Originally Posted by
GSIV Rogue
It really helps to have cheap hobbies. I always liked Gemstone and debating with people here so I figured why not - it's something to do. I like talking to intelligent people and unfortunately, I don't get a lot of that IRL. I do feel a lot like Andy Dufresne escaping Shawshank.
I don't think a lot of people have a good idea of what financial independence looks like. Sure, there are people who have inherited great wealth, had super high paying careers, made a fortune in the stock market, or hit the lottery. For my wife and I it was literally saving every penny - avoiding debt at all costs whenever possible, never, ever eating out, buying a 600 square foot foreclosed condo that was unlivable and fixing it up, sharing a vehicle, never going on vacation, working multiple horrible jobs at a time for low pay (at our peak we were working a combined 150+ hours a week), not having kids, rolling our own cigarettes, and finally - enjoying cheap and/or free entertainment. It's not glamorous, but for us free time has higher value than anything. Both my wife and I have worked for years at horrible jobs. Neither of us had high paying careers - we both work in the food industry.
When I say retire - we will not just do nothing (Even if/when we make it to social security age - we both still plan to work at least a few days a week). We are retiring from our "careers" to work in different industries, part time, for lower pay - because we can now afford to do so. We will not be buying a second home, moving to Florida, or playing golf all day (I also don't think most people have an accurate picture of retirement). What we will have, however, is about 40% more free time and a lot less stress. Over time, we will reduce the amount of time we work even more.
Back to what I like about GS - the game doesn't technically end, and is a great pastime (which is why I hope they don't shut the lights out on us - even though I think there's a good chance of it happening at any moment). Although the monetary rewards aren't super, I've always been able to monetize my time here in some way and enjoyed the challenge of doing so. I realize it may seem bizarre / extremist to analyze a $14.95 per month investment or do extensive financial research on a company who owns said investment - but that's the mindset that it's taken us to escape Shawshank. I also enjoy reading and doing research - another pastime of mine. To each their own.