll miss the free Klix machine coffee. 49 days, and counting.
Cheers, Jay
P.S. 43 may seem like a stupidly early age to retire? If so, how does age 30 sound, with a family?
Bloody kllix machine! I HAVE to buy you one decent coffee on Fridsy before I leave. And as for that ghostly million, well I could have written that entire blog post above. But the tangible, walkillion would not buy time, experience and growth – only stuff x
What a fabulous position to have got yourselves to….. 100% envious and inspired….. enjoy it and hopefully we won’t be too far behind you with similar aspirations
Well done you guys. Did you get my e mail of last week. It would be great to catch up before you go. Jacqui and Mike
You did it, as you knew you would, that is part of how to do it, the other part being hard work. I am so pleased for you both.
Well done! I’m sure you’ll inspire others, as you have us, to plan for that early ‘gap life’. It’ll be around 3 years time (age 55) – or just 773 working days! – that we reach the point when we can give up the full-time work and travel in our campervan.
Stay focussed guys, we’ll share a glass of wine with you in the sunshine one day. Cheers! Jay
wow you two are an inspiration ,keep the blog going I am addicted to it !
Always look forward to reading ure posts, keep them coming :-)
million schmillion. Over 12 years it would all be gone on ……stuff! Ignore it you have made a fantastic decision, I’m just jealous!
Hi Matt
Thanks fella. Ah, stuff! We’re hypersensitive to purchases these days. The stuff we’re currently buying for Zagan has been discussed for years, literally.
There’s one thing that’s certain, that million wouldn’t go on stuff. It would probably get split across property and Vanguard passive index tracking ETFs. Once all invested it would throw off roughly £40k a year on average. As we need about £16k a year to live on (inflation adjusted in future) the other £24k would get dropped into more investments. We’d end up stupidly rich, and stupidly depressed.
Cheers, Jay
We’re excited for you guys. You had a dream and you’ve made it come true. You’re not lucky – you’re smart. See you in a car park or a field somewhere…….X x
Cheers Phil, getting close now mate… :-) Need to get started on that Arabic…
Love what you’re doing!
I’m 50 now and figured out my priorities long ago. Health and love, with stuff lagging way behind.
I earn a small passive income (£15000 or so) from previous work in utilities and commercial energy. I don’t commute. If I stayed and focused hard in eight years time I could earn £300k passive per year. So what?
Life is far too short to be engaged in constant work away from new experiences and also the everyday time I love just being with my wife and our little dog.
Although I’d hit the road in a heartbeat, Jen has such a wonderful little business based in our home town that brings her joy and I respect the value of staying put in a good place.
But our life isn’t fixed or planned. Who knows where we’ll be in future?
I really respect you both for being totally open to adventure and endless possibilities