The Personal Finance Community Needs to Understand One Thing: Not Everyone Wants to Retire Early
Do you hate your job too?
When I saw a guy on Reddit say that he quit his job at a car manufacturer, where he earned 170,000 dollars a year, and retired at the age of 29, I thought he couldn’t work anymore, because that would mean he wasn’t genuinely financially independent or “retired”.
The reason people try to retire early or achieve financial independence is so they can live their best life possible without being forced to put up with asshole bosses or being burdened by their finances. Whether or not that includes work of some kind should make no difference.
The Insane Hatred of Work That Helps You Eat Must Die
That’s why the idea of “quitting your corporate job and never working again” is so popular on the internet. I don’t see it in my social environment.
The very word “work” gives us a negative idea or feeling.
It makes us think we’re making other people rich.
It makes us think of useless meetings, salaries that take 10 years to adjust, long commutes, stupid corporate rules, boring projects, etc.
That’s why the idea of financial independence and retiring early is so popular on internet forums and why so many people feel they need enough money to never work again.
But these negative feelings towards work have made us forget that not all work is miserable.
In fact, doing work that we find meaningful and that improves our day can be one of life’s greatest joys. That’s why I don’t want to retire. Ever. Period.
Doing the right job can make us smarter, more resilient, and better. Just look around yourself.
Getting really good at a job we love can allow us to leave a legacy to the world, which is also one of the best feelings we can experience as humans.
You can slap me in the face, but I believe there is a way to live your best life possible, even if you’re working for someone else and working for yourself part-time at the same time.
This Is The Time To Get Paid For The Work You Love Doing
Do the job just once and get paid every time. This example is just the tip of the iceberg.
There are many part-time jobs, weekend jobs, and online freelancers who pay much more than $15 an hour. I’ve seen people earning $1500 writing just one 800-word post.
When I give private Portuguese lessons to some of my friends from the USA, I charge $50 an hour.
My sister recently started making money playing games. There are many virtual championships for different games. The options range from RPGs to virtual reality games, as well as the famous soccer championships.
She earns an extra $400 to $700 depending on the occasion, and she also loves streaming.
There are all kinds of part-time side jobs out there that pay very well.
My neighbor simply looks for ways to get paid for doing things she already does. She already spends time cleaning her house, so it made sense to rent out her spare room on Airbnb and other Portuguese rental apps. She loves animals, so she gets paid to look after dogs in her own home.
Post-retirees can do things they love, so it doesn’t feel like work.
Do you love animals too?
There are lots of apps where you can look after other people’s dogs and get paid for them. Once or twice a week. It’s up to you.
Are you a native English speaker? You can teach people via Skype at weekends. I myself am paying a guy to learn English well. I myself am making money teaching Portuguese on the Internet.
Do you know much about computer languages? Do some freelance consulting for companies in your community, not just from time to time every year.
You Have Many Options for Not Hating Your Job
Incorporating some kind of work into your life can drastically alter your financial plans for the future. It improves your finances. After all, you have regular payments. You’re not spending what you’ve accumulated over decades.
Instead of enduring another decade of hell to achieve financial independence, maybe hold out for another year and a half, save up a pile of money and do a part-time job you love to cover your bills.
By giving yourself the option of working a little, you can quit your job much sooner than you thought.
Instead of spending three years saving an extra $100,000 or 8 years saving the first $1M, you could work just once a week at a job you love.
Wrap it all up
The bottom line of the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) community is to use money to live a good life, not to avoid work altogether. Anyone who thinks that work is just about earning money and retiring early is mistaken.
If you want complete financial independence and never want to think about money again, go for it. But know that there are other options. Perhaps even better ones from a non-financial point of view. It’s not just about money. Work to live. Not live to work.
Part-time work, internet freelancing, and working from time to time doing something you love can be the ticket to a more peaceful retirement.
This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.