I haven’t written an article in so long that my typing has slowed. I used to type at Mavis Beacon speed; now it’s more like Mavis MaGoo.
That’s okay—blogging for the sake of blogging was never the main point. After leaving Corporate America, there are plenty of other things to fill the days.
For me, the short list includes:
Side gigs are the paid work I enjoy where I’m my own boss: part-time handyman, Airbnb host, and landlord. I have customers, sure, but nobody’s micromanaging or playing office politics. Some of my handyman clients even like to stand and watch as I work my magic with tools.
I didn’t expect to become a handyman after leaving the corporate world, but I’m glad it happened. I swapped long-term uncertainty, endless emails, and pointless meetings for quick, tangible wins. I’m not waking up at 3 a.m. worrying about a presentation that won’t matter. And I earn about the same per hour, minus payroll taxes.
Getting through these years has required a mix of stoicism and pickleball. I never thought pickleball would become a weekly staple, but thanks to my wife it has—even if my Achilles tendons complain. Gym time joined the routine last fall. Now in my 50s, it’s more important than ever to challenge my muscles and get my heart rate up. We have a home gym and a Peloton, but the social boost from two weekly classes is worth the cost. I wouldn’t have signed up for a gym back in my career years—I had plenty of social time at the office—but early retirement means you need new ways to connect.
Family time has been essential. With two kids and differing sports schedules, things stay busy. We encourage at least one sport per season so they learn teamwork and discipline. It’s a work in progress, but I’m proud of the calm, competitive kids we’re raising.
The biggest gift of retirement has been time with my mom after my step-dad passed in January. He was a quiet rock for our family, never showing that the cancer was winning. If I’d been trapped in the rat race this year, I don’t know how I would’ve made the time for everything a loss like that requires.
Home improvement covers all those chores you know need doing: picking the right paint, getting it on a brush, and trying not to curse when paint peels off with the trim tape. At least I can swear while the kids are at school. I’d love to tackle landscaping and gardening more, but it’s hard to keep up. On the bright side, the kids are finally old enough to mow the lawn, so I’m officially retired from that job—at least for now.
Number five is a little nuts. I’m still the guy who preaches S&P index funds (VOO, VTI) as the best 401(k) options during career years. But early retirement brings “gap years”—the stretch between your 40s and age 59½ when accessing 401(k) money without tricks is tricky. We have enough cash flow from rentals, my wife’s gigs, and my handyman work to cover those years without stress, even if the steady corporate paycheck is gone.
I’m still learning investing every day. Was buying a big block of UNH at around $400/share smart? Time will tell, but I think it helped hedge some risks. The biggest portfolio challenge has been fine-tuning dividend income in the brokerage account to replace the missing paycheck. I’ve made a lot of trades while trying to limit capital gains—balancing SCHD, QQQI, SPYI, and other dividend names. I did make some profit during the “Liberation Day” market moves a few months back, but those gains are short-term, and I don’t want the tax headache of selling now.
I miss writing for this blog and the interactions with fellow bloggers in comments and forums. I just haven’t made staying active in the community a priority—building the community wasn’t part of my retirement plan, and that’s okay. Maybe I’ll post more here, but it won’t be out of duty to an early-retirement goal—that goal, thankfully, has been met. Writing is rewarding in its own way, much like mounting a TV or installing a microwave, so when my back gives out at the gym or the weather turns, I’ll probably come back to this little corner and spin some more of this lifestyle web.