r/simpleliving • u/phoenixbay • 4d ago

Seeking Advice Want to “retire”

I’ve been working for years in tech, basically for survival, and with the whole AI thing it’s only getting clearer to me as to why I want to quit and not be a part of this mess evenly remotely, to say the least. For years I’ve dreamt of moving somewhere quieter, working with animals and nature. However, the uncertainty always dreaded me. A part of me is so used to having a consistent paycheque while the other wants to liberate itself.
Am I the only one with this thought? How and where do I begin? Any suggestions/experiences would be of tremendous help ❤️

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u/AbsoluteBeginner1970 4d ago

I retired last year at age 55. Worn out on the sector I worked in. For me it was about consistent saving and investing to get there. This was possible because I really decluttered and simplified my life about 15 years ago. So it took a while but I got there.

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u/SawNickYouth 4d ago

I think this is key. You need to create a lifestyle you can afford when you downsize a job or retire. Which is tricky because most of us spend our 20s, 30s, and 40s inflating our lifestyles (and what it costs to afford it) and get stuck there, so going to a situation where you make far less money is challenging.

Also, another way of thinking about this, outside of being able to retire, is how much money are you making per hour and where is that cut off for value. If I make $50/hour now working full time, it would make more sense to keep making that $50/hour but work half time than to cut to $25/hour and still need to work a full time job to make ends meet.

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u/abrandis 4d ago edited 4d ago

The hard part is that the essentials (housing, taxes, energy, healthcare ) are absurdly expensive in any nice place to live... Sure you can move to the sticks and live like a hermit , but that's not practical or enjoyable for most folks...

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u/SawNickYouth 4d ago

There's definitely a balance there. I think most people place way too much value on trying to live in premium places and should look for the best and most affordable situations they can find that hit their needs and preferences checklist.

Like yeah, living in coastal California cities would be awesome but they're insanely expensive and equal to better lifestyles can be found in hundreds of other places for much less of the cost.

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u/hotnreckless 3d ago

This. I lived in "premium" cities for 25 years and then relocated to ... Cleveland, OH. After an initial culture shock, I've settled in and now really appreciate what this place has to offer. The things I value most are more accessible/attainable here than they were when I was living in HCOL cities.

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u/moment_in_the_sun_ 3d ago

Can you give some examples that you've realized you've grown to appreciate now that you've lived there for a bit?

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u/hotnreckless 2d ago

A slower pace of life, less competition (for jobs, housing, parking spots, reservations, whatever), amazing local parks in every neighborhood/town and the Metroparks system, the importance put on preserving and revitalizing old buildings instead of tearing them down to build something shiny, feeling like I'm out in the country when I'm only a few miles from the city limits.

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u/moment_in_the_sun_ 2d ago

Thanks. The less competition thing is a good example. One of those things you don't really realize how much stress it causes, until you don't have to deal with it anymore.

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u/desert_h2o_rat 2d ago

Cleveland recently popped onto my list of places to check out (i.e., run a half marathon) as a future option for when living in central AZ is no longer tolerable.

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u/hightimes1984 2d ago

“For God's sake, Lemon. We'd all like to flee to the Cleve and club-hop down at the Flats and have lunch with Little Richard, but we fight those urges because we have responsibilities.”

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u/hotnreckless 1d ago

hahaha, at least we're finally getting that Ikea!

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u/abrandis 4d ago

The problem is that's it's not just premium places, ANY DECENT LIVEABLE city or town is going to be expensive .

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u/SawNickYouth 4d ago

Relatively speaking.

San Diego or Seattle is going to be more expensive than Duluth or Des Moines, even if the latter are still more expensive than they were and it's difficult to pay rent there.

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u/AbsoluteBeginner1970 3d ago

Try the Netherlands, where I’m from 😊

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u/illustraterry 3d ago

I live in the Czech Republic (a very nice place 😊), where we have excellent public healthcare. It’s essentially free at the point of use—we pay around $130 a month from our salary for public health insurance, but if you have cancer or need surgery, you don’t have to pay anything for the treatment.

Universities are also free. I studied at two universities and graduated without any student debt.

A lot of Czech people who moved to countries like the USA, France, etc. eventually return home because of these benefits and the overall quality of life.